Broke the transfer bar in a Vaquero today...
Posted: 28 Jun 2021 20:50
I had hopes it would not have happened, but... the transfer bar in my N.Vaquero 45c snapped in two while I was dry firing it a bit. Well, that's how the Oreo crumbles, I s'pose.
Ruger won't sell it. But Midway has 'em... except they're out. They _do_ have the transfer bar for the Blackhawk series, in stainless only (its only made that way these days). The difference is that the N.Vaquero has a little lip on the edge of its top surface to "fit" the transfer bar for minimal (or no) pinch. My other N.Vaquero (birdshead) came with a Super Blackhawk hammer and _no_ lip on the transfer bar, and it hadn't been "fit" either, as its casting goes right to the top. Since I fit a Super Blackhawk hammer to the gun that has the broken transfer bar (and removed the tab enough to get no pinch), I figured I'd just get the one with no tab and give it a try for all of $5.00. Worst case, I got a spare for the birdshead model. Best case is it fits just fine.
I gotta say the outsides of the current Rugers seem better and better. But, the insides... jeeze. Back in the day, at the range where I had my gunsmithing set up... I literally never saw a broken Ruger single action. Never. Oh, a few that were bubba'd and easy to restore to perfect. A few that needed a little sharp edge fixed inside. But nothing ever broke. We sold a ton of Ruger single action guns too, by far the most popular because... they were available, while most Smiths and Ruger DA and Colts were just a lot harder to come by (unless you wanted to order $20k worth of leather from Ellett Brothers), or take a few dozen police trade ins for every new Smith. It was crazy back then.
And... first the birdshead had a snapped pawl - and I know why it snapped. Just terrible file work, which left a spot where a stress riser could form at the middle "hand". Now the transfer bar. I knew it was being pinched, should have corrected it, but waited till I found and fit the new hammer. Not really my fault, but I could have prevented it.
Ruger won't sell it. But Midway has 'em... except they're out. They _do_ have the transfer bar for the Blackhawk series, in stainless only (its only made that way these days). The difference is that the N.Vaquero has a little lip on the edge of its top surface to "fit" the transfer bar for minimal (or no) pinch. My other N.Vaquero (birdshead) came with a Super Blackhawk hammer and _no_ lip on the transfer bar, and it hadn't been "fit" either, as its casting goes right to the top. Since I fit a Super Blackhawk hammer to the gun that has the broken transfer bar (and removed the tab enough to get no pinch), I figured I'd just get the one with no tab and give it a try for all of $5.00. Worst case, I got a spare for the birdshead model. Best case is it fits just fine.
I gotta say the outsides of the current Rugers seem better and better. But, the insides... jeeze. Back in the day, at the range where I had my gunsmithing set up... I literally never saw a broken Ruger single action. Never. Oh, a few that were bubba'd and easy to restore to perfect. A few that needed a little sharp edge fixed inside. But nothing ever broke. We sold a ton of Ruger single action guns too, by far the most popular because... they were available, while most Smiths and Ruger DA and Colts were just a lot harder to come by (unless you wanted to order $20k worth of leather from Ellett Brothers), or take a few dozen police trade ins for every new Smith. It was crazy back then.
And... first the birdshead had a snapped pawl - and I know why it snapped. Just terrible file work, which left a spot where a stress riser could form at the middle "hand". Now the transfer bar. I knew it was being pinched, should have corrected it, but waited till I found and fit the new hammer. Not really my fault, but I could have prevented it.