Question: Trying to look before I leap

[Jim P]

Hi there people.
I was about to dig in to a Ruger SP 101 stainless steel 5 shot revolver and I thought it might be wise of me to ask around to see it any one might has some experiance with this model of gun. I know some of the Ruger revolving cylinders are so hard they just about cant be worked without being anneled first then re hardened and I dont want to get involved in that. Any way if any one has engraved on one do you have any advice for me?
Thanks, Jim:hammer:

 

[monk]

i own one of these, but lack the courage to engrave it. the few stainless guns i've done have certainly added to my sharpening skills !

 

[Jim P]

I have never tried a Ruger but I have had 2 people tell me that the cylinders and the loading gates were impossiable to do anything with so I havent tried yet.
I did a full corverage on a stainless Tauras and it started out really bad untill I got the graver angles right and found out that all the hard gravers wouldt work because they chipped so bad. The hardened tool steel gravers with the face of the graver quite a bit flatter than the tool jigs make them. I use the Linsey sharpening jigs and I rigged them up so the 110* face angle was about 1/2 of what its suppose to be and had to sharpen the gravers up often the chipped tips and broken tips stoped.

 

[tim halloran]

Jim P: I just finished two stainless Ruger Vaqueros. The cylinders were tough but doable, the loading gate is another thing all together. I use C-Max carbide sharpened on the Easy Graver sharpener from GRS. Just keep your heels brief and dub the tip and you should get reasonable tool life. Also use a lubricant.

 

[Jim P]

Hey does anyone know is stainless steel is like the other carbon steels that is used to make guns and can be tempered or is stainless made a harndness that cant be made softer or harder by heat treating?
The one stainless Tauras had lots of soft and hard places in it. I did a sig p938 and it was stainless and wasent real soft but it was very consestant as the entire gun was very consistant in hardness.

 

[joe seeley]

I engraved an sp101 several years back. I had no problems I use grs carbide gravers to do the job.

Joe

 

[BrianPowley]

It will engrave ok. Wide point geometry (110-130 deg.) will yield the longest lasting tool, but you'll still be sharpening a lot!
HSS will just dull almost instantly, so a carbide tool is the best choice.
DO NOT TRY TO ANNEAL THE GUN!!!! It probably won't anneal anyway and you are compromising the safety of the gun.

 

[Peter E]

Interesting question Jim. I also have an SP101 in stainless.

Good information to know.