Super Blackhawk Cylinder Latch Problem

[aldous_huxley]

Greetings knowledgeable peers. I am having a strange issue with my Ruger Super Blackhawk cylinder latch. When I dry fire the revolver (and presumably live fire) the cylinder latch drops and quickly comes back up during the hammer fall. This does not occur when I thumb the hammer down slowly. I discovered this issue while fitting a Power Customs oversize cylinder latch to the revolver, I thought it was some mistake I was making and reinstalled the factory cylinder latch, but the problem persists. It is possible that this problem has existed for some time and I did not notice.

I have other Power Customs parts in the gun, a hammer and trigger. I have been looking though Jerry Kuhnhausen's shop manuals for Ruger Single Action's but cannot find any issue like this. Any ideas on what this issue is?

 

[Bkat]

Hi Aldous, love your work but thought you were long dead. You've probably already checked this out since you evidently have Kuhnhausen's book, but just in case take another look at pages 156-157 on cylinder latch issues. See especially the last paragraph on page 157 regarding the latch plunger/spring assembly and the caution note. Just in case you missed it.

Bkat

 

[aldous_huxley]

Hey Bkat, thanks for responding. I don't think the reading that you referenced has to do with my issue though, unless of course I am missing an obvious point (entirely possible). My cylinder latch isn't sticking at any point, it cycles and locks completely normally except when fired the latch drops out of the cylinder and into the grip frame, as if you had cocked the hammer, then returns to the cylinder extremely quickly, locking the cylinder back into place. I can't seem to even get an idea of what could cause that, the only thing that comes into contact with the cylinder latch during a hammer drop would be the hammer plunger right? and from where it is pushing it should be driving the cylinder latch upward into the cylinder, so I just don't even know where to look.

 

[aldous_huxley]

I swapped the power customs hammer and trigger out for the original stock and everything worked normally. My guess is something is messed up with the hammer plunger on my power customs hammer. I will see if I can figure out what it is and post the solution.

 

[flatgate]

I'd call Ron Power LINK
and ask...........

JMHO,

flatgate

 

[G2]

Switching out the hammer assembly and problem goes away.... hmmmm.

Take a look at the plunger and compare its function vs the factory hammer.
Sounds like the hole might not be deep enough,
the plunger is not cut right,
the spring is too long,
the plunger is bent,
a burr is up in that dern little hole.

In other words it's sure seems to be some sort of a plunger malfunction, now what is causing it.

Good Luck.

 

[Pinecone]

aldous, You and G2 have hit the nail on the head! It sounds to me like the hammer plunger is not the right "length" and is alowing the cylinder latch to "flop" at some point. Remember, when you start installing "after market" parts into a revolver engineered for a specific factory "blueprint" designation, "stack-up" tollerances come into play. That's exactly why custom parts are "seldom" a drop in endeavor! They need to be"custom fit" to all other involved parts. Timing is and always will be the "heart" of a revolver!.....................Dick :wink:

 

[aldous_huxley]

I spoke with Ron Powers today, he solved the issue immediately (thanks for the advice flatgate). The problem was the rear of the cylinder latch on the factory latch and custom latch were not filed down enough. When dry fired the hammer would fall then of course have a slight bounce, which was enough to lift the cylinder latch so that it dropped as if the hammer was being cocked. A little file work fixed it right up. Thanks everyone for your responses. Issue Solved!