[Walkalong]

Help.
I am having trouble putting my Blackhack back together. I dissasembled it completely to clean and smooth it over it bit. I picked it up recently at a gun show here and it was dirty, but in great shape, and it shoots real well. Anyway, I got all the parts back in the frame and the grip frame OK. The trigger/pawl/cylinder catch all work fine using my fingers for springs. The problem is when I put the grip frame on and hook the trigger return spring back up it does not. I can pull the hammer back and it will catch on the sear, but will not go back any further to release it. I mean it is SOLID, it won't move back from there. I have to dissasemble the two frames to get it to fall and try again, but to no avail. What am I missing? Thanks, Anthony

 

[bowhunter]

Walkalong, From the "looks" of your picture, you are trying to mount the grip frame with the hammer strut/spring assembly in the grip frame. Apparently the hammer is "jamming" against the strut. Remove the hammer strut/spring from the grip and mount the grip frame on the revolver frame and tighten all 5 screws. The last thing you should install is the hammer strut/spring assembly. The hammer should then "cock" normally and fire with a normal trigger pull. Make sure you also "hook" up the trigger spring "legs" on their posts............Dick

 

[Walkalong]

The hammer cocks just fine. Then then trigger will not move any further back to release it. I tried it just a bit ago with the hammer strut/spring out of the gun and it still does the same thing. It will be OK until I try to tighten the screws.

 

[gunman42782]

Do you have the trigger spring (the forward round curved part) in it's groove in the trigger? This can be a bear sometimes getting back in where it belongs.

 

[SKYLINE]

A lot of ruger single actions have to have the mainspring & strut in the grip frame before assembly. My 50th mod. 357 and single six are two of them. If the hammer strut is in backwards you can not cock the gun.
Look at the cylinder latch spring and plunger, sometimes it slips when going back together.
I'd take it all apart and reassemble by manual.
Maybe iowegan can get in on this. Good luck you'll get it.
Eric

 

[Walkalong]

Well. I figured out what it is doing. The trigger is getting cocked over to the side on the way back when cocking the hammer and locking up against the grip frame opening it sticks through. If I lightly hold my finger against the trigger on the gate side and cock the hammer the trigger moves straight back and it does great. Nice and smooth, great smooth release, but if not the trigger wants to cock over to that side and bind against the opening. I need to figure out why that is hapening and I'll be good to go. I know now why it worked at first. The screws were all slighty loose when I went to take it apart, not bad, just not tight, and it does fine like that. It binds when they are all tight. At least I have all the parts in the right place. AC

 

[bowhunter]

Walkalong, It looks like you have a lot of "slack" between the parts riding on the "trigger pin". You can put an appropriate size metal washer between the trigger and cylinder latch on the "pin" to take up this "slack". You may have to put washers on both sides of the "trigger" to make sure it is centered in it's frame slot. Make sure there is no "binding" and the trigger and cylinder latch have "free" movement. Put a drop or two of oil on the assembly. Check these things out and get back to us...........Dick

 

[Walkalong]

Hello bowhunter.
I thought about doing just that, laying awake last night thinking over the working parts. I pulled it apart this evening after work and there was definitely room for one on both sides, but I wanted it to square up by itself. I felt like it should.

I went back in and squared up and polished the two surfaces that make the trigger cock back. The hammer pushes against the trigger above its pivot point to bring it back and catch the sear. I also squared up and polished the tab the trigger return spring pushes against. The 180 degree bend in the spring itself was a little out of square and I bent it a tad to make it lay flat against the grip frame bottom. I put it all back together and now it is very, very smooth cocking and firing. The trigger stays in the center of the slot it sticks out of. I have dry fired it a lot at all angles and it does great. It was a learning experience and a hair puller, but I got it. I can't wait to shoot it again. It shot very well before I tore it down to clean and slick up.

Before cleaning etc.:

After cleaning etc. and getting it back together and working right:

$375 out the door. It needed some loving, but I am very happy with it. The bore and chambers are like new. I did a slight bevel on the chamber mouths and put a high polish on them. I lightly polished the chambers and throats. I chucked up the cylinder in my little lathe and did a bit of polishing with 600 grit to take out some carry marks in the stainless and shine it up a bit. I put a slight bevel on the front of the cylinder before doing this. I rounded and polished the trigger as well. This will be a good shooter for my kids to enjoy long after I am gone.

 

[bowhunter]

Walkalong, The best way to learn about guns and what makes them work is exactly the "course" you took with this Blackhawk! That's exactly the method I followed many years ago when I started out smithin' my own guns. Did that for several years before I got into professional Gunsmithing. Understand that giving "advice" from a "distance" without having your hand on the firearm in question is going to always be an in-exact "science", but glad to help and see that it turned out well for you. A good "course" of action would be to start putting together a "library" of gun books, such as disassembly manuals, gunsmithing books and schematic breakdown manuals for starters if you hav'nt already done that. They all really help a lot for the newby and "old" pro as well. There is a lot of good info to be had on these forums from a lot of very knowledgeable people............Dick

 

[rman]

Good job Walkalong! I installed a new pawl in my .41 Blackhawk many moons ago, but I'm not sure I would try it again. Bowhunters tip about the manuals is a good idea. Seems like any time I try to disassemble a gun I haven't shot for a long time, I get stumped. It's sure handy to have the books and diagrams.

 

[Walkalong]

I am comfortable taking a NM Blackhawk apart now. I figure I dismantled it completely about 4 times and seperated the main frame from the grip frame and studied the parts while it was apart 12 to 15 times. I would not hesitate to do it again on one that needed a thorough cleaning.

I took a 1911 apart with no help or instructions when I was 17. I was fascinated with the round peg through the square hole. ( sear pin thru the disconnector) The design was simplistically complicated. I was hooked on 1911's. It could have easliy been a Ruger SA. They are similar in their simplicity of design. So many pistols have so many springs and tiny parts to do no more than a Blackhawk or 1911 with their small number of parts.