issues with .44 mag, blackhawk and reloads

Another VERY simple test is to simply paint the full case head and primer of every round with a black magic marker before you load the gun, then shoot as normal. Keep this up until you get a bind. At that point, just use your hand to assist in turning the cylinder and rotate it through at least one full rotation (with the gun pointing down), giving each case, fired or not, a chance to slide by all points on the rear frame.

Now just eject the cases and inspect the heads for scratch marks in the black coating. Not only will this tell you exactly what was binding, but if you pay attention to which case was in which cylinder hole and collate this information between several full loads/binding, you will identify if it might be specifically related to a single chamber.

I will also note that on both my .44 SBH and .357 BH, there is a slight ledge milled into the rear frame just below the top firing position, making the top two positions by far the most likely places for any binding (assuming that all SBHs are milled this same way). When I have a proud primer, it ALWAYS shows up just before that round is rotated into the firing position.
 
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Here is another thought, the base pin has a spring loaded pin in the tip. Its purpose is to push the transfer bar rearward. If the pin is not doing its job, fouled or worn spring. Then the transfer bar can move forward and bind when you cock the hammer, IF the barrel is tipped down. Tip the barrel upwards when you cock the hammer when it binds the next time if it's the transfer bar the hammer will cock and the cylinder will finish rotating.
 
I would first give the cylinder's chamber throats a VERY good scrubbing, getting out ALL the crud. They might cause the fired case to stay back against the firewall after expansion.
 
The OP is an 30+ year reloading veteran.
Believe me, he immediately will notice if he did something wrong.
Even I with my less than 1 year reloading experience know exactly what I am doing.

The gun is most likely an SAA 1873 similar model as is my Pietta 357 magnum with transfer bar.
Thosr have lots of screws and springs which like to get loose.
I had my gun falling apart on the 4th cylinder. After locktiting screws and springs nothing looses anymore.

However internally are lots of springs and screws as well. Most likely something has gotten loose or is broken.
There is a phenomena with the SAA 1873 variants as well called Barrel Cylinder gap Endshake.
Simply the cylinder has too much play from years of use that it needs a shim (Endshake).
Here is a little info about endshake http://www.grantcunningham.com/2007/01/the-importance-of-endshake/

Or the gun has an cylinder wearing problem or some things got internally loose or broken.

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OP is the autor and propietary of this photo.

BTW this is how my primers look like as well only 357 mag load in 38 spl cases. You are on the upper part of powder load. Those reloads are fine. Its the gun what fails.
 
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I’ll just add my 2 cents.
I own a Ruger SB in 44 mag since the late 70’s
Just like the OP I had been shooting this brass for years and started having the exact issues the OP had described.
I was using the exact same powder, chg weight and bullet type as the OP.
I checked, tried everything I could think of as well as many suggestions of others to no avail.
I got a e-mail from Start Line brass that 44mag was available with a discount of 500 pieces and another on 1000 pieces.
I thought what the heck I’ll get some new brass just because the brass I was using was old and case hardened. It was getting more and more difficult to re-size. When the old brass was re-sized it was on spec.
The new brass came in and I loaded up 500 rounds.
Never had a problem after that.
Just food for thought.
 
madmo44mag,

If the old cases are the Problem then the rim of the cases must have gotten thicker locking up the gun.
Hard extraction may be present as well. Or even sticky chambering a life round.

But neighter of them the OP seems to have observed.
Those live rounds look normal to me as well the spent rounds and primers look normal as well (just on the edge of max Charge of powder).

But the OP may try that out using new brass.
 
TheGuyOfSouthamerica

I was just as puzzled then as today.
Everything looked and measured in spec.
I have yet to figure out the, what and why but since replacing my old brass the problem has never resurfaced.
The pistol has never given as issue and I own 2 Ruger BH and a Red Hawk and the old brass did the same thing in those revolvers. That's one of the reasons I figured it was a brass issue and bought new brass.
Like I said; just my 2 cents.
I can't explain it :)
 
I had the same problem with my Super Blackhawk .44 without firing it. All of a sudden, turning the cylinder with the hammer was impossible. The hammer would go back down, but pulling it back would find it stopping with the cylinder locked. I cleaned it, blasted it everywhere with compressed air and I was just about to send it back to Ruger when it started to work again.
 
With my old super black hawk I had a problem with interference also. The cause was a primer pocket was not deep enough. That was causing the primer to fowl the frame. To correct the problem I now take a Redding pocket uniformer to true up all my brass. It's required only one time and primers will always seat with consistent pressure and to proper depth.

The Redding uniformer tools sure take out the primer fit problems. It makes a good investment and relatively in expensive.
 
I have come across rims with a nick on the edge. Don't know where or why. A raised point on the head stamp of .005" can easily cause enough interference to cause a problem.

Why would it happen only after firing? Perhaps it is something between the cylinder and the case rim causing the rim to be deformed to a point that the cylinder won't rotate. In that case clean with a pick.

As some one had mentioned. perhaps a broken spring or part in the rear frame. Springs do fail...

To properly solve the problem I believe I would need to not fool with the rounds in the cylinder until I can inspect thoroughly. Of course I would need to be very careful how it would be done.

If you have the problem case you could remove it from the cylinder and mark it with bluing, carbon soot, or magic marker and push it into each cylinder to find the hot spot or the faulty cylinder.

I would not be surprised to find unburnt powder fouling the case.

Also new cases makes sense to. But my question would still be why.

If a loaded round is not seated against the cylinder ma by the case wall at the base is bulged.

I sure am curious if you were able to find what cause was.
 
Load 6 rounds with new brass.
If the problem is gone it was the brass

If the problem persists its the gun. Most likely something loose or broken locks up the gun.

As I locktited all my outer screws some loctite went into the inner parts of the gun.
It almost locked the gun up but with repeated cocking the hammer, pulling the trigger, etc things got smoothened out after a few days.

Maybe something has gotten into the inner parts of your gun. The SAA is constructed that way that fallen out internal screws get locked in the gun. Only if you disassemble the gun you will find somewhere in the gun the lost screw or spring or plunger.
 
" but it seems like you just want to argue how none of them could be true"---
???????

GTNMUDY
Your load is not a problem for that gun.....even 50yrs later. It would surely be a 'pimp' load for Elmer....or Bill Ruger. [Maybe if it was a S&W teehee] That was not near a hot load when the gun was designed, BUT......if there ever was a good reason to buy a Belt Mountain, this is it. $25 well spent.
It is very hard to shoot out a SA Ruger revolver, although it can be done....very rare.
Of course one possibility is the timing/internals are worn......but first, I would get new brass. [I am 74 and a cranky ass, and seeing your brass in the pic.....long ago that would be in the recycle bucket.....YUCK !!!]
Get some new Starline........and when you get the new Belt Mountain base pin, save your old one in case you ever have to send it to Ruger. Of course, them replacing the base pin [non-OEM] will be the least of your tears, when it comes home with a transfer bar.
For grits & shiggles, I shoot two 3-screw .44mag with 11.7gr Unique at about 39.700+ CUP, and your load is probably closer to 38,000 CUP. I DO have belt Mountain pins in all my SA Rugers, except for the Bearcats/Shopkeepers, even my Single-sixes that are convertibles. It really keeps the cylinder rattle down.
 
Recently, a friend was having issues with his Blackhawk that were similar to the OP.

Turned out to be the firing pin cushion, which had worked it's way forward over years of recoil. After reading most of the posts, it sounds more like a problem with the revolver and less with the reloads. Especially with a piece that's been used for 50 years.

Hope this helps.
 
At least 1 or 2 times in 6 shots the cyl will get real hard to turn, I am unable to cock it using the hammer. In most cases I need to either take the cyl out or turn it by hand with assist of the hammer cock.
Click to expand...

The hand has to do its job for the hammer to rotate the cylinder. Might be time for a full cleaning internally and thorough inspection of all the parts.

Other than that, I would have sorted head stamps and ditched any Remington brass, if I found the case walls thin like on some other cartridge sizes.
 
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