Spinning cylinder question

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power167

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Hey my father has had a Ruger redhawk since 1982. Awesome gun, and hasnt been shot very much.

He just passed it down to me, which Im thrilled about. However in doing research I realized that spinning/snap closing the cylinder is very bad for the gun. When my brother and I were younger we did this a number of times. Not a hundred or anything like that but enough where I remember doing it.

So I checked the timing of the gun with a flashlight like they say to do online and it seems spot on perfect. Little if any cylinder play at full lock up. I guess Im wondering if we did any damage to the gun and if so what I could inspect to figure out if we did.

Thanks!
 
No, it isn't terribly likely you did any damage at all to that Ruger.

If the cylinder still opens and closes correctly, the seam where the crane closes against the frame still looks "tight", and nothing binds as you cycle it, go shoot -- it's fine.
 
Short of using an alignment range rod to check the chamber-bore alignment, there's not much to be checked other then timing.

Timing on modern guns like the Ruger's is fairly simple. Check timing on all chambers.

As you slowly cock the hammer the cylinder locking bolt should drop into the frame and unlock the cylinder before the cylinder begins to rotate.

The bolt should drop back onto the cylinder shortly after it starts to rotate and should "ride" the cylinder for most of it's rotation.
This will leave a line on the cylinder.

The cylinder locking bolt should drop into the cylinder locking notch and lock the cylinder before or just as the hammer reaches full cock.

The cylinder must have some looseness when the gun is cocked, whether the trigger is held back or not.
This allows the bullet passing from the chamber to the bore to force the cylinder into alignment with the bore.

NOTE: checking for how tight the cylinder is with the trigger held back is a valid test ONLY for the old style Colt action as used on the Python, Detective Special, etc. All modern revolvers are specifically built to allow some looseness when the gun fires. Some may seem to be tight but enough backlash is built into the action to allow the cylinder to move slightly when fired.
 
I recently checked out a Mod. 28 5". I was not too pretty although without damage. It just was matte- finish like. The gun had no cylinder play at all, with the trigger held. Seemed strange after all the rounds that probably were fired. I seem to recall a 28-1 #. Interesting that the design allows for movement upon firing.

Wow 357 posts had no idea
 
No, it isn't terribly likely you did any damage at all to that Ruger.

If the cylinder still opens and closes correctly, the seam where the crane closes against the frame still looks "tight", and nothing binds as you cycle it, go shoot -- it's fine.
Hey the gun cycles just fine, no drag or anything like that. I'll have to look for pictures of the crane online so I know what to look for.
 
Like others said ...you're probably fine / just check the timing on it ....and go have some fun with it !
 
Like others said ...you're probably fine / just check the timing on it ....and go have some fun with it !
Thats the idea! I have a marlin 1894 in .44 and this redhawk is going to be the companion gun. Gonna load up some real light target loads with 200 grain copper coat and some clays powder we have laying around from trap shooting. Hopefully gonna try to find a load that both guns throw reasonably well.
 
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