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SASS Vaquero binding?


Shooting Bull

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When cocking one of my pistols it binds up occasionally.  Definitely not a high primer since it does it unloaded too.  I'll detail strip it and drop all parts in an ultrasonic cleaner.  Problem goes away for a while but then comes right back.  I'm not even sure what exactly to look for.  My thoughts were the plunger on the hammer binding up but when it's out of the gun it works just fine. Gun functions perfectly other than the occasional binding. 

 

Any suggestions for things to check before sending it to someone who knows more about it than I do? 

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If the spring loaded plunger on the base pin is sticking, it cannot do its job of pushing the transfer bar to the rear and the T-bar will snag on the firing pin as you are cocking the hammer.

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Sometimes even if the plunger isn't sticking the T-bar can catch on the firing pin. The next time it binds look there.  If the T-bar is stuck on the lower part of the firing pin that's your problem.  I solved it by taking the T-Bar out and filing the leading edge on the firing pin side down just a bit.  Problem solved.

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I had a Ruger Blackhawk once that had a sloppy base pin to cylinder fit. When cocking and the pawl raised to pushed the cylinder around it would push the top rear of cylinder up enough so that the top front part of the cylinder would go down and forward just enough to hit the forcing cone and bind up.  I ordered a couple close tolerance base pins from Belt Mountain and  the problem was solved.

 

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8 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Any chance you got the cylinders switched? 

OLG 

This!!!! 
 

 

And don’t ask me how I know.

 

It’s much worse when it happens to your wife’s guns; again don’t ask me how I know

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One little bit of information I forgot to mention, my pistols have been short stroked by Lassiter. The don’t have transfer bars anymore.

 

By binding up I mean I can’t cock the hammer. I can pull it back 1/4 of an inch or so and it stops cold. I’ll keep trying and eventually it’ll go to full cock. 

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Just now, Shooting Bull said:

One little bit of information I forgot to mention, my pistols have been short stroked by Lassiter. The don’t have transfer bars anymore.

 

By binding up I mean I can’t cock the hammer. I can pull it back 1/4 of an inch or so and it stops cold. I’ll keep trying and eventually it’ll go to full cock. 

 

Will they cock correctly when you point the muzzle straight up? 

Do you see any drag Mark's on the cylinder face?

OLG 

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Take some carb cleaner and flush the spring plunger assembly in the base pin.

Do you oil the cyl base pin channel in the cylinder? A drop or 2 is a good thing.

Take the grips off a see what you can as you cycle the action.

OLG 

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:ph34r:   Experienced same symptoms.  Replaced plunger,  pin & spring in hammer (clean its resident hole thoroughly).  That was it.

 

If cylinder issues are eliminated, I'm betting on hammer plunger.  Often problem with plunger is not obvious to simple scrutiny. 

 

Good luck, and advise as to solution.

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On 2/19/2020 at 1:00 PM, Shooting Bull said:

When cocking one of my pistols it binds up occasionally.  Definitely not a high primer since it does it unloaded too.  I'll detail strip it and drop all parts in an ultrasonic cleaner.  Problem goes away for a while but then comes right back.  I'm not even sure what exactly to look for.  My thoughts were the plunger on the hammer binding up but when it's out of the gun it works just fine. Gun functions perfectly other than the occasional binding. 

 

Any suggestions for things to check before sending it to someone who knows more about it than I do? 

Mine was binding when DEcocking, and it was definitely the hammer plunger. Once having the hammer assy out and in my hand, I could make the plunger bind with the tip of a screwdriver pressing it. I removed the cross pin and immediately lost sight of it. The spring looked fine under magnification as did the plunger. I am going to guess that the plunger got a little crossways and was catching on the cross pin. I ordered a new cross pin along with a complete new set of screws as well as springs for the other plungers. Ruger is sending all no charge.

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I disassembled  mine for cleaning a couple days ago. When I put them back together they were binding, removed the cylinder pins, reinstalled and they were fine.

They are fine tuned, short stroked, and don't have transfer bars. I'm thinking it was an alignment issue. No, I didn't mix up cylinders or pins, only took one apart at a time.

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Check the loading gate. I had one pistol that the gate spring somehow went bad. After a shot or two the gate base would ride out and bind on the brass.

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4 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

Mine was binding when DEcocking, and it was definitely the hammer plunger. Once having the hammer assy out and in my hand, I could make the plunger bind with the tip of a screwdriver pressing it. I removed the cross pin and immediately lost sight of it. The spring looked fine under magnification as did the plunger. I am going to guess that the plunger got a little crossways and was catching on the cross pin. I ordered a new cross pin along with a complete new set of screws as well as springs for the other plungers. Ruger is sending all no charge.

The base pin could be the problem, if it is loosely fitted it could be allowing the cylinder occasionally  to drop down and narrow the cylinder latch clearance.  Also check the operation of the base pin end plunger. 

But if  I were you, I'd start with the hammer plunger.   The retention flat area on the plunger is very thin.  It will bend with very little force applied. The slightest bend can cause it to bind unpredictably against its retention pin or one side of its hole.   I would start by installing a new plunger and spring, regardless of how good they might appear.  The replacements are very inexpensive.   

 

You might also take note whether the jamb occurs always on the same cylinder.  Your problem could be from the bolt not depressing far enough to release the cylinder latch on one or more cylinders, similar to the loose base pin problem above.  That would prevent the cylinder rotating during cocking of the hammer.  Just a couple thoughts.  

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There's not that many parts in a NMV, but they all have to move pretty freely. They need some oil. I had the same hang-up. That little pin just barely has enough pressure to get the job done, IMHO. If anything it touches or pushes is stiff, it binds. 

 

After it happened to me I check each of my hipguns before each meet. It's a fairly easy check. What you don't want to see is the cylinder latch dropping too soon after being lifted out of the notch. Ideally I like to see the pin drop about at the 1/2 way mark. Half way between the notch and the beginning of the lead in cutaway for the next notch. Hopefully you can see the faint mark just before the usual dropping point for the cylinder latch. On the gun I had the issue the latch was dropping almost immediately after clearing the notch. Unfortunately it's a stainless gun, doesn't make for a clear picture.

 

7EmxpNm.jpg 

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On 2/19/2020 at 2:31 PM, Mack Hacker, #60477 said:

 

It’s much worse when it happens to your wife’s guns; again don’t ask me how I know

 

Must have been a long ride home, if that happened on a match day.

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I had a similar problem and it was the retaining pin that held in the plunger and spring on the hammer assembly.  There was a burr on the retaining pin and it was a pain to find.  The plunger was hanging up on the retaining pin.  Had that thing apart many times, but only found it after I completely removed it from the hammer assembly.  I was only pushing it out far enough to remove the pluncher assembly and it remained hidden in the hammer.  My gun was not short stroked but the hammer safety was removed, hammer welded, half cock, etc.

 

Hope this helps.

Tye

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