Wing Nut

I just received a Vaquero .44-40 off of gunbroker. It looks great until I looked down the barrel, and it is destroyed. It looks like it has had a drill bit run down it and gouged out large chunks of the bore. It needs a new barrel or re-lined. Anyone know of someone who can help me with either, and how much it might cost.

kingpins9

Did the seller tell you the bore was trashed? Sorry to hear you have to deal with this.

There are several companies that can re-line bores. Hopefully someone will chime in soon and give you first-hand experience with a particular company/gunsmith. If not, I would call Ruger and see who they recommend. You may even be able to send it to them and have a new barrel installed, for a fee of course.

Wing Nut

unfortunately he did not tell me the bore was trashed. he said that the gun had never had a bullet fired through it and he just fired blanks through it doing reinactments. I even told him i was going to shoot CAS shoots with it and he never said anything about it being gouged.
Didn't know if ruger would work on .44-40 since they stopped production of them.

bearcatter

I would give them a call and be sure what they can and can't do. A new factory barrel would be the best route, and they would look it over for anything else it needs. Good luck.

kingpins9

Keep in mind that even though Ruger no longer manufactures that particular chambering, I'm pretty sure they can still service it with parts they more than likely have in stock.

I'd try calling them tomorrow if you don't get any good responses today/tonight.

Good luck !

laidlerj

I had the opportunity some years ago to buy a Colt SAA that had been used as a prop gun in Tombstone, AZ (you know, the OK Corral location). Like your Vaquero, it had been used for only blank firing for many years. The revolver looked pretty good on the outside, just a little holster wear and a few dings and scratches. When I looked in the barrel, however, it was a real horror show.

Apparently, when they clean the prop guns, they only wiped them down on the outside and never (or only very rarely) cleaned the bore. The blackpowder blanks caused unbelievable corrosion, so the bore looked like it had been gouged by a drill (sound familiar?); it was so severly pitted that it tore the cleaning patch I tried to run through it.

I'm sorry that you were cheated in this deal - I have a hard time imagining that the seller was completely unaware of its condition, hence his artful dodge of the question of bore condition. Yes, it never had a bullet through it, and probably never will again.

As suggested above, I'd recommend contacting Ruger to see if they can replace the barrel. Even though they no longer sell that chambering, they probably still have a stock of spare parts.


Jim

Wing Nut

laidlerj, that is exactly what it looks like, I actually thought someone ran a drill bit down it. Man this is a hard lesson learned. I emailed the seller he actually talked to ruger just a few minutes ago and claims they will put a new barrel on it for $260. He offered no money back or any finnacial help. He said he listed a "small nick" in the ad. This was far from small, I had actually never seen worse damage to a barrel with my own eyes.

TMB

At least Ruger will put new barrel so it will have future value as a factory Ruger. I'd bet the seller knew he's just a crook.

shootist

I sure hope you have tried to send it back to him? one reason I would never buy a used gun on line, not sure how Gun Broker works I know on Ebay giving if a seller gives a false discription he gets to eat it not the buyer.

Wing Nut

Called ruger they said i'd have to send it in to evaluate it. in other words they don't know if they have a barrel for it or not. $30 to ship it each way. So I guess I take a $60 gamble. Unless I hear about someone who will do a quality re-lining

kingpins9

Hopefully, they'll be able to repair it. Got my fingers crossed for you.

Since this guy has obviously knowingly ripped you off, can you post a link to the ad so that others can avoid him? This is the type of person that needs to be shunned by the gun community.

ozo

There are custom gun shops that can put a new barrel on it....
I will look for my list.....but you can 'google' some in the meantime.
There are members here that have already done just that.....
for other reasons than your own.

Wing Nut

King pin, I will do that. Right now I am waiting to see if he is going to make it right. He has offered to swap a different pistol for me, not one I want or of the same value. That doesn't do me much good, I buy products I want. I am going to see if he will eat the repair or at least 1/2 of it. I should know in a day or two. If we can't come to a mutal fair deal, then I will let you know who he is without hesitation, and I will post it on gunbroker.

daytona_knight

$30 shipping? How'd ya do that? I just sent in a blackhawk and Fedex charged me $85 one way.

TNWNGR

If the seller offered me my money back on a deal like you've encountered I'd take them up on it PDQ. Otherwise I'd try to purchase a replacment barrel from Ruger and replace it myself.