Ruger Vaquero 44-40 Win Help Fix

[haswipp]

I recently slugged my Vaquero to find out the barrel is .430 and the cyl is .425 after having poor accuracy. I've read all the issues with these guns and write-ups due to the size variation. I called Ruger and they said sent the pistol back with a letter what I want done to fix it. I doubt they will put the appropriate barrel on it.

My question is what do I want Ruger to do to the pistol to make it the most accurate shooter possible? Also with this fix, will I be able to hand load the brass now that it might be out of saami spec? Will 44-40 dies actually work with this fix?

Thanks

[EDK]

ALLEGEDLY, RUGER had this dimensional problem awhile back. Tight 44/40 chambers per SAAMI and 44 magnum barrel dimensions IIRC. Several gunsmiths would correct the problem by using a correctly dimensioned chamber and throat reamer...and lighten your wallet in the process. You might want to talk to someone at RUGER about THEIR specific solutions to your problem before you ship the gun to them.

[Nobade]

I seem to recall John Taylor on this forum was set up to correct the cylinders.

You might try shooting it with hollow base boolits and black powder, I bet it would work well with those.

-Nobade

[Outpost75]

John Taylor reamed my Ruger .44-40 cylinder so that I can load .430 bullets to fit its .429 barrel.

Common .44 Magnum jacketed bullets shoot well now too.

You can forget Ruger putting a tighter barrel on your gun. THAT is a wishful fantasy.

A too-tight cylinder can always be reamed.

The resulting .447 chamber necks and .4305 cylinder throats are the correct technical solution to this problem.

I use bullets sized .430". Group below is with a full-charge hunting load with 230-grain Accurate 43-230G bullet with 24.5 grs. of RL7 fired off sandbags at 25 yards with iron sights, 5-1/2" Ruger.

129043

[Tatume]

While I don't know if Ruger will replace the barrel on this gun, I do know they are willing to replace barrels if needed. They replaced the barrel on my Super Blackhawk, and they replaced the barrel on my Mini-14 (and everything else except the serial numbered receiver).

[DougGuy]

Reaming is the only way to fix it short of rebarreling it to one with a .425" groove diameter. You may have to modify your loading dies to use a .430" or .431" boolit as well. I can do the throats but do not have the chamber reamer and you would likely need both reamed.

[Harry O]

The mismatched dimensions that Ruger put out with their 44-40 Vaquero are NOT allegedly. I bought two of them for CAS. The chambers would not allow anything with a bullet larger than 0.427". The cylinder throat was 0.424". The barrel was 0.430". So the bullet had to squeeze down from 0.427" to 0.424" then expand back up to 0.430" all in about one bullet length. It did not work. Neither jacketed nor lead bullets would work. I am talking 9" to 12" groups from a rest at 15 yards as typical accuracy.

I sent them back to Ruger twice and they did nothing. The second time, I got a snotty letter telling me it met their tolerances and I should find a "custom gunsmith" if I wanted anything different. I got the throats reamed to 0.430" to match the barrel. Back then, there were no custom reamers available to open up the chamber size to match without changing the case size. Machining each chamber neck separately was more money than I wanted to spend. Still, it reduced the group sizes to about 1/3 (3" to 4" at 15 yards) of what it was before just by opening up the throats. Not target quality, but good enough for plinking. There are custom reamers and dies nowadays (probably because of Rugers screwup) that allow a 44-40 case with a 0.430" bullet. I should probably have that done. Then I could use .44 Special/Magnum bullets.

This is why I also wonder at people who say Ruger is so great on customer service. They sure didn't do it for me (or a few others I have talked with who had the same problem with their 44-40's). They abandoned us.

[haswipp]

Does anyone have both the throats and chamber reamer?

Thanks

[Outpost75]

Does anyone have both the throats and chamber reamer?

Thanks

John Taylor has chamber reamer which cuts .447 neck which permits loading .430 bullets in Starline brass and reams throats to. 4305.

[haswipp]

Little update: I sent the 44-40 in to Ruger and a week later a tech called me and said they can't fix it, don't have reamers or barrels. They offered to replace it with any regular production revolvers.

Any suggestions, I have large hands, will the Bisley fit me better? Is there any custom work I can have done before they send it back, I'm probably pushing it.
Thanks

[Outpost75]

You don't need to send the entire gun to John Taylor, he only needs the cylinder.

Reaming the chambers and throats is the way to go.

TaylorMachine (john@johntaylormachine.com) 14119 Military Rd. E., Puyallup, WA 98374

[DougGuy]

There isn't anything about the 44-40 cartridge that can't be done with a .44 magnum, if you want a sweeter shooting more of a cowboy action gun, may I suggest a New Model Vaquero in either .45 Colt or .44 Special? If you want to hunt with it and want the full powered .44 cartridge, ask them for a Bisley Hunter in .44 magnum or the Super Blackhawk Hunter in .44 magnum.

There are 3 sizes of grip frames basically. The New Model Vaquero and the New Model Flattop Blackhawk are both issued on the medium frame, they are smaller guns than the original Vaquero made from 1993 to 2005, and they feature the XR3 grip frame, which is the smallest grip frame. The full size Blackhawk and the original large framed Vaquero used the XR3-RED grip frame, which there is about 3/16" more clearance between the rear of the trigger guard and the inside of the backstrap. The Super Blackhawk and also the Hunter have the most distance between the back of the trigger guard and the inside of the backstrap, but the Bisley grip frame has the least amount of distance of them all. If you have large hands, the Bisley may not be the grip you want, but the Super Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk Hunter have the most room for large hands of any of the Ruger grip frames.

Were it me, I would abandon the 44-40 unless there is some sentimental attachment or other reason you favor that cartridge. It can be a PITA to load for, brass is very finicky and easy to crumple, yes it's a grand old western cartridge with much history and lore behind it but it just is not very practical anymore. Go for a new one, and get whatever you fancy.

If you like the gun and want to keep it, see if they will fit a .44 magnum cylinder to it. That way it doesn't turn it into a non-cataloged item which they won't do even if you ask them. If they made the Vaquero in your barrel length in .44 magnum, which I am of the opinion that they did, then they should do this without problem.

[lefty o]

Little update: I sent the 44-40 in to Ruger and a week later a tech called me and said they can't fix it, don't have reamers or barrels. They offered to replace it with any regular production revolvers.

Any suggestions, I have large hands, will the Bisley fit me better? Is there any custom work I can have done before they send it back, I'm probably pushing it.
Thanks

id have sure asked him how they work on guns without reamers. ive only ever sent one gun back to ruger, and to be perfectly honest it came back with more problems then it left with. if you really like the gun, have a good gunsmith fix it, since ruger dont know what the heck they are doing.

[hylander]

Sorry to here of the issues.
I had an old model Vaquero in 45 colt, sent it to Ruger with the some issues.
Came back Perfect with new barrel and new cylinder.
Turn around was less than two weeks.

[doc1876]

I have their bisley in .44sp. Love it. Got lucky on the throat after a conversation with dougguy, found 2-3 in spreads at 40 ft one hand groups to be easy to obtain

[jim 44-40]

I must have got a Ruger with the right barrel and throats, picked it up in 1998-99. Don't know what year it was made.Shoots .426 jsp very well.