I'm pretty sure this was ammo related but any opions would be appreciated. I was firing my SRH .454 today alterrnating between Magtech (260 gr), Bullseye (300 gr), and some (255 gr) that a local reloader made up for me from my spent brass. I was on my third cycle and was down to my last four Magtech so I put in two of the reloads. The first reload and the first three Magtechs fired without any problem After the fourth Magtech fired the cylinder locked when I tried to cock the hammer and the crane latch would not open the cylinder either. The range officer also tried to no avail so I went home (breaking Maryland's law regarding the transportation of loaded firearms) and let it sit for a couple of hours. I had no trouble opening the cylinder then and it dry fired without any problems. When I examined the brass there did not seem to be any problems. The bullet on the unfired round had some scratches on it. I'm wondering if the recoil forced it to the front of the chamber and it somehow got caught underneath the forcing cone.
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Cylinder Lockup on SRH .454
- Thread starter JBP
- Start date
Pigshooter
New member
I've seen three causes of this in 454:
1) loose crimp, as you suggest, allows some bullet pull.
2) Jacket debris fouling the mechanism. Only seen this with jacketed ammo.
3) Combination of heat, expanding brass, loose primer pockets, and recoil caused rounds to be pushed back when fired, possibly pushing primer out (or podssibly a primer that didn't seat well), and the case expands and becomes tight in the bore (dirty or lead-fouled cylinders don't help).
There are probably other reasons too, but I think you are on the right track. You could not swing the cylinder out? If not that should rule out #2 above.
1) loose crimp, as you suggest, allows some bullet pull.
2) Jacket debris fouling the mechanism. Only seen this with jacketed ammo.
3) Combination of heat, expanding brass, loose primer pockets, and recoil caused rounds to be pushed back when fired, possibly pushing primer out (or podssibly a primer that didn't seat well), and the case expands and becomes tight in the bore (dirty or lead-fouled cylinders don't help).
There are probably other reasons too, but I think you are on the right track. You could not swing the cylinder out? If not that should rule out #2 above.
hksigwalther
New member
Sounds to me like the bullet of the reloaded cartridge was not securely seated for the recoil of the .454C and the bullet walked out a tiny bit while 'on deck' past the front of the cylinder face and created an obstruction when it was to be fired next (as you have described) and bound the gun.
Pigshooter
New member
FWIW, with the raging bull, I experimented with some 340gr 45-70 cast bullets. They are just a smidgeon too long when seated correctly in the cannelure at minimum brass length. A swipe with a file and they were functional, mechanically. It seems that there is a lot of room in the Taurus cylinder, I assume the SRH is of similar dimension; maybe these were seated too far out to begin with?
Bill Adair
New member
JBP,
Set those empties on a smooth hard surface (glass table top if you have one), to see if they wobble around on the primers?
Your scratched bullets are probably the best clue, but check your primers to eliminate that possibility.
Bill
Set those empties on a smooth hard surface (glass table top if you have one), to see if they wobble around on the primers?
Your scratched bullets are probably the best clue, but check your primers to eliminate that possibility.
Bill
This happened to me with my SRH 454 and was not ammo related. The face of the cylinder was unevenly finished and was rubbing against the barrel. I could turn the gun sideways in front of a lamp, cock it, and watch the BC gap completely disappear on two of the chambers. I have talked to other people who have experienced the same exact problem with both Ruger 454's and 480's. Apparently Ruger has some quality control issues as guns are leaving the factory without adequate testing. A 454 needs to be tested with a full cylinder of 454 ammo, not one shot of 45 Colt. This problem has come up too many times. Ruger did fix the gun, but it should have never left the factory like that in the first place.
Bill Adair
New member
Mobias,
My friend had that problem as well, which caused the cylinder to hang almost every time the gun was fired. He sent it back to Ruger, and they apparently trued the cylinder face?
The current problem is occasional cylinder drag, caused by the primers bulging, and rubbing against the back plate. His empty cases would wobble around on a glass counter top, and you could see the scratches on the primer high spots.
In contrast, the primers in my high pressure 45 Colt loads (same velocity as the 480, but with a 250gr lead bullets), are completely flattened against the back plate of my Blackhawk when fired.
I'm at a loss to explain why his 480 primers are not flattened as well? Could his chambers be so rough, that the cases grip the cylinder walls too tightly during firing?
Bill
My friend had that problem as well, which caused the cylinder to hang almost every time the gun was fired. He sent it back to Ruger, and they apparently trued the cylinder face?
The current problem is occasional cylinder drag, caused by the primers bulging, and rubbing against the back plate. His empty cases would wobble around on a glass counter top, and you could see the scratches on the primer high spots.
In contrast, the primers in my high pressure 45 Colt loads (same velocity as the 480, but with a 250gr lead bullets), are completely flattened against the back plate of my Blackhawk when fired.
I'm at a loss to explain why his 480 primers are not flattened as well? Could his chambers be so rough, that the cases grip the cylinder walls too tightly during firing?
Bill
I don't know but it could be, Bill. When you speak of protruding primers, are these in factory loads or handloads? I have never shot factory ammo in the 454 so I cannot vouch for what the manufacturers are coming out with. When I am making my loads, I go to pains to insure that I am seating the primers well below flush. As hard a recoiling round as the 454 is, I have always been fearful of a protruding primer in a round not aligned with the barrel slamming into the recoil plate and causing the round to fire. I still think that this phenomenon is primarily a Ruger QC problem, and not an ammo glitch, but I will be the first to admit that handloading for the 454 is a little more complicated than say, the 44 mag, 357 mag, or 45 Colt. Dunno.
Bill Adair
New member
Mobias,
The primers were still fully seated, but they were ballooned out, so the back of the primers were no longer flat.
This is Hornady 325gr factory ammo, and a Hornady customer service rep told me that they use standard large pistol primers in the 480 ammo.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that large rifle primers are recommended for the 480, because they are harder, and can withstand the higher pressures?
I'd reload some ammo for him to try, but the cost of .475 bullets is still outrageous.
Bill
The primers were still fully seated, but they were ballooned out, so the back of the primers were no longer flat.
This is Hornady 325gr factory ammo, and a Hornady customer service rep told me that they use standard large pistol primers in the 480 ammo.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that large rifle primers are recommended for the 480, because they are harder, and can withstand the higher pressures?
I'd reload some ammo for him to try, but the cost of .475 bullets is still outrageous.
Bill
Pigshooter
New member
That is why you want to use rifle primers; a little thicker cup helps with the added pressure.
Then again, that may have been with rifle primers???
Then again, that may have been with rifle primers???
That is a new one on me. Very strange, indeed. I didn't think the 480 was that high a pressured round. That ballooning primer thing would have me very concerned. I have shot 454 Casull for quite a while with max and near max loads and have never had a primer do that. Be careful. I know that some people who handload have constructed some 480's that significantly exceed the Hornady factory specs, I guess trying to make their 480 more like a 475 Linebaugh. If the relatively tame factory loads are ballooning primers, be especially careful.