Ruger Wrangler Help

[Quiet Burp]

I posted up a week or to ago about my shortage of powder dilemma.

 

I know they aren't the same as my .38 NM Vaqueros but for practice I have secured two .22 calibre Ruger Wranglers and was able to stock up on 20,000 CCI .22's for $4.00 per box which down here was a pretty good bargain.

 

First problem using them on the range today was they are very different in loading them compared to my Vaqueros for finding the empty the chamber for the hammer to rest on. I don't do the insert one miss a chamber dance with my Vaqueros and even doing that with the Wranglers there's no real visual "you got this right".

 

Thinking of making a mark on the outside of the cylinder (not permanent) as a visual aid to leave that chamber empty? Any other suggestions anyone have?

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

Make TWO marks (one on each side of the chamber) that are visible while loading and as viewed from the top (one on each side of the top strap) for confirmation.

[Burn Through]

I load 5 then shut gate  when empty is under hammer you can spin it enough to see through loading gate then roll back to hammer

[John E. Law]

My son has the Wranglers, he's 7. He loads one round and then 1 skips one and then loads 4 more. On the 4th cartridge he closes the gate and turns the cylinder and it's on the empty chamber. 

 

JEL

[Captain Bill Burt]

Since the cylinder will rotate either way just load five, locate the empty at the loading gate, rotate counter clockwise one place shut the loading gate and be sure the cylinder is locked in place.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

I use two dots of a bright yellow paint and an orange plastic dummy round. When I empty at the ULT everything comes out, reinsert the dummy and on to the next stage. Works for me and the ULT officers like it.

 

Imis

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

3 hours ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

I use two dots of a bright yellow paint and an orange plastic dummy round. 

...

 

FYI:

Quote

Six-shot revolvers may be loaded at the loading table with a maximum of five rounds and the hammer lowered and resting on the empty chamber.

SHB p.13 / RO1 p.17

 

Quote

Loading Table Officer – is responsible for visually checking to ensure all firearms are loaded with only the correct number of rounds, verify no round is ever under the firing pin of any firearm, and all loaded firearms’ hammers are fully down on an empty chamber.

SHB p.21 / RO1 p.28 

 

Quote

Failure to adhere to loading and unloading procedures.

SHB p.22 - SDQ

RO1 p.34

 

 

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

▲ learned something new today

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

1 hour ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

 

FYI:

SHB p.13

 

SHB p.21

 

SHB p.22 - SDQ

[Badlands Bob #61228]

I have single sixes which presents the same problem.  I just put a dot of whiteout on the outside of the cylinder where the empty chamber is.  The whiteout is easily removed if necessary and makes finding the empty cylinder easy when trying to line it up under the hammer.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

OK

 

Imis

[Beartrap SASS#57175]

I have Ruger Bearcats that we use for the kids. They have the same visual problem for checking proper indexing.

I took a straight section of wire coat hanger and ran it down the barrel, through an empty chamber to the frame and then bent it to 90 degrees at the muzzle.

To check the indexing for an empty chamber you just run the hanger down the barrel. If it hits the 90 degree bend you're good to go.

[Doc Hurd #12379]

Load five without skipping any holes close the gate rotate cylinder counterclockwise until it stops and it will be on an empty chamber and ready to go

[Quiet Burp]

How are juniors (buckaroos?) showing the loading table person that the hammer is down on an empty chamber?

[Beartrap SASS#57175]

10 hours ago, Quiet Burp said:

How are juniors (buckaroos?) showing the loading table person that the hammer is down on an empty chamber?

See my post above.

[Waimea]

On 6/17/2022 at 1:29 PM, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

I have single sixes which presents the same problem.  I just put a dot of whiteout on the outside of the cylinder where the empty chamber is.  The whiteout is easily removed if necessary and makes finding the empty cylinder easy when trying to line it up under the hammer.

 

This is a great idea!

We've been struggling with this problem for a while. 

 

We've tried sticking something down the barrel for length and just not real comfortable teaching kids that because I think it takes away a little respect for the business end of the gun. Just my opinion. YMMV.

 

We can't advance and see the empty then go back bc the cylinder has clicked and can't reverse.

 

I liked the idea of the snap cap but PWB done rained on that parade. 

He's good at herding cats.

 

Anyhow, some folks call you Evil but maybe, just for today, you can be Good Bob. (Don't get used to it.)

[Badlands Bob #61228]

When the weather gets over 90 degrees, I often turned into Compassionate Bob.  

 

Those grease pins that wrecker services use to write on windshields work real well too but I've run out so now I just use whiteout.

[watab kid]

why not "load one skip one ?" its what you will do at the loading table at a match unless you wish to waste time trying to index to the empty under the hammer , as long as its a sidx gun it works just fine and im one that shoots as much 22 if not more than my 45 & 38 , i like shouting them , i think the 22 practice is helpful 

[Jackaroo, # 29989]

I have ALWAYS loaded one then skipped one with my Rugers. It's the colt loading method, it also prevents you loading 6 if there are loose rounds on the table, because you have 5 loaded then a loaded round will appear next, Thus you have 5. Loading continuosly and if not from a loading block with the correct amount of rounds you can easely mis count. I still spin the cylinder anyway to check for high primers.

But with the wranglers or other 22 the visual gap is very difficult to see, but loading the same way as my Rugers when you loaded the last or 5th round you can just cock the hammer and it then comes down on the empty chamber.  No need to check for high primers with 22s.

Just got into that habit from day one.

[Waimea]

I teach kids what I teach adults.

Count out 10 for your rifle.

Load your rifle.

Put that thing aside.

Count out 5 for each pistol.

Load pistol one.

Spin the cylinder. 

Good check for high primers. 

If you're not fastidious about cleaning  (I'm not), sometimes the little .22s don't go in all the way. Little fingers sometimes can't push that hard.

Then they will bind the cylinder just like a high primer.

Anyhow, spin that cylinder.

Line up the empty, put aside repeat for pistol 2.

Been working for us so far.

Just looking for a better way.

[Quiet Burp]

11 hours ago, Waimea said:

I teach kids what I teach adults.

Count out 10 for your rifle.

Load your rifle.

Put that thing aside.

Count out 5 for each pistol.

Load pistol one.

Spin the cylinder. 

Good check for high primers. 

If you're not fastidious about cleaning  (I'm not), sometimes the little .22s don't go in all the way. Little fingers sometimes can't push that hard.

Then they will bind the cylinder just like a high primer.

Anyhow, spin that cylinder.

Line up the empty, put aside repeat for pistol 2.

Been working for us so far.

Just looking for a better way.

 

How do you go about lining up the empty chamber?

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

1 hour ago, Quiet Burp said:

 

How do you go about lining up the empty chamber?

 

Try the two-dot method.

Easily verified by the LTO (or whoever is observing & checking at the LT).

I just made a loaded chamber checker out of a length of 3/16 (4.7625 mm) wooden dowel (not comfortable running a bare steel rod down the barrel of my Colt)

Same works for Ruger Wranglers with the same barrel length.

 

 

 

[John E. Law]

On 6/17/2022 at 11:27 PM, Doc Hurd #12379 said:

Load five without skipping any holes close the gate rotate cylinder counterclockwise until it stops and it will be on an empty chamber and ready to go

This will work with the Wranglers but numerous other 22s the cylinder will not rotate counterclockwise. With the load one skip the next and load four you are able to load all of the 22s and wind up on the empty cylinder.

 

JEL

[Waimea]

10 hours ago, Quiet Burp said:

 

How do you go about lining up the empty chamber?

 

Not easy.

After spin Buckaroo puts gun on the table. I pick up the gun find the empty then advance 4 clicks.

Cock and slowly bring hammer down on empty cylinder.

Not the best method for sure.

 

I also worry about a new shooter slowly bringing the hammer down.

Saw a thumb slip once and fortunately it was on the empty.

Could have been a match DQ with bad counting.

[Cypress Sun]

10 hours ago, Quiet Burp said:

 

How do you go about lining up the empty chamber?

A paint pen is your friend. Paint a small dot on the cylinder exterior, so you can visually see it with the gate closed and a small dot under/above the hole where the bullet goes into the cylinder. Probably have to reapply paint after 2 or 3 wipe downs but it makes it easy to see which chamber is empty.

[Waimea]

2 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

Probably have to reapply paint after 2 or 3 wipe downs...

 

So you're saying it'll last a few years for me. 

[Cypress Sun]

4 hours ago, Waimea said:

 

So you're saying it'll last a few years for me. 

 

Hey, I at least wipe mine down...cleaning is a whole other story.

[Quiet Burp]

19 hours ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

 

Try the two-dot method.

Easily verified by the LTO (or whoever is observing & checking at the LT).

I just made a loaded chamber checker out of a length of 3/16 (4.7625 mm) wooden dowel (not comfortable running a bare steel rod down the barrel of my Colt)

Same works for Ruger Wranglers with the same barrel length.

 

 

 

 

Thank you, that's a really good idea and I will be making one of them later today.

[Bull Skinner]

All the painting isn’t necessary with a wrangler and it’s free spin pawl. Load 5 then advance till empty chamber shows in loading gate cut then close gate and rotate cylinder counter clockwise till the bolt drops in the cylinder notch and you’re done. 
No brainer. 

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

The issue isn't so much how the shooter loads them as it is demonstrating to the LTO that the hammer is down on an empty chamber.

Cylinder markings and/or a rod enable compliance with loading table procedures.

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

On 6/20/2022 at 10:01 PM, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

 

Try the two-dot method.

Easily verified by the LTO (or whoever is observing & checking at the LT).

I just made a loaded chamber checker out of a length of 3/16 (4.7625 mm) wooden dowel (not comfortable running a bare steel rod down the barrel of my Colt)

Same works for Ruger Wranglers with the same barrel length.

 

 

 

 

Load the cylinder with 5 rounds then use a rod to double check that an empty chamber is under the hammer?  Putting your hand/fingers in front of the muzzle to accomplish this? 

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

1 hour ago, Smokin Gator SASS #29736 said:

Load the cylinder with 5 rounds then use a rod to double check that an empty chamber is under the hammer?  Putting your hand/fingers in front of the muzzle to accomplish this? 

 

It can be done without actually sweeping the hand/fingers with the muzzle.

I'm going to make another one similar to what Beartrap suggested above but with a brass rod instead of steel.

 

The cylinder-marking method alone will work as long as someone is observing the loading procedure.

 

The point is to prevent holstering/moving with a loaded round under the hammer.

 

[Waimea]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:34 PM, Bull Skinner said:

All the painting isn’t necessary with a wrangler and it’s free spin pawl. Load 5 then advance till empty chamber shows in loading gate cut then close gate and rotate cylinder counter clockwise till the bolt drops in the cylinder notch and you’re done. 
No brainer. 

 

Lots of us old guys have Single Sixes.

I loan them to newbies and folks under 4 1/2 feet.

[Cypress Sun]

3 hours ago, Waimea said:

 

Lots of us old guys have Single Sixes.

I loan them to folks under 4 1/2 feet.

 

Loaning them to voters in Chicago?

[John E. Law]

13 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

Loaning them to voters in Chicago?

The ones that vote in Chicago are not 4 1/2 feet, they're negative 6 feet.

 

JEL