New Ruger Blackhawk question

[whisler]

Gentlemen: I have been lurking and reading here for a while and have learned a great deal. I have acquired a like-new Ruger BH in .357 in a trade with a friend. Quite a deal, I get the pistol and he gets 9mm reloads. I slugged the barrel and it mikes .3565. The slug from the barrel will pass through all the cylinders but very snug through all but one.
1. Is this an acceptable way to check for undersize cylinder throats or must I slug and mike each cylinder?
2. If so, what is the best way to drive a slug through without damage to the cylinder?
3. How much do I need to enlarge each cylinder above groove diameter? .001or .002 or?
4. If honing is needed, what is the best method to accomplish this?
Sorry for so many newbee questions. Any and all suggestions appreciated

[hunter64]

The fact that the bullet will pass thru all the cylinders and is a snug fit is a good thing. According to several articles I have about getting the most out of your six gun they suggest that a 1 thou over is good. I bought a blackhawk also a few years back and I could get minute of target groups with it. Literally no matter what I did it was shooting 5-6" at 25 yards and that is the good ones. I finally got smart and slugged the barrel, removed the cylinder and drove a soft lead bullet thru each cylinder onto a rubber mat with a brass rod. I then numbered each one corresponding to which cylinder it was from. Well no wonder the guy before me got rid of it, it was all over the place. Barrel was .3575 and the cylinders were .355 to .3565. Shooting .38 specials were not bad because the over all length was short enough to chamber with no problem. Switch to .357 mag and you could load 4 cylinders only and the other two you couldn't get the bullet into them. How on earth this got by Ruger's inspectors at the factory is beyond me or the cylinder might have been changed. I had my gun smith open the cylinders to .359 and it was like shooting a whole different gun, I could now get under 2" all day and sub 1" with some reloads. The bullet was being squeezed when fired and then ratting all the way down the barrel and would lead up very quickly as can be imagined.

[Buckshot]

.............Sounds like you may have a shooter as she stands. Try it out first before loading yourself down with a lot of worry. Ideally the chamber mouths would be a thou over your barrel groove.

..............Buckshot

[leftiye]

Ruger used to make a lot of revolters that way. My guess is that they got past the inspectors because the powers that be told everyone to build them thataway. If you want your chamber mouths a thou larger it can be done easily with a split dowel wrapped with the appropriate amount of wet or dry 400 grit (medium tight fit) either by hand or (carefully!) in a drill at slow RPMs. Find a boolit that is right at .357 diameter and take each chamber mouth out until this can just barely be pushed through the opening.