What is a pawl?

[SGW42]

Ruger advertises it's New Vaquero with the line:

"Patented Ruger reverse indexing pawl allows for easy loading and unloading."

What's that mean? How does "reverse indexing" make it better? I've never had the opportunity to shoot a single action. Is a pawl exclusive to them or are they found on double actions as well?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The pawl is the hand that rotates the cylinder.

On most Ruger single actions, as you load and unload, it is possible to turn the cylinder a fraction too far, leaving the charging hole out of alignment with the loading gate, and you can't turn it back. You have to keep turning the cylinder, loading or unloading the remaining chambers until the one you skipped comes back up again.

With reverse indexing, you can rotate the cylinder back and not have to skip that chamber.

 

[gb6491]

There is a photo of it here: http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-NewVaquero.htm
When you are rotating the cylinder clockwise it stops with an audible click. At this point everything will line up perfectly. On models without it by the time you hear a click, you have rotated the cylinder to far so it will not line up and you have to go for another spin as Vern pointed out
Regards,
Greg

 

[SGW42]

Ah okay! I've been curious about that for a week. Thanks a bunch.