Ruger wrangler loose barrel

someguy2800

someguy2800

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The thread about the super wrangler got me thinking about mine so I took it out today to shoot it a bit. I was confused to find I had to hold way right to hit anything and it seamed to be getting worse. Pretty soon I was holding like a foot right to hit at 15 ish yards. I was certain that wasn’t the case the last time I shot so I inspected and found at first glance the front sight appeared to be canted to the right about a millimeter. I thought I must have bent the front sight ramp so I took it to the shed and clamped the front sight in the vice to bend it back and the whole barrel turned in the frame with almost no effort. After removing the ejector rod assembly the barrel unscrewed out of the frame with 2 fingers.

F28A22C7-D60D-4F1E-8981-A8BC7145BC46.jpeg

I already put it back together and timed the barrel so that the sights shoot to POA, but I think I’ll send it back to ruger anyway. I assume they will probably give me a new one, which I’ll probably sell and put that money toward a single six or bearcat.
 
someguy2800 said:
The thread about the super wrangler got me thinking about mine so I took it out today to shoot it a bit. I was confused to find I had to hold way right to hit anything and it seamed to be getting worse. Pretty soon I was holding like a foot right to hit at 15 ish yards. I was certain that wasn’t the case the last time I shot so I inspected and found at first glance the front sight appeared to be canted to the right about a millimeter. I thought I must have bent the front sight ramp so I took it to the shed and clamped the front sight in the vice to bend it back and the whole barrel turned in the frame with almost no effort. After removing the ejector rod assembly the barrel unscrewed out of the frame with 2 fingers.

View attachment 1144332

I already put it back together and timed the barrel so that the sights shoot to POA, but I think I’ll send it back to ruger anyway. I assume they will probably give me a new one, which I’ll probably sell and put that money toward a single six or bearcat.
Click to expand...
You didn't measure the threads by any chance, did you? If that happens to mine I'm seriously going to look at a 32 cal conversion...
 
People pay good money for breakdown 10/22’s.

From the looks of the threads, it’s just got thread locker on it.
 
sgt127 said:
People pay good money for breakdown 10/22’s.

From the looks of the threads, it’s just got thread locker on it.
Click to expand...

Yep, thread locker. Not a Ruger but someone I know had the same thing happen with one of the Heritage Rough Riders. He said he dropped it & when he picked it up the barrel was loose.
 
adcoch1 said:
They make single six's in 32 cal, even 327 mag. Why wouldn't the wrangler, with the same frame, not hold up?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure the Wrangler grip frame is made from a zinc alloy like zymak. That is why you can't buy it in a MN as they have a law against firearms made from that material (I think to go after the "Saturday Night Special" things back when).

Better options for a 32 conversion I think. I would not put the $$ into a Wrangler for that conversion.
 
chicharrones said:
Aluminum frame with polymer grip frame in .32 magnum below. Shouldn't be too much of a problem with a Wrangler, I'd think.

View attachment 1144366
Click to expand...

I bet it would work in 32 long. 32 mag might be pushing it due to flame cutting.

I actually bought this because I intended to ream it out to 22 magnum. I bet the only reason they didn’t make a 22 mag wrangler was due to flame cutting the aluminum frame, but I doubt I would shoot 500 rounds through it if I lived to be 100.

The more I think about it though I don’t really like single action revolvers that much so now I’m thinking I should sell both my wranglers and buy a Taurus 941 or a tracker with both 22lr and 22 mag cylinders.

Ru4real said:
It appears they are not holding up to 22 LR.
Click to expand...

It looked to me like whatever monkey screwed this one together didn’t get the Loctite where it needed to be, but you make a valid point.
 
Ruger Wrangler is not a Single Six.
Ruger Wrangler more like a Heritage Rough Rider.
Except you can get a HRR with a .22 Magnum cylinder (I did because I'd probably never afford a Single Six).
 
S.Crockett said:
Ruger's got serious Q.C. problems these days.
Click to expand...

Based on what?

For every forum post about a dud Ruger, there’s 100 (or more) guys that’ve bought them with 0 issues.

Every manufacturer sends a lemon once in a while. These forums can and often do put a negative bias towards certain brands since the vast majority of threads posted are about flaws, not good guns.
 
If it were mine, I'd watch it to see if it gets loose again. If it ever did, I'd take it apart, make a shim with a thin piece of aluminum (maybe sand down a piece of an aluminum can cut to the right shape and size), put some high strength thread-locker on the threads and then re-install it.

It's not like anything has been damaged.
 
Carl N. Brown said:
Ruger Wrangler is not a Single Six.
Ruger Wrangler more like a Heritage Rough Rider.
Except you can get a HRR with a .22 Magnum cylinder (I did because I'd probably never afford a Single Six).
Click to expand...
A Ruger Wrangler is a lot more like a single six than a heritage. 32 long is a pretty mellow cartridge, I'd not want a wrangler in 327 for instance, but in the 32 long it would be a lot of fun. I'd rather have a single seven, but I haven't seen one in over two years, so....
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Based on what?

For every forum post about a dud Ruger, there’s 100 (or more) guys that’ve bought them with 0 issues.

Every manufacturer sends a lemon once in a while. These forums can and often do put a negative bias towards certain brands since the vast majority of threads posted are about flaws, not good guns.
Click to expand...

I like Ruger as a company and will not hesitate to buy their products but to be honest, 2 of the last 4 I have purchased had to go back. Not saying that's indicative of the companies qc as a whole, but it is more problems than I have had of any other name brand, except Taurus and RIA. The Customer Service at Ruger is top shelf though, so questionable qc has never swayed my high opinion of them.
 
ontarget said:
You used to be able to get the HRR in 32 mag as well. So therefore the Wrangler should be fine.
Click to expand...
The Heritage revolver in 32 Mag was not a .22 HRR with a .32 mag cylinder and barrel. It was a different, larger frame revolver available as Rough Rider brand in calibers include .45 Colt.

Ruger so far as I have seen has not offered the Wrangler in .22 Mag WMR.

Ruger Single Six was made in .32 H&R Magnum. Since at least 2007 Ruger Single Six frames have been steel. I would not mind a steel frame .32 Mag; I would not trust an aluminum or zamak frame .32 Mag.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Based on what?

For every forum post about a dud Ruger, there’s 100 (or more) guys that’ve bought them with 0 issues.

Every manufacturer sends a lemon once in a while. These forums can and often do put a negative bias towards certain brands since the vast majority of threads posted are about flaws, not good guns.
Click to expand...

This is a very true statement. We definitely see more posts about people having issues versus someone having zero issues. And one single "Oh ^#&@" will wipe out ten "at a boy's"

For the OP, I would contact Ruger about what happened and see what they say.
 
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