Shopkeeper Blues

G

Gdawgs

New member
The LGS had a Bearcat Shopkeeper in stock. I have loved the looks of these ever since I first saw pictures of them. This was the first one I have ever seen that wasn't a picture. So I picked it up.
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Went to shoot it, and was unable to extract the shells from 4 of the chambers. Upon further inspection this issue is caused by dents on the outer diameter of each chamber, caused by the firing pin hitting the cylinder. I'm guessing caused during dry firing (although the manual says dry firing is fine). Here's a pic. I had a hard time trying to pick up the dents, but I think you'll see what I'm talking about.
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The dents leave a pretty nice gouge in the cases as well. A call to Ruger CS in on my agenda for the day. Really bummed. :(
 
Oh wow! I'm surprised the manual says it's OK to dry fire it. I'm sure Ruger will fix it for you. Lesson learned huh? Nice little revolver, I just saw one at my LGS too and stopped and stared a bit. Nice looking guns.
 
Dry firing isn't agreeable with that particular Ruger.
Pretty obvious from the picture.
It is with most of their other models, so maybe the manual is not correct for this one.
Or it's the wrong manual.
Unless there's a part missing that prevents the dry firing damage.
The displaced material will have to be reshaped back to normal.
Or a new cylinder acquired, since there's so many dents.
Not a huge problem to cure.
 
Stanard rule of thumb:

Don't dry fire anything rimfire. There may be exceptions, but this is obviously, not one of them.
Ruger customer service is pretty good about fixing this for you.
 
There's lots of exceptions for the safe dry firing of rimfires, mostly auto loaders, though.
The ones that are have some way to block the firing pin from hitting an empty chamber.
But it pays to check out each and every gun, to make sure.
Apparently, not even the owners' manuals are to be trusted.
But even when a model is known not to be safe for dry firing, it's pretty hard to always avoid doing it.
That last pull of the trigger on an empty gun will do it, every time.
Oops.
One would have to be an excellent counter of rounds to avoid it, completely.
 
The statement in the manual is correct; that individual gun has a problem, probably an overlength firing pin. Contact Ruger and I am pretty sure they will correct the problem at no cost to you.

I know that many folks scream "NEVER" (repeat 5000 times) dry fire a rimfire gun; the fact is that with few exceptions, usually cheap guns, modern rim fires can be dry fired with no problems. That does not mean you can't use snap caps if you want if you feel like being better safe than sorry, but you shouldn't have to.

Jim
 
It wouldn't be hard to fix, but it's the idea of it. Something isn't right. It's not like I dry fired the thing ten thousand times. I think I did it two or three times. So I'm assuming most of the damage came from dry firing at the store. Didn't get a chance to call today, so hopefully tomorrow.
 
NEVER file or otherwise cut displaced metal away in a rimfire chamber!
Doing so leaves a void where the firing pin hits. There needs to be metal there so the firing pin can crush the rim.
The displaced metal needs to be swaged back into place, not removed.
 
Although the firing pin is over length and needs to be addressed....

There's a tool specifically designed to swage rimfire chambers damaged by firing pin peening. (Which I now see other members have mentioned, but not been specific about.)

Menck Chamber Ironing Tool


I just fixed a Buckmark that finally had enough dry firing, after 130,000 rounds, to cause significant extraction issues and some feeding issues. Less than a minute with the tool, and it was as slick as when it was new.
 
The point is not whether or how the problem can be fixed, it is that the gun is new, and that problem should not be there. Whether the chamber is filed or swaged is not the point, the point is that the gun left the factory with a problem and there is no reason the OP should buy a tool or pay a gunsmith to fix it when Ruger should do so at no cost.

Jim
 
I had an autoloader rifle that suddenly developed that problem in the middle of a practice session.
The only tool available was a small round file, so I did the unthinkable.
It's been that way for a couple of years now, and runs perfectly.
Not a recommended cure, but it works.
 
Finally got around to calling Ruger today. Basically it came down to "Send it in".

In my opinion they should change the owners manual to state that it should not be dry fired and they should also hang a tag on the trigger guard so they don't get dry fired at the store.
 
Though I don't do it as a general rule on any rimfire firearm, it's my understanding that Ruger sa rimfire revolvers are safe to be dry-fired and the manual so states. That said, it seems clear that something is wrong (probably, as FrankenMauser and James K noted, a too long firing pin) with the op's particular revolver. No doubt in my mind that the revolver should be returned to Ruger for a permanent fix. Ruger will make it right.
 
I sent her back yesterday. The gal at the gunshop said Ruger's turnaround time has been pretty good lately. She said I should get it back in 2-3 weeks.
 
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