CoRoMo
Member
Over the past year or so, I've come to the realization that revolvers confound me, and I'm trying to figure what I'm doing wrong. From the inside looking out, I'm convinced that I have got to be over-thinking this.
Now, I purchased my first revolver long before I ever read Jim March's 'Revolver Checkout' thread, and boy was I proud of that gun. I was happy and satisfied. But ever since, I've never again felt comfortable buying a revolver whether it's new or not.
I find myself looking over revolvers at the LGS, testing their lockup, squinting through their cylinder gap, trying to analyze their timing and checking the end shake. Usually to the bewilderment of the store staff.
And I've yet to find a revolver that has a rock solid lockup.
I also do this anytime I have someone's revolver in my hands. I hold the cylinder gap up to the light and I check each chamber to see how they feel in full lockup. I went through every revolver in my dad's safe, I thoroughly inspected a coworker's model 10 and Redhawk, my brothers' revolvers, my own, any and all of them that I get my hands on.
I've yet to hold in my hands, a revolver that has it all set right.
The closest I've come was a model 10 that I owned a year or so back. It had two chambers that were dead rock solid in lockup and a cylinder gap of .005".
But I still wasn't happy with the fact that the other four chambers were loose in the least. And that dang gap could have been .004" or even a perfect .003", but no, it was a canyon.
This is the very reason that has prevented me from buying as many revolvers as I would like. Forget ever buying a revolver from somewhere like GunBroker!! I'm liable to buy an early 60's, mint condition model 29 at a steal of a price, only for it to arrive with a .006" gap and a bit of wiggle in the cylinder. :banghead:
I once asked a seller on GunBroker if he would send me info on his revolver. I asked him to measure the cylinder gap, tell me how many chambers locked up, etc. His reply, "I have no idea what you're talking about. This gun is in good shape and shoots great".
I've got to be over-thinking this... I suppose.
I mean, I can't seriously go into a gun shop with the intention of buying and ask that they lay out all of their inventory so that I can gauge each one and hand pick the one that stands closest to perfect... right?
Wrong. I did just that.
This whole obsession culminated not long ago when I was picking out an LCR. A dealer buddy from here gets in a load of these revolvers and I fixed my focus on buying one.
But not just anyone. The best of the bunch.
He had no problem accommodating me either, but it was a bit embarrassing. I had a multitude of these revolvers laid out in front of me and I check and recheck each one for a go / no-go judgment.
Still.
None of them had it all right.
I grudgingly decide to take one of the two that locked up solid on only one chamber.
The next customer though, picks one up at random, dry fires it a few times and grins. He puts his money down and walks out happy as can be.
I should be that guy!! I should be satisfied with my new revolver.
But I can't find comfort in one that has these mechanical "imperfections".
So the revolver category in my collection grows at a snail's pace, and I long to own this one and that one and to have a good selection of these wonderful, beautiful handguns.
But I simply can't just buy any old one that I'm interested in. No, not anymore.
Am I ruined? I'm over thinking this, aren't I?
Now, I purchased my first revolver long before I ever read Jim March's 'Revolver Checkout' thread, and boy was I proud of that gun. I was happy and satisfied. But ever since, I've never again felt comfortable buying a revolver whether it's new or not.
I find myself looking over revolvers at the LGS, testing their lockup, squinting through their cylinder gap, trying to analyze their timing and checking the end shake. Usually to the bewilderment of the store staff.
And I've yet to find a revolver that has a rock solid lockup.
I also do this anytime I have someone's revolver in my hands. I hold the cylinder gap up to the light and I check each chamber to see how they feel in full lockup. I went through every revolver in my dad's safe, I thoroughly inspected a coworker's model 10 and Redhawk, my brothers' revolvers, my own, any and all of them that I get my hands on.
I've yet to hold in my hands, a revolver that has it all set right.
The closest I've come was a model 10 that I owned a year or so back. It had two chambers that were dead rock solid in lockup and a cylinder gap of .005".
But I still wasn't happy with the fact that the other four chambers were loose in the least. And that dang gap could have been .004" or even a perfect .003", but no, it was a canyon.
This is the very reason that has prevented me from buying as many revolvers as I would like. Forget ever buying a revolver from somewhere like GunBroker!! I'm liable to buy an early 60's, mint condition model 29 at a steal of a price, only for it to arrive with a .006" gap and a bit of wiggle in the cylinder. :banghead:
I once asked a seller on GunBroker if he would send me info on his revolver. I asked him to measure the cylinder gap, tell me how many chambers locked up, etc. His reply, "I have no idea what you're talking about. This gun is in good shape and shoots great".
I've got to be over-thinking this... I suppose.
I mean, I can't seriously go into a gun shop with the intention of buying and ask that they lay out all of their inventory so that I can gauge each one and hand pick the one that stands closest to perfect... right?
Wrong. I did just that.
This whole obsession culminated not long ago when I was picking out an LCR. A dealer buddy from here gets in a load of these revolvers and I fixed my focus on buying one.
But not just anyone. The best of the bunch.
He had no problem accommodating me either, but it was a bit embarrassing. I had a multitude of these revolvers laid out in front of me and I check and recheck each one for a go / no-go judgment.
Still.
None of them had it all right.
I grudgingly decide to take one of the two that locked up solid on only one chamber.
The next customer though, picks one up at random, dry fires it a few times and grins. He puts his money down and walks out happy as can be.
I should be that guy!! I should be satisfied with my new revolver.
But I can't find comfort in one that has these mechanical "imperfections".
So the revolver category in my collection grows at a snail's pace, and I long to own this one and that one and to have a good selection of these wonderful, beautiful handguns.
But I simply can't just buy any old one that I'm interested in. No, not anymore.
Am I ruined? I'm over thinking this, aren't I?