Ruger Blackhawk Safety Transfer Bar - Has this happened to you?

[Tennessee Jed]

I have a new Ruger Blackhawk that I love. 

Over the weekend, while safely and carefully working the hammer back (gun was triple checked and VERY UN-loaded, thank God), I felt a horrible crunch and the hammer got stuck in the cocked position.

Looking it over, the hammer-safety-transfer bar is now deeply lodged down very low in the hinge area, not up high like it was before.  The firing pin is very visible now.  The bar is wedged in so low that the hammer is now permanently cocked and cannot move forward.  Trigger, obviously, won't work.  Can't pull the transfer bar out, it is stuck down there very tightly.

The gun is unloaded, and I'm going to ship it to Ruger for fixing.  However, I'm curious, has this happened to anyone else with a Ruger?  I never heard of the safety transfer bar breaking and rendering the gun inoperable.


Thanks,

Jed 

[Doc Wesson]

It's the base pin. See, the back end of a Ruger base pin has a spring-loaded plunger. It's a tiny little thing, about the size of a pencil lead, and it's sole job is to push the transfer bar back a bit so that on rising, it clears the edge of the firing pin.

Take the base pin out of any post-1972 Ruger ("New Model") and it will behave exactly as you're describing.

So, first try at fixing it is, make sure the base pin is seated all the way in. Push the base pin release button (the "sideways" thing below the front of the cylinder) and then push the base pin in "deeper". It's possible you just don't have it seated far enough.

If that's not it, you have to remove the base pin from the gun completely to check the plunger. On a "mid-frame" such as the 50th Anniversary 357 Blackhawk (or New Vaquero, or Montado) the base pin will come right out. On the large-frame series, it won't - you have to unscrew the ejector rod anchor screw out by the muzzle, take the ejector stuff off, then pull the base pin. What you're checking for is a stuck plunger. Wiggle it a bit, maybe drop some penetrating oil in there, wiggle it some more. If it's really well and truly stuck, get another base pin -

Or send it to ruger

[Tennessee Jed]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Doc.  I really appreciate it.  I will try the base pin when I get home tonight and see it that works, if not, I'll send to Ruger.

[Charlie Foxtrot]

   
Please let us know.  I, for one, have a safe full o' Rugers, so I'm always interested in what curve balls they can throw at us.

That Doc: he's a wealth of information; even if he does say so himself.     ;^)'

[Devereaux]

Ah, TJ. Another reason I have 4 Rugers and they are ALL 3-screw. No monkeying about with a transfer bar. No weird behavior when trying to load it (indexes strangely), no loss of cocking click (3 click rather than 2).

I like old Single Actions. I even prefer the old Colt style with the pin in the hammer. Means you can't dry-fire it, but that's OK too.

[Tennessee Jed]

Well, thanks for your help everyone.  Looks like it's going to Ruger for fixing. 

The transfer bar looks somehow fell down deep into the action.  I was able to get the base pin out fairly easily (it's a new model Blackhawk).  The top of the transfer bar is about a quarter inch below where the base pin pokes through, right below the firing pin. 

My guess, and it's just a guess, is that some part where the transfer bar attaches to the trigger mechanism broke.  I can't get the transfer bar to move at all in any direction.  Something way down deep has a really solid grip on it.  If I had more confidence in my mechanical abilities I would take the trigger mechanism apart.  However, I'm pretty confident that a part will still need replaced, and I would still need to send it to Ruger. 

Just goes to show, nothing mechanical is unbreakable.  Even a Ruger Blackhawk.  And that's how I justify owning multiple revolvers.  Will let you all know how it turns out.

[Tennessee Jed]

Okay, so I got busy and didn't get the Blackhawk shipped to Ruger until last week.  However, Ruger gave me pre-paid UPS 2nd Day Air.  They received the Blackhawk on Friday, and today (only 3 days later), I received a notice that they are shipping it back to me.  Wow.  That was really really fast.

Don't know yet what the problem was, and I am VERY VERY VERY excited to get my baby back.  Will let you all know what the diagnosis was when I receive it.

[Tennessee Jed]

Yee haw, got my Blackhawk back.  Works great again, as far as I can tell (will shoot it next week).

The notes on the packing slip only say that Ruger fitted a new transfer bar, base pin and latch assembly, also says they adjusted the barrel.  Looks to me like they might have re-cut the forcing cone.  So, I do think that the original problem was that a part somewhere on the transfer bar must have broken.

Regardless, gotta hand it to Ruger's customer service.  I can't believe how fast I got my Blackhawk back.

Whew, thank goodness that's over.  I was getting mighty tired of shooting semi-autos.

[cornmastah]

I had to send my LCP back when they were new and had some safety issue.  They were fast and provided awesome service.  They also sent me a free ruger hat, an extra magazine, and some pinkie extensions for the mags.  They made me a customer for life from that experience.