Security Six cylinder rotates "freely"

L

leadcounsel

Moderator
Well, not exactly freely... but here's a description.

1975 D.O.B. .357 magnum Security Six.

If I manually cock the weapon, and then use the trigger and lower the hammer, and slowly release the trigger, I reach 4 distinct 'clicks' with the trigger. Between number 3 and 4, if I pull the trigger again, I can rotate the cylinder without it actuating the hammer. I can do this about 3 or 4 times, before it stops allowing this to work, and it locks up.

The lockup on said revolver is extremely tight. It otherwise seems to have good timing, and operation. I've never fired it. I'm certainly no gunsmith or expert, and am curious if this is nothing to worry about or whether a trip to a smith is the best answer. Yes, I value my hands/eyes, etc. more than $25... so perhaps I've answered my own question. Unless someone can definitively say that it's simply broken in and this is common-nothing-to-worry-about-happens-all-the-time...

Anyway, I have several of these Security Six revolvers, and none of my others that I've tested seem to do this. But then again, this questionable one is definitely the most well-used and my others are more like safe queens.

Curious mind wants to know...
 
Interesting situation.

I've used the 'ask Ruger' link Hal provided and got a next business day reply for my question so I would second his suggestion to go that route...and then tell us how this plays out.
 
That is perfectly normal, and it can be done with an S&W as well, but it is difficult to do in normal use. I could explain it but doing so would require a fairly complex description of the lockwork and possibly only confuse the issue.

Suffice it to say that when the user releases the trigger, it should be allowed to return fully before pulling it again.

Jim
 
Normal?

The OP says his others don't do it.
That would be enough of a red flag for me to contact Ruger.
 
It sounds to me like, when you release the trigger, your cylinder stop is re-engaged before the DA sear on the hammer is. I've not fiddled with enough Rugers to know if this is normal or not, but I can tell you that it is on a S&W. On all my S&W's, I can carefully release the trigger part way and then pull it again at which point the cylinder will rotate to the next chamber without the hammer moving back as it would in normal DA operation. This is simply a quirk of the design of the lockwork and is easier to do with some of my revolvers than others. That being said, I've never been able to make this happen unintentionally and it would be extremely unlikely for it to happen during normal DA shooting.
 
You've never fired it?
Click to expand...

No, I recently bought it (used of course).

I want to ensure it's safe to fire, before firing it. I've written Ruger, and will also probably take it in to a smith to check it out.
 
Well I did the impossible.

In dry firing this old Ruger, it *gasp* broke. The trigger and cylinder broke and seized up - internals somehow broke.

Ruger issued me a Return Authorization so I'll be sending it in for warranty repair work. Looks like I have to only pay 1 way shipping. MTF.
 
:eek:

At least it didn't lock up with a live round waiting to go :(. That would have made shipping it sketchier.

Hopefully it won't take too long for the rebuild.
 
Yeah, you can do that DA as well if you locate the point where you stop the trigger return.

Use the gun as intended. DA? Pull the trigger all the way through, and release fully. SA? Thumb cock it, and pull the trigger. Release fully.
 
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