Ruger New Vaquero key actuated action lock

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GRIZZ

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
61
Location
California
under the grip panels can this be removed? Or are there some replacement parts from the factory or from anywhere else available that can be had in order to rid the revolver of the lock? Rick
 

Varminterror

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
513
To my knowledge, you need a replacement mainspring and mainspring strut, then will have to come up with your own mainspring seat.

Or maybe you just need medication to help you cope with the unseen terror that is the under-grip lock... :p
 

Varminterror

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
513
Just for the record - out of a few dozen Ruger single action revolvers, I don't have any lock-model Rugers, and I won't.
 

Chuck 100 yd

Hunter
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
3,251
Location
Ridgefield WA
I machined out my own main spring seat from a piece of stainless to replace the lock in the pair of Vaqueros I use most for cowboy action.

I am told that the spring seat from the new Ruger Stainless Bearcat is just a drop in replacement to replace the Ruger lock.
 

Armybrat

Buckeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
1,525
Location
Round Rock, Texas
My recently purchased NV supposedly does not have the lock inside the grips. Don't know when those were discontinued. Maybe one of the Ruger experts here can tell us.
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,040
Location
People's Republik of California
The internal lock was deleted in 2012.


Use a Ruger Bearcat spring seat for a Lock by-pass:

I used to make titanium lock bypass seats for sale:
orig.jpg


One day back in 2007 I figured out that there's a $2.00 Ruger part that will work as a lock bypass! I realized that the spring seat in my Bearcat is the longest seat made for the Ruger single actions, go figure!! And it just bridges the gap in the grip frames with internal lock! That's all I use now.

The beauty of it is that a temporary pin used to hold the spring compressed when gun is disassembled, sits in the groove in the top of the Bearcat seat and the bottom end of the strut goes thru the seat just like it would in the lock. The Bearcat spring seat is the easiest swap there is. After cocking the hammer, a disassembly pin is inserted into the strut hole above the seat just like the lock, therefore the spring doesn't need to be dismounted from the strut.

In fact you don't even need to remove the grip frame! In all the other Ruger SAs, the pin is inserted below the seat and it's captured on the strut with the spring. Just place the Bearcat seat on the strut below the spring and pin, and insert together into the grip frame and onto the two shelves. Now cock the hammer, remove the spring retaining pin, and drop the hammer.

The seat doesn't overhang the gap very much on either side but it does work and I've been using these for several years on several guns.

If you want, you can file a small shelf on either side of the gap in the grip frame to insure it doesn't slip out.
File the two little shelf notches, one on each edge of the gap where the lock was, with the distance between the notches the same as the Bearcat seat length. The notches create a shelf for each end of the Bearcat seat to fit down into. That way it can't move forward or backward and fall into the gap where the lock was.


Brownells #780-000-948AK $2.12, OM Serial # Above 93-00000, and NM:
http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/frame-parts/mainspring-parts/mainsprings/mainspring-seat-sku780000948-11856-28534.aspx?sku=780000948

Or order direct from Ruger, part # PR5.

Bearcat seat pic in a Bearcat grip frame here: http://www.gunblast.com/images/Hamm_Ruger-SA-GripFrames/Dsc00106.jpg

Tip: use the 25 coils spring and strut that came with the lock and you don't have to dismount and remount the spring, because the temporary take down pin is inserted above the Bearcat seat like with the lock! Makes for a much better hammer pull and trigger pull, especially on the single six frames with less leverage due to the shorter hammer. Much easier for the grandkids too. Also, the shorter strut and 25 coil spring can be used with any standard grip frame that was not originally equipped with the lock, as long as you use the Bearcat spring seat. And you won't need to file the notches either.
 

GRIZZ

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
61
Location
California
Ya know, sometimes I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer... After removing the grip panels from my New Model Vaquero 45 Colt, 7 1/2 inch barrel. I discovered that my Vaquero DOES NOT have the lock and that's fine with me. Thanks to all for your help and response to my question. Rick
 

Chuck 100 yd

Hunter
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
3,251
Location
Ridgefield WA
That one IS going to be harder to fix .You will have to find a lock to install before you can remove it!
You will find your grip frame is not made to accept the lock so you will also have to replace the grip frame with the lock type frame. Then you can install the Bearcat
Spring seat in place of the lock and you will then have it the way you like, or not.
Good news that you don't have the lock. Enjoy!
 

.41 Mag

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Messages
2
FWIW after owning several Old Model unconverted Blackhawks, I took the plunge and ordered a NM in .41 Mag. After I had placed the order, I read about the lock that and went into a spiral. I have never owned a revolver with any type of internal locking system. LSS, I received the revolver yesterday and quickly removed the factory black panels and was very happy to discover that there is no locking device installed on this one.

According to the serial number, it was mfg in 2014. So I guess it is possible to end up with a no lock new production model. I do not know if you can specify from the seller or not but I'll be a lot more observant in the future
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,040
Location
People's Republik of California
.41 Mag said:
According to the serial number, it was mfg in 2014. So I guess it is possible to end up with a no lock new production model. I do not know if you can specify from the seller or not but I'll be a lot more observant in the future

After Ruger discontinued producing guns with the lock in 2012, one could order them with or without lock, apparently until old grip frames compatible with locks parts inventory was exhausted. Because guns cannot be ordered with locks any longer.
 

.41 Mag

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Messages
2
When did Ruger start using the lock? I have a single six I might have to check.

I read somewhere they began producing the internal locks in 2006 but could stand to be corrected. I did not know that they were discontinued in 2012...
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,040
Location
People's Republik of California
They introduced the lock in 2005 in the then new XR3 size grip frames: on the 357 and 44 flat top Anniv Blackhawks, subsequent flat top production, and all New Vaqueros, blued or stainless. And on all other blued models with the alloy grip frames (these are XR3-RED size), single sixes and blackhawks.

Models using the XR3-RED size grip frames in both blued steel and stainless steel in existence before 2005 never got the lock.
 

Armybrat

Buckeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
1,525
Location
Round Rock, Texas
One great thing about these gun forums - they are an excellent source of information for us gun owners who don't know that much about the details of our favorite firearms design & production. Such a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips!
And many thanks to you folks who educate us in the finer details of it all.
 

ProfessorWes

Hunter
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
4,648
Location
Lake of the Ozarks, MO
Question: Has anyone ever heard of the lock-equipped New Vaq/New Flattop guns "locking" themselves up as some of the ILS-equipped Smith and Wessons have reportedly done? Just curious.

(Haven't had any issues with my lock-equipped 50th .357 Blackhawk and .44 SPL Flattops. Or, for that matter, with my Hillary Hole'd Smith Airweight, knock on wood.

*raps skull* :p ).
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,040
Location
People's Republik of California
No I have not, and if it even happened once it would be on at least one of the several forums I follow. I'll never say never, but it's just not possible to happen on the Ruger lock w/o the owner knowing immediately as he locks or unlocks the device, whether or not it was working correctly.

The S&W lock on the other hand is integrated into the action of the gun, which is the reason for the occasional failures.
 
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