Strange wear on revolver cylinder?

Y

Yukon_Cola

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2022
Messages
89
I was at a pawn shop today and found a neat little Ruger SP101. It seemed to lock up tight as it should and didn't seem to be fired a whole lot but I noticed some strange wear. If you look at the pictures you'll see the outside of where the tooth sets in the cylinder on lock up is worn down. My first thought is that it was bogarted a lot but surely that would have worn out the tooth first?

I was also looking for a more extensive guide to revolver terminology if anyone would point me in the right direction. I know "tooth" probably isn't the correct term. PXL_20230208_214035966.jpg
 
Sorry, your photo is not large enough to see any detail.

You may be thinking about the Bolt, which is the part that pops up into the locking slots on the cylinder to lock the cylinder in battery?

This is the only double action Ruger I own, a GP 100. The wear you see on the cylinder is normal.

pmrbLcmLj.jpg
 
Last edited:
Driftwood Johnson said:
Sorry, your photo is not large enough to see any detail.

You may be thinking about the Bolt, which is the part that pops up into the locking slots on the cylinder to lock the cylinder in battery?

This is the only double action Ruger I own, a GP 100. The wear you see on the cylinder is normal.

View attachment 1132260
Click to expand...

Bolt must be the right term, thank you.
 
Without holding it and observing the action as it is cycled all we can do is guess. It may be a bit out of time if the flat of the notch is where the damage is, or maybe it was “spun and flipped closed” several times by the previous owner trying to emulate a dime novel detective. (Which is a really, really dumb thing to do with a revolver!)

A larger close up of the cylinder notches may help us with more educated guesses, but without a personal exam that’s about all we can do. :)

Stay safe.
 
Riomouse911 said:
maybe it was “spun and flipped closed” several times by the previous owner trying to emulate a dime novel detective. (Which is a really, really dumb thing to do with a revolver!)
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. The bolt didn't seem damaged is why it perplexed me.
 
Opening the pic in a new tab, then enlarging it, I think I spy the signs of late bolt drop. There is a slight bit of peening right at the slot end of the lead in to the locking notch.
 
There is nothing to see in this picture - it's too small. And Rugers cannot drop the bolt so late - this is not a SAA.
 
I don't plan on buying this gun,but I might swing in and get another up close picture to help diagnose.


They've got this beauty as well and got a little excited about it.

PXL_20230208_214434786.jpg
 
Last edited:
Maybe my eyes are bad, but I see nothing really wrong. I have had a couple of guns with similar wear and I shot them without problems for 1000's of rounds.
 
hemiram said:
Maybe my eyes are bad, but I see nothing really wrong. I have had a couple of guns with similar wear and I shot them without problems for 1000's of rounds.
Click to expand...

I should have double checked the picture before I posted. It's clear on my phone but I can zoom in pretty well without losing quality on that too. There's huge wear on one end of each locking notch, it looks like hard metal on metal contact and the cylinder lost.
 
Mizar said:
Just zoom the picture, make a screenshot and post it.
Click to expand...

Ok hoping this is better.

The parts on the top of the locking notch where it looks discolored are big chunks taken out of the metal in an irregular pattern.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20230209-021131.png
    Screenshot_20230209-021131.png
    464.1 KB · Views: 128
It may be deflection from the glass! Look at the barrel it looks like it was under water. Definitely gonna need a better pic to get a better idea. The whole gun looks wavy and pitted when I try to expand the photo to see.
 
Whoa... that last picture does appear to show back edges of the slot pretty chewed up.
Late pawl drop... overly-fast cylinder rotation/shooting ...(?)... which "shouldn't" ordinarily be a problem
 
Yukon_Cola said:
Ok hoping this is better.

The parts on the top of the locking notch where it looks discolored are big chunks taken out of the metal in an irregular pattern.
Click to expand...

I always pass on used revolvers that have a lot of wear there. Maybe they have lots of life still in them, but I'm not willing to find out.
 
Normal for any double action revolver that’s been fired a lot in double action, regardless of brand.

It’s called peening.

On all of my double action revolver’s, including my new ones, I use a jewelers file to put a tiny bevel on the top edge of the cylinder notch stop.

The blued ones get bluing applied. The peening still happens, and over time, the bevel gets smaller and smaller.
 
Yukon_Cola said:
Ok hoping this is better.

The parts on the top of the locking notch where it looks discolored are big chunks taken out of the metal in an irregular pattern.
Click to expand...

That notch may be the weakest part of the cylinder and underlying chamber.
If overly pressured ammo was shot that area may have bulged out into the cut, and these marks are from someone peening it back in.
just a wag...(wild azz guess).
I would pass on it.
jmo,
.
Edit: ok, if the marks are craters, not just shiny spots, they could be casting flaws/voids, revealed after machining the pockets.
Another wag...
 
Last edited:
It was a hard pass from me. I was just trying to figure out what that wear would come from. I'd never seen it.
 
Michulek described a couple of ways that these notches can get damaged. Obviously fast rotation/quick stopping of heavily loaded cylinders as he shoots like a human machine gun is one way things will wear, but misuse is far worse. He also describes how to open the gun properly and how to not roll the cylinder as it is closed. This to keep extra wear from occurring on the back side of the notches.



Stay safe.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
  • Locked
Smith and Wesson, loose cylinder
Replies
5
Views
1K
ghitch75
G
blackd24
  • Locked
Revolver Cylinder Wear
2
Replies
45
Views
3K
CryptKeeper5
CryptKeeper5
Olympus
  • Locked
What Parts Wear Faster?
Replies
5
Views
370
GP100man
G
Twiki357
  • Locked
Need some guidance/advice on a Colt Trooper
Replies
4
Views
374
ColtPythonElite
C
G
  • Locked
Colt .357 Magnum
2
Replies
29
Views
5K
dfariswheel
D
Back
Top