SP101 problem?

Mine 'binds" in the middle third of the trigger pull, IIRC probably just before halfway, and fairly consistently within that middle third. Before I sent it back to Ruger I could back off the trigger (let it reset) it would skip that chamber and fire on the next one. This was happening at least once, most of the time twice in a hundred rounds, occasionally 3 or 4. Reloads/ factory didn't seem to matter. Ruger did a little grinding on the pawl and cylinder latch (top edge of one side), said they repaired the crane and adjusted the trigger plunger. After getting it back I went through several hundred rounds without incident. Then it happened again on the 14th or 15th round after cleaning. This time was different though, backing off the pressure did not release anything. I took it off line, opened the cylinder, unloaded it, closed the cylinder and it dry fired normally. ? Must have jiggled something? IDK. Fired another 24 rounds normally. Six chambers- 327 Fed Mag. I bought it new, I believe in 2011. (Will look up paperwork if you want to know more closely) Mine started binding up within the first 100 rounds. Unloaded muzzle up, well cleaned, moderately lubed, has been clean under the extractor star. No modification. No problems when dry firing, no excessive dry firing has been done. I get no prior indication, it just stops. I'll watch this thread, maybe something will remind me of something I've overlooked.
 
Tribal Rose,

Based on the description of the symptoms you are experiencing, I would carefully and thoroughly clean the front of the cylinder and the back of the barrel with a brass cleaning brush or a lead-away cloth to make sure it is completely clean. Also make sure that the area around and under the extractor star is also completely clean.

The problem with your revolver seems to be that the cylinder is binding and the most likely cause is fouling at the front (or possibly the back) of the cylinder.

I don't believe that the spring replacement has anything to do with the problem you're seeing with your revolver.

full case load,

The first time you had the problem, before sending it back to Ruger, it sounds like you were experiencing fairly normal (almost) behavior for the revolver. The symptoms you describe exactly characterize what happens when the trigger on an SP101 is short-stroked. Simply releasing the trigger is all that's required to restore normal function.

HOWEVER, there is one thing you describe that is NOT characteristic of short-stroking and that's why I said "almost" above.
I could back off the trigger (let it reset) it would skip that chamber and fire on the next one.
In short stroking (at least in my 8 shot model), the trigger binds BEFORE the cylinder moves so it doesn't skip a chamber. It simply doesn't do anything at all until you release the trigger fully.

Assuming you're remembering that part of it correctly, that suggests that there was a problem with the gun from the beginning--not simply a short-stroke issue.

What you're experiencing now is definitely not normal. Something is out of whack inside the revolver (Sorry to be so technical :D). My guess is that it will happen more and more frequently until it just won't work at all.

It would be interesting to see if you can manage to get the gun to bind during dryfire or if it only happens during live fire. That might provide some additional insight.
 
Thanks, John. I'll go over it once more, but as I said, I think it's very clean. I've been using a lead removal cloth on it every 3d cleaning or so and cleaning it after each range trip, which is usually only 50 rounds from it. Would love for something like that to fix it and not have to send it to Ruger.
 
You could try measuring the barrel/cylinder gap and the back to front play in the cylinder if you have some feeler gauges. If your barrel/cylinder gap is in the normal range (0.006" to 0.010") and there's no significant back to front play (endshake) then it's not an issue with the cylinder binding.
 
The last time this happened to me was with my Smith 686+. One round had a bent case rim. Was there a particular round involved in all of the events?
 
JohnKSa, I just had to get it out. I do experience the "three clicks" upon releasing the trigger and after the second click the trigger will bind upon applying pressure. This "bind" feels more solid than the bind I get when shooting. This could very well be subjective as I was trying for this bind and the bind when shooting comes as a surprise. (see? I can get technical too.:D) Also at the range when this happens, some very negative thoughts come to mind which probably block out objective observations. I said in an earlier post it first happened inside of a 100 rounds and I was thinking within the 1st two boxes boxes of 50. It very well could have been inside the first 40 rounds @ the size of today's boxes. I have not been able to duplicate while dry firing.
 
This "bind" feels more solid than the bind I get when shooting.
Yes, it's a "full stop" sort of bind and absolutely nothing happens until you release and pull again.

What you describe from this most recent test all sounds perfectly normal.

It is possible in my SP101 to get the cylinder to advance without firing the gun by releasing all three clicks but not letting the trigger go fully forward. It's tricky to do, but from that position, pulling the trigger advances the cylinder but doesn't activate the hammer. But doing that doesn't result in anything that could be remotely described as a bind. In fact, the trigger moves much more easily than normal when that happens.
 
I was able to duplicate what you described. Though conditions are very similar, the trigger still moves. During my "binds" the trigger acts more like after the second release click, however at that point the cylinder has not moved yet. I'm not sure when I'll get back to the range, but I now have more to compare to if and when it happens again. Thanks
 
I had a problem with my cylinder binding on my new GP100. Right out of the box I fired 3 shots and I couldn't pull the trigger on the 4th round. Sent it to Ruger and I got it back a week later, no charge to me. Ruger polished some internal parts and replaced the pawl. Works great now.
 
I had this issue with a gp100. Found it to be out of spec remington .38 lswchp ammo. Two boxes out of about six had case rims thicker than normal. Sporadically in the boxes as well. It was as if the tool that cuts the rim messed up and left an extra "step" in the rim. It was worse in this particular gp100 (I have a few different revolvers) than the others do to head space tolerance between the rear of the cylinder and the recoil shield. Keep and check the cartridge casings and compare. When the out of spec rounds were in the cylinder. I could not see light through. When the normal ones were in there was a gap.
 
I think it was the ammo I was using. Cause I changed ammo after that and it ran fine. I can't have a CCW that ammo picky, I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying it. If something bad goes down I need reliability!
So I traded it
 
Probably a different issue, but something to consider....

A friend brought me one of these guns a while back, belonged to another friend, and wasn't working right, so my friend suggest having me check it out.

Cylinder was binding, bad. Gun could only be cocked SA if you assisted it by also turning the cylinder by hand (very stiff), and could not be worked DA.

The cylinder opened and closed normally. Checked it over, nothing seemed bent or broken. Checked under the extractor, all was normal, and essentially clean.

HOWEVER, further checking, I found the Cylinder would not spin freely, with the action open. The cylinder "axle" was solid black. (gun was stainless).

A good cleaning returned the gun to full, normal operation. Gun had no obvious wear, so no clue how many rounds had been fired, but enough, apparently to gum up the cylinder in a spot not usually cleaned by those who are not "gun people" (as apparently the owner wasn't).

I'm not saying this is the trouble with the one you've got, but have you made certain there isn't a chunk of crud floating around inside the lockwork anywhere?
 
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