Free Spin Pawl for 5 Shot Rugers

[Alaskan454]

I was wondering if anyone knows where to find a free spin pawl for 5 shot Rugers? My spare Power Custom part is for 6 shot guns and isn't long enough to function properly in the 5 shooter. If I modify the factory part I like to have a spare and keep the original. After calling Ruger CS I was informed their new policy limits pawls to FFL holders and gunsmiths. I called Power Custom and the person I spoke with said they have an oversized part but it was special order. I'll probably order the part from Power Custom but was curious if anyone else knows of alternate options? I'm not very thrilled about the restriction on SA pawls Ruger has put in place.

[pacecars]

I asked David Clements about it and he told me you cannot freespin the cyl. due to the geometry of the ratchet

[Alaskan454]

I realized that after examining the factory pawl for a while, if anyone wants a free-spin pawl you will need to order the oversize pawl plus from Power Custom.

[44spl]

I don't understand Clements' response. The number of chambers and the different geometry of the ratchets between a 5 or 6 shot is correct; the pawl must be a bit longer to turn the cyl 72 degrees for each chamber instead of only 60 degrees for a 6 shot, but has nothing to do with making the pawl free spin the cyl.

Therefore the need for an oversize (longer) pawl. Although 6 shot pawls usually work in 5 shots and visa versa, because there's so little difference in length.


But here's another solution besides the Powers Custom pawl and it's easy and free: Modify your pawl to a free wheel cylinder pawl. No cost and almost no skill required (also see FAQs below):
marauder.homestead.com/files/FreeSpin.html

You can pick up a used Ruger 6 shot large frame pawl on gunbroker and ebay and experiment with it.

SHORTCUT FOR REMOVING JUST HAMMER and/or PAWL:

Recognize, you do not need to hassle with the PESKY LOADING GATE SPRING, pull the trigger pin, OR trigger/transfer bar JUST to remove the hammer and pawl. Once you remove the grip frame, the hammer pin is the only other part you need to remove. After that, just pull the hammer back and all the way down, then depress the hammer plunger in the base of the hammer with a small tipped screwdriver to clear the trigger extension where the transfer bar connects to it. Let the hammer & pawl fall out. Reinstall the hammer and pawl back in the same way they came out. Push the plunger in by pushing it against the trigger extension just like you did with the tip of the small screwdriver, and the hammer will slip by the trigger extension. Piece o’ cake.

If either the trigger or hammer pin are snug fits, after they’re removed the first time, it’s the opportunity to polish them so they’re slip fits to put back in and remove the next time.

[Alaskan454]

I compared the factory 5 and 6 shot pawls along with a power custom free spin for the 6 shot guns. The overall length is not long enough to rotate the cylinder before the lower step engages, which will jam the gun while cocking. This requires you to manually cycle the cylinder in order to index the chamber. I measured beforehand and installed all three pawls to confirm. If you free spin your factory 5 shot pawl you might have enough length to make it work, mine wasn't long enough. Jerry Kuhnhausen's shop manual has a good section on proper pawl length and ratchet geometry.

[Alaskan454]

Here are some good visuals to point out why the cut of the ratchet is every bit as important, might explain David's thinking better than my writing:


singleactions.proboards.com/post/45367/thread


singleactions.proboards.com/post/99315/thread

[whitworth]

Mar 11, 2016 13:19:45 GMT -5 pacecars said:

I asked David Clements about it and he told me you cannot freespin the cyl. due to the geometry of the ratchet

That's odd. Huntington has already done a number of these modifying the factory pawl and they work really well.

[Alaskan454]

Whitworth, do you know how he modifies the factory part?  Is it done like the link 44spl posted?

[frankenfab]

The 5 shot pawl in my 500 Linebaugh is actually shorter than a stock 6 shot pawl. When John made the cylinder, he cut the flats of the ratchet lower in relation to the base pin centerline.

[Alaskan454]

Got my pawl plus in the mail and it works like a charm, though I still need a Belt Mountain pin to tighten up the cylinder play.

[jonwithgun]

I tried the filing mod with my 5 shot SBH yesterday and did not have success with it. I'd done this once before with a blackhawk with no issues. This time around I was able to get it to spin freely but it will not advance the cylinder enough after the modification and ends up binding the hammer up halfway through cocking it. I cut the pawl to the same specifications as referenced for 6 shot pawls, so perhaps that is the problem. Either way, looks like I'll be trying to fit a replacement pawl now.

[jonwithgun]

So a little update on this for anyone interested. I purchased a free spin pawl PLUS from power custom, and after fitting it and installing (the plus version really does take a significant amount of fitting by the way, so be prepared for that), the end result was that the cylinder would not advance more than maybe 1/3rd of a normal turn leading the hammer to bind up halfway through it's motion.
I was on the phone with the owner of Power Customs for about 45 minutes who came to the conclusion that the overall length of the pawl plus wasn't sufficient to advance the cylinder. He was very helpful and offered to have me send the gun to him and let him see if he could get one long enough to fit, or try to stretch the pawl plus on my own by hammering the unhardened center section to attempt to lengthen it. He said they've sold about a half dozen of the pawl plus versions for these 5 shot SBH's and this was the first one he'd heard of being too short, but that he'd also not seen one of the 5 shots in person to try to fit one.

I tried the hammer lengthening trick, but couldn't get it to work well without getting the pawl out of shape, so I'm stuck either paying to ship it off to power customs to have them look at trying to fit one for me (free of charge except the shipping, which was a very nice offer), or biting the bullet and sending it back to ruger to have them fit a factory pawl again I suppose. I might end up just getting it back to factory, as there's no guarantee he'll be able to find another plus with enough length on it.

So a word of caution to anyone thinking of doing this to a 5 shot, it isn't as straight forward as it has been in the past, proceed with caution.