Unloading Single Action Guns

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Bullrock

New member
After a very long layoff I began shooting single action revolvers a few days ago. Is there a secret to getting the shells to drop out of the cyclinder? I put 100 rounds through my Vaquero today, and had a hell of a time unloading. Some shells would drop, some would drop with a shake, and some of those suckers wouldn't buge, and I had to fine tune them out with the extractor, which takes the fun out of shooting. :(

I actually had one load where all six just dropped out, and that would be great if I could get them all to do that. Any and all help is greatly appreciated... :)
 
This is interesting

I just got a new Ruger vaquero. I was at the range this morning and noticed how the shells just fell out. Every now and then one would stick. I had that problem with my stoeger coach gun and I just polished the breech barrels and that worked. I would think the same thing would work with your SA. I guess the only good thing about it is it does cause me to slow down and enjoy shooting more. I tend to go through a bunch of ammo really fast with semis and DA's
Good luck
 
News Shooter

Hey, thanks for the info...I just purchased my Vaquero lightly used. Last night I broke it down, and cleaned/lubed everything. I thought there may be a secret ingredient to use in the cylinder...You're right about it slowing things down. Like you, I also shoot too fast, escecially when I use moon clips with my 625... :rolleyes:
 
Bullrock,

I have the same issue with my new Beretta Stampede. Some of the brass falls right out and some takes a bit of force. I notice that once the cylinder heats up (therefore expanding a bit), the brass falls out easier. Sure is nice when you can just spin the cylinder and have it fall out!!

BTW, what gun do you prefer so far, the Ruger or the Beretta?? The new Vaquero was my second choice recently (picked the Stampede over it).
 
Yep, that's what the rod is for

What he's saying is that it is really nice when you don't have to use it and the shells just fall out. It is WAY nicer.
 
Are all the cartridges the same? That is; the same load? Bullets, the same dia? If they are reloads, could some of them have either bullet lube or sizing lube smeared on them? Quantrill
 
I am baffled at your post. I have a .45 LC Bounty Hunter from EAA and experience absolutely none of these problems. Rounds always knock out easily.
 
The one thing I dislike about single actions, is that the extrator rod tends to pick up grains of gun-muck, and then deposit them on the ejector spring. Eventually the entire spring can sound, and feel fouled. And taking the ejector rod assemlby apart is such a pain.

Anyone else ever have this problem?

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JoePa, Don't laugh! My Stampede is still virginal...I play with it every day, and just can't bear to get it dirty...yet...Maybe soon. My Vaquero is used, so I had no problem shooting it today...So what's your evaluation of them both... :confused: :D
I am baffled at your post.
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Ulmer, I too am baffled at many of my posts... ;) :rolleyes:
Are all the cartridges the same? That is; the same load? Bullets
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Quantrill, I used two boxes of Winchester, CAL, .45 Colt, 250GR, lead flat nose. I don't use reloads unless I'm doing the reloading, and I haven't done that in years... :)
Thought that was reason for that rod and spring mounted underside of barrel to help in getting emptys out..
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michaelt, It is and if the shells do not fall out easily you spend a better part of your shooting time trying to line up the empty shell so it can be pushed out by the extractor. If the shell goes even slightly beyond the load port it doesn't come back, so round, and round we go.
I'm not complaining, I just thought some of you good folks may have a solution.

News Shooter, many thanks for your help, and comments... :D
 
Simple. Buy a 40 caliber bore jag for cleaning. Wrap it with a roll of fine emery cloth. I make a slurry of Remington bore scrubber and valve lappng compound. Remove the empty cylinder from the frame. I chuck the 40 caliber bore jag in my Dremel and use the slowest speed and plenty of slurry to polish the chambers. When I have a deep black colour from each cylinder as residue, I stop and clean as normal. I then use a second cleaning jag and Flitz to final polish each chamber. The last step is to clean and lube again as usual. Reassemble and check for empties dropping out. Loaded rounds will often drop out but, swollen fire formed empty cases will not. Go slow and check your work, you cannot replace what is removed. That is my reason for not using a wooden dowel.
 
A sharp stroke of the ejector usually works best. If you just do a push the cases will get hung up. I usually shorten the head of my base pin a bit to gain 1/8" of ejector rod travel. You can also order ejector rods with an oversize head that allow a more finger contact making a "sharp stroke" easier.
 
As dakotashooter mentioned, a sharp stroke on the rod is called for.

I've tried the "let them fall out" thing, but find it's slower even when it works, and when you get shell that hang up, its a waste of time monkeying with.

I tend to put the butt of the pistol against my solar plexus, on it's side and slightly inclined from horizontal, hold the gun with the left hand, and rotate the cylinder with the left hand. I kick the ejector rod HARD with my right, the brass generally ends up 3 feet behind me and to the left. It takes about,...maybe 2 1/2 to 3 seconds to empty the brass when motivated.

I very rarely miss indexing the chamber using this technique, and I use Rugers. Dirty, clean, polished etc chambers dont matter. Same way every time. I also lengthened the ejector rod stroke by shortening the base pin a touch, and clipping a few coils from the rod spring so it doesnt stack up. I have either bullseye or crescent ejector rod heads on most of mine, tho the 22 has the small factory Ruger head, and I have no trouble running it quickly

I'd suggest getting a 22 for practice, and practicing a lot. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. About 10 bricks of 22's and it will seem easy to clear the brass quickly.
 
What you're talking about is inherent to the single-action design. Nobody ever intended it to be a quick reloader, when cases drop out it's nice, but not to be expected through a shooting session. If it bothers you, you might consider shooting something else.
Denis
 
I would respectfully say it's more inherent in the technique used.

SA's are slower to empty and load, but not as slow as some make it by technique used.
 
I'd suggest getting a 22 for practice, and practicing a lot. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. About 10 bricks of 22's and it will seem easy to clear the brass quickly.
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No offense Malamute, but I was winning fast draw competitions over 40 years ago. I don't need the practice. I was just wondering if there was any new or wonderful technology available since I last picked up a six gun... :)
If it bothers you, you might consider shooting something else.
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Ditto Denis. I shoot six guns for fun only. :)
 
Here is the problem I am having...From GunBlast...

Besides the new smaller frame of the New Vaquero, there are a couple of other improvements that make this sixgun better than the original. Unlike any other Ruger Blackhawks, Single-Sixes, or Vaqueros built since 1973, the new Vaquero has chambers that align properly with the loading gate for easier loading and unloading of the cylinder. On the other sixguns, when the cylinder was rotated until it "clicked", it had turned too far, and had to be rotated completely around to align the chamber with the loading gate. In the New Vaquero, Ruger has incorporated a cylinder hand that retracts, and added a cylinder index button that is spring loaded. It works to perfectly align the chambers with the loading gate, just like on the Old Model Rugers that were built before 1973.

Mine was made in 1997. So either I had better trade for a New Vaquero , or start shooting my new Stampede... :D
 
After afew thousand rounds your empties should fall right out. I have afew single actions and one I've had for many years, after thousands of rounds and thousands of cleanings I have no problem with the brass falling out every time.
 
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I'd suggest getting a 22 for practice, and practicing a lot. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. About 10 bricks of 22's and it will seem easy to clear the brass quickly.



No offense Malamute, but I was winning fast draw competitions over 40 years ago. I don't need the practice. I was just wondering if there was any new or wonderful technology available since I last picked up a six gun...


No offense taken Bullrock.


No offense intended here either, but, if you are fumbling with dropping empties out by gravity, I would still suggest practice. With all due respect for your past experience with fast draw, reloading apparently wasn't a priority. As mentioned before, even when empties drop free by gravity, it seems slower than using the rod to eject, at least those I've seen use that technique, and shot with. You were wondering if there was a new, improved way of emptying an SA, I feel there was a very good way to clear empties, and they have been on the guns all along.

Just my opinion, after muddling along with them for about 33 years, without taking a long break.

Regards
 
Bullrock Quote – “I was just wondering if there was any new or wonderful technology available since I last picked up a six gun... “

To answer your question No.
They’re just the same as they used to be in this regard.
 
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