Ruger Single Seven Off Center Primer Strikes

[22short]

I purchased one of the new Ruger single sevens and after firing several boxes of rounds through it see that it is striking the primers off center quite a bit. While I've not had any misfires it seems to me that hitting the primer so far off center is a problem with the guns timing or something. I've never seen this in any of my other revolvers single or double action. Can anyone speak to this and inform me if this is in fact a timing issue or something else and should I be sending it back to Ruger to have them give it a once over.

I've got a friend with two of these and we've compared empties and none of his look like mine so it seems there is something a miss I just don't know for sure what it is.

Thanks

 

[David Bradshaw]

22short.... the target is the arbiter of accuracy. Report groups from 50 feet and, better yet, 25 yards. A good .22 revolver, fired from a good rest in good hands, should print five in 2-inches. We may allow for human frailty, but not a whole lot.

Should chamber-to-bore misalignment spell the reason you have off center primer strikes, benchmark accuracy will be impossible. The soft lead .22 slug obturates easily. Chamber offset may cause spitting.

It is possible chamber-to-bore alignment is proper, but the strike is off. Unlikely, but you must put the gun to work to know.
David Bradshaw

 

[contender]

David is correct, but I think he may be thinking about the 22 LR vs. the Single-Seven in 327 Mag. However, the solution he has offered is correct.

 

[David Bradshaw]

contender.... correct, I was thinking .22LR. And, as you indicate, the first rule is to target.
David Bradshaw

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have all three barrel lengths of the Single Seven. None of mine have off center primer indents. That one should be brought to Ruger's attention. I'd be giving them a call.

 

[p.d.]

My Single Seven also exhibits off center primer strikes but the accuracy with both factory and hand loads indicate that this is not a problem in my particular revolver.

 

[22short]

Bearcat. My revolver has shot everything I put through it and seems to be hitting the target accurately but I don't think that should be the only indicator that everything is okay. I own several revolvers and none of them hit off center on the primer like this. I'm not a gunsmith but it seems to me it indicates something isn't correct and since I'm not a gunsmith I want the folks at Ruger to look at it and make that determination. In reading the reloading books hitting the primer off center is not ideal and at some point could possibly lead to misfires. And if it is out of time it is not going to get better on it's own so mine is off to the manufacturer.

Dave

 

[OldePhart]

That's a wise choice, @22short. A revolver is a fairly simple, but relatively precise machine where the parts should pretty much always be in alignment...and when they aren't there is a cause and that cause usually isn't a good thing. I can't think of anything that would cause off-center primer strikes that wouldn't worry me a bit. I would be troubled by off-center primer strikes even on an older revolver and would want to know what was wearing out to allow that to happen. With a new revolver they should be very nearly centered.

 

[Northwet Chooter]

That's a wise choice, @22short. A revolver is a fairly simple, but relatively precise machine where the parts should pretty much always be in alignment...and when they aren't there is a cause and that cause usually isn't a good thing. I can't think of anything that would cause off-center primer strikes that wouldn't worry me a bit. I would be troubled by off-center primer strikes even on an older revolver and would want to know what was wearing out to allow that to happen. With a new revolver they should be very nearly centered.

Well said oldephart. I'll be interested to hear what ruger has to say when they get this pistol back. Be sure to keep us posted short.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

A simple way to check alignment, with an unloaded gun, shine a light sideways into the B/C gap and look down the barrel to see if any part of the cylinder hole looks out of alignment when the gun is in the locked-up position after a hammer drop and still holding the trigger back. A crescent moon shape means bad alignment. Not as accurate as a range rod but something to look for.

 

[frankenfab]

My 9.5" Single Seven was like that. I sent it back. They said it was within spec. I sent it back again and told them there spec and process needed to be tightened up. They sent me another gun that was only marginally better. I gave up.

If the recoil shield (firing pin housing) not being concentric with the bore is the problem, that can't be fixed without bushing and remachining the hole for the housing, or replacing the frame with one that is machined properly.

It's sad Ruger will allow such sloppy tolerances in an age when we have the finest, fastest, most accurate, and repeatable machine tools ever.

 

[22short]

I sent a message about this misaligned primer strike issue to a gunsmith who works on single action revolvers and here is what he sent back to me.

Sounds like improper machining of either; chamber locations, base pin holes in the frame, the bolt, the bolt opening in the frame or the cylinder's locking notches. Sounds like you need to send it with a couple of fired cases back to Ruger.

I really like this gun but I'm becoming less and less enamored in what I'm seeing from Ruger. A friend has two of them and has already sent one back and I think is waiting to see how it turns out before sending the other. I received a shipping label and will send it back. I've never seen anything like this in any of the many revolvers I own, new or old. This one being the exception.

I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Dave

 

[Sugar River]

Sure would be nice to see pictures of your off center FP strikes.