Need help with Ruger 44 carbine

[Trailblazer]

This is way off topic because I am asking for advice on J-bullets! Whats more, advice about factory ammo! But since most of the shooting knowledge in the known world resides here this is the best place to ask!

A friend of mine has a semi-auto Ruger 44 carbine he bought back around 1980. He is not a shooter and hasn't shot it in years. He wants to start shooting it again and is looking for ammo advice. He tells me this carbine would not reliably cycle with factory 44 Mag ammo and that these carbines were notorious for that. He first asked me to load some ammo for him that would cycle the action. I know nothing about Ruger carbines and ultimately we determined he would be happier to just be able to buy off the shelf ammo for it. I told him there is a much better selection of factory ammo available now than there was in 1980 so here is the question:

Is there a current factory 44 Mag load that will make his 1980 Ruger carbine work?

[AkMike]

I've never had any problems with jacketed stuff in my 44. But cast stuff plugged up the gas port. PITA cleaning that out.

[Scrounger]

Bad info, Trailblazer. I've owned at least a dozen of those old Rugers, and I never found one that failed to function! It just may be super dirty in the gas system and need a good cleaning, or it may need a more extensive repair. Bad news is that the factory won't be of any help to you. And that was the most difficult gun I ever took apart and put back together. I wouldn't try it again.

[grumble]

I got one of those Ruger carbines at a gunshow a couple years ago at what seemed to be a real bargain. As has been mentioned, it wouldn't feed. Shot GREAT as a single shot, but wouldn't load the next round. Took it apart and found one of the little pieces of the lifter mechanism had a bent "axle pin" (don't know how else to describe it - the small piece is suspended on a pin that allows it to rotate). The result is that this little piece, which is supposed to rotate along the axis of the barrel, instead swings "cocked" to one side. I straightened out that pin, and it worked again. For about 4 or 5 rounds. It's one of those things that if I were to continue to rebend the pin, it would break, so I've just left it alone.

I've checked with GPC a numer of times to find a replacement, without any luck.

Scrounger, the trick to getting the bolt back in the rails is to put the bolt and carrier in at the same time and give them a little twist as you slide them together.

[Trailblazer]

So it is dirty or broke. I did find it a little hard to believe that Ruger would sell a rifle that wouldn't cycle factory ammo! He read something in a gun rag though that made him believe that. He likely misinterpreted whatever it was.

Well I know the next step is that he is going to ask me to fix it. Guess I will have to find an exploded view and instructions. Any suggestions on where to find those?

[AkMike]

Tell him hat it can't be fixed then offer to take it in for parts. It's a fun little gun that can and does shoot factory fodder well. Jest mine didn't like cast boolits.

[KCSO]

Your gun need a good cleaning and a touch of CLP and it should function with most any factory ammo. The problem is finding someone to do the job, I can not recommend this as a do it yorself project. I do have somewhere the teard down instructions for this gun, but for most folks this is only good as a starting point. I would rather braid a 6 ply 30 foot bull whip from rhino hide that to strip and clean a Ruger 44. These and Winchester 97's are double the cleaning cost of all other guns.