Reeder Custom Guns - Grim Reeper .500SW

Having a lot of trouble with my .500SW Grim Reaper. When fired, the brass is pushing back into the frame jamming up the cylinder. It's happening on most OTC loads. Lighter loads it happens to a letter degree. Also getting about 20% lift primer strikes.

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back out and lock up the gun is too hot a load. As you have seen the lighter loads don't do it as much. The single action revolver is a much lighter weight gun than the S&W X frame so you have to stay with the slightly lightly loads, especially if you are reloading your ammo. On the ammo that you got lighter strikes, did you run them around and try them again? If they fired the second time, then your primers are not seated deep enough and the firing pin is just seating the primer on the first strike and then firing on the second strike. If you think it is something else, give me a call and we can see what we can do, but in the past the only time we have ever had straight wall cartridges back out was with a load that was too hot. If you are reloading your 500s you will have to drop back a few grains. There is not an animal in the world that could tell the difference.

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Just finished pulling the gun apart to get the spent brass out of the cylinder. Once the cylinder pin was out found the cylinder still locked up tight with the brass hung up against the frame.

Worked the cylinder out with a wood mallet. Once cylinder was out it was easy to see the issue. There is a 3-4 thousandths "indent" in the frame where the firing pin comes through the frame. The brass and primer had molded itself into this indent which locked up the works. This was factory Hornady 300gr FTX. (see attached photo of indented area).

Action works smoothly now that its all put back together. In looking at other revolvers I have, none have this indented area. Not sure if it serves a purpose in this design? Sure seems like a hang-up point.

Thanks for the fast reply!
Curtis
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sometimes batter the firing pin recoil shield and cause it to move back a bit. That gun is a couple of years old as we haven't built the Grim Reaper in a few years. So it could have been battered enough to cause that problem. If it continues, get it back to me and I will replace the recoil shield no charge and get it right back to you.

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probably 60 were the 500 S&W. Before that we did 100 guns in our BMF series and again probably 55 or 60 were the 500 S&W. And in between these 2 series was our Professional Hunter of which probably 25 or 30 were the 500 S&W. So I would guess around 150 guns built on our own stretch frame in the 500 S&W. The rest were the 475 Maximum, 500 Maximum, some of the stretch frame GNR cartridges and a few in 460 S&W.

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Thanks, I'll monitor during the next few times I use it and see how it goes. It's my bear repellant for hiking and horse back riding here in Montana so it's important it doesn't jam up. I think there are only 2- 2 1/2 boxes though it and as I recall, it's the very first one you sold to the public ;)
Curtis

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Grim Reeper .500SW

the only thing that can cause a straight wall case to

Grim Reaper .500SW

on extremely hot loads the primer slams back so hard it will

gary, how many of the Reaper have you built?

there were 100 guns in the Grim reaper series, of which

I got 2 BMF's, in 475max and 500 S&W and 1 prof in 500 S&W

Grim Reaper .500SW