[Cheezywan]

I went trough this problem years ago with my Redhawk. Cured it! The light primer strike “thing” seems to be coming back a bit. Something near one or two out of fifty rounds fired double-action will misfire. Second strike always lights them up. Single-action is 100%.

Two thoughts in my head right now. One easy. One some “harder”.

Easy: My mainspring is getting “tired”.

Harder: Firing pin protrusion. That pin is difficult to set-up for remove and replacement.

I always value input from this board. Thanks in advance for whatever you have to offer.


Cheezywan

 

[sionaprhys]

Try some different ammo. Check your headspace. Check your firing pin protrusion. Make sure the mainspring is clean, lubed, and moving freely. Make sure your transfer bar is working properly. Replace the mainspring.

 

[Flat Top]

Cheezy; If your firing pin protrudes about .045 to .050, and your mainspring is good...you can file about .010 to .020 off the face of the top step of the hammer. If you need to email me feel free to do so, and I will try to help you out: [email protected] I have repaired a number of Redhawks with the same problem, and there are other fixes that can help as well.

 

[Cheezywan]

It seems that I’m right on the raw edge of reliability with this one. I shot another box of the same ammo through it again (double-action) with no misfires.
I made only one change. I oiled it a lot. Way more than I would normally use.

Measures like I could get another 0.006” of firing pin protrusion by taking that amount off of the face of the hammer. Thanks for that thought Flattop.

I’m not sure if I could gain another 0.001” by setting the cylinder back or not? Purdy tight in that regard already.

A spring one coil longer (stronger) is do-able as well.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Cheezywan

 

[Flat Top]

Cheezywan; I am new to the Redhawk, but, now that I have worked with a few of them, I find that it is a different beast for sure. The "light strike" issue is a common one, and it normally leads to firing pin lenght, spring tension, etc. One thing you also need to check is where the mainspring spring strut goes through the mainspring lever. Make sure the strut is smooth and the end that goes through the lever is rounded...I make this modification and then polish the strut. The hole in the mainspring lever should be chamfered and polished as well, and the ends of the spring should be deburred. I was having some light hits and after reworking the normal things, I found that the mainspring strut was hanging up and draging in the hole on the lever...it was all burred up, and evidently was hanging just enough to cause a momentary glitch when the hammer fell...causing light strikes. Anyway, after I caught that and fixed it, I havent had a light strike/misfire since. Just something else to look for.

 

[lumberjak]

I’m not sure if I could gain another 0.001” by setting the cylinder back or not? Purdy tight in that regard already.
Cheezywan

What was the cylinder end shake? If you're out on the far edge, say around .006, could be time for one of these.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=519485

 

[Cheezywan]

What was the cylinder end shake? If you're out on the far edge, say around .006, could be time for one of these.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=519485

Is purdy minimal lumberjak. I'm not sure I could fit one of those in there without binding things up?

A little more information for you folks.

I've had this one for 25-30 years (wife or future wife "gifted" it to me. I can't recall if we had married yet or not?) .
Trouble like this right out of the box. Went back to Sturm Ruger muey pronto. It came back with their "blessing".
The same trouble persisted, so I got mad at it myself. Examined,measured, and spoke to folks at Brownells and even Ron Powers on the landline (all of this before Al Gore invented the internet).

Fine stones, emery paper, springs , elbow grease , and alot of trigger time cured it years ago. Right up until I started this thread!

Is NOT PRISTINE CLEAN! I shoot it and use it real regular. Is not ignored either. No belly button lint in this one.

Thinking some on taking a little off of the hammer and giving it a real "detail clean" at this time. Not in a hurry to do so though.

Spring has arrived here in Iowa. I'd prefer to do some other stuff about now.

Cheezywan

 

[Flat Top]

Cheezy; 25 to 30 years...heck, thats the problem....its not even broken in yet!!!!

 

[lumberjak]

Is purdy minimal lumberjak. I'm not sure I could fit one of those in there without binding things up?

A little more information for you folks.

I've had this one for 25-30 years (wife or future wife "gifted" it to me. I can't recall if we had married yet or not?) .
Trouble like this right out of the box. Went back to Sturm Ruger muey pronto. It came back with their "blessing".
The same trouble persisted, so I got mad at it myself. Examined,measured, and spoke to folks at Brownells and even Ron Powers on the landline (all of this before Al Gore invented the internet).

Fine stones, emery paper, springs , elbow grease , and alot of trigger time cured it years ago. Right up until I started this thread!

Is NOT PRISTINE CLEAN! I shoot it and use it real regular. Is not ignored either. No belly button lint in this one.

Thinking some on taking a little off of the hammer and giving it a real "detail clean" at this time. Not in a hurry to do so though.

Spring has arrived here in Iowa. I'd prefer to do some other stuff about now.

Cheezywan

An end shake bushing would be a wildcard. Doubt end shake alone would cause the problem but only be additive as it might act to deaden the primer strike if excessive. I rooted around the net but only found the usual, short firing pins, take a little off the hammer nose and the ever popular warning about Redhawks and lighter springs. I have confidence in your Iowan ingenuity. Drink a beer, give the gun a beer and let us know what you figure out.

 

[Cheezywan]

Is a "burr" in my brain now. I'm going to need to tear it down again. Just to look at, and remember what has already been done. Know that a lot of stuff got stoned and polished.

Probably a "good thing" to re-visit ones own work now and again? Learn from mistakes and poor judgement.

I was "on a mission" to make it work back then.

Must haved missed something? Look forward to slapping self on head this time!

Thanks for your suggestions.

Cheezywan

 

[Cheezywan]

You folks were very kind to have replied to my thread here. Update time.

I tore my Redhawk down last Sunday and tossed it in the solvent tank. I’ve been cleaning, inspecting, and re-assembling a little at a time (after work) all week!

Lots of firing residue (mixed with gun oil) in the crane/ cylinder assembly. It took some effort to get solvent to run clean in there.

As per lumberjac’s suggestion, I added an endshake bushing. The cylinder closed hard so I took that out.

I can report now that the cylinder “spins” as though on ball bearings. Bore and chambers are cleaner than new.

I think I found something! Anyone care to guess? I was hoping to put this problem to rest today, but I can wait. Not sure of my next step anyway.


Cheezywan

 

[lumberjak]

Don't ever listen to that lumberjac guy
I'd be wonderin if you washed some crud out of the firing pin hole? Maybe a crud ring under the ejector star? A burr on the hammer comes to mind... or the mainspring not sliding smoothly on the strut. Is it a stainless Redhawk, because if it is, that might eliminate the burr idea? Ruger's stainless is tougher than chinese arithmatic. Dirty lockup could be looked at, letting the cylinder shift just a little bit. Hmmm...ok, I give up. I'll be in suspense till you post. Hope you gotter fixed.
(could have been the beer mebbe)

 

[Cheezywan]

You kinda got it with a little twist there lumberjak.

KHO6400 is the staked pin that the hammer link (KHO6900) pivots on.

It seems that it somehow drifted left (about 0.001”) and could not reseat due to its staked head.

That protruding head was causing drag between the frame and the hammer on the passenger side.

I reseated that pin and polished both sides of the hammer. Went ahead and stoned about 0.004” off of the hammer step like Flat Top suggested just for good measure.
Is all back together now.

I have created a new problem it seems.
It is so clean that I don’t want to shoot it! Think I’m going to just reload some ammo and look at it for awhile.

Thanks again
Cheezywan

 

[lumberjak]

Glad you got it fixed. Did you see it...or feel it. I find that my fingers see better than my eyeballs do and that's not just old age, been mechanicin all my life...feelin for rough spots comes natural.

 

[Cheezywan]

I saw the wear marks opposite the head of the pin. Then felt the head with my thumb nail.

I took pictures of both sides. They are to big to put here though.

I've been shooting a little after work this week. 40+ rounds double-action. So far so good. Purdy confidant it's fixed.

Cheezywan