Faulkner
Member
Picked up my new Ruger Wrangler this week . . . was very disappointed at first, but got over it pretty quick. Really liking it now.
I bumped into my FFL buddy in the hallway at the sheriff's office a few days ago and he asked me if I'd seen the new Ruger Wrangler. I told him I'd seen some info on line but that was all, and he said he was about to order a couple and did I want one. Said he'd fix me up for $170 including tax and shipping.
"Heck yeah, order me a silver and black one," I said.
Two days later I get a text message from my FFL buddy saying my new Ruger Wrangler was in. I stopped by at lunch and filled out the paperwork and paid the man, took a quick look inside the box, then put the box in my trunk and went back to work. When I got home I took the box to my reloading bench to get a better look and get it ready for some range time.
I removed the cylinder base pin so I could take the cylinder out and remove the yellow plastic cylinder block that the factory puts in place for shipping. The cylinder base pin was pretty tough to get out but I finally worked it out. I then replaced the cylinder and base pin and when I tried to pull the hammer back it was all locked up. What the heck? I also noticed there was a little rattle with the gun with I shook it. I fiddled around with the gun a bit and found when I pointed the barrel up I could cock the gun just fine, but when I held it horizontally it would lock up. I eventually narrowed the problem down to the firing pin block, it was hanging up on the firing pin.
I took it all apart again and closely examined all the parts. Upon close examination I noticed the cylinder base pin has a spring loaded pin at the tip of it that my other SAA type revolvers do not have. Eventually, I realized that my other SAA revolvers don't have a firing pin block either, so the spring loaded doo-hickey on the base pin must have something to do with putting pressure on the firing pin block. So, I reassembled the revolver again, and noticed the cylinder base pin was a booger to get in and I really had to put some pressure on it to go all the way in. Once I got it into place and made sure the base pin was all the way in, I pulled the hammer back to cycle the gun and everything worked fine. Whew . . . okay, I 'm making progress.
I disassembled it again, and again the cylinder base pin was as hard to get out as it was to get in, so I took a close look at the pin to see if it was maybe out of round. Nope, it looked good. I re-examined the end of the base pin much closer and found two burrs on the tapered end of the pin where in slides into the hole in the frame. I inserted the pin without the cylinder and sure enough, that's where the binding was coming from. You can see the burr on the picture below.
I took a small, fine, file and buffed off the burrs on both sides of the cylinder base pin, cleaned off the filings, and reinserted the pin and it slide right it without any resistance. I then reassembled the gun and the base pin slipped right in like it should, pulled back the hammer and the gun cycles like a brand new gun like it should. Okay, at least the problem was solved.
So, then I loaded up my range bag with some .22 LR ammo and headed to the range. I took my Colt Frontier Scout .22 LR SAA and my Uberti Stallion .22LR SAA along to compare with the Ruger Wrangler. I was actually very pleased how the gun performed. If you like SAA style revolvers you'll like the heft of this one. Not as accurate as a .22 semi auto, few .22 revolvers are, but plenty accurate. Certainly snake head accurate if necessary. You can see how I placed six rounds off hand at 15 yards on the target below after I warmed up with it.
If you're needing or wanting a SAA style .22 LR revolver at a very competitive price point I think Ruger has done well with the Wrangler. Now to find me a nice holster.
I bumped into my FFL buddy in the hallway at the sheriff's office a few days ago and he asked me if I'd seen the new Ruger Wrangler. I told him I'd seen some info on line but that was all, and he said he was about to order a couple and did I want one. Said he'd fix me up for $170 including tax and shipping.
"Heck yeah, order me a silver and black one," I said.
Two days later I get a text message from my FFL buddy saying my new Ruger Wrangler was in. I stopped by at lunch and filled out the paperwork and paid the man, took a quick look inside the box, then put the box in my trunk and went back to work. When I got home I took the box to my reloading bench to get a better look and get it ready for some range time.
I removed the cylinder base pin so I could take the cylinder out and remove the yellow plastic cylinder block that the factory puts in place for shipping. The cylinder base pin was pretty tough to get out but I finally worked it out. I then replaced the cylinder and base pin and when I tried to pull the hammer back it was all locked up. What the heck? I also noticed there was a little rattle with the gun with I shook it. I fiddled around with the gun a bit and found when I pointed the barrel up I could cock the gun just fine, but when I held it horizontally it would lock up. I eventually narrowed the problem down to the firing pin block, it was hanging up on the firing pin.
I took it all apart again and closely examined all the parts. Upon close examination I noticed the cylinder base pin has a spring loaded pin at the tip of it that my other SAA type revolvers do not have. Eventually, I realized that my other SAA revolvers don't have a firing pin block either, so the spring loaded doo-hickey on the base pin must have something to do with putting pressure on the firing pin block. So, I reassembled the revolver again, and noticed the cylinder base pin was a booger to get in and I really had to put some pressure on it to go all the way in. Once I got it into place and made sure the base pin was all the way in, I pulled the hammer back to cycle the gun and everything worked fine. Whew . . . okay, I 'm making progress.
I disassembled it again, and again the cylinder base pin was as hard to get out as it was to get in, so I took a close look at the pin to see if it was maybe out of round. Nope, it looked good. I re-examined the end of the base pin much closer and found two burrs on the tapered end of the pin where in slides into the hole in the frame. I inserted the pin without the cylinder and sure enough, that's where the binding was coming from. You can see the burr on the picture below.
I took a small, fine, file and buffed off the burrs on both sides of the cylinder base pin, cleaned off the filings, and reinserted the pin and it slide right it without any resistance. I then reassembled the gun and the base pin slipped right in like it should, pulled back the hammer and the gun cycles like a brand new gun like it should. Okay, at least the problem was solved.
So, then I loaded up my range bag with some .22 LR ammo and headed to the range. I took my Colt Frontier Scout .22 LR SAA and my Uberti Stallion .22LR SAA along to compare with the Ruger Wrangler. I was actually very pleased how the gun performed. If you like SAA style revolvers you'll like the heft of this one. Not as accurate as a .22 semi auto, few .22 revolvers are, but plenty accurate. Certainly snake head accurate if necessary. You can see how I placed six rounds off hand at 15 yards on the target below after I warmed up with it.
If you're needing or wanting a SAA style .22 LR revolver at a very competitive price point I think Ruger has done well with the Wrangler. Now to find me a nice holster.
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