I mean, I KNOWthat any gun can theoretically have a parts failure, but after years of preaching Ruger indestructibility (single six, blackhawk, multiple Vaqueros, etc...), I was embarassed in front of my father-in-law while visiting Ruger land (Prescott AZ).
I was firing my .45colt Bisley Vaquero at about one shot per second when I noticed that the cylinder was beginning to bind. I had just finished my 6th shot, and since I load my own I thought maybe (nah... couldn't be...) I had a high primer somewhere.
I opened the gate and tried to revolve the cylinder with no luck. Taking the pistol back to our impromptu bench I removed the cylinder entirely but found NOTHING wrong with any of these cowboy-loaded rounds.
Now I was confused. If there is nothing wrong with the cylinder (I checked) and there is nothing wrong with the primers, and if all the bullets have been fired, then what can make the gun bind???
I looked into the action itself and saw... an exposed firing pin! Wierd... I tried pushing it and it was SOLID. earing back the hammer, the firing pin disappeared. Again, strange. Everything looked fine, the transfer bar moved up and down... I was totally frustated. So I shook the gun scientifically.
tink!
Out falls the top of the transfer bar.
Well, at least now the firing pin is not exposed!
Seems that right at the bend i nthe transferbar, some flaw was revealed and the upper portion that slides up over the firing pin had broken off. just a hint of oil had kept it adhered to the firing pin itself and so it didn't matter if the trigger was pulled or not, the firing pin was engaged if the hammer was down!
Darn good thing I didn;t have a live round under it!
Needless to say I am a bit miffed. I am sure that this is covered by warrantee, but now I have to deal with the PITA of dealing with it!
Just goes to show, no piece of mechanical aparatus is trully "bullet proof".
JT
I was firing my .45colt Bisley Vaquero at about one shot per second when I noticed that the cylinder was beginning to bind. I had just finished my 6th shot, and since I load my own I thought maybe (nah... couldn't be...) I had a high primer somewhere.
I opened the gate and tried to revolve the cylinder with no luck. Taking the pistol back to our impromptu bench I removed the cylinder entirely but found NOTHING wrong with any of these cowboy-loaded rounds.
Now I was confused. If there is nothing wrong with the cylinder (I checked) and there is nothing wrong with the primers, and if all the bullets have been fired, then what can make the gun bind???
I looked into the action itself and saw... an exposed firing pin! Wierd... I tried pushing it and it was SOLID. earing back the hammer, the firing pin disappeared. Again, strange. Everything looked fine, the transfer bar moved up and down... I was totally frustated. So I shook the gun scientifically.
tink!
Out falls the top of the transfer bar.
Well, at least now the firing pin is not exposed!
Seems that right at the bend i nthe transferbar, some flaw was revealed and the upper portion that slides up over the firing pin had broken off. just a hint of oil had kept it adhered to the firing pin itself and so it didn't matter if the trigger was pulled or not, the firing pin was engaged if the hammer was down!
Darn good thing I didn;t have a live round under it!
Needless to say I am a bit miffed. I am sure that this is covered by warrantee, but now I have to deal with the PITA of dealing with it!
Just goes to show, no piece of mechanical aparatus is trully "bullet proof".
JT