Proper break-action revolver technique?

[Ed Ames]

I've shot a number of top break revolvers over the years, but all were antiques. My goal when shooting them was mainly to do no harm, which isn't necessarily the same as using something right.

I recently came across an Uberti s&w No. 3 clone in .45C. New, repairable, no collector value, cheap (relative to originals)...it eventually raised questions for me: How are you supposed to use a top break? How do you avoid getting brass trapped under the star without wasting time? How do you get the most out of it without abusing the hinge?

Your thoughts?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

A mounted man swipes the barrel, front sight down, across his thigh. Unmounted, turn it over and swing the barrel UP so the cases fall DOWN.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

I've shot a number of top break revolvers over the years, but all were antiques. My goal when shooting them was mainly to do no harm, which isn't necessarily the same as using something right.

Howdy

Actually, trying to do no harm isn't a bad place to start. All of my experience with Top Breaks is with antiques. If I owned an Uberti reproduction I think I would shoot it the same way.





These guns were designed so that when the barrel was swung all the way down, the extractor would pop down, theoretically throwing all the empties clear. I have found it doesn't always work that way, and an empty or two can indeed become lodged under the extractor star. You have to give the barrel a pretty healthy snap down for all the empties to fall clear, and I don't like to snap my antique barrels down that forcefully. I have found that by using gravity to help there is much less chance of an empty becoming lodged under the extractor. Sometimes I shoot a Top Break in Cowboy Action Shooting. We always unload at an unloading table. I stand at the unloading table and while I am rotating the barrel down I also rotate the gun in my hands so that it is parallel with the ground. In fact the barrel is pointing up just a tad. That way, the extractor pushes the empties out and when it snaps back they fall onto the table. Yes, to be clear, the barrel is pointing directly at me when I do this, but it is incapable of firing in this condition, and besides I have just emptied it.

Think of all those times you cringe when an actor on TV or in a movie slams a side swing revolver shut by flicking his wrist. Just don't do that kind of stuff. Open the revolver firmly, but don't slam the barrel all the way down until it stops against the frame. When the barrel stops against the frame it should do so firmly but gently. No slamming.

Same with closing the gun again. Some Top Breaks like the New Model Number Three require that the hammer be back in the 'safety cock' position so the hammer can clear the latch. Regardless, when I am closing a Top Break I index the cylinder with my thumb and forefinger in two flutes on either side of the top strap so a chamber is lined up with the bore. Then I close the barrel firmly but gently, making sure the latch pops all the way shut.

Just treat them gently, don't abuse them. Think of that dumb actor who knows nothing about guns slamming a side swing revolver shut and do the opposite.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

A mounted man swipes the barrel, front sight down, across his thigh. Unmounted, turn it over and swing the barrel UP so the cases fall DOWN.

That only works with a Schofield. All the other Top Breaks require two hands to open. One to open the latch, the other to swing the barrel down.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That only works with a Schofield. All the other Top Breaks require two hands to open. One to open the latch, the other to swing the barrel down.

That's why it was the Schofield that was chosen as a combat weapon.

However, any top break can be opened upside down -- although it's rather clumsy to do so.

 

[Jim K]

I avoid the jammed cases problem with a breaktop by turning the gun on its right side while I lift the latch, but that technique is NOT appropriate for use on a formal range because it leaves the barrel pointing to the left at other shooters.

Driftwood wrote: "Top Breaks require two hands to open. One to open the latch, the other to swing the barrel down."

I am puzzled by that. I keep the grip in my right hand and lift the latch with the thumb and forefinger of my left hand, while the other fingers of my left hand wrap around the barrel/cylinder and control it. As noted above, turning the gun clockwise 90 degrees ensures 100% ejection. Then, still holding the barrel with my left hand, I turn the gun so the barrel is pointing down, and reach for fresh cartridges with my right hand.

Jim

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

I am puzzled by that. I keep the grip in my right hand and lift the latch with the thumb and forefinger of my left hand, while the other fingers of my left hand wrap around the barrel/cylinder and control it. As noted above, turning the gun clockwise 90 degrees ensures 100% ejection. Then, still holding the barrel with my left hand, I turn the gun so the barrel is pointing down, and reach for fresh cartridges with my right hand.

I stand corrected. That is exactly what I do too. But it does require two hands, not one like the Schofield.

 

[Jim K]

Yes, the Schofield can be opened with one hand, as can the Webley's, the Enfield No. 2, a couple of models of S&W and oddballs like the Kynoch.

The story on the Schofield was that Schofield was worried that in close combat an enemy could grab the latch and pull up on it, opening the gun and rendering it useless. In the interest of politeness, I will not say what I think of such nonsense, but it was apparently taken seriously enough that not only was the Schofield adopted by the Army but S&W reportedly designed the Perfected Model with its dual latch for the same reason.

Jim

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Yup.

And Messrs Smith and Wesson promptly instructed their engineers to come up with a way to bypass Schofield's patent on his latch.

I also think the Perfected Model is just dumb. I played with one once, a real pain to operate.

 

[Jim K]

Another story on the Perfected is that in spite of the success of the HE models, there was still enough of a demand for breaktop revolvers that S&W wanted to produce one in a more modern style, which would also share many parts with the HE revolvers. That makes a lot of sense. By that version, the dual latch is simply a way to provide an additional element of strength in a breaktop design.

Jim

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Point the barrel UP when you break the gun.

 

[jerkface11]

What about shooting technique? I've found that my h&r 999 is horribly inaccurate when shot two handed but quite accurate when fired one handed. This is the opposite of how any other pistol behaves for me.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Vern,

Since I read your post, I have been trying that technique a bit and it seems pretty awkward even though ejection is positive and jam free. But, on a range, pointing the barrel up in the air is a no-no.

True, my recent experience with break tops has been limited. I have not carried one for about 65 years, so I have not kept in practice.
Jim

 

[Ed Ames]

A lot of interesting info. I guess I need to try a few things at the range.

.. I have not carried one for about 65 years, so I have not kept in practice.

That's part of why I asked. Break actions were a fairly common design even 100 years ago and some were still commercially produced (not as reproductions) 50 years ago, yet there doesn't seem to be as much info about how a skilled user would have used one as I can find for loading gate designs (not to mention hand ejectors).

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I guess it depends on the range -- but if the revolver is broken when the barrel is pointed up, it shouldn't be considered a danger.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

We have pretty strict rules in CAS against sweeping anybody with a muzzle, 170 rule and all that. However no one has ever questioned my technique of laying the gun on its side while opening it. Yes, I am sweeping myself with it, but believe it or not there is no rule against sweeping yourself in CAS. Just can't sweep anybody else.

Besides, with the gun broken wide open, there is no way it can discharge, even if there was still a live round in the cylinder. Kind of like on the Trap field. Although I try not to sweep anybody with a broken open shot gun, it happens all the time anyway. Everybody knows that with the gun broken open it cannot discharge.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

And that's my point. Assuming you have a gun that requires both hands to open, "crack" the gun while pointing it down range. Then rotate it horizontally, keeping it pointed downrange, and pull up on the barrel, ejecting the empties.

 

[Jaymo]

Push up on latch with thumb of strong hand.
Flick revolver down, as hard as you can.
Reload cylinder.
Flick revolver up as hard as you can.

That ought to show the dudes who "Bogart" a hand ejector.
Why should they have all the fun and ruin all the revolvers?

 

[BobWright]

Somebody else may have said this, but I've always held the gun and broke it open sort of snapping it straight away from me at the same time, so empties sort of fly straight away from me. Centrifugal force sort of seems to aid in the ejection. But all of my experience has been mostly with .38 S&W cartridges, a few .32 S&W.

Bob Wright

 

[Jim K]

Or you can get a Merwin & Hulbert and practice picking the empties out of the action when they jam up.

Jim

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Or you can get a Merwin & Hulbert and practice picking the empties out of the action when they jam up.

Ya mean like this?

Actually it's pretty easy. The ones that don't eject can be flicked out with a finger.

 

[Jim K]

I was sort of kidding. The M&H's don't work too badly with the right case length; but those that are made only for the unobtainable M&H cartridges fail with other cartridges.

Jim