Service Six 357 issue. Help needed

[stevezio]

I bought a well used service six in 357.
I am very happy with it shooting 38's.
When I went to the range today and shooting some standard federal 357 I was getting all kinda shrapnel coming back in my face.
Cut my upper cheek even. I was wearing safety glasses as I always do and am glad I was wearing them today.

Is this normal? Or is there some kind of timing issue that shows up when shooting 357's more than 38?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[pisgah]

What model are you shooting? It cannot be a Single Six -- they are .22s or .32s.

Whatever model it is, it certainly sounds like you could have a timing issue.

 

[stevezio]

Yea It is a service six. (brain cramp) - I fixed the post.
Thanks,
-S

 

[stevezio]

If it is a timing issue is this something Ruger can help out with being these have not been produced in many years?

-S

 

[Beruisis]

It is a timing issue & Ruger or a decent revolver smith can remedy the problem. I would not continue to shoot it until it is fixed.
B.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

It certainly could be a timing issue. Is there a lot of end or side to side play with the cylinder? That is something to look at. However, if accuracy with the 38 was good it can't be too bad of a timing issue, although perhaps enough to cause problems with full 357s.

But....another couple of possibilities...

You said you had been shooting 38s. Were these lead or cast 38s and did you shoot a lot of them before switching to (presumably) jacketed 357s? Was the bore and forcing cone area clean before you started shooting? How about when you started shooting 357s? If you had leading build up at the forcing cone or slightly ahead in the barrel it is possible you were getting bits of deposited lead blown back at you by the higher pressure 357s.

Another possible scenario is if you were shooting plated 357s and the plating was stripping off at the cone and coming back at you. I watched that happen about a month ago when a guy at the range was shooting a Redhawk with some cheap gunshow reloads at standard level 44Mag pressures that had been loaded with plated bullets. Plating was flying all over the place! There was even one fingernail sized piece of it he pulled from the forcing cone that he showed to me. He got a cheek cut and one hand cut. Cheap plated bullets and higher pressure loads don't always mix.

 

[stevezio]

VAdoublegunner,

38 shoots to the left but groups good. That could just be the sight.
The cylinder does wiggle a little more than say a new service six.
I was shooting allot of 38's before I switched to 357. The 38's were lead.
It was lead that I pulled out of my cheek today.
The 357 was not plated.

What is a good test to see if my timing is out of wack?

Thanks,
S

 

[Beruisis]

quick way to check timing with an UNLOADED revolver is to pull the trigger & let the hammer fall. While your trigger finger still has the trigger depressed & the hammer is down, with your offhand check for any rotational movement in the cylinder. There shouldn't be any movement. Do this to all the chambers; check each one individually.
B.

 

[stevezio]

There is a slight wiggle when doing this check.
Also note the same slight wiggle is present in my GP100 and it is not having this issue.
Thanks
-S

 

[Beruisis]

Hopefully timing is OK then. What about cylinder movement fore & aft?
B.