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Problem with sp101

8K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  guardjim 
#1 ·
Hi, I am having a problem with my sp101 3 inch . When dry firing , if I pull the trigger a little bit and the hammer will start to move back, if I stop and release the trigger allowing the hammer to go back to its original position, then if I try to pull the trigger the hammer will only go back a little and will not cock. If I then rotate the cylinder by hand it will work fine. What is the problem. Thanks in advance.
 
#5 ·
Ok you have a new Ruger SP101 under or about 100 rounds and having problems..........Call Ruger Customer Service they will take care of you!!! Now if you have done spring kits etc they will install the stock springs again just to let you know!!! From what I am hearing just let Ruger repair your SP101 for you!!! I have had a few SP101's never had a problem with one yet. But doesn't mean there will not be problems. Give Ruger a call they will take care of you!!!
 
#6 ·
From what you're describing..when you pull the trigger a little bit the cylinder latch raises out of its slot to allow cylinder rotation...when you release the trigger the latch is riding on the outer surface of the cylinder...the trigger has reset and will not cock until the latch has returned to the next slot. It has to do with the timing of the cylinder. It's by design.
 
#7 ·
What I think may be happening: (my terms may may not be correct)
Initially, the trigger lever pushes the hammer backward. As it moves backward, the hammer compresses a metal spring in the gun stock (the handle). At the same time, the trigger rotates the cylinder so the next breech chamber is positioned in front of the gun barrel.

The trigger mechanism includes a part, the Hand that extends out of the recoil plate and as it protrudes engages the ratchet on the cylinder face, rotating the cylinder to position a bullet in a cylinder in front of the barrel. If the trigger isn't pulled completely, the cylinder chamber.w/bullet doesn't completely position in front of the barrel. If this happens, the trigger mechanism is designed to prevent the hammer from completely cocking and falling, discharging a round that isn't in front of the barrel. That wouldn't be a good thing.

Essentially, to put a revolver cylinder in position to begin a new, complete trigger pull, the cylinder would need to be rotated until safely locked into a new position.
 
#10 ·
RockDoctor and Roche, sorry was reading this from my phone as computer was on the fritz, so this is normal and I am understanding the sequence and purpose of events you have laid out. I also checked it fot timing which seems to be fine. Now all that being said I still can not get my GP100 to do it. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
 
#14 ·
You cannot get your GP100 to do it because it is functioning normal. It is not a revolver design feature as others stated. There is something wrong with the revolver.

A revolver functions as follows. If you begin a trigger pull, the cylinder stop will drop which will unlock the cylinder. The cylinder will begin to rotate as the hand rises. Meanwhile the hammer is cocking to the rear. The cylinder stop will pop back up when clear of the locking notch and ride on the cylinder. If you stop the trigger pull and release the trigger the cylinder will stop and stay where it was positioned when you released the trigger. The hammer will go back to rest. A second pull of the trigger will activate the hand which will reengage the cylinder and continue the process as if it was on pull one. The cylinder stop will engage the next chamber and a continued trigger pull will fire the revolver.

It is NOT necessary to "hand spin" the cylinder to the next chamber locking notch. Again there is a problem. Call Ruger and return the gun to them. Ruger CS is number one. You will have a correctly fixed gun back to you in a week or two.
Bepe
 
#15 ·
As much as one can learn here on the Ruger Forum about our Ruger Revolvers it sounds like to me the OP's SP101 has a problem. Call Ruger Customer Service and make arrangements to send the revolver back. Ruger will repair the SP101 and return it back good as new!!!
 
#17 ·
I have 3 SP101's. Just went to the safe and tried all three. Partially pulled the trigger until the cylinder stop released and the cylinder spun halfway. Released the trigger. Hammer went back to rest. Second pull of the trigger reengaged the hand spinning the cylinder to the next chamber and locked. Hammer fell onto the snap cap. Proper revolver operation.

Should hold true to any revolver.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Let's see. The revolver was carried by police and used for defense by citizens for decades prior to the inception of the semi auto. We'll play out this scenario....

Copper has a bad guy at gun point with a use of deadly force situation present. (bad guy has a knife and is advancing toward him) The copper starts a trigger pull rotating the cylinder half way and suddenly the bad guy complies and drops the knife. The copper deescalates and stops his trigger pull. The bad guy then changes his mind, grabs the knife and charges the copper.

Now according to the misinformed, the copper would then have to ask the bad guy "can you hold on a minute while I manually rotate my cylinder to the next stop notch so I can shoot". Manually do so and then attempt another trigger pull. WRONG. Pull the trigger again and the revolver will fire.

I have 10 revolvers in my safe (including 3 SP101's) and all of them operate as I described in an earlier post.

If all new SP101 require a manual turn of the cylinder on a repull then Ruger is marketing a defective product that should NOT be used for self defense.

The OP has a defective gun and if your gun operates as the OP's then yours is defective also. About all I'm going to say on this matter.
Bepe
 
#21 ·
Let's see. The revolver was carried by police and used for defense by citizens for decades prior to the inception of the semi auto. We'll play out this scenario....

Copper has a bad guy at gun point with a use of deadly force situation present. (bad guy has a knife and is advancing toward him) The copper starts a trigger pull rotating the cylinder half way and suddenly the bad guy complies and drops the knife. The copper deescalates and stops his trigger pull. The bad guy then changes his mind, grabs the knife and charges the copper.

Now according to the misinformed, the copper would then have to ask the bad guy "can you hold on a minute while I manually rotate my cylinder to the next stop notch so I can shoot". Manually do so and then attempt another trigger pull. WRONG. Pull the trigger again and the revolver will fire.

I have 10 revolvers in my safe and all of them operate as I described in an earlier post.

If all new SP101 require a manual turn of the cylinder on a repull then Ruger is marketing a defective product that should not be used for self defense.

The OP has a defective gun and if your gun operates as the OP's then yours is defective also. About all I'm going to say on this matter.
Bepe
Well said Bebe!
 
#23 ·
Talked to Ruger CS this morning. The gun should not be doing this. So off to Ruger it goes. The woman I spoke to, actually tried to get one to do this and could not. I will keep you all updated of further developments
 
#25 ·
I guess I didn't fully understand the problem and called it wrong. I sat here this morning with my SP101 and my LCR to try to duplicate what yours was doing. I could not. I'm glad you contacted Ruger and are getting it repaired.
 
#26 ·
No disrespect meant to you Agree or others on my rants. The partial trigger pull is a situation that is most likely NEVER encountered by average revolver shooters. I read the thread and not wanting to start a confrontation I was not going to post. It was gnawing at me and I figured if we could educate some members on revolver operation then it was a win. Hopefully some members have benefitted.
Regards Bepe
 
#27 ·
No disrespect meant to you Agree or others on my rants. The partial trigger pull is a situation that is most likely NEVER encountered by average revolver shooters. I read the thread and not wanting to start a confrontation I was not going to post. It was gnawing at me and I figured if we could educate some members on revolver operation then it was a win. Hopefully some members have benefitted.
Regards Bepe
None taken Bepe! I learned something. Every day I can learn something new is a good day. That's what I like about this forum... people helping others.
 
#28 ·
I got the SP101 back from Ruger today. On the packing slip it says new mainspring, trigger return spring, hammer trigger, pawl, trigger plunger, adjusted timing. They spoke to my FFL and told him gun was out of specs. I had tolf them that i had changed the the springs for custom springs from Wollf. They told him problem was probably because I had changed out springs. Not sure if I buy that.
 
#29 ·
Glad you got it back and it is in working order. Did you change the springs back to the originals before you sent it back? If so and they were the culprits that would have corrected the problem right then. They adjusted the timing...maybe that was the issue.
 
#30 ·
I sent it back with custom springs installed and they were aware of this. However it was doing the same thing with the factory springs as I had put them back in thinking that was the problem.
 
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