Ruger Tune Up, Update

[salvo]

I posted part of this on the old sight a wile ago, but have added to it since then. I still need to replace the grips, but she is basicly done.

I traded for a stainless Ruger Vaquero in .44Mag about 6 months ago and have shot it once since then, the accuracy was nothing special It shot a bit low but centered at 25 yds. 2 3/4"
My old SBH I used for comparison shoots 1.5” all day long.
I shoot 240 gr. JSP – 24.2 gr. H110 – Fed 155 almost exclusively out of my .44 Mags.



So I bought some more tools from Brownells and gave it a tune up! I have four .44 Mags so the tools will get used.



First I reamed the cylinder.





Gave it an 11 deg. Forcing cone.





Squared up the muzzle and took a big nick out of the crown with a new 45 deg. Crown.



Polished the action and adjusted the sear notch depth on the hammer. 1.75# Trigger that is sweet! With the OEM springs.



And fitted a Belt Mountain base pin #5





Removed the billboard on the barrel, knocked the high spots off with a file then used Medium grit emery paper and a wood sanding block (following the barrel contour) worked it down to fine emery then finer grits of sand paper. Final polish with 3M Finesse-It #05938 and maroon 3M pad





I bought two front sights of different height from Freedom Arms, had to remove the old front sight, deck the barrel, channel then cut the dovetail. I set the sight down in the barrel slightly so you would not see the rounded barrel under the sight that would make a gap, without decking it first.
www.gunblast.com/Freedom_NewSight.htm



















I still need to replace the grips with tan ivory micarta.

She is shooting much better now!

[Fowler]

I am impressed! Very nice work....

[derekr]

Great job and great pictures. I love the front sight on your Bisley.

[carl]

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

Carl

[salvo]

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I had a good time fixing this one up, it really handles great now. Can't wait to get the grips for it, the stock grips fit horribly.

[nobearsyet]

Wanna do aother one that might be (ok it will be) more involved when I find the Vaquero to build a 44Spec on?

[salvo]

I wish I could nobearsyet, I tried to get an FFL, but zoning requirements shot me down.
I have property in the hills of Southern Utah, should be able to get an FFL there and can't wait to get out of Vegas, but I can't afford to sell my house in this crappy economy, I would have to give it away. It just may come to that this city is really getting to me.

[Cucuy]

Salvo,

Excellent series of photos and descriptions! You've made me believe that I can DIY revolver tune. Oh wait, I have little talent...

Seriously though, on a scale from 1 to 10, where would you rate yourself? I always wonder this, as I am at the break point between competent and incompetent.

[salvo]

I just love working on guns, I can do basic stuff well, I have never been afraid to modify my pistols or rifles, it has been a hobby since I refitted a broken hammer strut on my grandads HD Military .22 25 years ago. I wish I had formal training, but I am self taught, what I would give to spend a year in Lee Martin's Dads shop!
It helps to enjoy buying tools, I have never spent any money on a gunsmith but I would spend as much on tools, that I would have spent on a gunsmith or more.
I'm a lightweight with the talent on this forum and the best I can hope for is to motivate others like yourself to make there revolvers/guns there own.
I really like lever guns, here are a couple projects I put together if your interested.

onesticky.levergunscommunity.org/how_to/guidegun_mods.html

onesticky.levergunscommunity.org/how_to/winchester_94_trapper_conversion.html

[derekr]

Great job on those leverguns also! LOVE that Marlin.

[nobearsyet]

I like Pugslie, reminds me of a pistol gripped Marlin I have in 500S&W I had a gunsmith build me when the 500 was new, thought it would be more useful in a rifle.

[salvo]

Thanks, Pugslie is one of those few and far between guns that has a personality, if that's possible ;D I have never named a gun, and don't plan to name any others, it just stuck on that one.
It is the funnest gun I own to shoot! Not off a bench though.

Here is a picture of my friend with Pugslie, it really is a small levergun.

[nobearsyet]

I like it, maybe when I get bac kto work and get the other projects done (and I have a few in the wings, just need to get the first 2 done so I have the parts for the rest) we might have to sit down and see what we ca ncome up with for a little more punch tha na 500S&W in a levergun.

[salvo]

Sounds good nobearsyet, it's hard to beat the old 45-70, I know there are more powerful cartridges, but I can reach my recoil limit with the 45-70 in a chopped gun easily, after that it's a moot point in my book. But then again, when has logic ever come into play when your talking about guns ;D

[nobearsyet]

Never tha t I know of