I was hoping that some of the more experienced members might be able to help me figure out what's going on with a 9.5" Super Redhawk 44 Mag that I purchased new in 1990. After warming up, after say maybe 30-40 rounds, the trigger pull becomes extremely light when shooting in single fire mode (with the hammer pre-cocked). It's unpredictable and a little dangerous to say the least. I also own a 7.5" Super Redhawk that I purchased a few years earlier and the trigger pull remains constant no matter what I do to it so I know the problem is with the gun and not me. The hair trigger issue has been present since the revolver was new so I sent it back to Ruger soon after I bought it, but they returned it without the problem being fixed (maybe they didn't shoot it enough to replicate the problem I dunno). I don't often shoot the 9.5" Super Redhawk, favoring the 7.5" for most of my 44 Mag needs, but I motivated to get the hair trigger thing fixed now before I forget about completely. Any ideas what might be causing this and how to fix it? Ruger replaced the mainspring to placate me 17 years ago, but it didn't fix the problem. Thanks in advance.
Welcome to the R/T !! Enjoy our community... As far as the question...I leave you in the hands of the experts here.
That sounds a little scary to me. I would call Ruger again and explain the situation and tell them that it represents a safety problem. That might may them pay a little more attention to your problem. Tommy
Welcome, Single7. Basically, I dunno what's going on there (Buster may add "nor anywhere"). By 'light' do you mean less length of pull (hair trigger), or is it the same length but easier? It makes a difference, though the reason still stumps me.
^^ What he said. I'm thinking Ruger didn't understand the problem and / or nobody shot it enough to find out. Oh and, :welcome: to RugerTalk.
I am guessing it really isn't the trigger getting lighter. I had a Uberti Cattleman 357 single six with a hair trigger and if you weren't pointing at the target with hand situated ready to shoot then you better have your bogger finger out of the guard. I suggest getting a trigger gauge and checking it. I am guessing the trigger will break at the same weight every time. My thought is the more we shoot the more our hands sense of feeling can change due to recoil effecting our hand. Using a trigger gauge might prove that to be true or false. I really don't think steel trigger parts will heat up enough after shooting to change their tolerances causing less pressure to release. I have noticed shooting my LCR that after awhile the trigger seems to take less trigger pressure to break. I do believe it is due to the sensation of feel in my hand not that the gun is changing required pressure.
^^ Never thought of that... Yep, a trigger gauge would be the first thing to try. If that's not what's happening then something really strange is going on. The .44 mag can generate a Lot of heat. Could the frame be heating enough to change clearances? :GadsdenFlag:
I own two 44 mag super redhawks and only one exhibits the hair trigger effect so I know it's the gun and not me. Like I mentioned in the original post I can put 200 rounds though the other gun in single action mode and it will work flawlessly each time (most of my shooting sessions are at least 100 rounds long). I don't think trigger pull is the answer though because the hair trigger effect only happens after 30-40 rounds. When cold the single action trigger pull is fine, probably harder than that of the good gun. I'm starting to think it might be a problem with the sear interface or maybe even the hammer profiling. I've only had to send three firearms back to the manufacturer for service after purchase. Two Rugers and a Glock. My experiences were bad each time so I'm not inclined to give Ruger another shot. Maybe I should consult a gunsmith. Thanks everyone.
I will buster40c. In the mean time, can someone explain to me the function of the "Hammer Dog?" I broke both of my pistols down today to do a side by side comparison, but the only visible difference between the two seemed to be the profile on the "Hammer Dog" Here are the photos I took this afternoon. The hammer dog on the perfectly functioning SRH seems top be a little more curved/rounded than the one on the intermittent hair firing one. Hopefully my posting of the photos works. Side by Side Comparison: Good Dog: Bad Dog: I dunno, maybe it's trivial, but it's the only difference I noticed.
Call up Ruger and while talking with them casually mention how you want to avoid Accidents , Liabilities , Lawsuits and Lawyers . Honestly , that is a real safety issue , not something to ignore. That just might help them get it fixed. That one tiny rounded edge just might be the culprit.... Gary
I sent the revolver back to Ruger when I first started having the problem and they sent it back to me without fixing it. I suspect that they just didn't shoot the revolver enough to replicate the problem. I had a smith look it over recently and he was able to replicate the hair trigger after 77 rounds. He re-profiled the hammer sear engagement notch slightly and smoothed out the hammer strut seat. He put 100 rounds through it afterwards without a malfunction. He asked if I wanted him to test it longer, but the cost of ammo was exceeding the cost of labor so I paid him and took the gun home. I've put about 150 rounds through it since without a hiccup so hopefully the problem is solved. There is slightly more play in single action mode now, but I can live with it.
I hope the problem is solved. I don't shoot this revolver very often anymore, so in the back of mind I'm always going to be wondering if maybe it only worked because I didn't put enough rounds through it fast enough. This is the only firearm I own that I don't have complete confidence in regarding safety. I imagine my feelings are like those of a husband who's wife cheated on him, but then promised it would never happen again. Even if she's serious and never does it again, the trust is gone because there's always the possibility that she might. I thought about selling the revolver, but I have misgivings about that too because the next owner might unintentionally injure someone should the hair trigger return and I'd feel partly responsible. oh well, fingers crossed.
I'm also glad the problem seems to be taken care of. Did the smith have a theory as to why it takes so many rounds fired before the problem occurs? I'd guess heat expansion of some sort but expansion of what? I understand a piston in an engine expands to the correct clearance after warm-up but what could expand enough in a revolver to make that much of a difference? :dunno:
He couldn't say with absolute confidence because the hair trigger was an intermittent thing, but he said the area where the trigger engages the hammer in the single action position is tiny so he hypothesized that engagement wasn't flush and was giving way as the internals heated up, so he cleaned up and squared the engagement notch a bit. He also said that he's heard of issues with the hammer spring strut seat so he made sure there were no burrs or machining that could be affecting function. Rugers aren't his specialty, but he was the only smith I talked to who was willing to do more to resolve the issue than a trigger polishing job.
