[Steve in PA]

I posted this in the maintenance section, but didn't get any answers.

I've owned my SRH for over 20 years. Whenever I disassemble the revolver, when it came to the cylinder, I've always removed the two steel balls (cylinder retaining balls KE03000) in order to thoroughly clean everything.

I was watching some You Tube videos today, and in several they claimed the balls will not come out of their recess in the crane. I don't recall the balls being pinned or held in by anything.

Just wondering if anyone else noticed this.

 

[Smithy]

Mine stay in. Maybe a call to Ruger support staff and they can tell you if 1. it's an old model and that's normal or 2. Somethings wrong and send it to them for the fix. Smithy.

 

[Steve in PA]

I've had my SRH for over 20 years and it functions flawlessly. I just assumed they came out of all revolvers.

Think I'll fire off an email to Ruger and see what they have to say.

 

[Steve in PA]

I received a return email from Ruger Customer Service in regards to my question about the cylinder retaining balls. According to Ruger, they should not come out. They requested I call for an RMA and send it my entire firearm for an evaluation.

Going to have to wait until after hunting season for that!!

 

[Smithy]

I received a return email from Ruger Customer Service in regards to my question about the cylinder retaining balls. According to Ruger, they should not come out. They requested I call for an RMA and send it my entire firearm for an evaluation.

Going to have to wait until after hunting season for that!!

Thanks for the posting Steve!! This had me second guessing my own SRH's and if it was I that had the problem with mine not coming out. Everyone's degree of disassembly is different from one another and I've taken mine down to very small parts, but then I read folks swapping out firing pins and taking out the recoil shield to do so. Way too much for me. I don't even bother with the cylinder latch lever and spring because Ruger has that part loctited up and I'd hate to have mine loosen out during firing. Same with the hammer: It always stays as an assembly and not a half dozen parts. When I was first starting many moons ago I remember going over my head and taking my gunsmith more than a few baggie parts guns for him to put back together. Years and a lot of training and I now am the guy putting together customer's baggie guns. The worst that I've ever seen was a Ruger MK II that not only did the guy not know how to put it together, he didn't know how to take it apart, so a lot of the parts had scratches and pry marks trying to get the barrel/receiver off the grip frame. Live and learn I guess. Smithy.

 

[Steve in PA]

I never really bothered to check or worry about the balls coming out, because I thought they were supposed to come out. I double checked the crane and can see where they should be held in by small stakes on either side of their openings.

There is no worry about them coming out or the cylinder malfunctioning when the entire assembly is put together. The only time I would have to worry is when I completely tear down the cylinder, but I've been doing that for 20+ years, so I know to watch for them.

 

[Smithy]

The only time I would have to worry is when I completely tear down the cylinder

That's why, even though I have all the tooling that I need to do it, I find any number of reasons NOT to do it. I find for those hard to get areas that a good solid flush with brake cleaner and then a soak in WD-40 followed by an air compressor dry does the trick. Smithy.