Revolver cylinder play **Pics added**

[cdncowboy]

I just bought a new Ruger Redhawk in .44mag. When I unlock the cylinder and swing it out of the frame, there is a fair amount of front/back play... so much so that when I go to swing it back into the frame the rear of the cylinder (rachet) can hit the frame if the cylinder is pushed to the farthest rearward position and if I move it all the way forward then the face of the cylinder can touch the barrel... so I have to manually keep the cylinder in "the middle" position so it slides into the frame smoothly. Now, once the cylinder is locked into position there is almost no play and when the hammer is cocked there is zero play.

This is my first double action revolver.... is this normal?

Thanks for the help.

 

[BCRider]

A little play when not seated is normal. But when I check my own Redhawk it doesn't move far enough to not allow closing the cylinder. At most it just rubs the forcing cone lightly or the rear star against the recoil shield lightly. Neither of which is enough to actually block the cylinder from closing. If your gun actually "catches" so that it won't close without relieving the fore or aft pressure to let the cylinder center itself then it suggests that something is out of spec in the ejector rod assembly.

On the other hand if it is only lightly rubbing as I described then you're worried about nothing. There is also no need to actually center the cylinder either. Just close it normally and it'll center itself. You're not damaging anything.

The things to avoid are slamming the cylinder open or closed like you sometimes see in the movies. Few things will result in a bent crane or ejector rod pin more quickly than that sort of nonsense. Closeing it fast by hand such as in a speed match is fine. Slamming it closed with a flick of the wrist isn't.

 

[johNTO]

My 4.2" Redhawk cylinder shows very little front/back play (as you described). The front clears the the forcing cone and the rear clears the recoil shield without my assistance to center the cylinder.

 

[cdncowboy]

A little play when not seated is normal. But when I check my own Redhawk it doesn't move far enough to not allow closing the cylinder. At most it just rubs the forcing cone lightly or the rear star against the recoil shield lightly. Neither of which is enough to actually block the cylinder from closing. If your gun actually "catches" so that it won't close without relieving the fore or aft pressure to let the cylinder center itself then it suggests that something is out of spec in the ejector rod assembly.

On the other hand if it is only lightly rubbing as I described then you're worried about nothing. There is also no need to actually center the cylinder either. Just close it normally and it'll center itself. You're not damaging anything.

The things to avoid are slamming the cylinder open or closed like you sometimes see in the movies. Few things will result in a bent crane or ejector rod pin more quickly than that sort of nonsense. Closeing it fast by hand such as in a speed match is fine. Slamming it closed with a flick of the wrist isn't.

Mine doesn't "catch" but does exactly as you described... either rubbs the forcing cone lightly or the rear star against the recoil shield lightly. The slight touching of the rear star against the recoil shield is leaving a slight wear mark though as it touches the frame just beneath the indent.

This picture shows the slight marking of the frame from the rear star rubbing when closing cyclinder:

This pic shows the star contacting frame when closing:

This picture shows the gap at the front of the cylinder between the face of the cylinder and the ejector rod... it is this space that allows the cylinder to move.

Again, this is my first double action revolver so maybe this is all normal?

Thanks very much for the help.