Willy B.SASS#26902 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I recently had the very good fortune to pick up a pair of SS Ruger 44/40 Vaqueros, These were fired once in 1995 and put back in their boxes and forgotten. As usual the chamber throats mike out at .425 which doesn't work out well with a .429 bore, I see that Brownell's has a throat reamer for .44's that opens them up to .429-.430 and that its used by hand has anyone used this tool? and how did it work?. I haven't decided weather to open up the chambers myself or Find a decent gunsmith to do the job, It's really a shame but I don't have a gunsmith I trust nearby we had two fantastic smiths here until recently but both have gone on to their rewards, Anyway any info would be appreciated Thanks Mucho Willy B' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I bought the reamer & bushing set from Brownells & did 3 pr of 45 colt Vaqueros. Find the correct bushing, take your time, use plenty of oil & it works just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I have, and it works very well. Use Tapamatic cutting oil(gold can). Wrapped the reamer with tape at the half way point, to keep it centered in the chamber's bore. I reamed from the chamber side. Turn buy hand.... LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy B.SASS#26902 Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks guys Just the info I was looking for. Willy B' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Easy to do, and Brownells tech help is good also. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I have, and it works very well. Use Tapamatic cutting oil(gold can). Wrapped the reamer with tape at the half way point, to keep it centered in the chamber's bore. I reamed from the chamber side. Turn buy hand.... LG Same here - the throats would not allow the .425 pilot to pass, so I removed it and wrapped tape as above. Also opened the forcing cone to 11 degrees. Can't understand why Ruger puts such a small hole in their large bore cylinders? CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Rick-I had to open up both of my Ruger OMVs, .44's also. They were .425-.428 on the both and made about 5 years apart. Used a .430 reamer, turn buy hand. Can just feel a bit of drag when I push a .430 dia. lead bullet through the cyl. throats. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitchy Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Not on Rugers, or in .44. I did a .38. But like the above posters said, pretty easy, follow instructions. Nice tip about taping the reamer if the pilot doesn't work. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Tape it to help keep it centered and from scar'n the chamber wall. When done. Wrap a undersized brass brush with some green scotchbrite to give a snug fit in the throat. use a somewhat low speed in your drill motor. Spin that brush in each the recut throats to give a finial finish. Test with a bullet for fit. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy B.SASS#26902 Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks Guys Good info Just for laughs I e-mailed Ruger to see if they would ream them out, I'm curious to find out if they still think it's not a problem. I know with my 44 mags of the same vintage a .428 bullet drops through the throat while a .430 will stop so at least they got those right. Willy B' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 OK, Pards, now I'll give you the contrarian view: I, too have Ruger OMV's with the looser chambers and .425" throats (Ruger originally made the chambers so tight you couldn't chamber cartridges with bullets larger than .425! They swapped out my original cylinder for larger chambers, but still with the .425" throats!) The second gun was originally a .44 Mag, for which I found a .44-40 cylinder, again with the looser chambers, but .425" throats. The first gun was also fitted with a .44 Mangle-em cylinder, making both convertables. At the time,I considered having the chambers in both .44-40 cylinders reamed out to .429-.430", but decided to experiment with the .425" throats and larger bullets. I found that if I use hard-cast (BHN 17-22+) bullets that are .430" in diameter, I get excellent accuracy from the guns. On the bench, and when my old eyes co-operate, I can get 1-5/8" five-round groups at 25 yards! How can this be? Although I have not pulled the barrel from either gun and fired bullets and measured the diameters. But, from my metallurgy training, I believe that the bullets do swage down passing through the throat, but the residual compresive stresses in the bullet metal matrix do NOT have time to disappate in the form of heat as the bullet passes through the throat. As the bullet exits the throat, these residual stresses cause the bullet to re-expand to fit the rifling. Leading? Only a little near the forcing cone, but not enough to warrant hard cleaning more than once a year! CAUTION! I would NEVER attempt to fire jacketed bullets through these tight throats. If I need jacketed bullets, I simply switch cylinders to .44 Magnum. An interesting note: An original Colt's Frontier Six Shooter (SA in .44-40) that I once measured had a .427 groove barrel, and the cylinder throats measured .4245"! Go figure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EL NEGRO GATO Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 howdy, I have two ruger 44/40's, one I had my smith reamed the cylinder to 429 (old model) and shot the new model as is ENG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Haller Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Howdy! Ruger used to ream the 44-40s (or change out cylinders; I never knew which), no questions asked, you just paid shipping the whole gun to them. Hamilton Bowen (most excellent gunsmith; go to his web site) will also ream the cylinders; you only need send him the cylinder, but you you will pay for shipping to and from and labor. Like Trail Rider, I kept two 7 1/2 inchers with their smaller throats; I use them only for BP with soft lead rounds and they've been very accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O_K Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I started CAS with a set of Vaquero Bisley .44 Magnums, and then found a matching set of unfired 4 5/8" .44-40 Vaqueros. I had already read much on the internet about the undersized throats, but I wanted .44-40s. After I bought them, I slugged the cylinder throats and they miked out at .422 ! - I was afraid to shoot them with .428 bullets. One of the club's gunsmiths reamed them out (a little larger than I asked) to .429. They both shoot way low and left. Since then, I have become a "gamer" shooting NV .38s and the .44-40s sit in the gun safe. A future project awaits when I try to figure out how to get them to shoot to POA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I started CAS with a set of Vaquero Bisley .44 Magnums, and then found a matching set of unfired 4 5/8" .44-40 Vaqueros. I had already read much on the internet about the undersized throats, but I wanted .44-40s. After I bought them, I slugged the cylinder throats and they miked out at .422 ! - I was afraid to shoot them with .428 bullets. One of the club's gunsmiths reamed them out (a little larger than I asked) to .429. They both shoot way low and left. Since then, I have become a "gamer" shooting NV .38s and the .44-40s sit in the gun safe. A future project awaits when I try to figure out how to get them to shoot to POA. Send them back to Ruger to correct windage. I had to do that with my 44's when I started. Still use'em today. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy B.SASS#26902 Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Well lots of food for thought. I found that the these pistols do have fairly tight chambers I can chamber a cartridge with a .428 bullet but not a .430. I have seven rifles in 44/40 and four other pistols that all will chamber a .430 so I kind of hate to add guns that will only take a .428 into the mix. Trailrider did get me to thinking about them possibly being accurate as is so I'll take them out this weekend and see how they do. Thanks all Willy B' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I reamed my three .38-40 Vaqueros with a hand turned reamer with good results. I have had eight .44-40 Vaqueros (currently have only 3) that showed a noticeable resistance in some of the chambers with .429" bullets, so I've always used .428" in them with good results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy B.SASS#26902 Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I got an e-mail back from Ruger stating that they don't do custom work and they won't modify any of their guns outside of SAAMI specifications. Sounds to me like their tired of hearing about 44/40s Willy B' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I started CAS with a set of Vaquero Bisley .44 Magnums, and then found a matching set of unfired 4 5/8" .44-40 Vaqueros. I had already read much on the internet about the undersized throats, but I wanted .44-40s. After I bought them, I slugged the cylinder throats and they miked out at .422 ! - I was afraid to shoot them with .428 bullets. One of the club's gunsmiths reamed them out (a little larger than I asked) to .429. They both shoot way low and left. Since then, I have become a "gamer" shooting NV .38s and the .44-40s sit in the gun safe. A future project awaits when I try to figure out how to get them to shoot to POA. O_K Shooting way low and left for a right handed shooter - this CAN be a classic flincher's signature. Make sure you are: * putting the pad of your index finger on trigger, not the first joint of the finger. * squeezing trigger not jerking it * that (when you mix in some fired cases with 3 or 4 loads in a cylinder, spin it, then fire carefully at targets) you don't have a flinch when you get to the "clicks" Have another shooter try the guns, one known to be accurate with single actions, shooting on paper, and see where his(her) group hits. LOTS of new-to-single-action shooters pull shots low and left. If you are sure that flinch/poor trigger pull correction doesn't apply to you, then correcting too-far-left errors is easiest done with barrel loosening to bring front sight farther left. Best left to someone experienced and that has the correct barrel vise and frame blocks. Bringing POA up vertically is a simple matter of filing off the front sight just right. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 In answer to your original question .... Yes ...... Lots of them. In 16+ years of working on CAS guns, it's easier to count the Rugers with correct throats. The vast majority, regardless of caliber needed to be reamed. First step is to slug the bore. You need to know where to start. The throats should be reamed to a little larger than groove diameter. If the bore slugs to .429, ream rhe throat to .04295 and shoot .430 bullets. With under size throats you get excess leading at the barrel forcing cone and may get leading down the bore. You also get much more felt recoil and higher than necessary chamber pressure. It's a real good idea to fix the throats. Coffinmaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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