I had owned this air rifle for about two to three months with no problems until it suddenly snapped back while loading and fired. The barrel is now bent due to the sudden jolt. After disassembly it would appear a pin for the gas cylinder broke causing it to suddenly release its pressure. I've only had this air rifle for about three months and now it is completely useless. I'd like some advice on what I should do with it now.
Catastrophic failure of a ruger air rifle
- Thread starter 82gt
- Start date
That's what happens when you pull the trigger on a break barrel while it's
cocked and not closed.
That is why we always hold a break barrel open with one hand while we load it with the other.
You were lucky you didn't lose a finger. Warranty is not going to cover that.
cocked and not closed.
That is why we always hold a break barrel open with one hand while we load it with the other.
You were lucky you didn't lose a finger. Warranty is not going to cover that.
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When it happened my other hand was on the Stock no where near the trigger and it went off as soon as I closed it
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The barrel does not bend if the barrel is closed when it goes off.
Well I haven't seen everything by any means so maybe there was some metal fatigue going on somewhere.
Even so you should have had one hand on the barrel. The vendor is unlikely to believe this.
Well I haven't seen everything by any means so maybe there was some metal fatigue going on somewhere.
Even so you should have had one hand on the barrel. The vendor is unlikely to believe this.
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I think you should direct your communication to Ruger directly, if possible. It might not matter what anyone believes, if Ruger thinks there is a potential liability risk, they may replace it with no further questions. I would mention the potential for serious injury. Can't hurt to try.
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Strange things can happen which is why it is good advise to keep a firm grip on the barrel or cocking lever while loading and closing the action. On one of my guns I had a failure to fire when the trigger was pulled. This left the sear disengaged with a sticky trigger mechanism unable to release the piston. Of course when I tried to recock the gun the jolt caused the piston to be released. Thankfully I was holding the barrel and no damage was done. On another gun, unknown to me the latch rod was gradually unscrewing itself from the piston. Fortunately this was caught before a disaster occured. It pays to be cautious!
Hopefully, Ruger will have pity on you.
Hopefully, Ruger will have pity on you.
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The barrel had some velocity behind it to bend it like that. Maybe it slipped out of your hand. That snap back would happen quickly. Too fast to make an accurate observation from what you see. Be happy it wasn't a side cocker. Never take your hands off of the handle until your fingers are out of the way.
One thought crossed my mind how it can happen without pulling the trigger is having the trigger set too lite.
One thought crossed my mind how it can happen without pulling the trigger is having the trigger set too lite.
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Winner winner chicken dinner. Events as told do not ad up to the end result. If that is what is told to umarex or whoever makes the Ruger junk you are right no warranty.
Possibly it wasn’t fully cocked when let go of. Never latched open.
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Some break barrels can’t be unc o c k e d unless you take them apart and remove the device that forbids it. They probably do it for liability reasons. I have no idea if your gun had the ability to be unc o c k e d so I can’t be quick to judge. Box store springers are pretty junky so I would consider yourself lucky that you didn’t get hurt and use this experience as an excuse to upgrade to a quality springer. Even if you get a really good springer this time, remember to lube pivot pins and other things that need maintenance. Your failure point looks dry so once you started to score that pin due to lack of maintenance, the clock was ticking on your bomb.
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Just wrap the muzzel end of the barrel in a piece of leather and clamp it in the jaws of a vice. Use the leverage to rebend your barrel until it is straight again. It is not difficult and the procedure is often used to address barrel droop or to fix a bend like yours caused by a failure to hold onto the barrel during the cocking sequence. Beeman used to charge a fee to correct droop on a brand new rifle using this technique. You certainly can't do much more damage.
Chalk this up to a learning experience and be happy you still have all your digits and didn't crack your skull.
Chalk this up to a learning experience and be happy you still have all your digits and didn't crack your skull.
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