Revolver Reliability - a function of size?

[Edster]

Maybe I'm a weird case but my Match Champion often gets the extractor star lockup after only a couple of cylinders. It won't close or closes hard and gets very draggy. I can consistently fix it by wiping/brushing under the extractor star.

It's a bit confidence-wreaking when I'm doing reload drills and can't close the cylinder. The MC was not really intended to be an everyday serious defensive gun for me but this rules it out completely.

I practice with factory FMJ 158-grain FMJ and some of the brands I've tried are admittedly pretty dirty. The sights are dialed for .357 SJHP and nothing lighter hits close to point of aim.

[vtfarmer]

Maybe I'm a weird case but my Match Champion often gets the extractor star lockup after only a couple of cylinders. It won't close or closes hard and gets very draggy. I can consistently fix it by wiping/brushing under the extractor star.

It's a bit confidence-wreaking when I'm doing reload drills and can't close the cylinder. The MC was not really intended to be an everyday serious defensive gun for me but this rules it out completely.

I practice with factory FMJ 158-grain FMJ and some of the brands I've tried are admittedly pretty dirty. The sights are dialed for .357 SJHP and nothing lighter hits close to point of aim.

I believe that is the result of too tight headspace. I've got a number of GP100s' and I've only had one that acted like yours'. In a 50 round session it would be good for one reload, then things would get dicey. Mostly a hard trigger pull, and a few times the cylinder wouldn't close. I bought the gun as a main carry gun so it bothered me, even though as a civilian the odds of my getting into a three cylinder gun fight are somewhere between slim and none. So I had the Powdereater modification done to the extractor star. It's made a big difference, not perfect, but I'm very comfortable with carrying it now.

[jtcarm]

I’m also unsure how often anyone gets into a sustained-fire situation with a revolver.

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[JonInWA]

Maybe I'm a weird case but my Match Champion often gets the extractor star lockup after only a couple of cylinders. It won't close or closes hard and gets very draggy. I can consistently fix it by wiping/brushing under the extractor star.

It's a bit confidence-wreaking when I'm doing reload drills and can't close the cylinder. The MC was not really intended to be an everyday serious defensive gun for me but this rules it out completely.

I practice with factory FMJ 158-grain FMJ and some of the brands I've tried are admittedly pretty dirty. The sights are dialed for .357 SJHP and nothing lighter hits close to point of aim.

Might want to call Ruger and have them look at the gun. They'll do it at no charge, and will concurrently thoroughly go throughly the entire gun. Ruger Customer Service is exceptionally good.

Best, Jon

[Dagga Boy]

If you look at history, “sustained fire” needs are far different than “sustained hits” needs. Weirdly, the cases of needing high levels of sustained hits are anomalies. Sustained “fire” is now fairly rampant, particularly in Law Enforcement. I worked in the era of only having six and the emphasis and mindset was heavy on hitting and not shooting. This has changed. The same non-serious and sub standard trained people are doing the same same stuff with modern service pistols as they did with revolvers. They now have the ability to sustain a rate of luck and hope longer.

For those who are capable, the modern service pistol does offer many advantages in a situation of going to trouble. Those same people can also use certain aspects of revolver operation that offer an ability to get out of trouble. Neither handgun offer magical abilities to hit.

[jetfire]

If you look at history, “sustained fire” needs are far different than “sustained hits” needs. Weirdly, the cases of needing high levels of sustained hits are anomalies. Sustained “fire” is now fairly rampant, particularly in Law Enforcement. I worked in the era of only having six and the emphasis and mindset was heavy on hitting and not shooting. This has changed. The same non-serious and sub standard trained people are doing the same same stuff with modern service pistols as they did with revolvers. They now have the ability to sustain a rate of luck and hope longer.

For those who are capable, the modern service pistol does offer many advantages in a situation of going to trouble. Those same people can also use certain aspects of revolver operation that offer an ability to get out of trouble. Neither handgun offer magical abilities to hit.

That gets me thinking about something else in the purely armed citizen context. I know it's been asked, but can anyone think of a document armed citizen shooting where a reload was required, regardless of gun type?

[Dagga Boy]

That gets me thinking about something else in the purely armed citizen context. I know it's been asked, but can anyone think of a document armed citizen shooting where a reload was required, regardless of gun type?

Now you went and did it.....

Personally, I put a lot of emphasis on Tac loads because I am far more likely statistically to be loading post shooting prior to holstering than during a shooting. Others see it different.

[Cecil Burch]

That gets me thinking about something else in the purely armed citizen context. I know it's been asked, but can anyone think of a document armed citizen shooting where a reload was required, regardless of gun type?

I think even more telling would be to find out if any documented case of a private citizen needing to reload is found, we then need to see why the reload was required. Was it because the citizen emptied all 5 or 6 rounds (or however many was allowed by capacity) and got all good hits in vital areas, or was it because they missed? If it is the former, then there is some reason to possibly change training and carry procedures. If it is due to the latter, then the discussion needs to go another way.

[LtDave]

That gets me thinking about something else in the purely armed citizen context. I know it's been asked, but can anyone think of a document armed citizen shooting where a reload was required, regardless of gun type?

Pretty sure Lance Thomas used at least one NY Reload in one or more of his shootouts.

[Cecil Burch]

All of this is why we tend to have very few issues at revolver round up every year. Even with J frames. I have also found that the prettier, more polished guns have less build up issues than the rougher surface guns.
Also agree that the modern Rugers are better for longer sustained shooting work due to how they are constructed.

People will notice when I talk about revolver reliability it is with the added language of clean, well maintained using premium ammunition and the first load and likely a couple reloads are a fairly sure thing in actual street conditions.

To add to this: If I am recalling correctly, at the Round Up, we only had three issues, and only one (Randy Cain's) was the issue a complete lock up of the gun. And we shot a crap load of guns that weekend. I personally shot an LCR, a 2" M10, and a borrowed 2" K from Den Mother Bill (aka Serious Student). Most everyone shot multiple guns as well, so we saw a lot of revolvers, and went through hundreds of rounds.

And to a point that Darryl makes often about revolvers being reliable for the first cylinder , even the big lockup with Randy's gun was late in the morning of the second day after shooting probably at minimum a couple hundred rounds. No one had any issues the the early morning of either day when the guns were clean and ammo was quality.