I have a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .45 Colt that's been acting up lately. I've had the gun for years without any problems until now. Here's the problem: When shooting, as I pull the hammer back, it wants to stop halfway back and can't be pulled back any farther. If you let the hammer down and manually realign the cylinder, the hammer cocks normally for that shot. The strange thing is, if I repeatedly cock and let the hammer down without shooting, it seems to function normally. Anybody see this before?
I don't know if there are any good s/a smiths in Sacramento, but I thought Jack Huntington was up around Grass Valley, and he definately knows Ruger revolvers, and has been real helpful whenever I've contacted him.
UNLOADED, hold the gun up so you can see the cylinder stop where it engages the cylinder. It sounds like it is out of time.
The other thing is the plunger in the back of the base pin. This plunger holds the trigger transfer bar outward. If the plunger is not there, or stuck, the transfer bar will hit the bottom of the firing pin and hang up.