Ruger Bisley Vaquero

[Beararms]

I have a Ruger Bisley Vaquero that I have replaced the factory mainspring with a reduced tension spring and I also polished the hammer. The gun is now locking up after 3 or 4 shots. You can pull the hammer back about 1/2 an inch and then it won't move. If you help the cylinder rotate a little it will then function properly until you fire 3 or 4 more shots. Any thoughts? I thought that the pawl spring maybe holding to much tension against the pawl and it is engaging the cylinder with the top of the pawl instead of the second notch.

[Dave Sample]

You may have put the hammer pin in wrong. Also the Gate spring does about 11 -15 different jobs in that gun. It's a Chinese fire drill to assemble. There is so much that can go wrong I don't have time to tell you here. Take it apart again and read the instructions that came with it from Ruger. I hate working on those guns.

[ForksLaPush]

Here's a better set of instructions than Ruger gives you:

http://www.realguns.com/archives/012.htm

[Scruffy Smith]

Better follow Dave Sample's advice, sounds like you just got something assembled wrong. Here's a few more ideas:

1. First, disassemble the pistol again (be sure you have some good instructions on disassembly and assembly - let me know if you need more instructions as this can be tricky, but is not really difficult if you know the tricks).

2. The "cylinder hand" spring may have been crimped in the re-assembly or you may have dropped the spring and plunger into the wrong hole in the back of the frame. Check this out.

3. I have found that it is very easy to incorrectly position the "cylinder stop" plunger and spring during the re-assembly of the grip frame. Be sure that after the grip frame is in place the cylinder stop works correctly - it should be sticking up out of the frame with significant spring pressure, but should be easily pushed down with your finger, and should then immediately pop up again. You may have to take it apart, reposition the little parts and then try again 'til you get it right.

Those are the two main assemblies that control the cylinder rotation and cylinder locking and unlocking.

4. I am assuming that you just polished the hammer sides and the area where the sear nose scrapes along the hammer before engaging the hammer full cock notch and that you did not touch the hammer full cock notch? In that case this should not have caused any problems.

5. If you removed the cylinder stop trip plunger and spring from the hammer, better take it out again and double check that it is correctly installed in the hammer. That could affect the locking and unlocking of the cylinder if it is not operating freely.

Good luck,
-scruffy

[cas]

I would hope you have the problem solved by now.. it's 8 days later.
But for general info purposes;

Did you also put in a reduced trigger spring at the same time? It's a very common problem with them, that the trigger does not return and the gun will not cock. If that IS the problem, take it out and throw it away.

Ruger Triggersprings (http://www.cylindersmith.com/triggerspring.html)

[Dave Sample]

I have used a lot of the reduced power trigger springs and have never had a return problem with any on them. A lot of smiths just unhook one leg of that spring and call it good. I think that is kind of crude so I use a new Wolff spring.
I don't seem to have the problems that others have with all of these things. I guess I am just lucky.......................

[Harry Bonar]

Dear Shooter:
I have never installed reduced power springs in autos' or revolvers - in Mauser military triggers, yes.
They work fine I guess if Dave hasn't had trouble but I feel that learning HOW to correctly pull a trigger is more important than lessening the pull, (mostly to avoid flinching which it will not).
Of course, there are exceptions, and if done right as Dave does it with testing after the work, it's a viable option.
You know, I've not liked even doing a "trigger job" on a 1911! I have, but usually 4# is the bottom limit! :)
Harry B.