SP101 'jamming'- cylinder gap?

[epthorn]

Hey, thought maybe somebody with more experience in revolvers might have seen this problem before. Once I've fired a couple dozen rounds (post cleaning) out of my SP101 the double-action mode gets stuck. I cannot squeeze the trigger properly and can only barely cycle the firearm by pulling back the (suddenly very heavy) hammer. By manually moving the cylinder counter-clockwise I can free the action, and it only takes a small amount of force. Cleaning the forward side of the cylinder and the back of the barrel that meets it takes care of the problem but I don't really think it's reasonable that a revolver need to be cleaned or even wiped even 25-30 rounds. I am using blazer and there's buildup.

I measured the cylinder gap and it's .005 (or at least .006 doesn't fit). The barrel is also slightly off-center as if it has been tightened past the center. Anyone have experience with this sort of issue before? Is that an appropriate gap?

Thanks!

 

[LaneP]

I would be calling Ruger to have that one returned for adjustment. Just based on the fact the barrel is turned past the proper index position is an indication it either left the factory improperly adjusted or someone was fooling around with it in an effort to tighten the b/c gap at some point.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Try a different ammo after a thorough cleaning and see if the results are different. I believe .004"-.006" is normal for the B/C gap. As mentioned above a trip back to Ruger can fix the barrel twist and probably any other little thing as they go over the repaired guns very thoroughly. Give Ruger a call and ask for a shipping label to send the gun back. They have very good and quick service.

 

[jaguar88xj6]

Sound like a worn hand. Cylinder stop is poping up before the hand starts to turn the cylinder.

 

[BradB]

Put snap caps in it and hold down the trigger so the firing pin is still pushing the snap cartridge and then check the gap. If too small powder build up will drag on the cylinder. Had the same problem with my new GP100. Sad to say send it out, but no problem for Ruger fix. Or have a capable qualified technician work on it if you have access to one. Good luck.

 

[DGW1949]

If the cylinder has minimum end-shake, your .005-less than .006 B/C gap should be plenty.
If you have a (qualified) gunsmith rotate the barrel back to where it "centers", the gap will increase....but...it might not remain torqued correctly.

DGW

 

[epthorn]

Put snap caps in it and hold down the trigger so the firing pin is still pushing the snap cartridge and then check the gap. If too small powder build up will drag on the cylinder. Had the same problem with my new GP100. Sad to say send it out, but no problem for Ruger fix. Or have a capable qualified technician work on it if you have access to one. Good luck.

Didn't have a snap cap in this caliber but when I used an empty casing the gap went down to .04-.05

Try a different ammo after a thorough cleaning and see if the results are different. I believe .004"-.006" is normal for the B/C gap. As mentioned above a trip back to Ruger can fix the barrel twist and probably any other little thing as they go over the repaired guns very thoroughly. Give Ruger a call and ask for a shipping label to send the gun back. They have very good and quick service.

I'll try that... I've got some non-target ammo I can use instead, even though it's a bit pricey.

Sound like a worn hand. Cylinder stop is poping up before the hand starts to turn the cylinder.

That's what I was afraid of at first but would it then make sense that cleaning the cylinder gap fixes it?


Anyway, thanks all- I think I'll take it out and dirty it up one more time, see if it's the same two cylinders having the problem (I marked them) and then see how Rugers customer service works (I seem to have bad luck with guns, my Taurus had to be sent back too!).

 

[desertrat]

Yes, I bought mine several years ago & it came with the barrel slightly off center. The B/C gap is very close also but I've kept an eye on it &, so far, it hasn't rubbed the forcing cone area yet. Once it does, it's going on an excursion back to Rugerland.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Does this happen with lead bullets? I had an SP-101 that would show the same problem with lead bullets but not with jacketed ones. Apparently tiny lead shavings would get into the B/C gap and tie up the action.

 

[epthorn]

Update:

After an excursion out of the country I tried the revolver again and decided to call Ruger. They had me ship the gun back to them (they wouldn't pay since it's apparently 10 years old, news to me) and decided that they would replace it rather than repair the old gun. They refused to tell me what they found to be wrong with the old one, which was annoying.

So after going through all the paperwork required in NYS I should be picking up the new SP101 this weekend. Unfortunately the new gun's trigger is terrible compared to the old one so it looks like I'll have to work on that using some of the guides I've seen around. Now I just have to decide if I want to polish it up like my old one or leave the 'satin' finish.

 

[powder smoke]

I'd measure the gap on each and every chamber to assure the cylinder
is properly squared up to the barrel especially if it is sticking on only
one or two chambers. ps

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Update:
They had me ship the gun back to them (they wouldn't pay since it's apparently 10 years old, news to me) and decided that they would replace it rather than repair the old gun. They refused to tell me what they found to be wrong with the old one, which was annoying.

Thanks for the update. I guess it was in worse shape than you/we thought. Getting a new gun is not a bad deal.

Here is a tutorial on a SP trigger job.
http://www.sp101trigger.com/index.html

 

[brushunter]

Thanks for the up-date. I had a 2 1/2 SP in .357 that shot 5-6 inches to the left at 15 yards. After much trial and error ... I finally called Ruger. They did not hesitate , told me to send it in. ( don't think they paid for that ...been a while back ). After a week or so they sent me an e-mail stating they were replacing my SP with a new one. Needed my FFL info , etc. I did end up paying the fees for the new gun , but still a good deal least in my mind. My point is ...they would not disclose what was wrong with my gun to warrant the exchange. To my eyes , the barrel didn't look to be twisted ... I suspect something may have went awry while the tech was attempting repairs ??? Anyway ...

regards , brushunter