Ruger transfer bar removal

[Horse Creek Spinks]

I have asked around, and did a forum search. Neither have really answered my question. 

 

What benefit is there in doing a transfer bar removal and making a Ruger Vaquero into a 4 notch cocking gun? 

 

This is an honest question I have NO pre conceived ideas! I'm just wondering if there comes a time inn ones shooting, that this conversion is going to help said person make the next step competing.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Won’t make you a better shooter. But the transfer bars won’t break, which they are known for.

[Captain Bill Burt]

I’m not a gunsmith but I do have six Rugers without transfer bars vs two with them.

 

As Boggus pointed out they can’t break if they’re not in there. Also I’ve been told by several gunsmiths that the trigger and action can be made smoother and lighter without the bar.

[Needle-Nose-Tom]

Half cock notch definitely will save you time if and more likely when your thumb slips. Not necessarily having to do with the bar but you also asked about notches. I'm not an expert by any means though. 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Been run'n these for almost 25 yrs .

You can get a no t'bar version. 

https://powercustom.com/gun-parts/revolver-single-action/136-253-pc-single-action-half-cock-hammer-trigger-kits-for-rugerar-sa#/131-select_type-single_six_22_32_hammer_trigger_kit_blue

[Still hand Bill]

Imho the half cock conversion is a must do.  Completely eliminates going all the way back around if you slip off the hammer when cocking.  Instead you just go from half cock and then fire.  

[Badlands Bob #61228]

I shot the same Ruger New Model Vaqueros in two or more matches a month for 18 years and I only broke one transfer bar.  I can't remember the last match I was at that someone had a transfer bar break.  It's obviously not a big problem.  If you are looking to short stroke your NMV's, removing the transfer bar and welding up the hammer could be part of the modification.  If you're wanting to prevent a future transfer bar break, it's a lot of money to spend to prevent something that doesn't happen very often.  You'd be better off spending the money on a backup NMV so if disaster does strike, you've only screwed up one stage and not the whole match.

[Dantankerous]

I had shot factory Rugers for years. Then I discovered the PC half cock mod. I immediately saw the benefit to that-shot those for a bunch more years. Saved me the go-around several times in big matches. Whew! Then I bought a pair of Rugers that had the transfer bar removed, half cock installed AND were short stroked. What a difference in feel! Although I have never had a transfer bar break I became a believer in the work just for the action, let alone the potential benefit of not needing to worry about a part breaking. 

 

That said, I've shot transfer bar Rugers in CAS and recreationally for decades and have never had a transfer bar break. Can they? Sure. Do they? Yes. Probably a more rare occurrence than not however. But if the mod gives you some peace of mind by all means do it. 

 

That said the gun becomes pretty much a competition gun at that point and may hurt resale outside of cowboy action. 

[Jackalope]

Boomstick Jay removed the transfer bars from my wife's .32 Rugers when he did a short stroke job on them.  They worked really well and she shot them for several years before she noticed one of them didn't function quite like it should.  When I disassembled the gun trying to diagnose the issue, I found a tiny spring and another small piece jammed into the loading gate spring.  These pieces were intermittently binding up the gun when she tried to cock it.  As it turned out, the spring and plunger from the cylinder pin (which originally kept the transfer bar from hanging up on the firing pin) had worked their way loose and, with no transfer bar to retain them, they immigrated their way to the internals.  I imagine some folks intentionally remove the spring and plungers when they convert Rugers, but for whatever reason, Jay didn't.  Might be something to ask about if you have your transfer bars removed.

 

[Dantankerous]

Continuing to think about this...

 

In my almost 20 years of cowboy competition I have never personally witnessed a transfer bar break during a match but I've seen plenty of squib loads cause a stoppage, near disaster or match-killing time oops ruining a competitor's chance at scoring well.

 

I have had three big matches not quite ruined, but close, from mechanical failures on a '73 levergun. I have had one match, almost ruined, due to my Vaquero's base pin walking out during shooting. Once I figured out what the problem was and corrected it I finished the stage, but my time was shot to hell. That gun never did that before and has never done it since. No explanation for why it did it at Winter Range except for that bastard Murphy that shows up every now and then. 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

6 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

Continuing to think about this...

 

In my almost 20 years of cowboy competition I have never personally witnessed a transfer bar break during a match but I've seen plenty of squib loads cause a stoppage, near disaster or match-killing time oops ruining a competitor's chance at scoring well.

 

I have had three big matches not quite ruined, but close, from mechanical failures on a '73 levergun. I have had one match, almost ruined, due to my Vaquero's base pin walking out during shooting. Once I figured out what the problem was and corrected it I finished the stage, but my time was shot to hell. That gun never did that before and has never done it since. No explanation for why it did it at Winter Range except for that bastard Murphy that shows up every now and then. 

Had one break on my OMV .44's many years ago before I installed the PC half cock conversions. 

My wife had one break on her NMV about 8 yrs ago. 

Have witnessed a couple more over the years.

[Dantankerous]

1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Had one break on my OMV .44's many years ago before I installed the PC half cock conversions. 

My wife had one break on her NMV about 8 yrs ago. 

Have witnessed a couple more over the years.

 

Oh, I'm not saying they don't break because we all know they do. It's my opinion that breakage however is rare. But when it does happen, it really, really sucks if on the clock. Then again this is only a game. Any mechanical device can have and does have failures. Eliminating the transfer bar certainly eliminates the possibility of that particular breakage. 

 

I'm kind of thinking more people have had automotive failures prohibiting them from going to a match than have had transfer bars break at a match. 

[Arcadia Outlaw, SASS 71385]

2 hours ago, Dantankerous said:

Continuing to think about this...

 

In my almost 20 years of cowboy competition I have never personally witnessed a transfer bar break during a match but I've seen plenty of squib loads cause a stoppage, near disaster or match-killing time oops ruining a competitor's chance at scoring well.

 

I have had three big matches not quite ruined, but close, from mechanical failures on a '73 levergun. I have had one match, almost ruined, due to my Vaquero's base pin walking out during shooting. Once I figured out what the problem was and corrected it I finished the stage, but my time was shot to hell. That gun never did that before and has never done it since. No explanation for why it did it at Winter Range except for that bastard Murphy that shows up every now and then. 

One of my friends who I happened to be timing during FL ST Match had one of his revolvers not fire any shots during a stage, I thought maybe he forgot to load it. Turns out the T bar must have broken on the last shot of previous stage. He got rid of the transfer bars after that, you spend a lot of money going to matches especially bigger matches and the last thing you want is a gun to break.

 

There is a thing called transfer bar pinch, where the T bar is hit a bit higher up because it needs a bit of fitting, this will cause the bars to break rather quickly. 
 

Some people should keep the transfer bars in place for safety sake, but without them the trigger feels better and it can’t break if you don’t have it, also with a half cock notch it could possibly save a run around.

 

You can’t just take the T bars out or the gun or it won’t fire, you have have the gun modified or buy the Power Custom Hammers.

Note,Your not going to be sending the guns back to Ruger for warranty after modifications, they will take out any parts that are not theirs. So make sure the gun is accurate and cylinder notches are not a problem and they will never have to go back to Ruger.

AO

 

 

Edited March 6 by Arcadia Outlaw, SASS 71385
Added content

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

On 3/5/2026 at 8:00 AM, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Been run'n these for almost 25 yrs .

You can get a no t'bar version. 

https://powercustom.com/gun-parts/revolver-single-action/136-253-pc-single-action-half-cock-hammer-trigger-kits-for-rugerar-sa#/131-select_type-single_six_22_32_hammer_trigger_kit_blue

Hay Lumpy are these pretty much drop in parts ?

Looks like a nice setup you can install yourself for the most part. 

Rooster 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1 hour ago, Rooster Ron Wayne said:

Hay Lumpy are these pretty much drop in parts ?

Looks like a nice setup you can install yourself for the most part. 

Rooster 

Yup 

[Shooting Bull]

Any mechanical item has parts that can break. The fewer the parts, the less chance of breakage. Also, by removing the transfer bar you reduce the amount of energy the hammer needs to generate in order to ignite the primer. That allows you to reduce main spring weight. 

[watab kid]

ive had ubertis and pietas break down on me , at three matches , each time i ad them repaired , i always had a couple backups but it mafe me wonder why i was puttin up with it , sold those off and bought a pair of rugers and added a ruger backup to my accumulation , they have yet to give me any trouble in over 15 years , my taurus only had one issue in 20 years the screw fell out of the ejector mechanism , , repaired and no more issues , 

 

to topic - i have left the transfer bars in all of my rugers and had no issues with them at all , they have been treated as all the other tools in my cowboy box , not poorly but not like a collectible by any means , anything thats not right is the operator ,