Ruger Revolver Tuning

Among the most reliable and rugged revolvers out of the box are single-action Ruger revolvers. These include the Single Six, Blackhawk, and Vaquero models. These revolvers have an earned reputation for good accuracy and handling. However, when it comes to a crisp and clean trigger action, these revolvers leave something to be desired as compared to the majority of factory revolver trigger actions.

As an example, I recently worked with a special edition Ruger Blackhawk that was nicely finished but lacking in smoothness. The single action trigger, the main complaint, demanded 5.5 pounds trigger compression. This limited the accuracy potential of the revolver. The owner is a good shot but felt limited by the heavy trigger action. Trigger compression of 3.5 to 4.0 pounds is ideal for a Blackhawk revolver and will aid in controlling the trigger.

A smoother action also aids in reliability as there is less eccentric wear and the parts move smoothly together. It is a viable move to carefully polish the trigger action to produce less friction. Caution is indicated when dealing with the trigger action. It is possible to ruin parts if you are not careful. As always, less is more when removing metal and working toward a smooth polish. The equipment needed should be in stock at your shop. This includes the everhandy Arkansas stone as well as large and small files.

Action Work Before attempting trigger action work, I have a set procedure. I begin by testing the trigger action on each revolver. If it is heavy—and the illustrated stainless steel revolver was—it may be time for an action job. Sometimes using Shooter’s Choice FP-10 to lubricate the action and then holding the hammer back manually while pressing the trigger removes a burr and smooths the action. It is worth trying. A simple cleaning often is an aid in cleaning up a trigger action as well.

To go further, disassemble the revolver. The Ruger Blackhawk is a simple action and we have been manufacturing such revolvers in America since 1836. It normally isn’t necessary to do more than remove the grip panels for most work, however, if we address the hammer and trigger we must go further. With the revolver disassembled take a look at the hammer strut where it sets in the hammer. The end that sets in the hammer will often need polishing. Do not remove too much metal.

Give it a light polish and examine the work under magnification. This doesn’t typically lighten the trigger action but it will make for a smooth cocking action. Next, examine the sides of the strut where the mainspring moves upward and downward. Any burrs will cause the spring to bind. This is less common with late model production but is sometimes seen. Check the seat for uneven lips and burrs. The hammer strut rides in the back of the hammer.

It isn’t easy to get to these parts and you’ll need something hard and stable to work this area. It isn’t possible to do the job without a proper, stabilized tool. A drill bit is often best. Less is more and this area may be lightly polished. The hand (or pawl) moves the cylinder. As the cylinder is rotated,

The weight is determined by the coils, not the length of the spring. some of the cocking force is used in this rotation and some in cocking the hammer. This is where a mistake can ruin the timing of the revolver. The area the hand plunger rides on may be polished. A simple cleaning and lubrication can help. An area of concern for Cowboy Action shooters may be the loading gate. Bending the gate spring downward makes for a lighter action but you don’t want the loading gate to open under recoil.

Be careful and leave this alone if there are no complaints here. Note, Brownells offers an extra power base pin latch. For a Ruger Blackhawk intended for heavy loads or for long use, this is a good part to upgrade. Custom grade springs are then fitted. An overlooked part of the Ruger action is the trigger return spring. Any burrs and roughness of this part and the trigger can be seen under magnification.

Simply cleaning up the trigger and trigger return spring can reward the careful worker perhaps eight ounces less trigger action compression weight. When looking over the sear, the sear engagement in the hammer might be polished. However, this is one area in which the engagement must be maintained. We do not wish to make a slip hammer! A poor or mangled engagement would result in the hammer falling before the trigger is fully pressed.

An experienced writer told of a cowboy that asked him to check the trigger action of his Colt. The writer did not know the trigger action had been modified by someone with ten thumbs. He cocked the old Colt, holding it down by his side, and began to bring the revolver to the target in the classic shooting style. The revolver fired too soon and blew out the square toe of his cowboy boots, fortunately without further mishap. Do not destroy the original angles here and file lightly, if at all.

The cylinder latch is pushed by the hammer plunger. A small punch is all that is needed to remove this part. Almost all of these will have a sharp edge near the front that should be broken up. Working in the sear area demands an abundance of caution. Never change any angle; simply make the surface smoother. With a stainless steel revolver the result of our best work with grit paper results in a mirror finish.

This is the area in which the aforementioned revolver was unsafe, as the sear had been modified to the point the hammer would actually jar off engagement and fire. Safety rather than time is the primary concern. Another concern is left over flakes from the casting process. No matter how good Ruger revolvers are, they are cast, not forged, and there may be small amounts of metal left over in the channel the transfer bar rides in. Work this metal out by polishing.

Polishing cloth on the end of a needle file works in this area. Springs So far I have given an overview of the things that may be done to make a Ruger Blackhawk single-action revolver smoother. These next more

specific procedures center on the hammer spring or mainspring and the trigger return spring. The lighter hammer spring isn’t going to help the trigger action. A hammer that is lighter to cock is good for some folks but it also means the hammer falls more slowly. It is just part of the tune up. You may polish sear engagement. The hammer and trigger interface may be polished but the angle should never be changed.

What we are doing when we reduce engagement isn’t always to make for a lighter action—although the action will be lighter—but we are making for a shorter, cleaner break with less take up. Addressing the trigger return spring, Ruger designed the Blackhawk to be more durable than the Single Action Army and it is. It was also designed to be easier to worth with. You need only remove the grips to get to the trigger return spring and mainspring.

Drive out a single pin (the trigger return spring retaining pin) and release the "legs" from the grip frame. I routinely perform such work on handguns intended for competition or hunting. Those intended for defense and loaded with hard-recoiling .357, .44 Alexandria VA 22310 American Gunsmith Reader Services 1.

or .45 ammunition are not given such a light trigger action. The focus there is on breaking Magnum primers. The means by which I have modified the trigger break is to bend the trigger return spring. One bend shortens engagement and the other reduces the pounds needed to work the spring. The trigger return spring is looped. One side rides on the trigger, pushing the trigger down and resetting the trigger as the hammer is cocked.

The other end of the trigger return spring is loaded up as the hammer is cocked, giving the spring its power and energy for reset. Bend the looped end so that it doesn’t right its body on the trigger and only the end of the spring is in contact. When properly done, this reduces contact and shortens take up. Creep in the trigger action is lessened or eliminated.

The actual pull weight is addressed by bending the other end of Bend the spring upwards at this end where the spring connects to and is stabilized on the frame. Be certain to not have the spring lop sides and that each spring side is bent equally. A very small movement results in considerable lightening so take this one easy and carefully gauge the results by putting the spring back in the gun to test each adjustment. Tuning these pistol isn’t difficult.

In addition to these techniques, another option is to order a reduced power trigger spring and mainspring. These parts are high quality and have given excellent results. I still modify the trigger return spring as the end result is worth the effort. AG the spring.