I was reading some threads on another forum, and noticed that the cheerleaders there were all blustering about high primers, bullets jumping crimp, and loose ejector rods, when talking about old revolvers.
From the jist of those threads, I surmised that what constituted an "old revolver" was any revolver made prior to the year 2000.
So I was trying to remember, if at any time in the last 39 years of carrying, shooting and working on "old revolvers", if I had encountered these puportedly rampant problems.
High primers - In 2006 at an IDPA match in Oxford NC, I was competing with a fairly clean, well..... LNIB S&W model 66-2. On stage 6, while doing a reload, the cylinder did not close on the first try. I reopened, and then closed the cylinder and resumed the course of fire. When I was done the SO said, "That high primer cost you some time there!". Hmmmm....I think it was a dirty chamber that the round hung up on a little. But giving the benefit of the doubt, since evidently high primer problems are so common, indeed rampant, we will say this is what that was. So, in 39 years I've had one "high primer".
Bullets jumping crimp - Despite my best efforts to recollect, and asking all the fellows at my range, I cannot recall ever experiencing this "common problem". Two fellows I shoot with claimed to have seen it happen repeatedly, but low and behold it was two NEW UNOBTANIUM revolvers produced after 2005 that were the offending revolvers!!!! Net result: Zero bullets jumping crimp in 39 years.
Loose, or unscrewed ejector rods - At last! A problem I have experienced! In 1978 I had a 4" model 19 that came loose every few hundred rounds. Eventually my gunsmith loctited it (or the brand name at the time) and resolved that issue.
In 2005 at another IDPA match, firing a S&W 4" 681, I noticed that on stage 5, the cylinder gave me some difficulty opening during a reload. After my string was done, a quick check revealed a loose ejector rod. Hand tightening resolved that issue. Hmmm....both times that this "common" problem arose, my revolvers were still functional, and easily corrected. So, two loose ejector rods in 39 years.
Then again, I do check my carry revolvers every time I reload them. So perhaps I am just extremely lucky......or perhaps I need to own over 40 "old revolvers" instead of just 36. Then perhaps I will begin experienceing all these frequent failures in old revolvers.
What say you other "traditionalists", or "purists"? Are your "old" revolvers failing every time you strap them on?
From the jist of those threads, I surmised that what constituted an "old revolver" was any revolver made prior to the year 2000.
So I was trying to remember, if at any time in the last 39 years of carrying, shooting and working on "old revolvers", if I had encountered these puportedly rampant problems.
High primers - In 2006 at an IDPA match in Oxford NC, I was competing with a fairly clean, well..... LNIB S&W model 66-2. On stage 6, while doing a reload, the cylinder did not close on the first try. I reopened, and then closed the cylinder and resumed the course of fire. When I was done the SO said, "That high primer cost you some time there!". Hmmmm....I think it was a dirty chamber that the round hung up on a little. But giving the benefit of the doubt, since evidently high primer problems are so common, indeed rampant, we will say this is what that was. So, in 39 years I've had one "high primer".
Bullets jumping crimp - Despite my best efforts to recollect, and asking all the fellows at my range, I cannot recall ever experiencing this "common problem". Two fellows I shoot with claimed to have seen it happen repeatedly, but low and behold it was two NEW UNOBTANIUM revolvers produced after 2005 that were the offending revolvers!!!! Net result: Zero bullets jumping crimp in 39 years.
Loose, or unscrewed ejector rods - At last! A problem I have experienced! In 1978 I had a 4" model 19 that came loose every few hundred rounds. Eventually my gunsmith loctited it (or the brand name at the time) and resolved that issue.
In 2005 at another IDPA match, firing a S&W 4" 681, I noticed that on stage 5, the cylinder gave me some difficulty opening during a reload. After my string was done, a quick check revealed a loose ejector rod. Hand tightening resolved that issue. Hmmm....both times that this "common" problem arose, my revolvers were still functional, and easily corrected. So, two loose ejector rods in 39 years.
Then again, I do check my carry revolvers every time I reload them. So perhaps I am just extremely lucky......or perhaps I need to own over 40 "old revolvers" instead of just 36. Then perhaps I will begin experienceing all these frequent failures in old revolvers.
What say you other "traditionalists", or "purists"? Are your "old" revolvers failing every time you strap them on?