New Ruger Super Redhawk!

[The Glockodile]

Glockodile, thanks for your excellent write up and the videos by Olemite. I'm familiar with triggershims videos since I did the deburring/polishing/shimming/spring change on my GP100. Thankfully, other than some sharp edges, the only burr I found was in the trigger spring channel. I did not disassemble the cylinder.

https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/295443-super-gp100-tuning/

This one’s a pretty interesting thread with a lot of information conveniently in one place

 

[The Glockodile]

After having owned the Super Redhawk and having added a GP100 to the stable…

…can’t say I’m too happy about their maintenance requirements.



Perhaps it’s the fact that the batches of Winchester White Box I‘ve been using have been particularly foul, who knows…

The issue that BOTH my revolvers have is that TAR gets deposited over the ball detents and the channel they ride in (inside the cylinder, in red) - and once their cylinders cool, they seize.

The only way to get them back to working condition is to tear apart the cylinder, EACH AND EVERY TIME. After two boxes of ammunition at the most.

Tried running the cylinder oiled / dry, no difference.

1. I don’t think tearing down the cylinder with the SPECIAL TOOL (which we’re not supposed to have) during routine cleaning is considered NORMAL.

2. Is this a common issue with this design,…

3. …is Winchester White Box THAT bad?

4. How come my Smith & Wesson 629 DX never had this issue, with the same foul ammunition?

 

[The Glockodile]

Really curious about this issue, and surprised that my Rugers are behaving like such prima donnas…

 

[The Glockodile]

Anybody with similar experiences?

 

[CraigC]

Never had an issue like that, with any revolver. What are you lubing it with and are you using a lot of it?

 

[The Glockodile]

Never had an issue like that, with any revolver. What are you lubing it with and are you using a lot of it?

Just a drop of oil.

Ran it without using oil, later.

Same approach and issues with both revolvers - lubed / dry.

Now I’m trying dry - lube (Teflon aerosol).

 

[The Glockodile]

Weekend query bump!…

 

[Obturation]

Anybody with similar experiences?

Nope.
I've never heard of this issue, never experienced it and I've had a gp100 for many years and shot it a whole lot and cleaned it rarely . I've had a super Redhawk for years and used it a lot, no such issue. Ruger has good customer service, they'll help if there's an issue- I've had to use them a couple times and they solved any issue I've ever had with their products .

 

[P89DCSS]

Did you tighten up the cylinder end shake too much?
And, no, I never had this issue on my SP, GP or SRH.
I've done trigger jobs on all of them but never messed with shims.
I had been considering shims....for a decade now.

 

[P89DCSS]

View attachment 1074702

Found a comparable image online.

The lower strap was worked on from this...

View attachment 1074703

...eventually yielding this.

Come on, Ruger!

Nice thread!
I have various SP, GP and SRH from the early 90s to last spring.
All of them have a brushed finish and that same finish inside the frame as your's did.
I couldn't care less about trying to polish the brushed finish to make it shiny.
I do clean up the flash and soften the hammer checking.
I do a trigger job and swap to lighter springs.
I leave the brushed finish because it's easy to repair any inconsistencies.

 

[The Glockodile]

Did you tighten up the cylinder end shake too much?
And, no, I never had this issue on my SP, GP or SRH.
I've done trigger jobs on all of them but never messed with shims.
I had been considering shims....for a decade now.

That’s the one shim I ended up not using.

 

[The Glockodile]

For what it’s worth, I did give Ruger a call - they spent something like twenty minutes or more running through their usual troubleshooting checklist before we got to my observations.

They said they’d give me a call, but never did so.

 

[JohnKSa]

I've put a lot of rounds through a GP100 and a SRH. Never had either of them bind up, even after a couple hundred rounds in a shooting session.

I have cleaned in the areas you point out, but never had to completely disassemble the cylinder to do it. I have the special tool required to pull the ejector star/etc. but have never used it. I use a swab to clean inside the cylinder axis boring. It's usually dirty in there, but never to the point of keeping the cylinder from turning easily.

Maybe try something like a chain lube, either teflon or wax based. The liquid carrier evaporates quickly leaving no liquid in there to hold fouling in place and the dry lube can help prevent buildup in places where it matters.

 

[The Glockodile]

I couldn't care less about trying to polish the brushed finish to make it shiny.

The lower “strap,” if that’s the term for it…

…more like no finish at all

 

[The Glockodile]

Maybe try something like a chain lube, either teflon or wax based. The liquid carrier evaporates quickly leaving no liquid in there to hold fouling in place and the dry lube can help prevent buildup in places where it matters.

That’s what it has on right now.

We’ll see what happens after the next range session.

 

[LV Gun]

After having owned the Super Redhawk and having added a GP100 to the stable…

…can’t say I’m too happy about their maintenance requirements.

View attachment 1182215

Perhaps it’s the fact that the batches of Winchester White Box I‘ve been using have been particularly foul, who knows…

The issue that BOTH my revolvers have is that TAR gets deposited over the ball detents and the channel they ride in (inside the cylinder, in red) - and once their cylinders cool, they seize.

The only way to get them back to working condition is to tear apart the cylinder, EACH AND EVERY TIME. After two boxes of ammunition at the most.

Tried running the cylinder oiled / dry, no difference.

1. I don’t think tearing down the cylinder with the SPECIAL TOOL (which we’re not supposed to have) during routine cleaning is considered NORMAL.

2. Is this a common issue with this design,…

3. …is Winchester White Box THAT bad?

4. How come my Smith & Wesson 629 DX never had this issue, with the same foul ammunition?

I have a SRH 454 Casull it has never been taken apart I got it from my father in law before he passed away. I asked him how often I needed to tear it down and clean the cylinder he looked at me and laughed he said he never had it apart, I just do what he told me to do which is when you start to notice any slight stickiness when rotating the cylinder take a can of spray cleaner and blow it out good and rotate while doing it , then do the same with Hornady One Shot spray cleaner/lube that is all I have done and not had an issue since I got it which is now 3 years now the gun is 17 years old. I do shoot all hand loads through it I had a Red Hawk 5 inch in 45 colt never had an issue with it either.

 

[The Glockodile]

I have a SRH 454 Casull it has never been taken apart I got it from my father in law before he passed away. I asked him how often I needed to tear it down and clean the cylinder he looked at me and laughed he said he never had it apart.

Is it a range gun, however?

That silly Super Redhawk of mine goes for 100 to 150 shots a session (hand fatigue), while the GP100 goes between 200 to 300 (my usual).

Just needed to add this for context.

 

[LV Gun]

Is it a range gun, however?

That silly Super Redhawk of mine goes for 100 to 150 shots a session (fatigue), while the GP100 goes between 200 to 300 (my usual).

Just needed to add this for context.

Yes it is a range gun don’t do any hunting with it but I have a S&W 586 & 686 that is like your Rugers 200 to300 rounds and they have to come apart or you can barely turn the cylinders.. But then again I have a S&W 629 Classic Power Port and a Taurus Raging Bull both in 44 mag that are fine I can put 600 rounds through them and they are fine. Go Figure that out. LOL

 

[The Glockodile]

Yes it is a range gun don’t do any hunting with it but I have a S&W 586 & 686 that is like your Rugers 200 to300 rounds and they have to come apart or you can barely turn the cylinders.. But then again I have a S&W 629 Classic Power Port and a Taurus Raging Bull both in 44 mag that are fine I can put 600 rounds through them and they are fine. Go Figure that out. LOL

Pesky buggers…

They’re like sounds your vehicle makes that disappear when you take it to the dealer, and the rest of your family thinks you’re crazy!…

 

[ECVMatt]

Anybody with similar experiences?

I have owned Ruger revolvers since I was12, I'm 54 now, and have never had this problem.

They all get used hard and have shot 1000's of rounds.

I'm also thinking about my buddies I hunt with in TX that are out weekly on horseback hunting hogs. They have also not had problems with their double action Rugers.

Maybe over polishing?

 

[The Glockodile]

Maybe over polishing?

Possible, but unlikely.

Unless it somehow explains why cleaning that one particular area fixes the issue, until it gets dirty again.

I’ll try to take some before and after videos to illustrate what’s going on.

Perhaps something else is causing the issue that I just so happen to be associating with the symptom, but that too seems unlikely.

 

[Murphster]

FWIW, I purchased a new Super Redhawk in September of this year. When warm from shooting 10-12 rounds, the gun would bind. When cooled for a minute or so, you could fire it a few times. I sent it back to Ruger. They fixed it. (Outstanding service, by the way.) Thought I’d tell you what they did to mine in case it helps you with yours. They replaced the pawl, cylinder latch, and front latch. They adjusted the barrel gap and timing. Also, I discovered the hammer strut was installed backwards at the factory. I bought a new one and installed it myself. Good luck.

 

[The Glockodile]

FWIW, I purchased a new Super Redhawk in September of this year. When warm from shooting 10-12 rounds, the gun would bind. When cooled for a minute or so, you could fire it a few times. I sent it back to Ruger. They fixed it. (Outstanding service, by the way.) Thought I’d tell you what they did to mine in case it helps you with yours. They replaced the pawl, cylinder latch, and front latch. They adjusted the barrel gap and timing. Also, I discovered the hammer strut was installed backwards at the factory. I bought a new one and installed it myself. Good luck.

Interesting.

Certain parts got too hot, expanded, and caused binding?

 

[Murphster]

Ruger documented what they did but didn’t explain what they found the problem to be. The front of my cylinder showed scrape marks from where it was rubbing across the forcing cone when the gun got warm. My layman’s diagnosis/guess was what you mentioned - heat was causing something to expand thus causing the binding. I suspect something was out of spec to cause that slight expansion to bind the cylinder. As mentioned before, it only took 10-12 rounds to bind the cylinder and only took a minute or two of rest before it would fire again (for a few rounds). So it didn’t take much heat for it to bind.

 

[Hookeye]

FWIW my buddy got a Redhawk when they first came out in stainless and it wouldnt work due to burrs and chips. Had to clean it, then it was OK.