Ruger Auto Red Eagle recoil spring question

[06dilly]

I just picked up a Ruger Auto Red Eagle SN14xxx. Upon disassembly I see that the recoil spring on top of the bolt is not retained. The rod is not staked and just pulls right through the moon end. First time I have seen this.

Does anyone know if this is how some of the early Automatics/Standards were made back then?

Thanks!
TomD

 

[old 41]

I believe that was how they were made early on. I have one #57xx that is the same.

 

[06dilly]

Thanks for confirming yours. It matches the patent Ruger has on the bolt where they describe it without mentioning staking the recoil spring and rod into one unit. I’m guessing they soon figured out that making it one unit was simpler but for a short while there were a number made this way.

Now I’m on the hunt to own a few more early Red Eagles, just to test the theory, of course…

TomD

 

[ned]

Thanks for confirming yours. It matches the patent Ruger has on the bolt where they describe it without mentioning staking the recoil spring and rod into one unit. I’m guessing they soon figured out that making it one unit was simpler but for a short while there were a number made this way.

Now I’m on the hunt to own a few more early Red Eagles, just to test the theory, of course…

TomD

What a tremendous resource this Forum is. So many of our members speak with data.

 

[TestEngineer]

The recoil spring you describe was used on the early type 1 and 1A red eagles. They changed to the captive type recoil spring starting with the type 2.

Serial number 14xxx is a type 7 red eagle, so it would seem that yours has an early bolt and spring installed to replace what was original to the pistol.

 

[06dilly]

Over on ROCS a member said he has several of them set up just like mine, up to SN 48xxx. Seems Ruger may have not completely stopped using the unstaked spring with type 1/1a. I can’t see someone going backwards on so many. Maybe on one or two but not for several of his to be like that too, no?

Interesting. I’ll keep trying to buy Red Eagles, just for the sake of sampling!

TomD

 

[rugerguy]

pieces,parts, put in any given gun back in the day, by whomever, and I doubt by the factory, they would NOT "go backwards"...........

we've seen a few of them come out of those early guns ,back in the 60s, at shows, and in the shop, and they would be "updated" to the "supported" bolt......all of those unsupported bolts were "hand fitted" and it became obvious "why" they were discontinued.........