How would you handle this?

Has anyone actually seen a revolver that was damaged by flicking the cylinder shut?

Just One Shot said:

I have to respectfully disagree. It's not as much about the gun is it is about respecting other peoples property. If you dont think so, how about you let me drive your vehicle or borrow some of your tools?

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I have to totally agree, it's a respect issue plain and simple. Your friend takes you for a test ride in his new sports car, when you get out do you close the door, or slam the door? Spinning on the finger, would you do that to a piece of fine china that belonged to someone else, they're showing it to you to admire, it's not an audition for the Ed sullivan show.

I have not figured out the quote thing,

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Easy: Click this button: You'll see something that looks like [ QUOTE ]*[ /QUOTE ] (but without the extra spaces I added) show up in your reply window. Cut and paste what you want to quote in between the two ] [ brackets (where I put an asterisk). You don't even have to hit the button, though. You can just type [ QUOTE ] your quoted text here [ /QUOTE ]. (Again, without the spaces.)

but I totally disagree as to the possible damage to the crane of a well made revolver.

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I've said several times that this CAN damage the crane. But it isn't likely to on the first try -- or the 5th, etc. Someone who does it once out of ignorance doesn't need to be drawn and quartered. Someone who does it again, after being asked not to ... maybe.

I would act the same if a 'friend' tossed a vase onto a table and it did not break = the first time.

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Really? Seems to me that throwing fine decorative porcelain onto hard surfaces is the sort of thing that most folks inherently understand not to do. Flicking a revolver shut is something that (back when movies and TV actually showed revolvers...) average folks see all the time. Expecting someone unfamiliar with them to have analyzed that action and have logically deduced that it could damage a steel firearm is a bit of a stretch.

Expecting an inexperienced person to know this is unreasonable. Treating them like the world's biggest jerk because they did something that is not commonly understood to be harmful (and which, again, didn't harm your gun that one time) is not an acceptable response.

I take pride in the items and tools that I bought and expect all to honor that. If they cannot or will not ,then most likely they would not be a close enough person for me to hand a gun to in the first place.

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And perhaps here is the crux of the matter. If you have certain firearms that you consider to be very fragile or otherwise easily damaged by a careless or ignorant act -- either keep them very safe and don't share them, or do share them, but take the responsibility for their preservation on yourself.

E.g.: If you're going to hand a person a truly NIB Python or Registered Magnum that doesn't even have a turn ring -- maybe caution your pal against cocking the hammer BEFORE you hand it to him. Maybe think carefully about this pal and decide if he's the sort of person who is going to ignore such instructions, or forget.

When you have demands that are higher than those dictated by "common" knowledge or "common" courtesy, the onus is on you to make those restrictions known before hand.

i have seen crane damage from "flicking" a cylinder.... it's a space where the guns frame and crane fit together......... the crane is sprung and the chamber no longer lines up with the forcing cone of the barrel....... i am a revolver guy and that's all i look at so yes i've seen such damage.........

Thank you tasco, these are my sentiments exactly. I've worked hard all my life for things I now have, just because you don't have them, don't ruin mine because of some "dude" you see on TV.

I've worked hard all my life for things I now have, just because you don't have them, don't ruin mine because of some "dude" you see on TV.

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Certainly. And, since you value these things so highly (and rightly so) take the responsibility to make sure that your guest knows your rules for handling them. Don't put someone in a position to make a mistake out of ignorance and then treat them poorly because of their lack of knowledge.

Protect your treasured posession and your relationship with a friend and fellow shooter (maybe even a new member of our shooting community) by making sure they know the right way before they have a chance to the wrong thing.

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Expecting an inexperienced person to know this is unreasonable. Treating them like the world's biggest jerk because they did something that is not commonly understood to be harmful (and which, again, didn't harm your gun that one time) is not an acceptable response.

I would never hand a firearm to a person that I did not KNOW to be a person of responsibility and one that I KNEW to know and understand firearms.

Just as I would not hand them a vase and explain it was not to be thrown,like a 3 year old.

But I have seen those do rude things with others guns and since they do cost a 'bit' I feel I am allowed to say my piece.

It may not be your way,and you can dissaprove,but I do say things like "careful its a fine tool".

If that is not enough,then the wods JERK might fall from my lips.

The least they will hear is "Hey,where did you learn to handle a gun".

If that insults their sensibilitys - too bad,they insulted mine.

All of my friends know the rules......very simple.......my wife, my tools, my dog and my guns.......HANDS OFF.

I would never hand a firearm to a person that I did not KNOW to be a person of responsibility and one that I KNEW to know and understand firearms.

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And that pretty much takes care of the problem. If someone who does know better treats your things poorly, they deserve a strong word of correction, and possibly to lose your trust with such things in the future.

I am fairly frequently working with new and very inexperienced shooters, however, and I can't always assume they know much more that what they saw on TV. Hence my admonition to perhaps keep some of your nicer guns in reserve until a new shooter has learned a bit and shown you how respectfully they treat you and your guns.

but I do say things like "careful its a fine tool".
If that is not enough,then the wods JERK might fall from my lips.
The least they will hear is "Hey,where did you learn to handle a gun".

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None of that sounds too boorish -- especially if said to someone you already believe to know better.

All of my friends know the rules......very simple.......my wife, my tools, my dog and my guns.......HANDS OFF.

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If that's really your approach, then this wouldn't come up at all, now would it?

I don't have a "hands-off" attitude because I spend a fair bit of time introducing new folks to the sport as well as sharing firearms with trusted friends.

But, sure, if I owned something that was truly irreplacable I would be very cautious who I let handle it. And I would absolutely require that they show the proper care.

Presuming you had to correct them, how would YOU like to be corrected?
Therein is the answer...
Al

People see this done (the wrist flick) so often that they assume it is normal. Non-gun people are completely ignorant of the inner workings of a revolver and many gun people are not revolver people.

When I owned revolvers, I did make a habit of telling people "please close the cylinder gently. It's bad for the gun to be flipped around when open."

My Dad did this once to a Ruger GP100 I had. Explained to him that the mass of the cylinder yanks on the crane and buggers things up. His response was completely honest. "I see it done all the time and didn't want you to think I was a total idiot about guns." Ahh. Hollywood strikes again.

This is the guy that taught me to shoot, but just rifles and shotguns. I became afflicted by handguns all on my own.

I make sure they understand not to drop the hammer on a single action revolver from the half cock notch. Incessantly spinning the cylinder gets a firm correction. Folks who abuse my guns never get the opportunity again.

I'm not familiar with revolvers and would assume you could just flick it shut.

I have NERF gun wars with my son and I get the 8 shooter, cylinder style gun. I do the wrist flick every time. I had no idea the NERF gun could handle this stress and a S&W / Ruger could not.

Learn something new everyday.

9mmepiphany said:

...and that's why we discuss these things with folks who have less experience, because everyone can't be expected to know things about platforms they have not been exposed to.

The nerf gun, doesn't have the mass or elasticity issues of a steel gun

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I agree. I read the entire thread to see what else I was ignorant about. I'm picking my up my first 1911 later today and did not know about dropping the hammer...

How do you guys and gals handle this?

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Depends on the individual.

Inexperienced shooters get a safety and handling demo and briefing prior.

Experienced shooters get a handling demo and briefing.

In my experience the new guys pretty much do everything you tell them to do, the way you show them how you want it done. The "experienced" guys, on the other hand, are the ones you have to be careful of, as their years of "experience" may consist of years of "experience" handling firearms unsafely.

Dry firing a 1911 will not harm it. I've done it hundreds of times with all of my 1911s and suffered no ill effects. I don't own revolvers anymore, but when I did, if someone flipped the cylinder shut, I told them that despite Hollywood to the contrary, that is not the proper way to close the cylinder, and it can damage the gun. Done in a nice way, and they were usually very sorry, to which I replied "ah, no big deal, once or twice won't matter. I just wanted you to know, mostly, so you'd laugh at the movies from now on." That always relieved the tension and preserved the friendship.

to my horror i see him twurl im new pistol. not only did he do it wrong, but managed to

drop it 3 feet to the pavement!!! it got pretty beat up in the fall too, banged up the

front and rear sight and dinged the muzzle crown. the worst part is he told me not to

worry about it. i replyed with a witty "1200.00 dollars is most sertantly a thing to worry

about!".

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"You're right... YOU worry about it. You owe me 12k for a new pistol...."


I think a LOT of ppl care nothing for other ppl's belongings and are absolutely careless with them. I no longer allow anyone to handle my guns unless I know they are responsible and know how to handle them. Same as with everything else. DVD's too.. anytime I let anyone borrow one it comes back ruined.. IF it comes back, so I don't let anyone borrow/use it anymore.

But wow, the guy drops YOUR gun and tells you not to worry about it??? What an @$$

I never let people handle my guns ever!

Revolvers, I open the cylinder, place my thumb to hold it open and show the person the revolver, then close the cylinder and let him handle the revolver warning to treat it as loaded. Pistol, I drop the mag, lock slide back and hold the mag while the person looks at the pistol. Don't tolerate ignorance with firearms.