Old "Ruby-style" .25 acp problems.

[OttoParabellum]

Im having a problems with my uncles old spanish .25 acp pocketrocket.

Problem is this:

-When full mag and gets first into chamber the first goes boom. And gets ejected.
-Second round gets into chamber automatically but when pulling trigger only lazy "knock" and fails to fire. Then rack slide manually back to **** it but still keeping same round into chamber then fires second round and gets ejected.
- 3rd round and 4rd does the same tricks to get fired than second round.

But when having one in chamber and two in mag old bastard works fine and no fails to feed or fails to fire.

Can someone give me lenght of the original recoilspring?
Mine was 50mm long and having 22 rounds.

I think mayde the recoilspring is too short because the slide goes läfew millimetres back/forward and that may cause that fail to fire problem because when the hammer hits the firing pin and firing pin hits primer and slide maybe moves forward and that makes firingpin hit is too weak to get primer boom?

Thanks for help and sorry for bad english.

[DonVoigt]

Just put a longer/stronger recoil spring in place.
It won't hurt anything and it sounds like the cause of the problem.

Or the firing pin/striker spring is also weak.

[Olle]

Does the slide go into battery (all the way forward) after the first shot?

I suspect Don is on the right track. The reason why the shell is not ejected is probably that the extractor hook hasn't engaged the rim. One reason for that would be that the slide is not fully forward, and that would prevent the hammer from hitting the firing pin as well. The hammer will drop, but will only hit the bottom edge of the slide. The disconnector should disengage the sear and prevent the hammer from dropping, but it's an old Ruby so who knows.

Sounds like a recoil spring problem to me, it could be too weak (or even too strong). Also, it could be caused by "limp wristing". The slide won't reciprocate properly if you don't hold the gun firmly enough when you shoot, and this could cause similar problems.

[OttoParabellum]

Slide goes forward but the spring is too short to keep slide into battery.
Slide can get 2-3mm backward just turning the barrel up.

I think i try to but 2mm or 3mm washer between slide and recoilspring first?

[alanint]

This is usually not done, but try stretching the spring about an inch and test the pistol once more. It this improves or cures the problem, get a new spring that closely meets the specs of the stretched spring.

[Olle]

The spring is definitely a problem, and I would replace it. Stretching it may work for a while, but a spring that has sagged that much indicates poor spring quality (which is not too unlikely in a Ruby pistol). You can only stretch a spring so much, so the problem could also be fatigue from stretching it in the past. Alanint's advice is good, it will help you find another spring of the correct length, diameter and wire gauge.

I would definitely not shim it, and that's more on principle than practical considerations. If the slop is as bad as you describe it, I would also suspect that the spring has been replaced, damaged or maybe even cut by somebody trying to "fix a problem".

[OttoParabellum]

Tried with 2mm washer and worked first 4 shots and then spring was too loose to keep slide into battery.
Recoilspring is stainless so its not original.

I have old ppsh41 recoil spring,would that be too tight? Diameter looks right.

[alanint]

Go to Wolff Gunsprings and see what they might offer for the Ruby. They can custom turn virtually any spring.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by OttoParabellum

Tried with 2mm washer and worked first 4 shots and then spring was too loose to keep slide into battery.
Recoilspring is stainless so its not original.

I have old ppsh41 recoil spring,would that be too tight? Diameter looks right.

Seems like your spring has had it, if it loosens up that quick it's probably a matter of metal fatigue.

When you pick a new spring, you need to look at:

Spring diameter
Wire diameter
Overall length
Number of coils

If you get all those numbers right, you will have a spring that's at least close to the original. Going by a replacement spring like yours will be sketchy at best, so you need to find one that's made to original specs. Wolff may be able to help you, if not I would suggest that you contact Lugerdoc or play the waiting game on Gunbroker and eBay.

The problem with the Ruby pistols is that they were made by many different manufacturers, and parts don't necessarily interchange between two seemingly identical pistols. However, I would think that the recoil spring would be one of the parts that's fairly universal.

With that said, I have been able to replace springs and make guns work by trial and error. You find a spring you believe is right and cut it a bit long, then you test fire, cut a coil, test fire again and so on until it works.

[DonVoigt]

I doubt the spring is stainless, as SS does not make good springs; maybe "in the white".
If it is stainless- then that explains the problem.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

I doubt the spring is stainless, as SS does not make good springs; maybe "in the white".
If it is stainless- then that explains the problem.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...pring&_sacat=0

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by Olle

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...pring&_sacat=0

Maybe I should have said,
I have had poor results from stainless steel springs.

They are good in a corrosive environment.

[OttoParabellum]

Founded longer spring and now it works perfect. Thank to your help everyone.