Flying W Ramrod Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Just started. One .45 Vaquero, old style, cylinder base pin pops out just enough to not push the transfer bar back enough to rotate the cylinder. Looks as if the pin doesn't engage any notch or anyway to lock it in the back position. What can I do? One gun works great, the other the spring in the base pin pushes the pin forward causing the transfer bar to not pass by the firing pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Make sure the 2 pieces of the cross bolt are tight. You can get heavier cross bolt springs from Wolff Gunsprings. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Howdy Old and very common problem. It often happens with the recoil of heavier loads. Rugers are mass produced and the parts of the latch and the the cylinder pin sometimes do not match up perfectly. There are basically three solutions. 1. Install a heavier spring in the cross latch. 2. Install a Belt Mountain after market cylinder pin 3. Do a little bit of custom fitting to make the cylinder pin mate up to the latch better. I'm not sure what type of cylinder pin Ruger is supplying these days, it the locking slot goes straight across the pin or if goes completely around the pin. If it goes completely around, you can't do much to fit it better. Belt Mountain pins have a slot that goes straight across the pin. This is a better design, it provides more bearing surface for the latch to mate to. I have Belt Mountain pins in most of my Rugers and my Colts too. I usually install the BM pin, then do a little bit of custom fitting too. By the way, the same thing can happen in a Colt or clone, but you won't know it until the pin falls out of the gun and gets lost in the grass. If you go the Belt Mountain route, I do not recommend the pin with the locking screw. Too much of a pain to keep the little hex key handy, and you can actually over tighten it and bend the pin, causing the cylinder to bind. I just use the standard pins without the locking featuire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Ruger has a great customer service department. Give them a call. They will probably send you a better latch spring. If that doesn't work you can send the gun to Ruger and they will make sure it works. The gun will come back completely stock so if you have installed after market springs you might want to restore the originals. The Belt Mountain approach will work and is quicker, but it is more expensive than free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Ruger has a great customer service department. Give them a call. They will probably send you a better latch spring. If that doesn't work you can send the gun to Ruger and they will make sure it works. The gun will come back completely stock so if you have installed after market springs you might want to restore the originals. The Belt Mountain approach will work and is quicker, but it is more expensive than free. It's only 'free' when Ruger pick's up the ship'n charges. AND you haven't modified the internals. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying W Ramrod Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Driftwood Thanks for that clue. I switched from my 5.0g powder and 200g rnfp to 4.5 powder and 180 rnfp and no problems. Now I have 200 rounds of the heavier stuff to use in one gun and the lighter stuff to use in the other. And 200 rounds to load of the lighter stuff for the regional match in three weeks. Glad to find it out now instead of during the regionals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Extra power base pin spring $3 from Brownells. I install them in all my Rugers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Hanger #3720LR Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Stronger spring will help by over powering the problem. BUT the problem will still be there. 1. Check base pin lock. Make sure that it hasn't loosened up a turn or two. 2. Check the notch or groove in your base pin and see it the alignment has been off and has worn a ramp from the notch/ groove that allows the base pin to be push out. 3. If your base pin has a notch, the notch can be file wider in the direction that the lock is of by. 3a. If your base pin has a groove around the pin, you can chuck it up in a drill press and with a round file widen the groove in the direction needed. Caution, when widening the groove, do it in small steps. You can always take more off but putting it back is not so easy. Try removing the base pin lock and spring. Look through the hole and see how the notch/groove lines up in the hole. This will give you an idea if it is misaligned or it is something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kulshan 20262 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 See number 3 in Driftwood's post. If the locking pin is all the way together and fits all the way in when the base pin is in place the stock spring works just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Brazos Kid Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 While the stock base pin spring works OK when everything lines up and fits right, the heavy spring prevents you from inadvertently pushing the lock and releasing the pin. Yes it only requires pushing the pin back in to clear the problem, but it won't recover the time you lost when it got loose during your firing of the gun in a match. While some might call the heavier springs a crutch, pay that no attention. The heavier spring is good insurance against the base pin getting loose, whatever the cause. Very cheap fix. RBK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Cassidy #45437 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 This happened on one of mine when I first started out, and Ruger will tell you there is nothing wrong with the gun. Buy a set of Wolff springs; they have lightened springs for the hammer, but heavier springs for the base pin. It did the trick, and I installed them on the second gun even though it never had the problem, just to be sure. That was about 14 years ago, and the base pin hasn't backed out since! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Also-Flush out the cross-bolt area with brake or carb cleaner and blow that out with compressed air. Doesn't take much crud build up, to keep the cross-bolt from seating fully. As me how I know this- OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackey Cole Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I replaced the base pins with oversized ones with set screws from belt mountain. The OS pin tightness up the slop that mass production causes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The easy fix. Every time you load the gun. Push in on the base pin. The gun will never lock up on you again :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggus Deal #64218 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The easy fix. Every time you load the gun. Push in on the base pin. The gun will never lock up on you again :-) Maybe, maybe not. If it isn't fit well, the recoil from the first round fired might dislodge it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The easy fix. Every time you load the gun. Push in on the base pin. The gun will never lock up on you again :-) Don't bet on that- OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Brazos Kid Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The easy fix. Every time you load the gun. Push in on the base pin. The gun will never lock up on you again :-) That will work fine, providing there's nothing wrong with the gun in the first place. However, if there is a problem with the gun, (base pin or latch), that won't prevent a problem happening while shooting. Continue to do that if it gives you comfort, but it won't prevent a stoppage from eventually happening. RBK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cayuse Jack, SASS #19407 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 The easy fix. Every time you load the gun. Push in on the base pin. The gun will never lock up on you again :-) I have been shooting single action Rugers since 1993 and most times the base pin on Rugers is fit and operating correctly. I have seen more shooters bump the base pin latch cradling the gun in hand while loading than any other issue... Bumping the latch will loosen the pin just enough to allow one maybe two rounds too be fired before it will become loose enough to allow the gun to lock up. It seems like a good idea to check that the base pin is seated after loading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I have shot single actions my hole life. I am saying if there is a none failer with the gun it self. The only time a base pin will move is when the button is pushed some how. Or under heavy recoiling loads. So under cowboy loads if you push in the base pin every time you load the gun , the base pin should stay in place. If it moves out you tuched the button or you have a bad part. If you use the load and push system . There is a much less of a chance of this happening to you on a stage :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Maybe the problem is user error, but I don't think so. When I bought my first set of Rugers my base pins backed out after a few rounds. It didn't matter how I fired the pistol or what I did. I ended up buying the Belt Mountain base pins and that solved the problem. If the problem had been user error it wouldn't have gone away immediately after installing the Belt Mountain base pins. I suspect that most Rugers never have the problem but occasionally a few do. People who have never experienced the problem don't think it is possible. Those who have realize it is a real if occasional issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I have shot single actions my hole life. I am saying if there is a none failer with the gun it self. The only time a base pin will move is when the button is pushed some how. Or under heavy recoiling loads. So under cowboy loads if you push in the base pin every time you load the gun , the base pin should stay in place. If it moves out you tuched the button or you have a bad part. If you use the load and push system . There is a much less of a chance of this happening to you on a stage :-) I dunno how long a 'hole life' is, But I can tell you I bought my first Blackhawk, a 45 Colt/45 ACP convertible in 1975, so I did not just fall off the revolver/turnip truck. I stand by my advice. If you have not encountered a base pin backing out, more power to you. I found base pins backing out when I first started loading 45 Colt about 15 years ago. Standard SAAMI loads. I also noticed them backing out when I started loading 45 Colt with Black Powder. That is why most of my Rugers and Colts have Belt Mountain pins in them that I have custom fitted so they do not back out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
German Jim Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Also-Flush out the cross-bolt area with brake or carb cleaner and blow that out with compressed air. Doesn't take much crud build up, to keep the cross-bolt from seating fully. As me how I know this- OLG OK! How do you know this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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