Cylinder groove

[Bar Stool Billy]

 I have a set of SAA's and one of them has started to get a groove around the cylinder. Is this normal or should I have it looked at.

Thanks! BSB

[RRio]

Sounds like the leg on your bolt is getting worn. I would have a good name SAA specialist replace the bolts and do an action job on them.

[Bar Stool Billy]

 I have only fired a couple hundred rounds through them. I have not even shot my first match yet. Should I send them to USFA or is there a good smith in the Houston area that anyone knows of.

Thanks! BSB

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[Marshal Will Wingam]

I bought a new pistol that did that. It had to go back to the factory for a fix. It was covered under warrantee. Perhaps you can send it in to get corrected. The factory should re-blue the cylinder, too.

[Nevada Mark]

I found USFA to be a real good company especially when it comes to correcting problems and customer service. A friend of mine sent a cylinder back that he thinks he messed up and they buffed it out and re-blued it and did not charge him for it. Gary received the cylinder in the morning and sent it back to my friend the next day. My friend said it looked better than it did when he first got the gun. – So my suggestion is call Gary at USFA and let him know the problem and he will probably ask you to send it back to them for repair.

[Buffalow Red]

i got 4 piettas that do that cly ring thing anyone dealt with this ona pietta 58 remy

[Major 2]

To answer your question
"Should I send them to USFA or is there a good smith in the Houston area that anyone knows of."

The ansewer to both is YES ... do send it back USPA is good about repairs
and yes to a good smith in Texas ? = LONGHUNTER

Lastly it is so common with Rugers it often called the Ruger Ring.

[DR.A.W.FAST]

Proper manual of arms for the single action will stop the problem. Never pull the hammer back to the safety of the first click and then drop back to battery on an empty chamber. You must pull the hammer to full cock and then drop the hammer onto an empty chamber. This drops the bolt into the correct position so it doesn't ride on the cylinder.If you have pulled the hammer back to first click then dropped it, then pulled it back again to spin the cylinder you will get that drag line. I hope I haven't completely confused ya'll !

Doc

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

To expound on Fast's post, here is something that I posted earlier on a similar topic:

On some revolvers it is unavoidable, due to mechanical design.  Smith & Wessons and Rugers for example.  Simple mechanics of the gun cause the bolt to rise well before the cylinder is in battery, thus causing the bolt "drag marks" on the cylinder.
Properly timed revolvers of the Colt SAA design should not do this.  The design is such that the bolt rises just before the locking notch comes into place as the cylinder turns.  This is not to say that it won't happen.  With age ( use and wear) some guns will get out of time and the bolt will rise early, causing drag marks.  USFA guns come from the factory properly timed and with proper maintenance you will not have this problem with them.
So... why do you see new SAA's with the drag marks?  Improper (read uneducated) handling in most cases.  Whenever you bring the hammer back to the half cock position, ALWAYS bring it to a full cock before lowering the hammer (and always lower it on an empty chamber).  At half cock, the bolt is lowered and the cylinder is out of battery.  When you drop the hammer from a half cock position, the bolt rises but the cylinder is still out of battery and the bolt rests against the cylinder between the locking notches.  The cylinder is free to turn and when it does the bolt scratches it.  This sin is most often committed while loading.  Proper loading procedure - and I am sure you already know this - is to bring the gun to half cock to free the cylinder.  Load one, skip one, load four, bring the hammer to full cock and then lower it on the empty chamber.  Do this and you shouldn't have any problems with those drag marks.
CJF 

[Fox Creek Kid]

Excellent description, Cap'n!! A question I would also ask of Bar Stool Billy as well is this: are you shooting these guns two handed furiously and cocking with your left hand thumb? I ask this as I see so many CAS shooters do this and quite frankly these guns were NOT designed to be operated that way and centrifugal force often wheels the cyilnder past proper alignment wreaking havoc as well, especially when someone starts cranking the hammer back in desperation because the firing pin hit the side of the primer and not setting off the round. It also screws up the timing quickly on a SAA or clones.

[DR.A.W.FAST]

Thanks Cap. it was a much more astute description of what I was trying to say!

Doc