Big trouble with Ruger PS-101

M

MADISON

New member
Big trouble with Ruger PS-101
Could only fire less than 25 younds in 3 weeks !!!
For other people who might have this proble.
For the last 3 weeks I have been trying to figre out why my SP-101 cylinder is refusing to rotate. Aft first I thought the problem was in the round's over-all-length. This did not prove correct.
Yesterday I took a small 6 inch ruler to the back of a few rounds.
I found there were many primers that were not seated all the way down.
After the primers were re-seated [Gloves and eye protection were in use.] the cylinder rotated.
What I found was that the thickness of one 20 pound bond paper was keeping the gun from rotating around to the next round. I know there are printers out there who can tell what this thickness it. I have about 850 primers, in loaded ammo. to reseat.
 
Ok, stupid question: have you tried shooting a box of Factory ammo through it? If the factory stuff works fine, chances are it's the reloads.

I have the same problem with my 625JM (45 acp moonclips). If the primer is not seated "just right", it can cause problems with cylinder rotation and the like. I pay very close attention to primer seating and case bulging.
 
Misleading title as there is no trouble with the revolver. The reloader needs to check his/her technique and QC the work.
 
I have seen this many times in Ruger revolvers and Taurus too. There are some factory loads that Taurus cannot function with. The variance is the ammunition specs. Rugers are known for this problem and especially their Vaqueros. If ammunition is out of spec, visual inspection should reveal this, most brands will give troubles. American Ammunition from Miami, FL is notorious for being out of spec. Purchase higher quality ammuntion at a little more expense.
 
My Sp101 has eaten at least 4000 rounds with no problems, all reloads with an occasional bad primer. I have to agree with the American Ammo comment, (junk).
 
This probably isnt the problem here, but something else to look at is crap under the extractor star. Just a tiny bit of debris can disable the gun. If your not doing it already, dump your empties muzzle up. It eliminates 99% of the trouble.
 
I had an SP101 that would tie up when bullets moved forward under recoil

As long as I used quality ammo with a good crimp I was fine
 
I vote against re-seating primer on a loaded shell. You may get away with it 99++ percent of the time, but that one time you'll wish you also had hearing and shrapnel protection.


Can you shoot them in a gun that tolerates the deviation? If not, remember that bullet pullers are the way to erase mistakes.
 
Big trouble with....what?

Next Sunday at the range will tell the story.
I have a problem with my reloading. When primers stick above the rear of the case, it looks like the gun hangs. I have re-seated 350 of the 850 primers, with no booooms, so far.
 
I had a similar problem with my SP-101. I don't reload, or use reloads. I was shooting Winchester Silver Tips, and the cylinder would not turn every 4th and 5th round. I had it to a gunsmith twice before dumping it.

I shy away from all small frame revolvers, and semi auto's. :o
 
You didn't say what powder you are using, but the finer the powder, the more chance some grains may have fallen through the flash hole and will be squeezed between a primer and a hard place when you seat them deeper.

Are detonations certain? no, probable? maybe. Possible? YESl

Only reloading detonation I'm familar with was a friend seating a bullet on compressed loads. 99.99 percent safe right? When I saw him afterwards his eyebrows were gone and his hairline was set back a couple inches by the fireball.

One primer related accident I was involved with (on the medivac end) was an idiot attempting to remove a primer from a 30MM A10 shell. His thumbnail went three inches deep into his thigh. Smaller primers probably wont blow your thumb off that violently.

Why handicap your game by reducing your number of fingers?
 
A Ruger SP-101, mine is a .38+P, with factory ammo, all I will feed her, is 100% reliable. Unless you shoot prodigous amounts, or shoot an exotic caliber, or it is your hobby, I can't imagine why you would reload as it often is problematic.

The SP-101 is a great revolver, a great home defense gun. Small revolvers are just fine if you feed them quality ammo - but then that is a credo you could say about most quality firearms.
 
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