Enduring Revolver Myths?

[peterotte]

"Revolvers don't malfunction! "

22 lr Astra Cadix 9 shot - extractor would jam from time to time.

44 mag Sauer & Son SA - cylinder fell out a few times when cylinder base pin got launched downrange. (The pin retainer was worn - and I exaggerate - the pin only came halfway out and the cylinder only jammed).

I must say 'though, I never cleaned the Sauer & Son. Just added a bit of Hoppes #9 to the bullet lube left in the barrel - and oiled the exterior (and interior).

Star model B 9mm Para - occasional smoke stack. Just 'wipe' away and carry on shooting - and resolve to increase powder charge.

Star DKL 380 ACP - never malfunctioned. It would feed empty cases from the mag. Must be a copy of the 1911!

 

[Imaginos]

Percussion

I have to laugh at the supposedly informed people who think that the old cap-n-ball revolvers were ineffective. The Colt Dragoon and its predecessor the Colt Walker horse pistols were delivering .357 power levels almost 100 years before the .357 appeared. While the various .36 and .44 pistols aren't barn burners by modern standards, there are plenty of dead bodies as evidence of their reliability and killing power.

 

[DawgFvr]

Well...you had to get the bullet out...or you died from lead poisoning. Of course, most everybody they cut into died from the infection which set in. If death did not come instantly, it was slow but sure.

 

[sargenv]

that gunk under the extractor will tie up a revolver. I've fired maybe a hundred thousand rounds out of revolvers and never had that happen. Whenever that was alleged to be the case, endshake or misalignment was the real culprit.

I've seen it happen and have had this happen to me in competition. Usually on moon clipped guns. 627, 625, 610's (since these are the common moon clipped guns). Guy fires his six, reloads, cylinder binds.. reloads, cylinder binds again, ***?! guy removes ammo, wipes around under the star, reloads, gun fires fine. This was about a 30 second reload at the IRC this year (International Revolver Championships).

I don't know how you fired those 100k, I too have probably fired at least 100-150k, 12k last year in my 610 alone, 5k so far this year between my 610 and 627. It happens..

 

[otcconan]

Isn't a safety on a SA kind of redundant? Keep the hammer down and it's safe.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Isn't a safety on a SA kind of redundant? Keep the hammer down and it's safe.

That depends on the particular single action.

 

[Stainz]

Sargenv,

+3 on that! I've had two 625's that had small pieces of crud under the ejector star 'tie them up' - my first -8 bought 9/02 and my latest -8, actually a JM, bought 2/05. The first was shooting Blazers, the latest was shooting my 230gr RN/W231 reloads - both had a small piece of black crud at the ejector/rod union. Both tie-ups occred after a day's plinking - many rounds downrange. The first halted my day's shooting - I 'knew' what to look for on the second one - it was back in service in seconds. I've not had the problem since leaving Blazers off my diet - and switching to Titegroup for my reloads.

My third similar example was last fall - and a 5" h-l 686+ (a -6). The always-loose ejector rod was checked and tightened (LH thread) before attempting to close the loaded cylinder on the first load. Oops... unload the cylinder, and check that star - a piece of white thread, from the last cotton patch, was found. I have since found a piece of brass wire from a cleaning brush under the extractor star of my 696 - but it was found during cleaning, as it should be. My last step during cleaning is to check under that star - while wearing my reading glasses!

You know, something else may be going on with those two 625's and that 686+... all have the dreaded 'Infernal Lock'! Perhaps, since I don't believe in it's unaided and spontaneous ability to lock up my hammer, it has decided to tie up my cylinder closing? Makes you think "Hmmmmm?".

In the end, all of my revolver hindrances were due to poor cleanliness - or a problem in cleaning.

Stainz

 

[gunzrfunz]

I saw many a Smith and Wesson turn into junk in Viet Nam.

#20
Vern Humphrey
Senior Member



Join Date: 12-30-02
Location: Deep in the Ozarks
Posts: 6,233 Smiths in Viet Nam were issued to chopper pilots and so on. The guns were treated as you might expect -- left in vests, thrown around, and so on. Rear sights would fall off, the guns would go out of time. They would be clogged with gunge, and so on. It was not at all uncommon to have a gun lock up while "practicing" due to crud holding the rims too far back and tying up the cylinder.

Umm..yeah?? Maybe I missed someone say you can treat a S&W like sh** and it'll still run fine, but I don't think so. Where is the mystery?

 

[Jim K]

It was a while back and not this site, but a newbie asked if he could shoot .38 Special in a .357 Magnum revolver and was told that "that is a stupid idea; the bullet is too big and the gun will blow up."

Fortunately, some other folks straightened the "expert" up, but I think that takes the cake on myths.

Jim

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Umm..yeah?? Maybe I missed someone say you can treat a S&W like sh** and it'll still run fine, but I don't think so. Where is the mystery?

That's my point -- M1911s were treated the same way or worse (Mech Infantry, for example, rode around in a cloud of dust) and still kept functioning.

 

[SnWnMe]

That Ruger Only loads still exist.

They don't.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That Ruger Only loads still exist.

They don't.

I'm not sure what you mean by that -- I've got a bucketful in my basement.

 

[SnWnMe]

The New Ruger Vaqueros are not capable of handling "Ruger Only" loads.

So the term "Ruger Only" load is a myth unless qualified by "except the new Vaquero" which I am planning on getting in the new Montado variant.

 

[roscoe]

"Ruger only" is not logically the same statement as "can be fired in any Ruger". It means you can't fire it in anything BUT a Ruger, but not necessarily any Ruger.