MISS FIRE WITH NEW VAQUERO

GUAMBEAR · April 25, 2008, 03:45:24 PM

TOO MANY MISS FIRES! It doesn't look like the firing pin is striking the cartridge hard enough. After standing around embarrassed in front of my friends I run the round again through my 1861 (cartridge conversion) and it fires like it should. Yes, I do all my own reloading and I take special care to insure the primers are at the proper depths but it looks like the hammer spring isn't strong enough or maybe the firing pin is not long enough... Any idea?
Who has what I need to insure that I get a good discharge ever time. You know it's a bit embarrassing at the range with the gun goes click, click, click....

Sgt. Jake · April 25, 2008, 07:11:59 PM

Guambear If your chambers are aligning with the barrel properly,checked mine with a range rod.Then I had to relive some on under sight face of the hammer. Tried to use a file,unless your hammer is a lot softer than mine,dont waste your time ,with a file. I ended up using a very small dremel wite chain saw sharpening bit I kept taking off very little ,on the under side only.I could see where the sight nose portion of the hammer,was interfering with the machined on the cylinder back plate.After taking off about ten thousands,the gun went bang ,clang,bang clang five times,instead of click five times,thats a aweful sound .You might check it on your gun ,it was the problem on mine. Adios Sgt. Jake

Sgt. Jake · April 25, 2008, 07:15:19 PM

Guam Bear Disregard what I wrote above ,thats what happens when the phone rings and I thought your problem was the conversion,but it were your Ruger,Sorry Adios Sgt. Jake

Cyrille · April 26, 2008, 08:11:20 AM

Contact Ruger, They will give instructions on what to do to send it back to the factory for repair, the whole service is free, all you provide is the carton in which the gun is to be shipped. I sent BH to them a little over a week ago. I'm still waiting for it's return.

Four-Eyed Buck · April 26, 2008, 02:43:49 PM

T-Bar problem? These come with a 17lb. spring from the factory, should be enough to pop any brand primer. Any drag marks on the hammer sides?................Buck

GUAMBEAR · April 26, 2008, 04:26:21 PM

YEP! I got drag marks on both sides of the hammer....
Think I should polish them out?

Four-Eyed Buck · April 26, 2008, 06:01:15 PM

Hammer's probably hitting the frame opening, causing the drag marks. Look for burrs in the opening. your problem is more than likely there...................Buck

$:-\$

GUAMBEAR · April 29, 2008, 09:17:45 PM

Buck...
I just came back from the range. I fired 100 rounds and I'm still getting miss fires.. 10 this time... Old brass and new the firing pin just barely dents the cap of the miss fires.... I'll take the gun apart and look deeper into friction points. I'll keep you posted.
Guambear

Kinda Sudden · April 29, 2008, 10:33:41 PM

Try some factory ammo. You say you load your own and you seat the primers correctly. Do you know what a primer looks like when it does not detonate? What I am saying is they would look barely dented, the normally seen fired primer indentation is a result of the case coming back on the firing pin which does not happen on a primer that does not fire. Rub marks on Ruger hammers are common to Ruger. You would know if the hammer is rubbing excessively. Ruger has lots of problems commonly seen these days but failing to fire while possible, is not common.

GUAMBEAR · April 30, 2008, 01:57:24 AM

Can't get factor ammo for the 45 in these parts (Guam).. I have to put up with my own hand loads and keep experimenting.

Kinda Sudden · April 30, 2008, 02:37:05 AM

At least try another lot of primers and make sure that the primers are seated all the way around to the same depth. I remember way back when I got my first Glock, I was having failures to fire and up untill then I would only check each primer after it was seated to see that they were below flush. My press priming arm had slipped and the primers while below flush were not seated all the way around to the same depth. Since then I use a Lee hand primer that lets me feel each primer to the bottom of the pocket. I also rotate the case 180 degrees and exert slight pressure again to make sure they seat square. Never had a problem again. Now I always measure the actual depth of each primer on any ammo that is used for self defense or competition.

Good luck