OT - Ruger Tune Up

salvo · Post by **salvo** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:37 am

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 a gage, shoots 1.5â€

CraigC · Post by **CraigC** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:48 am

Well done! That new forcing cone sure is purty. I had a hell of a time with fixed sights on stainless steel single actions and had my .45 Bisquero fitted with Clements' proprietary pre-war S&W style rear sight, among other things. Problem solved!

Post by **Hobie** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:53 am

That is pretty neat. I can't tell you how many times I looked at one of those before opting for the New Vaquero. I like it!

salvo · Post by **salvo** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:55 am

That sure is nice! I want to fit a dove tail front sight, just need to find one first!

PPpastordon · Post by **PPpastordon** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:55 am

Salvo;
I like your pick of RUGERs! My favorites.
I love the barrel lengths. My favorites.

I once had a V. just like that but never could get it to shoot. I swapped the Bisley goodies out with a 4 5/8" .45 Colt Ruger, sold that .44 and never looked back. Probably the only Ruger I ever sold that I have not missed!
The problem was the stainless sights on the V. No matter what I did, coloring, smoking, etc., it seemed I could not see them properly.
I do wish I had another 4 5/8" .44 stainless to put those Bisley parts onto, but I can live with the .45 - for now!
Thanks for sharing and I am anxiously waiting to find out how your's now shoots.
PPpastordon

meanc · Post by **meanc** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:58 am

Salvo,

Give me some info on that Brownells kit. Did it come with the all the tools necessary for the chambers and the crown or do you need any other special tools to make it work?

I've got the Vaquero as well as four other Ruger 44s (1 Redhawk and 3 SBHs) , and it doesn't group as accurately as I need it to.

I shoot 240gr JSP w/19.5gr of 2400 and all of them group right around 1.5" and better at 50yds. But, like yours, that Vaquero for some reason doesn't want to group worth a darn at 25yds.

I'll be interested in the range report after all that work.

CraigC · Post by **CraigC** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:13 am

Clements also does a dovetail front sight. This is what the above gun was equipped with before the adjustable sight conversion.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:24 am

Excellent report! Can't wait to hear how she shoots now.

don Tomás · Post by **don Tomás** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:33 pm

Salvo,
That's just plain nice! Well done. Waiting for the range report...

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:36 pm

Great post! I'm betting she now does as well as your old model SBH. Can't wait to see and hear your report!

BlaineCGarverakaTubbyTuba · Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:01 pm

Why, Oh Why won't Ruger do this before they leave the factory. I'm sure everyone would be willing to pay for this service...

CraigC · Post by **CraigC** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:25 am

BlaineCGarverakaTubbyTuba wrote:Why, Oh Why won't Ruger do this before they leave the factory. I'm sure everyone would be willing to pay for this service...

The .44Magnums typically don't suffer from chamber mouth irregularities but I reckon it can happen. It's usually the .45Colt getting "reamed". None of my custom Ruger .44's needed any chamber mouth work. Forcing cones and crowns are always a crapshoot though.

steveb · Post by **steveb** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:22 am

Good post and pics!

oregon73 · Post by **oregon73** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:27 am

Good post! I can't wait to hear how it shoots.

Part of the fun with Rugers, I have found, is getting to "tinker" with them.

Rob

salvo · Post by **salvo** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:23 pm

Success

I forgot to bring a camera, so I saved two targets, the first is the first 6 shots from the Bisley at 25 yds. 1 1/4" Low and to the right.

After regulating the sights (Took forever to get it right)
Three shots 5/8" at 25 yds.
240 gr. JSP - 24.2 gr H110

It is shooting better than the SBH now, time to fine tune it!

salvo · Post by **salvo** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:28 pm

CraigC wrote:
BlaineCGarverakaTubbyTuba wrote:Why, Oh Why won't Ruger do this before they leave the factory. I'm sure everyone would be willing to pay for this service...
The .44Magnums typically don't suffer from chamber mouth irregularities but I reckon it can happen. It's usually the .45Colt getting "reamed". None of my custom Ruger .44's needed any chamber mouth work. Forcing cones and crowns are always a crapshoot though.

Like CraigC said, the big problem seems to be with the .45's
Here is the measurments of the Bisley's chamber mouths before reaming.
Not a lot of variation.
Now they are all the same size.

salvo · Post by **salvo** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:48 pm

meanc wrote:Salvo,

Give me some info on that Brownells kit. Did it come with the all the tools necessary for the chambers and the crown or do you need any other special tools to make it work?

I've got the Vaquero as well as four other Ruger 44s (1 Redhawk and 3 SBHs) , and it doesn't group as accurately as I need it to.

I shoot 240gr JSP w/19.5gr of 2400 and all of them group right around 1.5" and better at 50yds. But, like yours, that Vaquero for some reason doesn't want to group worth a darn at 25yds.

I'll be interested in the range report after all that work.

To do the 11 deg forcing cone you need the Basic Chamfer Kit .38 - .45
#080-479-451 Retail $79.97

To do the cylinder you need the Manson Cylinder Throat Reamer .44
#513-000-030 Retail $75.00
.44 Pilot Pack #513-000-031 $48.00

To do the Muzzle Crown you need the Chamfering & Facing Combo Set
I got the one for 45-70 #080-946-458 $149.97
And bought the pilots for .22 - .38 & .44 $19.95 Ea.

As you can see it helps to have a few revolvers that the tools could be used for to spread the cost.

CraigC · Post by **CraigC** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:46 pm

Nice! I'd take that any day of the week, especially with stainless fixed sights.

What did you end up doing with the mouths, just even them all out at .432"?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:51 pm

Congrats salvo!!!

salvo · Post by **salvo** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:02 am

Thanks Ysabel Kid, I couldn't be happier with the results!

CraigC, that is what all of them ended up at .432"