Ruger 44 Carbine issues

[rong]

Hi folks,
I bought a 44 Carbine,
vintage 1971. I handloaded
265 gr JFP on top of 8.6
gr Unique and she fired and ejected
fine but did not feed, bumped
it up to 9.3 gr of Unique, same thing.
No signs of over pressure.
Can anybody help me.
Thank-Ron

 

[TDF]

Does it work OK with factory loads? With that load you should have enough zip to get it to cycle as my manual lists 9.3 with that bullet as max.

TDF

 

[RonEgg]

I was always lead to believe that a 240gr factory load was what that rifle was made to feed. Anything more or less would cause feeding problems.

 

[TDF]

I was always lead to believe that a 240gr factory load was what that rifle was made to feed. Anything more or less would cause feeding problems.

Maybe......Maybe Not. I've had too of them and both would feed 300 gr Hornady XTP's without any problems. I never tried any 265 grainers though.

TDF

 

[Boxhead]

You do need to load full power loads with the gun. I use the 270 gr Speer Gold Dot with a maximum charge (per Hodgdon's #26 manual for 265 gr bullets) of H110 and have zero problems and great accuracy. Do make sure the through-bolt holding the stock to the rear receiver "plate" is tight. I bedded my receiver plate to the stock as a fine crack in the stock started to develop even when all was tight.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Good factory loads to try are Winchester White Box 240gr JSP or Federal American Eagle 240gr JHP. Both of those have plenty of POP to cycle the gun.

..JImbo

 

[nvbirdman]

The powder you are using is too fast.
The peak pressure is occuring before it reaches the gas port.
Gas operated semi-autos can be sensitive to powder speed.

 

[mike7mm08]

If it will chamber a live round from the magazine when you cycle the action by hand it is the ammo. I have always used topend loads of H110 and 296 with no feeding issues unless the gasport was plugged or the gas piston was sticking in the gasblock. Usually if that is the case the gun jams either on ejection or the next round hangs up. I have never encountered one that will eject cleanly and not feed the next round. I would start by cleaning the gas port piston and block. Try the same loads again and then try some loads with H110 or 296.

 

[rong]

Thank you
Mike, I was using Unique
cause my H110 and W296
isn't due in yet.
Also I can only feed three
rounds in the tube, can almost
get the fourth in but a 1/4 "
away

 

[mike7mm08]

Sounds like the magazine tube and spring are gunked up as well as it should take four.Another possibility is your overal lebgth might be alittle to much. I have never used the 265 in my original Carbines. I did some looking at reloading manuals. The latest hornady manual listed loads specifically for the Ruger carbine. They state only these loads and powder should be used to insure proper function. They do not list any loads for unique. So I am really thinking we have an ammo issue and at worse a dirty gas system and magazine.

 

[rong]

exxcllent mike-thank you.
I don't have a hornady
reloading manual-care to pm me
with some loads?
Thanks ever so much
ron

 

[Pinecone]

rong, The "first" thing I would do is give that carbine a "thorough" disassembly and cleaning paying special attention to the gas port and gas piston/block assembly! I have commented many times on this problem on this forum and from my experience working on these over the past 43 years, a good cleaning of this assembly with "lacquer thinner" will in all probability cure your problems. Being a "used" gun, the gas system has probably "never" been cleaned before which is a common finding working on these guns over the years!................................Dick :wink:

 

[rong]

Thanks Dick I'll do that

 

[gator37]

On my 44 the spent round started to catch half way out the breach (no full ejection) about a year ago. I finally called ruger getting ready to give them the rifle and pay the difference for a new rifle of some other caliber.

When I called Ruger the women on the other end was very helpful and knowledgable, told me to take the stock off and at the end of the gas tube turn the small screw (clockwise) until the breech assembly barely started to move than back it off 1/8 of a turn.

This worked for the 240 grain. I don't know if it will solve your problem but it did mine and I am happy I did not get rid of it.

 

[rong]

Gator, I'll try that .
thanks very much
Ron

 

[Pinecone]

rong, The older .44 Carbines did not have this slide adjustment "screw" in the piston block plug. Yours may or may not have it as it was a later modification, I believe started at the 1975 production. Yours however, being a 1971 could have been modified at some point in time!..........................Dick :wink:

 

[rong]

Thanks Pinecone.
My 44 does have the Piston
plug set screw.I emailed ruger
and they advised I tightenen the
set screw until slide travel was noticed
and back off 1/8.Easier said then done,
I could,'t notice any travel from the slide
so I "gauged" by the bolt movement.
Any way my reloading supplies came in
and the new 7th hornady Edition suggests
max loads for proper function.
BTW, I'm an old Pembroke boy, where do you
hail from?
Ron

 

[Pinecone]

ron, I get up toward Pembroke on occasion when we go to Lubec and Campobello Island. I'm originally from the "canoe city", Old Town!...............Dick :wink:

 

[rong]

Thanks guys
for all the input.
I loaded up 7rds of
240 gr JHP ontop
of 23.5 Gr H110 and
they fed and ejected fine cept
for one,it didn't seem to find the
chamber and jammed up.
Gonna load up a bunch and off to the
range as soon as it gets a bit
warmer.
Ron

 

[Joker18]

I used to own a vintage Ruger 44 mag carbine. One can shoot various power handloads provided the dwell or gas piston stroke is adjusted properly.
This info is not shade tree gunsmithing, I had confrimed it years ago with a gunsmith/technician at Ruger.
The original 44 mag carbine has an adjustment screw that limits the amount of travel on the gas piston. There is a factory adjustment for the gas piston travel for commercial 44 mag ammo (srew in piston adjustment srew all the way and then back out X # of turns) and someone at Ruger may still have that info.
It's not very difficult in that the more the gas piston travels rearward, the more force it applies to the bolt making the bolt travel faster.
I had my gas piston adjusted for handloads (240 gr. bullets at 1,000 fps in a 4" barrel pistol). When I switched back to factory loads, I would fire one shot and then the firing pin would click on an empty chamber. It turned out that the gas piston was pushing the bolt back so fast it was rushing past the elevator before it could get a cartridge up for the bolt to push it into the chamber. I reduced the bolt travel back to the factory adjustment and no more problems. I remember the factory man advised me that there was nothing wrong with adjusting the gas piston for the ammo you're using, one just needs to remember to re-adjust it when you switch to more or less powerful ammo.
Hope this was helpful.