Extra click in one of two Bearcats?

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:54 am

I need an expert on single action revolver action noises.

I found a curious difference in my two Bearcats. One has three clicks on cocking, the other clicks four. You have to cock it very slowly to catch the fourth click, as it is like .002 hammer movement after the third. The transfer bar drops a bit, and the trigger moves forward, on the last click in both guns.

I have no doubt it is a harmless variance. Evidently the other Bearcat just has clicks 3 and 4 exactly in unison.

What is happening on each of the four clicks? I would rather not disassemble one just to educate myself.

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:27 am

On further examination, I find my extra click is the cylinder latch slipping into the cylinder notch just an instant before the full cock notch clicks. It is in exact unison on the three click gun.

Taking probably a thousandth off the pawl would match the clicks, as resting my finger on the cylinder does it.

Even so, I'd still like to know what happens on the three clicks.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:41 am

I'll take a WAG and go with "half-cock", "hammer block or transfer bar" and "lockup" ... but I'm not a SA revolver expert by any means.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:07 pm

If memory serves me right all of the old single action guns, starting with the Colt cap and all and all that had the firing pin on the hammer, have 4 clicks to full cock. At least the guns I had when I rode with George were that way.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:17 pm

bearandoldman wrote:At least the guns I had when I rode with George were that way.

George Washington didn't carry a revolver!

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:27 pm

bigfatdave wrote:
bearandoldman wrote:At least the guns I had when I rode with George were that way.
George Washington didn't carry a revolver!

Not that old, bud. I meant George Armstrong Custer, good thing I took that day off when I did, eh?

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:18 am

The first click on Colt and older Ruger SAs is the safety notch, which new model Rugers don't need or have. So old style SAs actually have five clicks.

I've gotten a good answer on new model Bearcats. The first click is the half-cock loading notch, the cylinder latch dropping. Two releases the cylinder latch back up. Three is the cylinder latch popping into the cylinder notch ( which I learned is also called a "leede"; an old British term). Four is full cock.

Three and four are often just close together, as I found out. My other Bearcat and my Single-Six have the "extra" click if I cock them very, very slowly.

Other new model Rugers just drop the latch on the first click, the other three run together.