Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Ruger New Vaquero - Hammer Won't Lock Back


Mountain Man Gramps

Recommended Posts

I recently purchased a New Vaquero off Gunbroker.  When cocking the hammer, it has recently stopped locking on the same cylinder position 95% of the time.  I am the type who likes to fix things myself and have done a little gun tuning, but am not an expert.  I've found some good YouTube videos on the disassembly and reassembly of the New Vaquero.  Can anyone offer some sugestions of what I should look for?  Needless to say, I'll have the gun inspected by shooters more knowledgable than me before I use it in a match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like your pawl needs tuning. If the cylinder is locking in place but the hammer not coming to full cock then in general you need to take a little off the second (lower) shelf of the pawl so that it retards the cylinder rotating. This is assuming nothing else is haywire like an aftermarket hammer stop or any number of things. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It could also be a burr on the cylinder ratchet. I look for this and make my best attempt to get all 6 chambers coming into time identically. If it is only one chamber then this may well be the case. A person can buy replacement pawls a whole lot easier then buying replacement cylinders. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd WD-40 blast the living daylights out of it on the theory that dirt/debris is the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my vaquero 32s would not lock up on the same 2 or 3 chambers every time. This was after a repair to a broken trigger sear.The fix ended up being taking a hair more off of the sear. Its was a smidge too long and would not allow lock up only on those chambers but would lock up on the others. Strange but thats the way it was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it was working before and suddenly started failing to cock on one cylinder, first give it a good cleaning.  Second, make sure it is put together right.  After that, if it still has a problem, start looking at timing issues.

 

Whatever you do, don’t try to work on the ratchet on the cylinder!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Mountain Man Gramps said:

I recently purchased a New Vaquero off Gunbroker.  When cocking the hammer, it has recently stopped locking on the same cylinder position 95% of the time.  I am the type who likes to fix things myself and have done a little gun tuning, but am not an expert.  I've found some good YouTube videos on the disassembly and reassembly of the New Vaquero.  Can anyone offer some sugestions of what I should look for?  Needless to say, I'll have the gun inspected by shooters more knowledgable than me before I use it in a match.

You might have Double Diamond take a look at it next time you’re in Escondido or at the Bandidos Match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Humm, the same spot every time.... Ratchet, or cylinder notch are the only things that I can think of that are unique to one spot. Can't see why it would just suddenly start either. Did you drop the cylinder by any chance?.  Though they don't always swap out, do you have a second one that you can swap cylinders with to see If the problem moves with the cylinder?

 

Snakebite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yul and Blast, you nailed it!  I stopped by Double D’s last night with both of my Vaqueros.  After showing him the problem which he confirmed,  he pulled out the cylinders of both guns, looked at the three digits etched on each cylinder by the factory (I didn’t know about that), and found I had accidentally switched the cylinders the last time I cleaned them.  Problem solved!

 

Thank you everyone!  All your suggestions were a good learning experience for me.  Long live SASS! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.