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Does a free spin pawl just replace the one that is there? Nothing else needs to be done? I'm thinking I should have put one in while I had my gun apart last weekend. [B)]
Free spin pawl
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I can make one? What exactly do I need to do? I suppose if I compare the pics of the factry to the power custom I can see the differance?
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Great link, jimbo1096! Thanks.
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Alright. The link Jimbo posted shows that the free spin pawl is a straight drop in after a little filing. However if I get the free spin pawl from Brownell's it says that it needs gunsmith fitting. Why is this? Will the one from Brownell's just drop in or not? I don't see why it wouldn't.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=9862&st=&s=
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=9862&st=&s=
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Ruger pawls have two tips. The upper tip is what gets the cylinder to start rotating then the function is literally handed off to the lower tip. The lower tip continues to rotate the cylinder and regulates how far the cylinder rotates when the hammer reaches full cock position. The top tip is where the pawl is ground off so it won't contact the ratchets with the hammer down, thus "free spin".
New pawls come with a slightly oversized lower tip so you need to adjust the length of the lower tip with a file. When slowly cocking the hammer, the sear should click in place at the same moment the cylinder latch snaps into the lock notch. This adjustment can be done with the gun fully assembled except removing the cylinder to file the lower tip.
New pawls come with a slightly oversized lower tip so you need to adjust the length of the lower tip with a file. When slowly cocking the hammer, the sear should click in place at the same moment the cylinder latch snaps into the lock notch. This adjustment can be done with the gun fully assembled except removing the cylinder to file the lower tip.
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Ok so I can put it in and then put it together and then file the lower tip while it's together. From some other reading I did I thought I was going to have to pull the gun apart repeatedly to get it right. That would be a complete pain, but I would probably get very good at taking the gun apart and putting it back together. Thanks a ton, Iowegan. Saved me again. 
I did this modification last night to my Vaquero. Didn't even have to remove the pawl. Remove cylinder, close the loading gate, go to full cock, ready to grind. Carefully used dermal to grind the corner off. Grind a little bit, insert cylinder, and check... Repeat until cylinder rotates freely. Works great! Miss that click though . But really like not having to go around 'again' to push out an empty or insert a new round.
Note: The New Vaquero doesn't have this problem though and doesn't need this modification.
In place modification in place discussion. The other Forum ...
. But really like not having to go around 'again' to push out an empty or insert a new round. Note: The New Vaquero doesn't have this problem though and doesn't need this modification.
In place modification in place discussion. The other Forum ...
This post is to help new single action Ruger owners who are considering the free-spin mod. Warning! I am a recent owner and NOT a gunsmith.
1) Read Iowegan's Gun Guide on single actions Rugers. The mod is discussed within. See pages 50/51.
2) There are articles on the mod and videos on disassembly and reassembly available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfOXBa8K8Ow&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zEKDqwkgEs&feature=related
http://marauder.homestead.com/files/FreeSpin.html
3) There are some differences between 1) and 2) especially in how the trigger spring is to be installed. I could not make the you tube method work. Suggest using Iowegan's method. Also Iowegan suggested a small "C" clamp to depress the loading gate spring but I found using a punch easier. And I liked Iowegan's one hand method for installing the hammer and trigger assemblies into the cylinder frame. Very nice.
4) Don't get frustrated and impatient. I lost it when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Got frustrated and scratched the side of my pristine stainless gun when I repeatedly jabbed a steel punch trying to remove one of the pins. Should have stopped & had a brew before continuing.
5) Use a brass punch to drive out the pins. Don't touch any part that shows with steel objects. I made a brass punch from 3 inches of a broom handle and a 3/32 brass rod bought a hardware store but was a day late.
6) Suggest one get a new pawl and pawl spring from Ruger as backup. Ruger sent me a new pawl, no charge. Should have asked for the pawl spring as well. Yes, I mangled that as well.
7) Be sure and check that the loading gate spring tang that should contact the gate at the bottom of the gate is not positioned in front of the gate. I had to bend the tang ever so slightly to make this happen.
8) File the pawl as the referenced pictures (items 1 & 2) show. So that the upper forward point of the pawl is only about .010 thick. I tried to file a little and reassemble. I did this over and over again resulting in wasted time and frustration.
9) Put small tape pieces over the hammer pin to keep it from falling out.
10) Use a twist tie to secure the hammer strut assembly to the bottom of grip frame so the hammer assy. is secure when mating the two frames.
11) I found a simple wooden jig to hold the frame upside down helpful. Areas touching the gun should be covered with felt which can be had at material and hardware stores.
12) Use extreme care when installing the 5 grip to cylinder frame screws. These screws should screw into the frames easily with zero torque. I had to loosen, shift the parts and retighten several times in order to avoid cross threading or damage to the threads. Only after all 5 screws are gently seated torque them snugly but do not over torque.
13) It would seem that it would be best to modify the factory pawl that came with the gun and not to use a new pawl in order to avoid the issue discussed below. Wish I had read the post below before I did the mod.
FYI Previous Post by Iowegan:
(http://rugerforum.net/gunsmithing/5169-free-spin-pawl.html
"Ruger pawls have two tips. The upper tip is what gets the cylinder to start rotating then the function is literally handed off to the lower tip. The lower tip continues to rotate the cylinder and regulates how far the cylinder rotates when the hammer reaches full cock position. The top tip is where the pawl is ground off so it won't contact the ratchets with the hammer down, thus "free spin".
New pawls come with a slightly oversized lower tip so you need to adjust the length of the lower tip with a file. When slowly cocking the hammer, the sear should click in place at the same moment the cylinder latch snaps into the lock notch. This adjustment can be done with the gun fully assembled except removing the cylinder to file the lower tip."
Regards and Good Luck,
Ham
1) Read Iowegan's Gun Guide on single actions Rugers. The mod is discussed within. See pages 50/51.
2) There are articles on the mod and videos on disassembly and reassembly available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfOXBa8K8Ow&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zEKDqwkgEs&feature=related
http://marauder.homestead.com/files/FreeSpin.html
3) There are some differences between 1) and 2) especially in how the trigger spring is to be installed. I could not make the you tube method work. Suggest using Iowegan's method. Also Iowegan suggested a small "C" clamp to depress the loading gate spring but I found using a punch easier. And I liked Iowegan's one hand method for installing the hammer and trigger assemblies into the cylinder frame. Very nice.
4) Don't get frustrated and impatient. I lost it when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Got frustrated and scratched the side of my pristine stainless gun when I repeatedly jabbed a steel punch trying to remove one of the pins. Should have stopped & had a brew before continuing.
5) Use a brass punch to drive out the pins. Don't touch any part that shows with steel objects. I made a brass punch from 3 inches of a broom handle and a 3/32 brass rod bought a hardware store but was a day late.
6) Suggest one get a new pawl and pawl spring from Ruger as backup. Ruger sent me a new pawl, no charge. Should have asked for the pawl spring as well. Yes, I mangled that as well.
7) Be sure and check that the loading gate spring tang that should contact the gate at the bottom of the gate is not positioned in front of the gate. I had to bend the tang ever so slightly to make this happen.
8) File the pawl as the referenced pictures (items 1 & 2) show. So that the upper forward point of the pawl is only about .010 thick. I tried to file a little and reassemble. I did this over and over again resulting in wasted time and frustration.
9) Put small tape pieces over the hammer pin to keep it from falling out.
10) Use a twist tie to secure the hammer strut assembly to the bottom of grip frame so the hammer assy. is secure when mating the two frames.
11) I found a simple wooden jig to hold the frame upside down helpful. Areas touching the gun should be covered with felt which can be had at material and hardware stores.
12) Use extreme care when installing the 5 grip to cylinder frame screws. These screws should screw into the frames easily with zero torque. I had to loosen, shift the parts and retighten several times in order to avoid cross threading or damage to the threads. Only after all 5 screws are gently seated torque them snugly but do not over torque.
13) It would seem that it would be best to modify the factory pawl that came with the gun and not to use a new pawl in order to avoid the issue discussed below. Wish I had read the post below before I did the mod.
FYI Previous Post by Iowegan:
(http://rugerforum.net/gunsmithing/5169-free-spin-pawl.html
"Ruger pawls have two tips. The upper tip is what gets the cylinder to start rotating then the function is literally handed off to the lower tip. The lower tip continues to rotate the cylinder and regulates how far the cylinder rotates when the hammer reaches full cock position. The top tip is where the pawl is ground off so it won't contact the ratchets with the hammer down, thus "free spin".
New pawls come with a slightly oversized lower tip so you need to adjust the length of the lower tip with a file. When slowly cocking the hammer, the sear should click in place at the same moment the cylinder latch snaps into the lock notch. This adjustment can be done with the gun fully assembled except removing the cylinder to file the lower tip."
Regards and Good Luck,
Ham
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