transfer bar on ruger vaquero

[rossim92]

I haven't received my vaquero from my ffl yet. was looking at reviews online. the biggest problem seems that transfer bar will break sometimes. anybody have that problem? if so , who sells a better quality part and a video on how to replace it . do you NOT dry fire without snap caps in it? thanks, mine is the 357 magnum model

[Scott Tschirhart]

I replaced a transfer bar a couple of months ago. First one I have ever seen or even heard of breaking.

I ordered one on eBay and installed it myself. Yes, now I have an extra just in case.

[AJMD429]

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After reading here on the forum about Scott's breaking one, I added a spare one to my next order from MidwayUSA. They have lots of Ruger parts in stock at pretty good prices and from what I understand, the transfer bar fits across many of their models so it's not like having a spare for each Ruger you own would be necessary. But I do think it's a good idea to have one spare at least.

I would assume that Ruger has figured out how to make them pretty impervious to the constant impact of the hammer without breaking, but perhaps occasionally they produce ones that are too brittle and break.

Certainly having one broken would render a firearm pretty useless unless you wanted to do an emergency fix by tapping a hole in the hammer and fitting a screw head in there or something. I would not do that because of safety reasons, other than in an emergency but having a spare transfer bar and the parts been seemed like an easy solution.

[Scott Tschirhart]

All guns can break. Particularly small parts. But on Rugers this is extremely rare.

I have broken exactly one part on a Redhawk. The little hook that attaches to the mainspring. So when I bought a replacement, I bought a spare that I may well never need.

[LeverGunner]

I asked the local gunsmith about it, and he told me that very very few actually broke, and of the ones that did, they were not the smooth faced ones, but those with a raised area that the hammer strikes.

My blackhawk had the raised type, I removed the raised area and turned it into the conventional flat type based upon our conversation. I asked him if this would work and he said yes.

He also said he had one of his regular shooters with the raised transfer bar and had been waiting for it to break and it never did.

[Lastmohecken]

That's a new one for me. I have not heard of Ruger's transfer bars ever breaking. The New Vaquero's are a little different, than older blackhawks and Super Blackhawks, or single sixes. I have owned them all, more or less, and never had it happen, so far. One problem I did have regarding transfer bars, was about 30 years ago, when I had a Bisley Super Blackhawk that would hang up when cocking the hammer, sometimes, and a buddy of mine had problems with a Bisley single six about the same time and I fixed his because I had already figured it out on mine. The problem was a burr that would catch the frame if I remember correctly, on the upward travel of the transfer bar. Easy enough fix once figured out.

Rugers are normally very good, if you get a good one, but Ruger's quality control across the board has been a little spotty at times.

[LeverGunner]

I have had 8 Ruger New Models that I can recall. Of those, 2 have had the hammer plunger stick in the hammer. This locks the gun up, as that plunger disengages the cylinder bolt. If it sticks in the up position, the gun is worthless.

One instance, the plunger itself was heavily worn. The other instance, the plunger was fine but there was machining debris in the hole. I since, make it a point to disassemble any new to me Ruger and clean and inspect the plunger and hole. I've polished a few holes with fine sandpaper rolled up in there.

I also make it a point to put a drop of oil on the hammer front so it runs down on the plunger. I've been doing this for 10 years now and haven't had any issues, though I've heard some say that plunger should be dry so that it doesn't collect debris.

Not had a problem since.

[rossim92]

thanks, is there a link on how to replace them? i can't find one on youtube

[Scott Tschirhart]

There are a lot of disassembly videos.

https://youtu.be/MOsqz4nQxkA?si=98wUAQNUN9CoN7ch

[GunnyMack]

It's quite possible that the transfer bars work harden over time. Being investment cast some of the material they are cast from could be harder to begin with.
I knew an engraver that flat outrefused to engrave Rugers, just wouldn't cut.

[Malamute]

This is fairly well known in the cowboy action shooting realm. I believe the primary issue is dry firing. A live primer cushions the impact to some degree.

I asked a local gunsmith, he said he had replaced several, and he didnt specialize in Rugers or revolvers.

Ive broken 3 in 2 different guns. I havent broken any since I stopped dry firing them. Snap caps probably help. If its not a life or death gun, go ahead and dry fire it. Mine were carry guns in bear country, so I just stopped dry firing them as a regular thing.

Ive heard that if the transfer bar is fitted so the hammer rests on the frame, not entirely on the transfer bar when in firing position it helps to eliminates the issue. I didnt care enough to try it, I just quit dry firing them. YMMV.

Broken transfer bars.JPG

[LeverGunner]

When I removed the raised portion from the transfer bar in my Blackhawk, I fitted it so that the hammer was resting on the frame, and with force against the hammer I can make the trigger reset, pulling the transfer bar from under the hammer, with mild pressure. I'd guess .002 clearance.

[Walt]

I have about 2 dozen single action Rugers and although I know it's quite rare I have had a couple of incidents with transfer bars. My shooting partner and I were out shooting a few years ago and the transfer bar on his gun broke in two. I had an extra at home about ten miles away and in a short time he was back in business. A couple of years ago I bought a Blackhawk in .41 mag from Guns Int'l; it looked new but was listed as being used. When I took it out, it wouldn't fire. It appeared that the firing pin wasn't protruding far enough out of the frame to set off a round. I took the gun home and compared the thickness of the top of the transfer bar to a spare I had stashed away. It was much thinner so I replaced it after grinding down a bit of the hammer nose for good measure and it has been fine ever since. I have wondered whether that was a factory booboo or whether a previous owner had monkeyed with it. It could have been the reason it was sold but in any case I'm glad I got it.

[AJMD429]

I have had 8 Ruger New Models that I can recall. Of those, 2 have had the hammer plunger stick in the hammer. This locks the gun up, as that plunger disengages the cylinder bolt. If it sticks in the up position, the gun is worthless.

One instance, the plunger itself was heavily worn. The other instance, the plunger was fine but there was machining debris in the hole. I since, make it a point to disassemble any new to me Ruger and clean and inspect the plunger and hole. I've polished a few holes with fine sandpaper rolled up in there.

I also make it a point to put a drop of oil on the hammer front so it runs down on the plunger. I've been doing this for 10 years now and haven't had any issues, though I've heard some say that plunger should be dry so that it doesn't collect debris.

Not had a problem since.

Thanks for that advice. Makes sense.

[AJMD429]

This is fairly well known in the cowboy action shooting realm. I believe the primary issue is dry firing. A live primer cushions the impact to some degree.

I asked a local gunsmith, he said he had replaced several, and he didnt specialize in Rugers or revolvers.

Ive broken 3 in 2 different guns. I havent broken any since I stopped dry firing them. Snap caps probably help. If its not a life or death gun, go ahead and dry fire it. Mine were carry guns in bear country, so I just stopped dry firing them as a regular thing.

Ive heard that if the transfer bar is fitted so the hammer rests on the frame, not entirely on the transfer bar when in firing position it helps to eliminates the issue. I didnt care enough to try it, I just quit dry firing them. YMMV.

Broken transfer bars.JPG

Wow. Good advice too; I'm larnin stuff here...

[samsi]

At risk of jinxing myself, I've heard of them breaking but never experienced it myself in spite of dry firing quite a bit. I do drop some oil down the front face of the hammer and in the channel that the transfer bar slides in so maybe that helps.

That little hammer hook on the Redhawk, that causes me some consternation.

[Lastmohecken]

It's been 30 years ago, but I think I remember having the actual hammer on a Super Blackhawk break on me. And If I recall correctly, I just called Ruger and they sent me a new one.