Difference between fluted and unfluted cylinders

[Driftwood Johnson]

And now for something completely different, this Merwin Hulbert has what were known as Scoop Flutes. The tool that cut the flutes cut down into the cylinder, traveled horizontal for a little while, then lifted out again.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Yap, scoops are cool!!!

DJ, do you prefer the O.T. or the top strap . . . . or no preference?


Mi!E
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[Driftwood Johnson]

I prefer the top strap models, because they are stronger. However this strapless Pocket Army is one of the coolest revolvers I own.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

And now for something completely different

That made me laugh out loud Driftwood. I haven't seen Monty Python's Flying Circus in quite awhile.

Ok, sorry. Off topic. Back to fluting. I've seen a lot of velo dog revolvers with the scoop flutes.

 

[Waveski]

Boy there is a lot to learn here!

Now I know about strapless revolvers , scoop flutes , and that detail about hardened steel inserts in the cylinder notches is particularly interesting.

Great stuff.

Also - the Merwin Hulbert repair is a work of art.

 

[ku4hx]

Unfluted cylinders have a more "business-like" appearance. If you're going to challenge ol' Griz with a handgun, your trail mates will be more impressed with an unfluted cylinder in a more tactical bead blasted gray finish.

 

[highlander 5]

I prefer an unfluted cylinder in a sa myself but fluted/non fluted is no a big deal. Now where the bolt cuts are placed that's a horse of a different color.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Unfluted cylinders have a more "business-like" appearance. If you're going to challenge ol' Griz with a handgun, your trail mates will be more impressed with an unfluted cylinder in a more tactical bead blasted gray finish.

It also adds more weight to the gun, making it better for all those pistol whipping opportunities we come across.

 

[TimSr]

The difference is more about cosmetics than anything else.

Weight reduction? I'll bet you couldn't tell the difference with your eyes closed.

 

[BobWright]

Ruger .45 Colt Blackhawk, fluted:




And, Ruger .45 Colt Blackhawk non-fluted:




Bob Wright

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Now I know about strapless revolvers , scoop flutes , and that detail about hardened steel inserts in the cylinder notches is particularly interesting.

Actually, I should have called it an Open Top, not strapless. Later on, that same model had a top strap added.

By the way, according to Mike Venturino, the Colt Single Action Army was originally referred to by the Army as 'New Strap Pistol', because it incorporated a top strap in the frame design. Up to that time all Colts had been of Open Top configuration without a top strap.

 

[Jim Watson]

Jeff Cooper said that an intentionally overloaded Ruger SBH .44 blew up the cylinder before the S&W M29. He said the difference was academic since pressures were approaching triple the normal anyhow.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Bob forgive my ignorance but did Ruger at one time offer the square back Super Blackhawk in .45 Colt or did you have that built?

I like it a lot.

 

[ku4hx]

It also adds more weight to the gun, making it better for all those pistol whipping opportunities we come across.

Enhances "whipping balance" too I'm told.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Weight reduction? I'll bet you couldn't tell the difference with your eyes closed.

+1.

Does anybody really think they will be able to detect a weight difference between this cylinder and one that is without flutes? Don't forget, the cylinder is less than 1/2 of the weight of the entire gun.







I just did a sanity check with this 2nd Gen Colt, it's cylinder is the one in the other photo. Without the cylinder in place, the gun weighs two pounds one ounce. The cylinder by itself weighs five ounces. Of that five ounces, I would bet that less than 2% would be added if the cylinder was unfluted. Does anybody really think that tiny amount of metal would make a significant difference in the weight of the gun?

 

[Japle]

Flutes are fine, right up until the manufacturer does something like this:

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

I took a tour of the S&W factory a few years ago. One of the employees told me about a time when the wrong program was fed into one of the CNC machines, cutting ten flutes onto some six chambered Model 617 cylinders. She even had one there to show me.

By the way, did that seven fluted, six chambered cylinder make it out to a retailer? Looks like it has been fired a bunch. Pretty terrible QC if it did.

 

[BobWright]

Bob forgive my ignorance but did Ruger at one time offer the square back Super Blackhawk in .45 Colt or did you have that built?

No, Sir. The fluted one started out as a standard Blackhawk, while the other was a Bisley. I was shooting some very stout loads at the time, so fitted both as "Super" Blackhawks, and left them as they are now. The stags went on after the heavy load testing.

Bob Wright

 

[Japle]

Driftwood,
Yeah, I bought it on a special order from my LGS. He had no chance to inspect it. He called me when it came in, logged it in and sold it to me.
I fired a couple of dozen .38 rounds through it and did a through action job before I noticed the problem. Face it; who looks for something like that?
The gun got quite a bit of publicity after I posted about it here.
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-632524.html
People posted links on over 15 different gun forums. There was far too much “S&W makes junk” garbage posted and I ended up defending S&W. There was some hassle with them, but in the end, they made it right.
All my DA revolvers are Smiths. I couldn’t get the kind of action I wanted on my Rugers and I sold them. Great guns, tough and durable as hell, but not exactly what I want.
I keep hoping S&W will do a run of stainless Mountain revolvers in .45 Colt. That would pretty much complete my revolver wish list.