[JustinHotHands]

man am I bummed. I bought a brand new Ruger Single 9 four days ago from a local dealer. Right out of the box it was highly defective. The cylinder will not chamber more than 7 rounds before it completely jams!!! I'm not talking about firing, I'm talking just LOADING. Jams right up solid. Very difficult at that point to get the base pin out so that I can unload the weapon. I went through 3 separate sets of 9 rounds (new rounds in each set) to see if it was ammo specific and had the same exact result. Basically when loaded it gets to a specific chamber a and jams. When looking at the round it jammed on after the back of the round was all scratched up, obviously from it rubbing against the frame. Cylinder cycles fine unloaded. Very strange and discouraging. This is my first Ruger. I was using WMR 40 gr JHP rounds.

Called the dealer and he is ordering me a new one right away. I love this pistol it's beatifuil and feels incredible in the hand. I just want one that works. I think it's shameful that a revolver, with so few moving parts can leave the factory like that (???). Has anyone else heard of this with the single 9?

Anyways, this is a great forum with lots of good info and experience so look forward to some good discussions.

 

[PMK]

I was just looking at one of those. I sure am glad you said something. I wanted a six, but the nine was really nice looking and had very fine sights. I decided to walk away and think on it. That is kinda my way of not making a bad decision.
Let us know what the factory says. I'm gonna see what I can find out about this online.
Thanks again for the report.

 

[JustinHotHands]

Will definitely report back with details. Not sure if I will ever know the details though since my dealer is getting me a new one from the distributor, who will then send it back. But anything I learn I will share. I also don't want to discourage anyone from Ruger...it's a gorgeous piece I think I was just very unlucky. This is really just a heads up to maybe hold off like you said to see what the deal is.

Once I get my new replacement there will be a whole lot of shooting going on. I will report back on performance as well.

 

[Fatstrat]

Report of recent years is that Ruger quality is in a nose dive. Very sad.

 

[JustinHotHands]

Yeah I really hope that's not the case. Hopefully I receive a fully functional replacement. It would indeed be very sad if that were true though.

 

[clamman]

you should clean the cylinders and try it again.

 

[JustinHotHands]

you should clean the cylinders and try it again.

There is no debris in the cylinders that I could see. But I will try actually brushing them out tonight and report back. Thanks for the suggestion. I suppose there could be metal filings left over from manufacturing (?). But all of the rounds weere perfectly seated (flush) in the chambers when I took the cylinder out and loaded them that way.

 

[PMK]

Maybe I'll just get two more Rough Riders before Taurus buys them up.

 

[JustinHotHands]

I just want to get a single 9 free of defects and I'll be on my way. To hell with everyone else Taurus can buy them up....just kidding (well kind of).

 

[jstgsn]

My old single six used to do the same thing after firing cbs or shorts. The cylinder was a bit tight and any grime or debris would cause the long rifle not to go in all the way. When you moved the cylinder to load the next, you were stuck. Take it apart, wire brush it, solvent etc. and it would be fine. Perhaps you have a burr in one (I don't know what you call a single "hole"...chamber???)
If you like these try picking up a ruger bearcat. What a jewel.
keep us posted.
fred

 

[JustinHotHands]

Update: Ruger wants the dealer to send it back. I'm dropping it off tomorrow. Guess my long awaited day of plinking with my daughter will have to wait. I removed the cylinder tonight and cleaned and inspected every chamber. It still will not cycle while loaded. Even with 1 round. Once that round approaches the barrel it sticks.

Keep in mind this has been the case right out of the box with zero rounds down range so it can't be fouling. I inspected closely with an LED light for burs and there were none detectable by the human eye (not mine anyway). Oh well, I'm going to be happy to get it back as long as it is fixed. I love the look and feel. Very well balanced in the hand and the grips are amazing. Range report forthcoming.....

 

[ozo]

I bet Ruger will find nothing wrong.
I know that may sound cold.
The ammo is such **** these days, it won't chamber well.
I have MANY .22lr's.......never had so many chambering
problems !!!!
Even with $8-$12/50 round 'special' ammo.
Not much normal ammo will load in any Bearcats
of mine without a super firm push....
same thing for my 50+yr old Single-Six.....which
should be broke in by now ?!!?

 

[SARGE7402]

Is it possible that the cartridge sticks out from the front of the cylinder and tha'ts what's causing it to lock up.

 

[JustinHotHands]

That would really burn me if they said that. I paid $500 for it, good money for a .22 mag revolver. It's useless as is - no exaggeration. It simply can't rotate loaded. In the end I had tried I think 5 separate sets of 9 rounds and they all jammed it up just rotating the cylinder by hand. That's a basic function that should perform flawlessly with WMR ammo. This is my first revolver and I hate to say it, but that would totally turn me away from revolvers. I simply wouldn't take another chance of wasting $500 on another paperweight.

As for the round sticking out of the front jamming it that's impossible because the front of the round is seated a decent distance back from the end I checked that.

If Ruger doesn't come good on this shame on them.

I'm going to put the thought of them saying "It's fine" right out of my head so I can work today.....good thoughts.....good thoughts...

 

[JustinHotHands]

If there are any experienced gunsmith's in this group, I have a question for them. If Ruger doesn't fix this, couldn't a gunsmith just file down the area of the frame (or increase by some other method the amount of space) where the cylinder is catching - enough so that it cycles smoothly? That woudn't alter the chambers in any way or how the firing pin strikes the rim, it would just allow a TINY bit more space for the rounds to slide by.

Thanks

 

[carver]

Does the cylender rotate OK when unloaded? I'm thinking a timing problem.

 

[JustinHotHands]

Hi Carver,

yes it does rotate unloaded. Generally it rotates smoothly unloaded, but every now and then I feel what seems to be a VERY slight rub of the cylinder now and then even when unloaded if I do it repeatedly. it just seems "off" a bit.

 

[carver]

Now add a spent case, if you have one, and spin it.

 

[ozo]

Ruger will make it right.....
Don't worry. Don't panic.
It is weird for a Ruger revolver to have a
problem.....they have made basically the same thing all their life.
Now that it is rubbing when it's empty, it may well be a timing
or a cylinder fit issue.
I have 5,6,7, and 8 shot Ruger revolvers.
The 8 shot being a Blackhawk, which is the next frame size up
from what you have. I thought of the timing before I bought it.
so many holes.....but it is slick and smooth.
I too wondered about the new Single-Ten, before the Single-Nine
came out....how they could get the timing properly indexed on
a cylinder and frame that small....with all them holes.
But Ruger makes excellent revolvers.

I thought at first the problem was the cartridge was sticking out
of the rear of the cylinder and rubbing on the frame as it entered during rotation.
If you remove the cylinder, stand it on it's face on your desk, and drop live
rounds in it, do they all seat properly into the cylinder?

Don't worry. Ruger will make it right.
Every manufacturer has some degree of repair issue.
I had to send a brand new $800 S&W .22lr back just
this past June for repair of four obvious problems.

The problem with guns or cars.......
once you buy it, it is yours.
They won't [usually] replace one if it has defects when new,
which I think is wrong.....they just repair it.

When Ruger gets yours fixed.....and they will.....
that revolver will be around and last far beyond
your life, and well past the time your daughter gives it to her kids.
I have more Rugers than anything else, some from the very early '60's
and they are as good as new functionally.

Godspeed on the repair.

 

[ozo]

Thinking back on what I said in post #12
about the ammo being real crappy......
that is .22lr and I don't ever remember
having any .22WMR ammo with any issue
that would keep it from chambering smoothly.