Ruger SBH 3 screw--need help

[Shuz]

Folks, I just acquired a 1971 Ruger Super Blackhawk 3 screw that has most of all the screws buggered up a little. Other than that, it is a fine looking and shooting revolver. I tried to buy replacement screws from the folks at Ruger, but they won't sell them to me unless I send the gun back for the transfer bar installation. I don't wanna do that.
Are there other sources such as Brownell's, that may help?

[AnthonyB]

Shuz:
Can't answer your question, but I know Ruger will send the original parts back to you when they return the revolver.
Tony

[Bullshop Junior]

If you send it in to ruger, and they swap it, they will send back the old parts.

Otherwise, gun parts corp should have them.

[fourarmed]

If they aren't too badly buggered, you can probably fix them. Pad the threads and put them in a vise with the head supported. Use a hammer and flat point punch to peen the slots back to normal, then clean the heads up with files and sandpaper and cold blue them.

[DougGuy]

Buggered screws = bubba dun ben dere, better take a good look around at what he bubba'ed up inside.

Look close at the hammer hooks for half cock and the sear ledge for file marks, chips, etc. The danger of the 3 screw is that the hammer and trigger are castings, and the half cock notches can fail by breaking off which they do very easily if the hammer slips while cocking it and falls on them and if that happens it will continue onward and fire the gun if there is a live round in the chamber under the firing pin.

[wcp4570]

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacturers/Ruger-33474/Revolvers-40405/OldModelSuperBlackhawk-38343.htm

wcp

[contender1]

How about going over to the Ruger Forum & placing a WTB ad?

[osteodoc08]

If you're worried about the parts, take them out and send it to Ruger. Reinstall when back. There is no frame modification save the R stamp that goes underneath the grip frame covers up to indicate the recall was performed.

[Shuz]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Since the screws aren't that badly buggered, I'm gonna try and fix them myself as fourarmed suggests.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I've got a 3 screw SBH, love it. Had some custom work done just for me. It shoots 429421 Lyman great but RCBS 44-250-K boolits won't chamber. The cylinder throats are too tight. I have to seat RCBS 44-250-K deep and crimp over the driving band. Wrote to Dave Scovill about this. He suggested I size to .429" which I tried but still they don't seat so I size to .431".

Seating .1" deeper I just back off one grain of Unique to get my velocities to match with both boolits.

My custom work was to purchase new a New Army grip frame carbon steel in the white and have some custom purpleheart wood grips made with the Ruger medallions. Had the new grip frame fitted and blued. It's a real sweetheart.

[W.R.Buchanan]

As stated above,,, why don't you send the gun back to Ruger and let them perform the recall? They send all the parts back, so you'd have them if needed and the value of the gun is not altered.

Also as stated someone has been inside that gun, that may or may not be a good thing, but if the screws are gooned then it might be prudent to have Ruger look at it, as the gooned screws indicate someone with less than the correct amount of skills was fooling with it. What they actually did remains to be seen,,, but it actually needs to be seen...

I personally think the Transfer Bar feature is the best thing that ever happened to the SAA design, and I bet they'd even replace the gooned screws too. Since you get all the old parts back you have nothing to lose, and you can put the gun back if you chose. They may be saving you a big headache.

If you don't send it back,,,try not to goon the new screws.

Randy

[gwpercle]

Fixing the screws slots are not difficult, I do it all the time, just as fourarmed outlined. some times you don't even need to peen any metal but be sure you use a thin needle file to clean up the slot edges and don't widen the slot if you can help it. Smooth the head and cold blue and your done.
Get a set of thin needle files, a few fixed screws and they have paid for themselves.
Gary

[DougGuy]

SilverJackHammer if you want the throats fixed, send me the cylinder. It will shoot much better when you get it back and it will chamber your boolits without compromising your recommended load data/COL length to do so.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

DougGuy, can you lengthen the internal dimensions of my cylinder without opening up the throats? All this cylinder needs is to have the chamber's internal dimensions lengthened less than .10".