Ok, New problem for me, perhaps folks here can comment on it.
About a month ago, I purchased a brand new Blackhawk. My first.
Conversion revolver, handles .40 and 10MM.
I was pretty excited about the 10 mm portion, and began handloading for that cartridge. Something I have never done.
Shooting it in .40 was fine.
I worked up loads for the 10mm and went to the range with a lot of excitement.
After firing a round or two, I had the cylinder pretty much locking up all the time. I would have to pull the pin, open the gate, and work the cylinder out and try to remove fired cases.
Over and over.
I quickly noticed that some rounds were not fully seating in the cylinder.
The shop was going to send it back to Ruger, so I was surprised the gun was ready in three days, and the shop told me it was a simple fix to polish up the cylinder, so I was relieved.
Went to the range today, same problem. I managed to resist the urge to hurl it downrange.
Upon close inspection, here is the problem: I can take a factory round, drop it in a chamber, and it might have a 1/16th still protruding, maybe a bit more.
If I rotate that round a quarter turn, it drops in all the way.
No wonder I can’t see a consistent pattern. Consistently inconsistent.
Anybody see this problem before or understand what is causing it?
I am returning it to the shop tomorrow, and I’m going to type up a description, and include pictures. But if you can help me with additional info that would be great. My recommendation to the shop will be to send it back to Ruger, and let them deal with it.
Thanks,
Rich

Am I reading this right? This is a factory gun with two cylinders? .40 and 10mm?

Never had that problem with my .40 conversion.
About half wouldn't fire though. Ended up after seeing a very slight mark on the primer. OF silver soldering a tiny tab of tin on the contact area of the hammer. That cured the problem.

What are you loading the .40's with? Powder and charge please, with what bullet wt?

I'd take a mic to the unfired cases and verify it's not ammo problems first.

Good luck and hope they/you get it figured out. Please share the solution with us too.

George

Had a very similar problem with a Blackhawk 44 Mag. Two smiths said they fixed it. Not. Sent it to Ruger, problem solved. They never said what the cause/problem was, didn't/doesn't matter. Been working flawlessly for the last 25 years.

I would send it to ruger might be that the 10mm cly was not chambered properly.

Guys, thanks, it’s a mystery, but going back to the shop today. I will ask them to send it back to Ruger.
Yes, one handgun, that shoots two different calibers. If you think about it, 10 mm and .40, are the same diameter. You get two cylinders, that look identical from the outside. Just swap in the one you want.
It’s a stainless steel Blackhawk, it really is beautiful. Except for this problem!
At first I thought it must be my handloads, even though I had loaded plated bullets, and kept the velocity down low. Factory rounds chamber with the same problem.

The best combo includes a 38-40 cylinder, which holds a very large amount of powder, being a BP cartridge originally.
Anyway, does your cylinder drag before firing, or only after firing? That is very important to the diagnosis.
Oh, get a new gunsmith; cylinder chamber finish is never the problem; in fact, a polished chamber will exacerbate fired brass back up since it can't grab the walls as well.
I have built a few Blackhawk combinations of 40 calibers so it is not rocket surgery. And so has Ruger.
And you can send it to ruger yourself; via UPS only. Cut out the no value added, middle men.

quote:

And you can send it to ruger yourself; via UPS only. Cut out the no value added, middle men

Exactly
and Ruger is an absolute dream to deal with, they are just great..

I called Ruger and discussed my issue they emailed me a mailing label that I paid for, they returned the firearms directly to me when completed.

Referring to my former post on this subject.

I had a pair of 9mm/357 combos.

Decided a .40 would make a dandy for such a gun.
Rebarreled it and bored the 9mm cyl out. Ruger wrote a letter that they would not make such a conversion.

Factory loads and my reloads with a case full of #9s with 175gr cast. Are both Pip Squeak loads. Reason I went with the 40's, I have a 5 gal bucket nearly full of brass and hadn't found over a dozen 10's in years.

Soon as I get off my butt and do it, intend to make up some test loads using Clays. I have not run them over a chronograph yet. I very much need to do this and will when I start test loads with Clays.

George

usually if you call Ruger with a problem like this they will send a call tag and a box so you don't get stuck with the $$$ for shipping...Ruger customer service has always been a class act for me.

Quick update on my problem: I went back to the gun shop, and with some factory loads was able to show that a couple of the chambers seem very finicky, and as I mentioned above, by rotating a round, it will either drop in all the way, or pertrude slightly. Very easy to duplicate in front of my witness.
A few days later I got a call that the gunsmith was able to remove copper deposits, and polish the chambers.
I have shot several boxes of 40, and 10 mm ammo through it, my own reloads, without incident.
It felt great to be able to shoot this revolver, without having to take it apart with a jammed up cylinder.
I had only shot approximately two boxes of 10mm through it, I can’t imagine that I could have had copper build up in that short of a time, in a brand new gun.
I suspect that there might have been rough spots in the chambers, but now that they are polished out, it is working as it should. But honestly, it’s a mystery.
I will close this out by saying that firearms that do not function correctly drive me absolutely crazy. Through it all, I kept looking at this Blackhawk and saying “this is a beautiful revolver”.
Hopefully my problem is solved, and now I can enjoy it.