Flicking the cylinder on a revolver open/closed
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Mike Irwin
Member
"So I take it this is the equivalent of slamming a slide down on an empty chamber?"
I'd have to say that it's a lot worse, actually, as the potential for serious damage in the short term is a LOT higher.
I'd have to say that it's a lot worse, actually, as the potential for serious damage in the short term is a LOT higher.
JohnK
Member
I know you've already said you stood corrected on this issue, but this question goes towards something else.
Why would you assume that something you saw on TV was more reliable than something you read online from a group of experienced shooters?
Jim March
Member
Skunkabilly: it's a LOT worse. A revolver crane isn't meant to take a "twisting" motion and that's basically what snapping is.
In fact, if you're ever in a situation where some BG pointed a piece of junk revolver at you and one way or the other you take it away from him and want to disable it, an average adult guy can open the cylinder and grabbing that in one hand and the grip in the other, twist them apart
. A few guns may survive that, like a Ruger Redhawk or something but many will bend the crane enough that the cylinder won't close and some will come completely apart.
In fact, if you're ever in a situation where some BG pointed a piece of junk revolver at you and one way or the other you take it away from him and want to disable it, an average adult guy can open the cylinder and grabbing that in one hand and the grip in the other, twist them apart
. A few guns may survive that, like a Ruger Redhawk or something but many will bend the crane enough that the cylinder won't close and some will come completely apart.Vern Humphrey
Member
Worse. When you slam a slide on an empty chamber, you risk breaking a cheap, easily replaceable part. A new crane has to be fitted, and that's an expensive part and an expensive job.
it would be like having a squib load in your pistol and trying to shoot the stuck slug out by pulling your trigger again.
i loaned a smith m-34 to a former brother in law to have fun on a camping trip once. it was throwing rounds the next time i took it out to shoot. i talked to him about it and he said he didn't drop it or anything. he asked to look at it to see if he could see what was wrong. the next thing i know, he's flicking the cylinder open and closed. he just could understand why i came flying across the room at him.
i actually had it repaired...now i know why gunsmiths have lead babbits and q-tips on their workbench...but it was never quite the same. i traded it off shortly thereafter
i loaned a smith m-34 to a former brother in law to have fun on a camping trip once. it was throwing rounds the next time i took it out to shoot. i talked to him about it and he said he didn't drop it or anything. he asked to look at it to see if he could see what was wrong. the next thing i know, he's flicking the cylinder open and closed. he just could understand why i came flying across the room at him.
i actually had it repaired...now i know why gunsmiths have lead babbits and q-tips on their workbench...but it was never quite the same. i traded it off shortly thereafter
kalibear45
Member
Back in my "newbie" days and watching too many western and detective cop movies, used to own a GP100 and slammed the cylinder home with a quick flick of the wrist. Did it many times to it, ended up bending the yoke/extractor rod and I couldn't even pull the trigger anymore because the timing was so off and cylinder wouldn't turn right. Sure learned my lesson after that
Mikul
Member
I actually can't imagine a way to open or close the cylinder without imparting some kind of force on the crane. What is the proper way? Are we supposed to "catch" the cylinder with our other hand? Is this the idea behind using your thigh as was mentioned earlier: swing open onto your thigh and push it closed with the same?
Simply support the cylinder with the fingers of the weak hand while you swing the cylinder out, and swing it back the same way. As it comes into the frame window PUSH it closed. What bends or "springs the crane (or yoke) is SLAMMING it open and closed. Common sense and good judgement will win every time.
Beorn
Member
Okay, okay, okay. I'm certain that our THR friend has been thoroughly chastised for their non-revolver-friendly gun handling.
So, how many of you know the solution? It's easy to say "That is wrong, how dare you?!?" But how does one fix the problem?
That is to say, supposing you are in an IDPA or IPSC shoot with a revolver and you need to open the cylinder, empty the spent cartridges, insert either a moonclip or a speedloader, and close the cylinder again with speed. How does one do that?
Just curious...
(I haven't shot a revolver in IDPA in nearly 6 months. Probably won't til I get a newer wheel-gun, but I'm just interested) B
So, how many of you know the solution? It's easy to say "That is wrong, how dare you?!?" But how does one fix the problem?
That is to say, supposing you are in an IDPA or IPSC shoot with a revolver and you need to open the cylinder, empty the spent cartridges, insert either a moonclip or a speedloader, and close the cylinder again with speed. How does one do that?
Just curious...
(I haven't shot a revolver in IDPA in nearly 6 months. Probably won't til I get a newer wheel-gun, but I'm just interested) B
popeye
Member
I remember a 70's song "Don't Bogart that (Colt?) my friend." Poor Humphrey gets blamed for everything.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
It's impossible to show or describe actual speed but .. just took these few shots to try and show something of what I practice and which .. when shooting practical revo long ago .... would work pretty quick ... and not give gun a hard time. These are quite well compressed but hopefully show enough .... a method I have long used without conscious thought, it is so automatic.
Daresay we all have our tried and tested ways .. certainly here not many ''cyl flickers''!!
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here is let's say immediately after last shot gone ....... right thumb is engaging on cyl latch release as weak hand ''cradles'' cyl .. left fingers going to rear.
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Cyl now released and been helped outward by weak hand rear fingers ....... right thumb pad limiting travel and thumb itself ready to press on ejector rod.
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From last pic ... a quick transition to inversion as left thumb ejects empties ..... fingers also turning cyl as inversion taken further.... to better let all cases drop clear. My right hand is actually ''cupping'' here as I would when no rush .. normally cases just dumped on ground.
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Still ''cradling'' cyl within left hand ... and holding entire gun this way ..... right hand using speedloader ...... and once those rounds released speedloader dropped free. Gun actually would be pointing down a bit more than in this pic.
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Finally - heel of left hand is closing cyl whilst coming back up to firing postion .... rear fingers control and damp this to minimize stresses .. also as cyl engages I find I automatically ''seek'' a lock position .... then resuming normal two hand hold.
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This is very much a quick synoptic . and no way do I say this is ''best'' .. purely a technique that has suited me with revo's over a great many years ...... and the gun does not get unduly punished. I only thow it in ... for what it's worth! No ego trip!
Daresay we all have our tried and tested ways .. certainly here not many ''cyl flickers''!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
here is let's say immediately after last shot gone ....... right thumb is engaging on cyl latch release as weak hand ''cradles'' cyl .. left fingers going to rear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cyl now released and been helped outward by weak hand rear fingers ....... right thumb pad limiting travel and thumb itself ready to press on ejector rod.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From last pic ... a quick transition to inversion as left thumb ejects empties ..... fingers also turning cyl as inversion taken further.... to better let all cases drop clear. My right hand is actually ''cupping'' here as I would when no rush .. normally cases just dumped on ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Still ''cradling'' cyl within left hand ... and holding entire gun this way ..... right hand using speedloader ...... and once those rounds released speedloader dropped free. Gun actually would be pointing down a bit more than in this pic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally - heel of left hand is closing cyl whilst coming back up to firing postion .... rear fingers control and damp this to minimize stresses .. also as cyl engages I find I automatically ''seek'' a lock position .... then resuming normal two hand hold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is very much a quick synoptic . and no way do I say this is ''best'' .. purely a technique that has suited me with revo's over a great many years ...... and the gun does not get unduly punished. I only thow it in ... for what it's worth! No ego trip!
But for minor differences, that's pretty much how I do it as well. One of the things I like about my GP100 is that lock-up is always almost immediate when I return the cylinder to the frame. Some of my other revos have a little more play.
Mike Irwin
Member
I open my S&W revolvers quite differently, espeically when shooting with the right hand...
I operate the latch with my thumb and push open the cylinder with my trigger finger.
I then keep my finger through the frame window to hold the cylinder open and tilt the gun muzzle up.
My left hand has been obtaining the new speedloader.
While holding the speedloader, I bang the ejector rod with the heel of my left hand, rotate the muzzle downwards, drop in the new rounds, close the cylinder with my left hand, and reestablish my shooting grip.
Once you've practiced it awhile, it's a very natural and very fluid procedure that will allow you to develop some serious speed.
I operate the latch with my thumb and push open the cylinder with my trigger finger.
I then keep my finger through the frame window to hold the cylinder open and tilt the gun muzzle up.
My left hand has been obtaining the new speedloader.
While holding the speedloader, I bang the ejector rod with the heel of my left hand, rotate the muzzle downwards, drop in the new rounds, close the cylinder with my left hand, and reestablish my shooting grip.
Once you've practiced it awhile, it's a very natural and very fluid procedure that will allow you to develop some serious speed.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
That Mike is I think almost ''the other way'' (other main way anways) ... I have tried it and used it .. and yeah it is pretty good for speed ....... I remember some of my buddies using same technique.
In the end, as ever .. I guess it's what works best for the individual ...... and in my case I finished up with what I described. I think one reason was I always found it more awkward using left hand for speedloader ...... altho arguably, your way keeps right hand grip more constant.
Your mention of ''fluidity'' is one I would make also .. tho different method .. whatever works eh?!!
In the end, as ever .. I guess it's what works best for the individual ...... and in my case I finished up with what I described. I think one reason was I always found it more awkward using left hand for speedloader ...... altho arguably, your way keeps right hand grip more constant.
Your mention of ''fluidity'' is one I would make also .. tho different method .. whatever works eh?!!
raveon59
Member
My father, the old machinest that he is, always 'stressed' that to get the most life out of a machine you have to learn how to properly use it, respect it, and maintain it. The more metal to metal contact =the less metal to metal contact=wear. So unless you're made of money, No Slamming Allowed-get your kicks on Route 66...machines are intricate and fragile, just like relationships and women. Treat your weapon like you would your woman.
Ruger Redhawk
Member
Treat your revolver with respect. Flipping the cylinder open and closed is not doing it correctly. By now I'm sure you have heard this several times. Over 30 years ago when I got my first handgun (S&W M67),I went to a friends house who was very knowledgeable in guns.Not knowing I did the ole flip trick.He got all over me. Then he explained why not to do it and showed me the correct way to open and close it. That was the first and last time I ever did that.Guns are precision instruments and need to be treated as such..
Ruger Redhawk
Ruger Redhawk
Ruger Redhawk
Member
P95Carry,You did a great job on your pictures.If anybody had doubts of the correct way to open and close the cylinder you took the doubt away.
Ruger Redhawk
Ruger Redhawk
raveon59
Member
Ditto Ruger Redhawk-And if you're in a stress situation, forget about the empties...Any law enforcement training program that requires a recruit to pick up his/hers empty brass is signing that recruits future death warrent.
P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
Thx for the comment Frank ...... tho as I stated ... only my method .... I am not sure at all that any one method is ''best'' per se ... mostly what works for the individual ... and that works for me.
It's hard to show with just a few stills but ... glad it was .... sorta successful.
It's hard to show with just a few stills but ... glad it was .... sorta successful.
"I open my S&W revolvers quite differently, espeically when shooting with the right hand...
I operate the latch with my thumb and push open the cylinder with my trigger finger.
I then keep my finger through the frame window to hold the cylinder open and tilt the gun muzzle up.
My left hand has been obtaining the new speedloader.
While holding the speedloader, I bang the ejector rod with the heel of my left hand, rotate the muzzle downwards, drop in the new rounds, close the cylinder with my left hand, and reestablish my shooting grip. "
That's how I do it. Works just fine for me.
I operate the latch with my thumb and push open the cylinder with my trigger finger.
I then keep my finger through the frame window to hold the cylinder open and tilt the gun muzzle up.
My left hand has been obtaining the new speedloader.
While holding the speedloader, I bang the ejector rod with the heel of my left hand, rotate the muzzle downwards, drop in the new rounds, close the cylinder with my left hand, and reestablish my shooting grip. "
That's how I do it. Works just fine for me.
winwun
Member
Broke the cylinder stop lock on my 19.
Dfaris, you are a "people watcher" aren't you ? Very insightful. Very observant.
Dfaris, you are a "people watcher" aren't you ? Very insightful. Very observant.
bad_dad_brad
Member
Never do that! Never!
Flicking that cylinder is just show - and it will damage your revolver.
Dumb gun movie moment - James Bond flicks a revolver cylinder closed - looks like a S&W medium or large frame - in the forgetable and muddy "Die Another Day."
Pierce looks tired, as does Halle. We need a new Bond and new Bond writers!
Close the cylinder by hand and then give it a little twist to make sure it locks. Gee whiz.
Flicking that cylinder is just show - and it will damage your revolver.
Dumb gun movie moment - James Bond flicks a revolver cylinder closed - looks like a S&W medium or large frame - in the forgetable and muddy "Die Another Day."
Pierce looks tired, as does Halle. We need a new Bond and new Bond writers!
Close the cylinder by hand and then give it a little twist to make sure it locks. Gee whiz.
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