Help...chambers are loose!?

[300grJHP]

I purchased a used 44mag super redhawk last week and took it to the range today.  i fired fiocchi 240 gr jsp ammo in it.  About 25% of the time, however, the ammo would not fire...when the pin struck the cartridge, it dented, but didn't fire.  I figured out that the brass fit loosely in the chambers, which allowed them to move around and thus soften the blow from the hammer.

I'm new to revolvers and am not sure what is going on?  Are my chambers stretched out (used gun) or could the brass be too small?  I thought super redhawks were indestructible and couldn't stretch.  This happened with all the chambers.  Or is it the brass?

Any ideas or solutions?

thank you

[Graybeard]

I believe there is something else going on not what you have surmised. I can't imagine the little bit of looseness causing a misfire.

What I can imagine as the cause tho is someone has lightened the springs to the point it isn't hitting the primer with enough force to fire it. Used guns have a checkered history and quite often have had some shadetree gunsmithing work done on them. I believe that is likely what's happened with yours. Folks love to switch out springs and often over do the lighter spring thing and cause guns to be less than reliable in firing. Then they trade them off cuz they don't work as they should dumping the problem they caused on someone else.

Take it to a reliable gunsmith if you have one around or return it to Ruger and all will be well after they put a proper spring in it.

[huntswithdogs]

Most likely, Bill's assessment will hold true. You could try another type or brand of ammo. Another thing would be to check to see if it's the same chamber, every time.


HWD

[300grJHP]

gunsmith said that fiocchi ammo has hard primers and that's what's causing this...does that make sense?

thank you

[Graybeard]

Maybe but I kinda doubt it. I still think you're hammer spring is too weak.

[Mohawk]

I agree that the primers are getting "light strikes". And I think Bill is right. We had an Uzi that was bad about doing the same thing. It wasn't the ammo, because we used the same brand ammo for all of our handguns and submachine guns and never had a problem, except for the Uzi. The firing pin would strike but not hard enough to ignite the primer. A stouter spring should fix it.

[Bigeasy]

gunsmith said that fiocchi ammo has hard primers and that's what's causing this...does that make sense?

thank you

No.  The Super Redhawk should be able to ignite any normal factory primer, "hard" or not.  Try another brand of factory ammo.  There is a good chance you have bad ammo.  Byh the way, factory ammo will fit a little loose in revolver chambers, it's normal, and not a problem, unless the chambers are loose to the point that the firing pin blow is driving factory ammo deeper into the chamber without denting the primer.  That is a headspace problem, and I doubt it applies to your Ruger, as the .44 mag. is supported by its rim.  A light main spring could be it, but I would try different FACTORY ammo first, not reloads.  Too many people really don't know what they are doing reloading, then blame the gun for their bad ammo.  Rule of thumb - If it works OK with factory ammo, but not reloads, it's NOT the gun...

Larry  

[madcratebuilder]

Replace the hammer spring with a factory spring, I'll bet that fixes the 'light strikes'.  One of the draw backs of buying a used revolver, you don't know what's been done to it internally.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had a few redhawks and super red hawks. Especially in the redhawks hard primers like ccis can cause problems in double action even with a factory spring. A lightened spring will about insure it. But bottom line is in single action a stock spring will ignite about any primer and if your gun is missfiring in single action my guess is the same as bills.

[Racer X]

Redhawks are also notorious for having short firing pins, which often results in misfires. Therefore, I don't know that sending the gun back to Ruger will fix your problem.

I am aware of two people who do considerable work on Redhawks; Hamilton Bowen and David Clements. Before sending your gun back to Ruger, I suggest you consult them. I know Bowen replaces Redhawk firing pins as part of his tune-up package on Redhawks. It's a tricky fix, but he has perfected it.

[NickSS]

I had the same problem with a GP 100 Ruger only I caused it myself.  I bought a wolf spring kit and put it a lighter hammer spring.  Upon trying it at the range I got light strikes so I put in the next heavier spring and all was right with the world (the kit came with three springs).

[Bigeasy]

Redhawks are also notorious for having short firing pins, which often results in misfires. Therefore, I don't know that sending the gun back to Ruger will fix your problem.

Hmmm.... What supporting documentation?  Besides internet BS?   I Have shot and owned numerous Redhawks/Super Redhawks over the years without issue.  Ruger has been making the Redhawk for a long time.  To think they have been making this model with a design flaw, IE "short firing pins", all these years without correcting the issue is pretty silly.  No major manufacturer of any product stays in business very long when they knowingly produce a defective item, and refuse to fix it.....

Larry

[Lloyd Smale]

Larry theres alot of truth to it. Ive yet to find a redhawk that was a 100 percent reliable in DA without using fed primers and swapping out to a longer firing pin tends to cure it.

[DDZ]

I once tried lighter springs in my redhawk, and every once in a while I would have a miss fire. Different primers didn't help either. I reinstalled the factory spring and had no more problems. As GB and others have mentioned here, its almost a sure bet that whoever had it changed the hammer spring to achieve a lighter trigger pull. I also read once that with redhawks, changing the hammer spring to a lighter spring, many times results in light primer hits, and misfires.