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Old September 10, 2019, 07:55 PM   #1
mulespurs
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Ruger blackhawk transfer bar broke

I think that's the transfer bar. Just under the hammer and raises to hit the firing pin. It's a pretty new model flattop blackhawk with the fake ivory grips in 45acp/45 long colt. I feel naked if it don't shoot.

The question is where do I get one? Ruger or Brownells?
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Old September 10, 2019, 08:27 PM   #2
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If you get one from Ruger it will be free, but I think they may want you to send them the gun.
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Old September 10, 2019, 08:34 PM   #3
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maybe not

I started a post on this very topic, maybe 6 months or so ago. My .357 Blackhawk transfer bar broke, revolver was maybe 20-25 yrs old. If I recall, I contacted Ruger by phone. They sent 2 transfer bars, I watched a Youtube video on how to make the swap, and with some patience, made the repair myself.

A search of older posts will likely yield my post, conversation and some pics as I recall.
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Old September 11, 2019, 10:06 AM   #4
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Call Ruger. They will guide you. A had a customer with an issue with a LCPII and he had the gun beck from mailing in to back in his hands in one week. No cost, no FFL involvement.
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Old September 11, 2019, 10:42 AM   #5
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Not common, but not unheard of. Call Ruger, they will take care of you.
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Old September 11, 2019, 12:59 PM   #6
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Research "Transfer Bar Pinch" and correct it or you'll just break another one.

Cock the hammer and lower it while keeping the trigger rearward. Release the trigger and watch the hammer closely. If it moves forward, it's pinching the transfer bar.

One of the Ruger forums is a good place to start.
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Old September 11, 2019, 01:11 PM   #7
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"...Ruger or Brownell's?..." I'd be thinking Ruger as they'll fix it under warrantee. It might be a warrantee shop job or it might be a factory thing. A phone call will tell you everything you need to know.
https://www.ruger.com/dataProcess/customerService/
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Old September 11, 2019, 08:13 PM   #8
mulespurs
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Today

I called Ruger up today and talked to Tena. She said that they will send me a new one right away.
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Old September 12, 2019, 10:25 AM   #9
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Transfer bars and assorted screws all belong in your spare parts kit.

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Old September 12, 2019, 11:44 AM   #10
lee n. field
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mulespurs View Post
I think that's the transfer bar. Just under the hammer and raises to hit the firing pin. It's a pretty new model flattop blackhawk with the fake ivory grips in 45acp/45 long colt. I feel naked if it don't shoot.

The question is where do I get one? Ruger or Brownells?
I think Midway has them, and for not much money.

---edit to add---

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSear...temsPerPage=48

Yeah, might be a good idea to have an extra on hand.
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Old September 12, 2019, 11:49 AM   #11
lee n. field
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Originally Posted by Bob Wright View Post
Transfer bars and assorted screws all belong in your spare parts kit.

Bob Wright
One reason I'm contemplating an SP101, is that such parts are available.

My unlamented Charter Undercover would break them regularly.
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Old September 12, 2019, 03:53 PM   #12
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Knock wood, I’ve never had a transfer bar break, even on my New Vaqueros that I have been shooting at an average two matches per month for more than nine years.

If yours broke after relatively little use I would check for the “pinch”.
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Old September 12, 2019, 04:09 PM   #13
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A couple of years ago, I was testing .357 loads over the chronograph when I had the transfer bar break. This is on a gun I've had since '81 or so. It had a lot of shots through it. First Ruger that I've had do that. A bit disconcerting as I was glad this wasn't a life/death situation. Can't say if it had the pinch problem. I've made sure on all the guns I do have, don't have the pinch problem. But still it makes you a bit leary on depending on these revolvers! TBs are safer no doubt ... but to me it is just one more part that could (and in this case) did fail.
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Old September 12, 2019, 06:39 PM   #14
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I have a half dozen or so Rugers and don't know what the "pinch" is?
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Old September 12, 2019, 09:19 PM   #15
rclark
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When you pull the trigger on your revolver, the hammer should hit the transfer bar but rest on the frame. If it rests on the transfer bar, then you have the transfer bar 'pinch'. The hammer should not move as you release the trigger which drops the transfer bar. I've seen it where after the hammer comes down on the transfer bar, pressure from your hand on the hammer won't allow the transfer bar to drop. This is the pinch. Hope this makes sense!
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Old September 16, 2019, 12:16 PM   #16
Driftwood Johnson
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Howdy

Sorry to chime in so late.

Broken transfer bars happen often enough in CAS that a cottage industry popped up a few years ago that removes the transfer bar and welds up the hammer face so the hammer will strike the firing pin directly.

Some competitors in CAS practice a great deal, firing a few thousand rounds every year in practice and some probably dry fire a lot too.

Of course, a transfer bar may break under less stressful situations, but the chances increase with heavy usage.

Probably some guys have the transfer bar removed and the hammer face welded up just as a precaution. No fun if your pistol stops working during a major competition.
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Old September 16, 2019, 06:06 PM   #17
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It happened to one of mine. I sent it back to Ruger and they fixed it. Ruger makes a rugged gun but it's good to be reminded from time to time that revolvers are not infallible.
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Old September 16, 2019, 06:34 PM   #18
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I thought Rugers never broke.
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Old September 17, 2019, 10:35 AM   #19
Driftwood Johnson
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Quote:
I thought Rugers never broke.
As Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen said in Back to the Future III,

"You thought wrong dude"





Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
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Old September 17, 2019, 11:38 AM   #20
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a cottage industry popped up a few years ago that removes the transfer bar and welds up the hammer face so the hammer will strike the firing pin directly.
Doesn't this remove the ability to carry 6 rounds safely?

Am also thinking the load one, skip one load 4 wouldn't work the same with a new model Ruger as it does with a Colt, or clone.

I had not heard about this before, probably because I don't play cowboy games, but I have to wonder about "deliberately deactivating a safety feature of the mechanism in order to play a game..."

wonder what the Hangin' Judge would say about that if the gun went off and hurt/killed someone....

Maybe make him saddle his own horse?
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Old September 17, 2019, 07:52 PM   #21
Driftwood Johnson
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Sorry, I should have explained that better.

Modern Rugers with transfer bars only have one cocking notch, the full cock notch. The badly colored arrow in this photo is pointing to the full cock notch on a New Vaquero hammer. With any transfer bar Ruger, there are only two positions for the hammer. Fully cocked, or all the way down.







Normally, one loads a Ruger by opening the loading gate, which drops the bolt and allows the cylinder to spin freely. One can then do the load one, skip one, and load four more no different than a Colt or clone.

When a Ruger hammer is welded up to eliminate the transfer bar, two new cocking notches will be cut into the hammer. A so called 'safety cock' notch, and a half cock notch. The half cock notch is positioned just like on a Colt. Pulling the hammer back to the half cock notch lowers the bolt into the frame. This makes loading the revolver no different than loading a Colt.




This is the hammer from an old Three Screw Ruger. This is how Ruger hammers were made before transfer bars. The lowest notch is the full cock notch, the next up is the half cock notch for loading, and the top notch is the 'safety cock' notch. With this type of hammer, the old Three Screws were loaded no differently than a Colt. The hammer was placed at half cock, which lowered the bolt into the frame. This allowed the cylinder to spin freely in one direction. Then the rounds were loaded in the Colt manner, load one, skip one, load four more than bring the hammer all the way back to full cock and lower it on an empty chamber.

Just like a Colt, the 'safety cock' notch was not to be trusted. A strong blow to the hammer spur could snap something off and cause the gun to discharge. So shooters familiar with single action revolvers knew to only load 5 and leave an empty chamber under the hammer.






After losing a couple of expensive law suits Ruger completely redesigned their single action revolvers in the 1970s to include a transfer bar, making them safe to carry fully loaded.

Yes, you are correct. A Ruger with the transfer bar removed and the hammer welded up is no longer safe to carry fully loaded with 6 rounds.

This is not an issue in Cowboy Action Shooting. One of the cardinal rules is revolvers are only loaded with five rounds, hammer down on an empty chamber. NEVER loaded with six rounds. This is a safety rule that is strictly observed.

This is true for shooters with modern Rugers with transfer bars too. Just to keep the playing field level modern Rugers are only loaded with five rounds, hammer down on an empty chamber. Never loaded with six rounds.

Last edited by Driftwood Johnson; September 17, 2019 at 08:01 PM.
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Old September 19, 2019, 12:01 PM   #22
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The New Model Blackhawk came out in (I believe) 1973.

I was mildly interested In Cowboy Action Shooting when it showed up in my area, went to a shoot to check it out. Some of the rules just put me off. Now, of course, its their game, so their rules, and I didn't mind being told I needed a cowboy hat (they would loan me one) but a couple of the rules, at that time, bothered me.

I had a period correct cartridges .45 Colt and .45-70, but because my Blackhawk had adjustable sights, it had to run in "modern class". Irritating, but ok, fine. My .45-70 wasn't allowed at all in the rifle side, because it didn't have an external HAMMER! (Ruger No.3).

Fine, fine, fine...I get it, period correct, or as close as possible, fine. HOWEVER, (and I suppose its something that happens in nearly all popular games, eventually the gamesmen get enough power to change rules in their favor) later on Cowboy shooting allowed the "cat sneeze" light loads we call Cowboy Action Ammo, AND now they allow non-period correct cartridges, such as .38Special/.357...

Met some nice folks, and enjoyed the shooting but never got really interested in playing their game, their way. I now have several Vaqueros, that do meet with "approval", but I no longer bother. Just me, and no slur on anyone who does play that game. It's just not for me...
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Old September 19, 2019, 06:11 PM   #23
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Howdy Again

According to the Ruger website, the old Three Screw Blackhawks were produced from 1955 until 1973. They don't give a date for the introduction of the New Model Blackhawk (with the transfer bar) but it must have been shortly after that.

I bought my 45 Colt/45 ACP convertible New Model Blackhawk in 1975.






I have been shooting Cowboy since 2000 and I can assure you that nowhere in the rulebook (over 40 pages now) does it say you have to wear a cowboy hat. In fact you don't have to wear any hat at all. However it is not uncommon for shooters to make up rules, or think they heard about such and such rule. Wearing a wide brimmed hat will protect you from hot brass raining down out of your rifle and falling down your neck. So will long sleeves, trust me on this. I have a scar from a hot 44-40 round that fell onto my left arm with my sleeve rolled up. It was so hot it stuck to the skin and I had to stop shooting to brush it off.

Mouse fart loads have been part of CAS as long as I have been shooting. However a few years back a power factor was introduced, to keep the loads from being ridiculously light. The power factor for all ammo is not less than 60 and no velocity under 400fps. I don't know anything about power factors, but 400 fps is sure pretty darn slow.

I am going to assume you wanted to shoot your Ruger No. 3 in the Precision Long Range category, since 45-70 is not allowed as a Main Match rifle. (All Main Match rifles must be chambered for a 'pistol' cartridges, such as 45 Colt, 44-40, etc.) Yes, single shot rifles must be originals or replicas of single shot rifles manufactured during the period from approximately 1860 until 1899. And they must have an exposed hammer, like a Sharps or a Rolling Block or a High Wall.

These days you could use your Blackhawk in the Age Based categories, but yes, when I joined they were only legal in the Modern category.

Regarding ammo, from the handbook:

"Revolver ammunition must be centerfire calibers of at least .32 caliber and no larger than .45 caliber or percussion calibers of at least .36 caliber and no larger than .45 caliber."

"Must be in a caliber commonly available in revolvers. Examples include, but are not limited to, .32-20, .32 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .44 Magnum, .44-40, and .45 Colt"

That is not an all inclusive list. A few other legal revolver calibers are 45 Schofield, 44 Russian and 38-40. I know because I shoot them all on occasion.

Yes 38 Special is allowed, it is the most common revolver ammunition because it is inexpensive in factory loadings and does not recoil much. In point of fact, 38 Special was developed in 1899, so it fits into the general era of 1860 to 1899. But 357 Mag, and 44 Mag do not fall into that time period. They are allowed as long as muzzle velocity is kept under 1000 fps.

Heck, 45 Auto Rim is even allowed if you have a revolver chambered for it.

You will have to excuse me now because I have to load up some Black Powder 44-40 rounds for Sunday.
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Old September 20, 2019, 02:31 PM   #24
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I have been shooting Cowboy since 2000 and I can assure you that nowhere in the rulebook (over 40 pages now) does it say you have to wear a cowboy hat.
When I was checking out Cowboy shooting it was the mid 80s, and the rules weren't anywhere near what there is today. It may just have been the local group's rule, but I can assure you they said I needed to wear a cowboy had, and they would loan me one...

Also, at that time, there were no "cowboy action" light loads, unless you handloaded them yourself. Personally, I've always felt that if the object was to replicate the old west, cat sneeze loads were wrong, and should not have been allowed. I think those loads show a clear victory of gamers over re-enactors. I did see one guy show up with a LeMat, and he was shooting actual () black powder!! They made him shoot all by himself.

times (and the rules) changed now?

The .38 Special may have been developed in 1899, but all my reference material is consistent saying S&W introduced the .38 Special in 1902, in their Military and Police model revolver.

Would I be able to shoot a .30 Luger or Broomhandle Mauser (C-96) today? both predate 1899, slightly....Could I shoot my Norwegian Krag in 6.5x55mm in rifle side matches? its dated 1897...??

Just curious...
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Old September 20, 2019, 08:08 PM   #25
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Driftwood was right (as usual); unless you are shooting in one of the two very specialized "costume based categories", a hat is not required. The game has rules, fine, but we don't need uninformed people making up rules.

Some of the rules are driven by the reality that we shoot steel targets, which are usually mild steel targets due to cost, at fairly close range. A rifle round like your .45-70 would damage them. A FMJ round would be more prone to ricochet.

In SASS the handgun must be a single action revolver. It's not just about the period when the firearm was first introduced.

There is a another game called Wild Bunch Action Shooting that uses firearms from circa 1913. There is a Wild Bunch side match, BAMM (bolt action military match) that uses bolt action or straight pull military rifles. I bet your Krag would be great for that.
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