Dear SAA Guru's

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I believe I have somehow loaded a round in an SAA with a high primer. And that round it now preventing my cylinder from advancing. The thing is right under the hammer in the high noon position. Any words of wisdom here as to how to get this thing past the hitch so I can unload it? The hammer is down and can't be fully cocked because the pawl won't advance the cylinder. It can't even be 1/2 cocked. It feels like I might be able to pull the base pin but I'm not sure that buys me anything since I can't bring the hammer to the first notch to lower the cylinder stop. Before I try to force the cylinder rotation, I thought I'd ask up here.

Let me know what you think. No, I have no idea how it made it around to the position it's in. Maybe there was clearance on one side but not the other. This is my first SAA. It's a Uberti / Taylor's.

But if I look closely with a magnifier between the cylinder and the recoil shield, I can see there's too much primer protruding. Failure to inspect after it dropped in the bin from my press I suppose. Lesson learned ... we'll, inspection lesson learned. I'm hoping to learn how to clear this problem as well up here on the forum.

[junkbug]

Are you willing to just fire it? Point in a safe direction, pull the trigger and tap the hammer with a wooden weight of some kind.
I know that this won’t work in a lot of situations, but it would be my first thought.
Transporting it like that is certainly not safe. If you can’t just go outside and shoot, that won’t work.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I'll have to admit to not considering that. I'd have to take it out of my neighborhood probably. A 45 Colt going off in the burbs would not go unnoticed I think.

I'm not exactly sure if that will get me past the problem of rotation being blocked by the primer. It'll certainly become safer with the hammer over a spent round.

[Walt]

Since you're not able to bring the hammer back because the cylinder won't rotate, if it were my gun I would take it out to a safe shooting location and give the cylinder a solid rap straight back toward the recoil plate with a plastic mallet. You should have enough play in the hammer that you can hold it back so the firing pin doesn't touch the primer. That will push the primer deeper into the cartridge and enable you to remove the cylinder. Again, there are probably other ways but that's what I would do if it were mine.

[junkbug]

Another thought is to “carefully “ unscrew the grip frame. Then you can remove the bolt, and after removing the base pin, you may have enough wiggle too to work the cylinder out, very gently.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I'm also wondering if I might be able to wiggle/force a very thin feeler gauge in there and then get the primer / cylinder to slide over to the next position where it can be ejected.

[JimT]

I have had similar issues a few times. I was able to grasp the cylinder with my left hand and turn it while pulling back the hammer with my right. It was not always easy but I was able to do it. When the cartridge was lined up properly with the barrel I simply fired it and then proceeded to eject the empty.

Several times .. in an especially tight gun .. I had a similar hangup but it was due to the rim on the cartridge being distorted. I was able to pull the cylinder pin and roll the cylinder around and out of the gun.

So you might consider pulling the pin and see if that gives you a few thousandths of extra room.

Just be sure to keep it pointed in a safe direction. I use a block of wood that will stop the bullet. And do not get your fingers in front of the cylinder at the barrel/cylinder gap. I am sure you know these things but I feel better mentioning them.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I have had similar issues a few times. I was able to grasp the cylinder with my left hand and turn it while pulling back the hammer with my right. It was not always easy but I was able to do it. When the cartridge was lined up properly with the barrel I simply fired it and then proceeded to eject the empty.

Several times .. in an especially tight gun .. I had a similar hangup but it was due to the rim on the cartridge being distorted. I was able to pull the cylinder pin and roll the cylinder around and out of the gun.

So you might consider pulling the pin and see if that gives you a few thousandths of extra room.

Just be sure to keep it pointed in a safe direction. I use a block of wood that will stop the bullet. And do not get your fingers in front of the cylinder at the barrel/cylinder gap. I am sure you know these things but I feel better mentioning them.

I think this might be possible if I grab one of those round rubber jar lid opener pads from the kitchen to allow me to get a better grip on the cylinder. I'll also check on getting the pin out if I can't move the cylinder.

[LeverGunner]

If you were to fire it by hitting the hammer, it would push the primer in enough to allow rotation. It'd be safe enough to transport if it were in some sort of case.

[Eddie Southgate]

Since you're not able to bring the hammer back because the cylinder won't rotate, if it were my gun I would take it out to a safe shooting location and give the cylinder a solid rap straight back toward the recoil plate with a plastic mallet. You should have enough play in the hammer that you can hold it back so the firing pin doesn't touch the primer. That will push the primer deeper into the cartridge and enable you to remove the cylinder. Again, there are probably other ways but that's what I would do if it were mine.

I can see this being one of those things on the list of things not to do with your Saa.

[ollogger]

100 % on what Jim said, yes ive had it happen



ollogger

[Walt]

If you do that, be sure the cylinder stop bolt is completely in the cylinder notch before setting off a round.

[marlinman93]

I would remove the cylinder pin, and then simply tap on the cylinder with a leather or plastic hammer while pushing it out to the side. Once the cylinder is removed you can simply take the round back to your press and seat the primer deeper.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I got it. I was about to pull the base pin but I decided to put a tie-wrap on the hammer for safety and then gave it one more try at turning. It made it past the spot and I was able to eject the round. This round wobbles a bit when stood up on a counter so I know the primer is proud but just barely. I checked all of the other rounds from that batch and they are fine.

[JimT]

I got it. I was about to pull the base pin but I decided to put a tie-wrap on the hammer for safety and then gave it one more try at turning. It made it past the spot and I was able to eject the round. This round wobbles a bit when stood up on a counter so I know the primer is proud but just barely. I checked all of the other rounds from that batch and they are fine.

GOOD JOB! And a great way to usher in the New Year!

[Griff]

Glad you got it figured out. I rarely get a high primer in my cartridge loading... I usually run my thumb over the finished load as it leaves the bin on the Dillon into either a ammo can or into a MTM box. (Although my first 44WCF loading excursion found me using rifle primers instead of pistol primers... yielding around 100 high primered .44-40s)! Those apparently didn't get the thumb over primer check and went directly into an ammo bag. Never noticed them until I was checking to see how much ammo was left in that bag and happened to accidently run my thumb over a few. With only an AWA Lightning in that caliber, I've shot about half of 'me, and am nervous about shooting the rest!

But, on a few occasions over 50+ years, I have loaded a high primer in wheelgun. When I do, I remove the base pin, and rotate the cylinder out of the frame, using the hammer to help by adding some rotational force to the cylinder. That has seemed to work on both a Colt SAA, clone, or an OM Blackhawk. I would guess that the NM Blackhawk would be easier as you only need to open the loading gate to rotate the cylinder.

My cap guns, on the other hand, sometimes get a twisted or folded "wing" of a spent cap jammed between the back of the cylinder and the recoil shield... necessitating the off hand come up and assist the rotation of the cylinder. Without a top strap, the 1851s are easier to grip in this fashion. Between the thumb on the hammer (finger well off the trigger) and the grip of the off hand against the cylinder, I've never failed to complete that rotation.

[4t5]

Well your year almost started off with a Bang,

[Rimfire McNutjob]

My progressive primes on the forward stroke and I must have just not pushed fully forward on one. Maybe distracted at some point. I load in my home office and some days it's like Grand Central station in there.

[JimT]

Primers can be crushed SLOWLY and not set them off. A whack will pop them. That's why I don't mind slowly easing the cylinder out, pulling with my left hand while I pull the hammer back with my right. FINGER NOT NEAR THE TRIGGER.

I have demonstrated this many times in reloading classes ... crushing a primer slowly in a vise .. then smacking the vise with a hammer and popping the primer. Careful not to be standing where parts of the primer might hit you.

[Walt]

It has been shown that at the moment of ignition the primer generally backs partially out of the primer pocket only to be pushed back in as the cartridge moves back against the recoil shield.

Anyone who has put an empty case with a live primer into a revolver and fired it knows that the primer backs out sufficiently to frequently lock up the cylinder. In the case of a loaded round, the pressure of combustion pushes the case back which re-seats the primer in its pocket.

[Pat C]

How did you rotate cylinder to clear bolt with hammer down .?

[Walt]

I imagine that the cylinder had been rotated past the cylinder stop notch.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

How did you rotate cylinder to clear bolt with hammer down .?

I pulled the hammer partially back and put a zip tie around it to keep it from falling fully forward. I didn't zip tie it down ... like you might see at a gun show.

[Pat C]

Ok good to here