Split cylinder

October 08, 2025, 10:17 PM

MikeinNC

Split cylinder

Ruger SP101, 5 shot 357 magnum

Last week I was shooting and had a case split lengthways from the mouth to the rim.

Then had another one, but only halfway down.

The brass is all mixed and dunno how many times it’s been fired.

I had been running thru 3 different revolvers that day and a carbine, so no biggie.

Today, I’m cleaning them and swapping grips when I see the 2” one has a line down the interior of the chamber, from the extractor to the mouth.

Hmm says me, that ain’t right. Mind goes back to last week and I think-carbon line from that split case. I take a bore brush and run it thru the chamber. Nothing happens.

I pick up a dental pic and scrape it along and across the line. Crack. Oh crap.

So I dial up Ruger Customer Service and a very nice lady in Mayodan NC (north of Greensboro) listens to me and tells me what to do. (Sending it in for repair) super nice, great to hear a NC dialect on the phone, and we gab for a few, while going thru the things.

So tomorrow I get to see how Ruger does vs S&W in the repair/warranty department. 20 years ago I blew up a 360PD (LW scandium framed 357) due to a squib. Which they fixed w/o any hiccups.

Fingers crossed.

(Oh, I changed all the springs back to the factory ones)

October 08, 2025, 10:22 PM

cslinger

Do you think you had a “mild” overcharge at some point that was enough to cause the cylinder to fail but not enough to catastrophically grenade it?

October 09, 2025, 05:33 AM

sourdough44

Well, I’ve always heard Ruger had rather good customer service, hopefully that goes well.

Sometimes most of the manufacturers freak when ‘reloaded ammo’ is even mentioned. Regardless, there still is the damaged gun, which they don’t want in use.

Old brass gets brittle, I’ve had cases split, separate issue. That can happen even with modest loads.

Good luck with everything.

October 09, 2025, 08:06 AM

MikeinNC

quote:
Originally posted by cslinger:
Do you think you had a “mild” overcharge at some point that was enough to cause the cylinder to fail but not enough to catastrophically grenade it?

I don’t. I use known load data and don’t try to soup up stuff-not a big fan of huge recoil. The ammo I had was loaded with 7 grains of unique and using cast 158 bullets (below the 7.7 max load). With the case that split, I didn’t even notice it when I shot it. It was only when I picked up the brass that I heard one of them sound different as they were rolling in my hand. And I chucked the split case to the side berm. All my stuff is mixed brass so there’s no way of knowing how many times it’s been loaded. That day I was shooting, ejecting, practicing my new reloader strip, then picking up the brass so I wouldn’t step on it and smoosh it into the dirt.

October 10, 2025, 11:09 PM

flesheatingvirus

Interesting. Any way to get a decent pic down the inside of that chamber to see the crack?

________________________________________

-- Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --

October 12, 2025, 08:18 PM

MikeinNC

I already sent it off. Literally was on the inside closest to the channel for the ejection pin, from ejector to the face of the cylinder. I’m not sure how thin the metal is there

October 13, 2025, 07:17 AM

David Lee

I feel, since you had a split case, it did not generate enough pressure to crack that cylinder. It's quite possible you had a cylinder of bad metal quality. As many as Ruger machines, it's going to happen. On the brass, you need to learn how, as you process your reloads, to determine what is worn out brass and what will hold up to sizing and firing. If it matters not to you, then you will always be playing with fire. Either make quality reloads or shoot stock ammo.

October 13, 2025, 07:59 AM

Jim Watson

Anecdote Alert

Seen in the 1960s.
My landlady's brother had several interesting guns. One was a 1917 Colt. The cylinder was discolored. He said it had split, so he fixed it (He was retired from a job as machinist with an automobile industry supplier.)
He said he took a 2" thick block of steel, bored a hole through it the diameter of the cylinder, cut one corner off, and pressed the cylinder into it. That closed the crack but exposed it at the cut corner, where he could weld it up. He then reamed the chamber and filed or machined the outside.
Good as new.

October 13, 2025, 08:46 AM

MikeinNC

quote:
Originally posted by David Lee:
I feel, since you had a split case, it did not generate enough pressure to crack that cylinder. It's quite possible you had a cylinder of bad metal quality. As many as Ruger machines, it's going to happen.
That’s what I believe too. Because my loads are below max loads on everything I reload

On the brass, you need to learn how, as you process your reloads, to determine what is worn out brass and what will hold up to sizing and firing.
And how does one “to determine what is worn out”?

If it matters not to you, then you will always be playing with fire. Either make quality reloads or shoot stock ammo.

Thanks for your learned advice.
A sure way to turn off anyone from receiving your advice is to talk to them like they are an idiot.

October 13, 2025, 10:38 AM

David Lee

I did not mean to rub you wrong Mike. Reloading ammo is nearly a must if one enjoys shooting. I have but stopped loading mixed brass long ago due to variations in makers cases. Straight wall or auto pistol brass will begin to show signs of weakness and wear, some after just a few reloads. As you mentioned the sound from the split case in your hand, even thinning case walls will sound different. Look at your case mouth bell. Is it smooth around it's perimeter or showing signs of teeth like surface, leading to a split mouth ? I used carbide sizes for hundreds of thousands of rounds. I would roll one case on a lube pad for every five I sized. Worn and weakening brass will show you when it's nearing the end of its useful life. Over time, even nickle cases will show wear right through to the brass. Sorry if I offended you sir. Twas not what I intended.

October 13, 2025, 03:16 PM

Sgt 127

I’m going with that was a weak cylinder charge hole. Bad cast. Void. Air bubble. If you fired anything in an SP101 that potentially cracked the cylinder, I think you would have know.

Back when I shot a lot of .38 Special, I had a dedicated Star Reloader set up for it. I shot tens of thousands of 148 grain wadcutters over 2.7 grains of Bullseye. And, yeah. I’d occasionally find a split case. I’d just throw it out. I never measured cases. Looked for signs of wear. That was such a powderpuff load, it just didn’t matter.

October 13, 2025, 04:24 PM

92fstech

quote:
Originally posted by Sgt 127:
I’m going with that was a weak cylinder charge hole. Bad cast. Void. Air bubble. If you fired anything in an SP101 that potentially cracked the cylinder, I think you would have know.

Agreed. The 101 is a very robust design, and to break one that was properly constructed with in-spec materials, you'd need a hot enough load that it would certainly be quite memorable. Based on the information that you provided my guess would be that you encountered a hidden manufacturing defect that had nothing to do with your reloads.

October 13, 2025, 05:06 PM

MikeinNC

quote:
Originally posted by David Lee:
I did not mean to rub you wrong Mike..

Accepted. We’re good.

I use a dedicated carbide 38/357 die and also lube a case every ten or so to make the resizing easier. I’ve seen nickel begin flaking off cases before and it’s why I don’t buy them unless it’s on factory duty ammo.

When I get back from shooting I decap on a universal die that doesn’t size
Then I wet tumble to remove dust and carbon
Then I size, expand, insert primer
And usually they sit in a big jar until I have enough to bug me. I’ve got 3 30 cal ammo cans full of loaded 357, so I can skip reloading until it hits me.

I cull for split mouths, splits, and nickel peeling off and primer pockets expanding(not holding a primer)

Tracking says it got to Rugers New Hampshire factory today. AND was rejected “business closed” FFS. so the wait begins. I’m assuming they will re try service more then once.

October 22, 2025, 09:41 PM

MikeinNC

Day 12 and nothing…they got it.

October 23, 2025, 09:12 AM

92fstech

Waiting without knowing is the worst. Keep us updated. I'm very interested to hear what Ruger says.

October 27, 2025, 01:57 PM

MikeinNC

Just got an email. They said the firearm is beyond repair and they will ship me a new one (SP101) to my dealer as it will have a new serial number. Didn’t say what exactly was wrong with it.

But I know they could have just replaced the cylinder and timed the pawl and it woulda been gtg. I bet it’s faster to just send me a new one then spend a day refitting a cylinder.

My only gripe is that I sent them a firearm & they were gonna fix it and send it right back to me. But now they gotta go thru an FFL to “obey the law” because it’s a new serial numbered gun….my FFL isn’t gonna charge me for the transfer BC I always pay him for them anyway, but it doesn’t make sense

October 27, 2025, 02:16 PM

Jim Watson

I agree, there are so many things that it is just cheaper to replace than to repair.

At one time it was legal for the company to send a replacement gun of the same make and model directly back to the customer. Even if it still is, there have been so many regulations as to have a chilling effect and everybody is scared to do anything.

October 27, 2025, 02:50 PM

GT-40DOC

Jim,

Some years ago I was gifted a new stainless Walter PPkS in 380. It had some problems and was just during the time S&W was taking them over. I sent the gun in to them, and they sent me a brand new PPkS(much nicer than the one I sent in even though mine was new). They sent it directly to my home and it had a different serial number of course. No complaints, and still own it.

October 27, 2025, 03:31 PM

92fstech

Bummer that they're not going to fix it, but great that they're going to replace it, and even better that your FFL is going to comp the transfer fee for you. The last time I got a warranty replacement gun from Ruger the local shop that I'd bought it from new charged me a transfer fee for the replacement, even though they knew it was a warranty replacement for a gun I'd bought in their shop just a couple of months before. Their prerogative of course, but they lost me as a customer that day and I haven't been back.

October 27, 2025, 05:31 PM

MikeinNC

^^ 92fstech, my FFL guy(really a gunsmiff) is in my gun club and he’s a full time hosedragger so him giving me a break on the xfer is cream on the dessert as there’s an ongoing war between cops and hosedraggers.

I always offer, he always declines and I hand him a 20 and tell him to have a few beers on me then.