cylinder "binds" with hot loads

G

gitarmac

New member
My ruger security six shoots the lighter loads very accurately and dependably but sometimes the cylinder binds with hotter loads. Accuracy suffers from the hunting loads in addition. To unjam I slightly cock the hammer by hand and gently pull on the trigger at the same time until the cylinder rotates freely. I didn't see any primers backing out or any other physical explanation for the binding cylinder. I love the gun and can accuratly shoot it with the 125 grain rounds.
But what could it be causing the cylinder to bind?! It's kind of a bummer cause the last time I went to the range the glock 26 (9mm) worked flawlessly yet my revolver malfunctioned!
 
Possibly some unburned powder or other junk under the star, causing the rounds to rub against the recoil plate. Push the extractor rod and scrub under the star to get rid of the crud. Also remote possibility that the extractor rod is backing out a bit but sounds unlikely in your situation.

Hope it is something so simple.

Sam
 
Is this a stainless revolver? I had the same problem with an SP101. It would shoot fine until you put a couple of cylinder fulls through it. Then the gun would tighten up. I have heard that the stainless steel would tend to gall when it heated up. I have never heard of this happening in Ruger blued steel revolvers. I sold the gun so I don't know if this is really what happened or not.
 
Almost the exact same thing...

...happens when I shoot 240gr loads in my Rossi M720. 3" stainless-steel DAO gun, somewhere between a J-frame and a K-frame in size. With 200gr Federal LSWC-HP's or 200gr Win Silvertips, it's a sweetheart and will blow the x out of the target. 240gr loads cause the trigger mechanism to bind and the bullets pattern like buckshot @ 7 yds, high and left...
 
If the cylinder is binding when the gun becomes hot, there may be an insufficient barrel-cylinder gap. Many people think a minimum gap is best, but the cylinder expands and lengthens when hot and can bind if that gap is too small.

There are other possible causes, but this is the one that seems likely as the situation is described.

Tamara, your problem is probably not the same thing. The problem there is recoil, either hanging up the cylinder stop or the cylinder pin moving forward and locking up the action. I recommend lighter loads. The gun is trying to tell you something and it might be well to listen.

Jim
 
Oh, believe me...

...it only took me about 25 rounds to decide that the rest of that 240gr ammo would be happier if launched from my Bisley Vaquero. 4 cylinders of me thinking I was having a bad day at the range, and then 1 more with my roomie (who is twice the pistol shot I am) patterning his rounds high and left, too. I remembered the beating that extended shooting of heavy bullet loads did to my Bulldog (shot it to scrap in 4 or 5 boxes) and desisted immediately.
 
My stainless Security Six does the exact same thing. 38 special loads are fine, but magnums jam it up. I thought about sending it back to Ruger, but it has the best trigger of any of my revolvers. I am afraid that if I send it back they will take the trigger back to factory.
 
I don't believe cylinder gap is the problem. If it is how do you explain my Freedom Arms 454 with a gap of three thousands of an inch firing full house loads not having the same problem? Sounds like stainless steel galling.
 
It's a blued gun. It can't be the heat cause one time it happened it was only about the 3rd round. I originally thought it was excess oil making it bind. Once I unjam by pulling back on the hammer and trigger the cylinder spins freely, and I can still see a nice clear gap. Just wiggling the gun parts doesn't unjam it, I have to pull hammer and trigger. It's like something is "catching" internally. The person that used to own it supposably had some trigger work done, it's a nice trigger. He used it for match shooting, maybe it's the smithing causeing the problem. I'm going to try some different ammo and see how it works.
 
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