Tuning Ruger Single Actions

The following is a report from notes taken during the NRA Summer Gunsmithing Program at Trinidad State College as taught by Professor Ryan Newport, the school’s Gunsmithing Department Head. This is typical of the courses offered at Trinidad State College. Dan Croghan and Gary Yee were gunsmithing classmates at Trinidad State from 2012-2014. Ruger revolvers are among the most durable and reliable firearms in the industry. Concurrently, Ruger revolvers also have some of the worst trigger pulls of any factory gun.

Fortunately, there is something you can do as a gunsmith to improve them and make your customer happy. While outwardly appearing like the Colt Single Action Army, internally the Ruger has a very different lockwork that incorporates numerous superior safety features. When cocking the Ruger one of the first things you will notice is that, unlike the Colt, there is neither a half cock nor is there any need for one. There are several reasons for this.

First, Ruger has a proven transfer bar that requires the trigger to be depressed for it to be raised. When struck by the hammer, the transfer bar transfers energy to the captured spring-loaded, frame-mounted firing pin and drives the firing pin forward. Unless there is pressure on the trigger, the trigger bar will not rise and the hammer drops on the frame instead of on the firing pin. The second reason for the lack of half cock is the hammer itself has two safety features.

The first safety feature is the step found on the hammer face. This step prevents the flat part of the hammer from physically contacting the firing pin. The second is newer Ruger Single Action Army and Vaqueros also have a cast-in dimple on the hammer. Even if someone were to grind off the safety notch on the hammer face, because of that dimple the hammer cannot strike the firing pin anyway. Before continuing, remember to always use the right size screwdriver to avoid ruining any screw.

You might want to break the sharp corners of the screwdriver though to prevent any burrs from marring the screw hole tunnels for the two re- The Gunsmithing Department at Trinidad State purchased overhead screens and cameras for each classroom that allows students in the class clearly see what the instructor is doing. This is a vast improvement over crowding around a table or looking over his shoulder. armost grip screws. This avoids engraving a spiraled groove in tunnels which stands out in a blued firearm.

Initial Inspection Let’s start with pre-inspection, disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly. Before tuning any gun, begin with a detailed disassembly and cleaning of the firearm. The purpose is two fold. The first is to identify and replace any part that is damaged or broken. Second, since dirt can impair the function, cleaning it gives a truer sense of how the lockwork functions or to identify any malfunctions. After ensuring that the firearm is unloaded and there is no live ammunition present, open the

Besides weight, the trigger is tested for creep and crispness in break. loading gate, depress the base pin latch and pull the base pin forward and out of the frame. This allows the cylinder to be removed. Close the loading gate. Remove the grips and pull the hammer back. This exposes a hole found on the main spring strut. Insert a pin (you can make it from a nail) into the mainspring strut hole. Press the trigger and ease the hammer forward. Because of the pin, the mainspring is captured in the compressed state.

Flip the gun upside down to expose the screws around the trigger guard. Remove them and place them down such that you know which screw came out of which hole. The shortest screw goes in front of the trigger guard, the longest is the gate side (right side of frame) screw which interlocks with the hammer pivot pin groove and prevents it from walking. The mid length one goes on the opposite side (left side of frame). Use a magnetic parts trays to prevent the screws from being lost.

If the gun is stainless, a compartmental tray is handy here since stainless steel is non ferrous. Remove the grip frame screws that are adjacent to the hammer. The grip frame may be pulled off the frame next. Since the bolt plunger and its spring rest in the grip frame and can easily be lost, be careful in separating the grip frame from the frame. After the two are separated, the pawl spring and pawl spring plunger may be pulled out of the frame. Set them aside.

The grip frame houses the wire trigger screw as well as the hammer spring and hammer strut. Note the orientation of the hammer spring and strut assembly before removing them. There is a flat surface that faces one o’clock as the frame is held in the right hand. To provide clearance for the hammer spring and hammer strut, it may be easier to lift the legs of the wire trigger spring off their shelves. This creates a little more working space to lift the hammer spring and hammer strut out.

The trigger spring may now be withdrawn from the rear. The next item to be removed is the trigger pivot pin. Depress the gate spring by inserting a punch or screwdriver to relieve the tension on the trigger pivot pin. Use a punch (preferably a brass or similar non-marring punch) to begin to partially dislodge the trigger pivot pin from the left side of the frame. The hammer pivot pin is removed next.

Once that is removed, the hammer, pawl and trigger assembly (which includes the trigger) and the transfer bar may be removed. Lift out the gate spring. The bolt and spring may now be removed. Finally, the gate may be slid out of the frame. The firing pin’s removal is not recommended. If its ill-advised removal proves absolutely necessary, opening the loading gate exposes the hole into which a punch may be used to drive it out. After the pin is removed, the firing pin bushing and firing pin may be removed.

However, once this is done you are committed to refinishing the firearm. It is recommended that the firearm’s internal parts are cleaned at this point. If you’re not already familiar with the pawl, look at it after you cleaned it. There are two steps on it. The top or Pickup Step engages the ratchet and begins the rotation. The lower or Carryup Step completes the rotation. Functionally this is the same as on the Colt percussion revolvers, Single

Action Army, Police Positive, and Python. To reassemble, start with the trigger assembly and hammer assembly. Place the pawl pin into the most forward hole of the hammer. The hammer and pawl may be inserted into the frame. The slotted portion is placed in such that it is on the gated side of the frame. The transfer bar is placed onto the trigger. Insert the trigger assembly into the frame. The trigger should be all the way to the left side of the frame; seen upside down it would be the top.

Insert the pins to secure them. The loading gate is inserted next. The cylinder latch and gate spring are assembled together. The 90-degree bend of the gate spring is parallel with the 90-degree arm of the cylinder latch. They are inserted such that the 90-degree arm We’re not trying to remove metal but merely polishing the surface that the moving parts bear against to reduce friction.

Note how the workpiece is clamped in the padded vise jaws to protect against scratches. of the gate spring enters the square hole in the frame and the arm rides on the loading gate’s camming surface. This spring supplies the tension that keeps the gate in place. Trigger pin goes in next from the gate side. Compress the loading gate spring and push the unslotted side in first from the right side of the frame. When fully inserted, the slotted side is between the arms of the gate spring.

Open the gate and insert the cylinder. Push the base pin in and seat it. This secures the transfer bar and prevents it from binding beneath the firing pin. Reassemble the grip frame assembly next by inserting the trigger spring. Insert the hammer spring pin to secure it. Insert the hammer strut and spring next. After the latter is in place, hook the arms of the trigger spring legs over their respective shelves.

Next, place the cylinder latch spring and plunger into the grip frame such that the plunger protrudes from the grip frame. Insert the pawl plunger and spring into the highest hole on the left hand side of the frame. The plunger goes in first and the spring is left protruding from the frame. After this is done, you may assemble the grip frame to the frame. The cylinder latch spring must ride on the cylinder latch to provide the cylinder latch upward pressure.

Also, be careful not to bind up the pawl plunger spring against the grip frame. It must be compressed into the frame and not alongside the frame. Should the latter happen, the spring will be damaged and require replacing. The hammer strut must enter its slot in the hammer. Pulling back slightly on the hammer will give you some working space to finagle them together. Before pushing the two frames in together, use a screwdriver to push down on the trigger spring to snap the trigger spring into place.

After ensuring that nothing is binding, push the grip frame forward. Unlike the larger Vaquero and Blackhawk models, the smaller Ruger Single Action revolver grip frames have two stiffening arms that insert into the frame. To assemble the smaller single actions, a slight downward angle is required to depress the bolt plunger before straightening and pushing the grip frame forward. The shortest screw goes into the front of the trigger guard. Take the longest screw (the gate screw) and insert that next.

The mid length screw goes into the non-gate side. The rear screws goes in last. Finally, reassemble the grip to the frame. This completes reassembly of the firearm. On the newer California safety compliant Vaquero, the hammer strut bears against the safety and

Far Here Professor Newport is discussing the sear and hammer notch relation. These critical surfaces should not be changed but may be polished instead. This is its correct angle. Note how it the face of the sear forms a straight line to the axis of the transfer bar. Here Professor Newport is discussing the hammer notch. He explained that one should not alter the surface marked by the lines but merely polish them.

The beauty of the overhead projector is that by drawing lines on the image, the instructor conveys exactly what part of an object is being discussed. there is no base plate to pin the strut for its removal. While removal is straightforward, reassembly is slightly more difficult. Place the strut against the side of the vise jaws and open the jaws such that the strut fits in. Now put the strut into the spring and the spring against the side of the vise jaws.

Using pliers, compress the strut such that it passes through the spring and exposes the hole so that a pin may be inserted into the strut. This allows the hammer spring to be captured in a compressed state for reassembly. Pre-work Inspection Besides performing a function check, put snap caps in the cylinder to protect the firing pin and test the trigger for weight and for the trigger pull’s crispness. Use your trigger gauge to measure the weight of the trigger pull. Do this five times and take the average.

The hammer controls the operation of the gun. It controls the pawl and the spring-loaded plunger mounted inside the hammer provides tension on the bolt and keeps it locked up. When the plunger rotates over the bolt and when it slips past, the bolt is pushed up by the grip frame mounted spring and plunger. Reassemble the gun and test the hammer for push off. Cock the hammer and with the finger off the trigger, apply pressure on the back of the hammer to ensure that the sear is holding it in place.

Do this for all chambers of the cylinder. Check the cylinder lock up by pulling the hammer back slowly. Check that the cylinder rotates and locks up. If there is a chamber that doesn’t lock up, it needs to be marked. Do this by rotating it past the barrel and use either a pencil or Sharpie to place a mark on the side of the cylinder. Now finish the rest. After all cylinders are checked, use a range rod to ensure that the cylinder and the forcing cone are aligned. It should range for each chamber.

If the range rod hits the chamber face, mark the cylinder for repair. If no range rod is available, there is the old fashioned way of shining a light from behind the cylinder and looking down the bore. Bore and cylinder misalignment is visibly evident. After pulling back on the hammer, the spring loaded plunger should contact the bolt. The audible "click" is the bolt going back all the way and engaging the sear. When the hammer is dropped, its movement should be smooth.

There should be a single click which is the bolt popping out from its window and engaging the cylinder. A note on repairing failure of carry up. If the ratchet is in good condition, then the pawl is at fault for carry up failure. If it is the ratchet, place the cylinder with the mark at 12 o’clock. The ratchet at 9 o’clock needs to have material

The surface must be fluxed and heated, soldered, and then the soldered overtravel pad placed atop of it. silver soldered in place and then filed to fit. Alternatively, the old fashioned way of handling it is to displace some metal by punching it and shifting metal over 0.002- 0.003". Tuning the Action Before working on the action itself, there are helpful things that could be done in preparation of smoothing the action. Examine the wear marks on the bolt, pawl, trigger, transfer bar, and hammer.

Without touching the working surfaces, use an India stone and then a ceramic stone to remove any burrs. Polishing paper supported by solid backing is then used for a final finish. The object is to reduce the friction A punch is used to apply downward pressure on the pad. between the moving parts. Also stone the windows on the frame.

This would include the window for the cylinder stop and pawl as well as the frame’s raceway for the transfer bar, areas where the hammer rotates and window frame on the grip frame may be stoned. On to lightening the trigger pull. If the customer wants a lighter trigger, either modify the existing spring, or better yet, replacing them with aftermarket springs works. A method found on You Tube which is not recommended is to unhook one leg of the trigger spring.

The unhooked leg not only can catch on the hammer spring, but it can also cause the hammer spring to bind. Since that creates more problems The bolt’s plunger is generally very thin so it is not recommended to not dress it with any polishing paper. At most you may lightly stone the top. The part of the transfer bar that contacts the cylinder rod pin could be polished. The trigger weight poundages in our sample revolver as factory delivered were 3.64, 3.77, 3.77, 3.10, and 3.41 with a 3.538 average.

Let’s look at the bolt. The height of the bolt where it interfaces with the hammer-mounted plunger determines the time it unlocks. If it is shortened too much, the plunger clears the bolt too quickly and the bolt pops up too soon through the window; this causes a longer ring mark on the cylinder. Measure the height of the bolt from the top of the pivot pin hole. If the bolt is lengthened by 0.0015" the increased height will delay the plunger’s drop.

To add material, use 0.0016" tool steel (this is a bearing surface subject to wear) and silver solder it. Do not TIG weld it since can ruin the dimensions of the tip. On the bolt, polish the top but do not change any angles. To do this, place it into a vise with it barely exposed. A machinist vise mounted in a larger vise gives one a good than it solves, it should be avoided. It is better to buy an aftermarket trigger spring. clean vise jaw to work with.

Note, if the machinist vise jaws aren’t parallel, one may put apiece of round stock into the Vgroove of the vise and clamp it. This will cause the jaws to align.

The round stock may be surface ground to the jaws to make them parallel. Place the bolt such that only the part to be worked on is exposed. Neither round off the edges nor change the angles. Start with an India stone and progressively switch to finer stones. After the top is dressed up, dress up the sides of the bolt and deburr it. Apply TW25B lube or similar on top of bolt and along the side and other working parts of the gun. Next up is the hammer strut.

The long part of the hammer strut where the hammer spring goes should be smoothed. This can be done on a belt sander. Polish the sides and remove the machine marks on the outer edges. Since the center never contacts the spring, don’t worry about it. Just polish the high marks left over from the stamping process. The rounded head of the hammer strut is the pivot point against which the hammer bears. This is best buffed on a buffing wheel to clean up the outside radius.

With the base plate, clean up the leading edge of all four sides. Use polishing paper backed by something solid. Polish the inside of the hole where the hammer strut passes through. This reduces the friction and binding of the hammer strut as it passes through the base plate hole. Next is the gate and spring. The flat part of the gate spring holds the gate in the closed position. If the gate flops, then the angle has been rounded off. Minor radius and polish with a stone.

On the gate, use a fine round stone and polish the flat edge of the loading gate. Let’s address hammer creep. Creep is the felt movement of the hammer and the sear. To decrease it, decrease the sear engagement between the sear and the hammer. We can not give a number or amount of material to be removed because the geometry of the holes in the frames can be different as well as the pin and location of the working surfaces of the parts. There are special jigs to work on the trigger.

If one Far The right forefinger was placed atop of the file to prevent Dan from canting the file. Blue painter’s tape was placed on the vise jaw to warn the gunsmith if the file got too close to the vise. isn’t available, don’t worry as you can use the frame as the jig. First, protect the frame’s finish by applying masking tape or painter’s tape on the frame. Locate the two pin holes and punch a hole through to allow for the insertion of the pin.

After inserting the pins, place the hammer on its pivot pin and the trigger on its pin. This allows for studying the relation between these two crucial parts. Mount the hammer into the machinist vise. Take five strokes front and back on the face of the hook. Next step is to decrease the sear engagement by removing some of the engagement surface on the hammer. Clean up the hammer notch with a square stone. Do not change the angle. Make sure it isn’t at a negative engagement angle as it can allow slippage.

A positive angle results in a heavier trigger pull. Finish by using a fine ruby stone; five strokes to clean up inside the hook. After all the parts are polished, deburred, and stoned, clean them again to remove any grit residue and then reassemble. Now test the trigger. Leave the tape on the frame as it tensions the pins. Put the hammer and trigger into the frame. Cock it, and with pressure on the hammer, test for push off. If there is push off, this must be corrected first.

If there is no push off, test for creep. Since the trigger spring is not inside the frame, you get a true test. The en-

gagement between the parts are without the spring influencing the parts. Overtravel We must start with a disclaimer. The following information describes what was performed at school under the direct supervision of our instructor and is provided for information purposes only. Since improper execution can impair the safe function of the sear and firearm, it should not be attempted as one should first have a thorough understanding of the geometry and operation of the sear.

Neither the authors nor the publisher assume any responsibility for the reader’s actions. Padded vise jaws prevent marring and slipping. Overtravel is the movement of the trigger after the sear releases the hammer. To correct this, the class added more material onto the front of the sear. Don’t do this by TIG welding since TIG is too hot and at its very high heat this will reharden the sear and make the sear brittle. Then it’ll have to be tempered to take some of the hardness out.

The hotter the metal, the more hardness has to be removed. Therefore, the best way to do this is to solder apiece of metal on it since anything at 300 degrees Fahrenheit is not enough to change the workpiece’s hardness. Consider these factors in selecting the solder. Silver solder works at about 1150ºF, which is a too much. High force/high temp solder is 900 and still too much. Soft solder is 300, high pressure/low temp solder is 400-425 and has a higher shear strength at 30,000 pounds per square inch.

The metal pad does not need much strength. As for metal, use mild steel. Hard tool steel would be wasteful and the impact force is very little. Use a soft solder with it. Prepare the sear surface by abrading it with 120 aluminium oxide (Klingspore). Apply flux. Hold the torch at an angle from below. Do the same with the preparation of the steel pad. Place the two soldered surfaces together and apply heat to unify them. When it cools, test by pushing on it with a punch to check that it is secure.

Now the part must be fitted to the gun. Insert it in to the frame. Initially the hammer may not be cocked because the additional material hits the interior of the frame and prevents the trigger from rotating forward. Remove the trigger and begin removing from the metal pad that was just soldered on. Start with a file. Sharpie may be applied to ensure that it is being filing evenly. Then install it with the hammer and test again. It probably won’t allow the hammer forward so the process must be repeated.

This can be tedious. The goal is that when the hammer is released, the trigger does not travel rearward after the hammer is dropped anymore. Additional Work Case hardening is done to introduce carbon into an object down to 0.005- 0.007" depth. The process is to heat the object to critical and plunge it into Kasenite to coat it with carbon. Repeat this twice more, and then reheat it again to critical and plunge it into water. Clean the part with a wire brush and then 400 grit to remove the scaling.

Don’t remove the hardness you just introduced. Chamber polishing may be warranted. If the chamber is clean and the cartridges are tight, polishing may help. A brass polishing stick may be made with 1/4" brass rod. Flatten the top and then put a slight bevel on the edges. Use the cutting edge of the file to cut a line along the top. Now saw it down vertically to the height of the blade. Tear a 1/4" strip off of 400 grit emery cloth. When wrapped around the polishing stick, it should fit into the chamber.

It the polishing stick with emery is a little too tight, remove just a little of the material. Now insert it into the chamber and do quick short bursts to polish the chamber. Do not try to get a mirror bright finish, just go for a smooth surface. Since the forcing cone is tapered slightly, use a 1/8" strip of emery paper and wrap it beneath the 1/4" strip on the stick to give it a taper. Use the same technique to polish the forcing cone.

While this overview covered the Ruger, the techniques can apply to other revolvers. NRA Summer Gunsmithing Program held at Trinidad State College offers many other course to expand your gunsmithing knowledge. AG