SP101 problem?

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EvilE

New member
Hi folks, I have a rather new Ruger SP101 .357, 2.25" barrel, hammerless model.
I love the gun! I have maybe 100 rounds through it so far. Anyways, was shooting it this past weekend, and all was going well, but after only one round of shots (5), after I reloaded I was firing shots, after the third shot the trigger wouldn't pull. It was not firing! It's like it wasn't cycling properly!?
I opened the cylinder, closed it, and proceeded to fire the last two rounds. It did this a couple two or three times.
It seemed ok after that, didn't shoot it a lot after that tho. I've been dry firing it since, and seems to be working ok. It this a normal thing with newish SP101's? Would/could it be a break in type thing, or do I need to send it in to be looked at? Lmk ur thoughts, thanks!
 
The first place I would look is under the extractor. On most revolvers, the extractor is a fairly tightly fitted part and it doesn't take very much debris under it to cause issues. Usually, a bit of unburned powder or other debris makes its way under the extractor causing it to push the cases against the recoil shield thereby causing a stiff or nonfunctioning action.

Fortunately, this problem is easily fixed and prevented. Usually, a good cleaning is all that is necessary to resolve the issue and simply pointing the revolver straight up when ejecting empty cases will typically prevent the problem from reoccurring.

If the area under the extractor is clean, the next thing I would look at is the ammunition as a backed out or high primer could cause a similar issue. The primer of the cartridge should be very slightly deeper than the rest of the case head. A primer that is flush or slightly higher than the case head is likely to bind against the recoil shield and cause the issue you describe.
 
Common issue

I'd bet money you didn't let the trigger fully reset. When you pulled it didn't feel gritty, but like there was a hard stop that you couldn't pull through.

Good news!

What's happening is normal, and can be fixed with practice. The Ruger lockwork does what you experienced. You should be able to verify this with an EMPTY gun.

1) Dryfire and hold the trigger to the rear.
2) Slowly release the trigger till you hear / feel a click.
3) Pull the trigger.

It should lock up if you do the above.

Now repeat the above, but allow the trigger to return all the way forward; it should function normally.

Practice allowing the return to its forward most position. You will forget all about this issue.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks everyone. Webley, when u say "clean under the extractor" where exactly? Do i have to take something apart, or just wipe around the base of it?confused as to what to look for/clean exactly
 
Swing the cylinder out, clear of the frame.
Push on the extractor rod, as if you were ejecting empty rounds.
Hold it that way and clean the exposed rod and back of the ejector star at the rear of the cylinder with a solvent on a brush.
Add a drop of oil on the exposed rod, run the rod in and out of the cylinder body a couple of times, and you're done.
 
I had a similar issue doing a polish job on the lockwork of my gp100 recently. after I did the job, my revolver would lock up solid every few strokes. There is a little arrowhead shaped piece that fits in the middle of the upper part of the trigger itself known as the trigger plunger. It is pushed in and out by the same spring which pushes against the timing hand. This piece was not engaging the cylinder stop latch properly and would fail to pull it down and allow the cylinder to rotate. Fail on me for polishing too much on the face of the plunger, changing its angle and causing my problem. #1 on rugers customer service, I called them about it, told them what id done and they've sent me the replacement parts for free!
 
I would swear you short stroked it. It's happened to me before. Do you usually shoot something else? A Glock? 1911?
 
Originally posted by EvilE
Thanks everyone. Webley, when u say "clean under the extractor" where exactly? Do i have to take something apart, or just wipe around the base of it?confused as to what to look for/clean exactly
Click to expand...

My procedure is pretty much as was described by g.willikers. The only difference that I would consider is that, because the SP101 is stainless, you should only apply a very, very small amount of oil to the extractor rod if any at all. In my experience, revolvers need very little lube to run properly and over lubricating generally serves only to attract dirt and debris. If you do lube the extractor rod, do so only very sparingly and be sure to wipe off any excess lest it attract the very same debris you're trying to clean out.
 
you are short stroking the trigger

It is not unheard of for a new revo owner to short stroke the trigger.
It is just a training issue.
Let your trigger finger return all the way until the inside of the trigger guard touches the top of your trigger finger. Repeat
Increase speed
Repeat
The key to shooting is being smooth....in a hurry (Bill Jordan)

It does not sound like a gun issue.

PS Congratulations on the gun! One of my favoites!!!
 
Will do skizzums. Maybe I'll sell or trade it. I thought the beauty of wheel guns were their reliability, durability, and ease of use. If this gun is THAT picky and finicky to function properly then maybe I should go another direction. :(
 
Short stroking the trigger will not actually lock the gun up. It will prevent completing the trigger stroke, but all the shooter needs to do is fully release the trigger and pull it again.

If the gun locks up when the trigger is pulled and releasing the trigger fully doesn't fix it then there's another problem. It could be debris under the extractor star, or it could be a problem with the gun itself.

The section below is based on the new 8 shot SP101 in .22LR. The 5 shot versions may operate slightly differently.

The SP101 trigger will click three times when released after a shot is fired. The first click happens soon after the beginning of the release stroke and isn't very distinct.

Then the greater part of the release stroke is completed before the second click. This one is a little more distinct and some people may feel this click and think that the trigger is fully reset.

Pulling the trigger again BEFORE this second click is felt does nothing. The trigger just goes easily to the rear with no effect.

Pulling the trigger AFTER the second reset click but before the last reset click will cause the trigger to immediately stop. From that position, no amount of pulling will complete the trigger firing stroke. The trigger must be fully released to click a final time and then fully reset and then everything will work fine.

The last click as the trigger fully resets during trigger release is very distinct--much more so than than the previous two clicks. It happens VERY soon after the second click. In fact, unless the trigger is released slowly, the last two clicks tend to merge together.

If you play around awhile, it's possible to release the trigger past the point of the last click but still not let it go fully forward. From that position, pulling the trigger again will advance the cylinder but won't operate the hammer to fire the gun.
 
I believe that my SP101 has an internal problem that causes it to bind up. So I believe the OP's SP101 could also. I sent mine back to Ruger (like gyvel) and they "fixed it". At least for several hundred rounds, a couple of weeks ago it bound up again. I am NOT short stoking. Also, I can no longer trust and carry it. Anyone wanna buy it? Just kidding, I can't even sell it in good conscious. I think Dixie Gunsmithing has some helpful ideas and a link over in The Smithy, look for "ideas?" thread.
 
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I believe that my SP101 has an internal problem that causes it to bind up. ... a couple of weeks ago it bound up again.
Click to expand...
I've seen a couple of threads about this recently and I'd like to try to get to the bottom of the problem if possible. These questions are to anyone who's had their SP101 bind up, not just the OP or full case load.

I realize that shooters with problem SP101s probably won't have answers to some of these questions. I'm asking them because I think the answers might be useful, not because I'm certain that all this information will be readily available.
  • When the gun binds, at what point in the trigger pull does it bind? (Right at the beginning of the stroke, about halfway through, near the end, etc.?) Does it consistently bind at the same point in the trigger stroke?
  • When it binds, does releasing the trigger fully (taking the finger off the trigger) and pulling it again clear the bind? If not, what does it take to get the gun running again?
  • When cleaning the revolver, is special attention given to insuring that the extractor star and the area under and around the extractor star are clean and not over-lubricated/over-oiled?
  • Does it only happen once in a great while or does it happen frequently once it starts occurring?
  • Is the gun habitually unloaded by briskly ejecting the empty casings with the revolver's muzzle tilted up to vertical (or to a nearly vertical angle)?
  • Is this a 5 shot SP101 or one of the 8 shot models? Is it a centerfire or rimfire? Approximately when was it made?
  • Approximately how many rounds were fired in the gun's life before the gun began binding? Include dryfire repetitions in the round count if a significant amount of dryfiring has been done.
  • Does the gun bind only after a lot of shooting since the last cleaning, or can it happen right after the gun has been freshly cleaned?
  • Has anyone else made any modifications whatsoever to the gun? (Any modifications however minor-- including "polishing"/"smoothing"/replacing internal parts or springs.) If so, what modifications were made and did the gun ever bind before being modified?
 
I am having this problem or one very similar with my SP101. The only modification is that I changed out the main spring for a 10# Wolf. However, since that change, I shot close to 1,000 rounds through it with no problem. Mine is the 4" .357, so it has a 5-round cylinder.

What it's doing now is:

The first shot or 2 when I go to the range is fine.

Somewhere about the 3rd round from the cylinder, it starts to bind. When I pull the trigger for DA, it has a stiff, gritty feel. Pulling back the hammer and shooting SA means the stiff, gritty pull is in the hammer. The SA shot itself goes fine.

It's been getting steadily worse the last couple of weeks as I've tried to figure out what's wrong. At first it was shooting at least one cylinder of rounds without a problem. Last time I could feel the gritty pull on the very first round (which is all I shot).

I don't think it's the ammo. I gave a friend part of a box of what I'm using (just .38 special), and she shot it from her own revolver without a problem.

It's hard to believe I caused this by what I did in changing the spring when it went so many rounds after that without a problem, but I plan to put the original spring back in just to see. I understand Ruger would take out and discard my lighter spring anyway.

It's almost a relief to see a discussion of this because I've been wondering if it's something I did. I will do an extra careful cleaning of the extractor, but I've really kept the gun clean and don't have much hope that's the problem.

P.S. I never shot the gun before the spring change. The original spring is so heavy I can barely pull the trigger with both index fingers.

There is no binding when doing dry fire.
 
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