What's with Ruger and the .45LC! I bought a new Bisley Blackhawk and after looking at several web sights I found that the mouths run small. Using a snap gauge, I found I had four that miked .451 and two that were at .4505. Gunsmiths wanted $75.00 to open them up to .4525. Ruger says they are in spec so won't do anything!

Anyway, I bought a reamer and a set of six pilots,and what a difference, so if anyone wants theirs opened up by a mechanical engineer instead of a 'smith for about a third of what a "smith" wants in the U.S. let me know at rmcleod17@attbi.com

you got mail

I've been through college also, but I was also having trouble understanding how things work with the cylinder mouths of my Ruger BH running .449-450" and a bullet being squeezed down, then expected to blow back up and fill out again???. Posted twice about the mouths and all factory guns were about the same.

If you can do it, I may need you to open them if you can. Waiting for the gun to come back from Gary Reeder. I'll see how it shoots first. According to Gary, many other things contribute to accuracy that are more important than the cylinder dimensions.

XTarheel,
I sympathize with you on your plight. I had two Ruger Vaquros that wouldn't shoot worth a hoot I did as you after receiving advice from someone and I found the throats excessivly small. I traded in the guns since I don't have anyone to shoot cowboy action with where I now live. But since then I have acquired a very early Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt that is like new in every sense. The wonderful thing about this revolver is that the throats are all uniform at .454. Consequently the gun shoots like an expensive custom.
Speaking of which, Jesse I would be surprised if Reeder didn't ream your chambers to a uniform throat dimenstion. If you are having your gun customized I think this is a necessity. The ideal thing is to have a new cylinder installed with custom chambers, you will be surprised at how this improves accuracy, brass life and pressure.

sent xtarheel my 2 cylinders and he had them done two days after they got there for a great price!!! HIGHLY RECOMENDED!!!

I had a stainless Ruger Red hawk with small throats, and a UNsquare cylinder. I sent it to Ruger who attempted to fix the problem. Key word being attempted... The tech made me unhappy, and that is all I will say for that... Ruger stepped up, and replaced it with a new Hawk. I guess there is some one there who really does know something there cause my throats are so uniform it is incomparable to a factory firearm. I just wish the cylinder was non-fluted.

Oh, the reason I was posting this was the previous hawk would drop one round in the dirt below the target every time. The new uniform cylinder is what I would call a tack driver.

Also, the Jacketed bullets don�t mind small throats as much as the cast bullets do.. Just a note..

Mauserkid

As far as Reeder reaming, I don't know. I drove over there and met him personally. Very impressed. I am probably not worthy of his work. He told me that at shooting expo's he takes a 44 and a 45 Ruger and swaps the cylinders.....AND CAN STILL SHOOT 2" GROUPS AT 25 YARDS(after his custom touches). Yes a .44 mag shooting a 45 LC round. I told him I miked my throats at .449. He said he may polish them if in fact I measured them correctly. I just asked him to put $400 into accuraizing it for me. I think that is getting me an action job, free-spin pawl, an interchangeable sight system, and maybe some throat, crowning, chamber work. Still waiting to hear it's done.

Please, I mean no disrespect to a true master, and if he can shoot a .429 inch bullet out of a .452 inch barrel and shoot a 2" group, I am very impressed indeed.

However as to if opening chamber throats up to a larger, uniform size, makes a difference consider the following:

Why ream a Ruger�s cylinder throat? Let�s look at what happens when you fire a revolver. Each cylinder has a number of chambers. Each chamber has a rear section where the loaded cartridge sits. Just ahead of that area the cylinder tapers into a �throat�. This area has two functions. Since it is smaller than the bullet diameter, the bullet (cast bullets may be up to .454 in diameter) cannot easily pass through it. Upon firing, the bullet moves forward to this area and is arrested by the narrow diameter. This allows pressure to build, and power to burn, behind the bullet. As pressure reaches the necessary level the bullet is pushed through this area and is swaged down to match its diameter.

It then leaves the cylinder and jumps a small gap to the end of the barrel. At this point it enters the �forcing cone�. This portion of the barrel is like a funnel, with the small end the same diameter as the groove diameter of the barrel. It serves two purposes. First of all, if the cylinder is slightly out of time, it guides the bullet into the center of the barrel. The second purpose is to further swage the bullet down to the exact diameter of the rifeling.

THE RUGER PROBLEM

Since the end of WW-II most all commercial .45LC barrels have been bored out to a grove diameter of between.451 and .452. Pre WW-II barrels tended to be larger.
For whatever reason, Ruger .45 revolvers tend to have undersized throats in their cylinders.

Considering the above, this what happens if the throat is too small:

1: It takes more pressure in the cylinder to swage the bullet down to a smaller diameter to pass through the cylinder throat.

2: The bullet enters the forcing cone smaller than the barrel groove diameter. (It can�t self-center in the forcing cone). So each bullet may enter the barrel at a different point along the circumfrance of the barrel.

3: Being smaller than the groves, it may or may not get a strong �grip� in the rifling, resulting in erratic groups.

WHAT REAMING ACCOMPLISHES

The bullet is swaged down to the proper diameter in the proper two step sequence.

1: The cylinder throat still stops the bullet�s forward progress until pressure builds.

2: The bullet enters the forcing cone of the barrel larger than groove diameter so it self centers and is further swaged down to groove diameter.

3: Accuracy improves at a possible lower pressure.

Does opening up the throat and making the throats uniform in diameter make a difference? You decide.

I can see him shooting .429" bullets in the .452" bore. No problem, seen it done by mistake a bunch of times. But shooting .452" bullets in a .429" bore? Uh....

I agree that's pretty scarry! Can you immagine what that pressure curve must look like! 1st the gun holds together, and then you get 2" accuracy?

I am not trying to argue at all. I'd like you to do my cylinder. I'm just stating what he told me when I spoke with him. He gave me a one hole target at 20 yards for ten shots, and said my gun would do it when he was finished. He has a special modification he does to the forcing cone area of the barrel that is supposed to increase accuracy. I am not going to try the swap with my gun, and I can easily see the logic in the throat size.

[ 06-04-2002, 10:54: Message edited by: Jesse Jaymes ]