Old CW4
BANNED
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
- Messages
- 870
Revolvers: More mechanically complex that autos, however, IMO safer, especially a double action with the hammer not cocked. You have to intend to fire it to overcome a 12 lb or so trigger pull without cocking. Also a DA revolver is easy to make 100% safe merely by opening the cylinder, ejecting the cartridges, and then handing it over for inspection or carrying on the range with the cylinder remaining open. For home storage when you might have 'questionable' guests, open the cylinder, empty it, and snap a good quality padlock over the frame---this equals a disabled firearm. As another safety feature, all modern DA (and most SA) revolvers have a device called a 'transfer bar' which prevents firing when the trigger is not fully pulled, hence no more accidental discharges if the firearm is dropped, and modern SAs are safe to carry fully loaded unlike the 'Old West' six-shooters and some modern and older model clones.
Autos: Higher capacity, much simpler mechanically, but dangerous in the hands of careless people. Many autos will still fire a chambered round with the magazine removed and there have been myriad tragic accidents because of that. In some respects autos are not as dependable as a revolver. For example, in the event of a misfire, you must jack the slide to eject the bad shell and insert another. With the revolver, just pull the trigger again. Also, all modern revolvers have a device called a 'transfer bar' which prevents firing unless the trigger is fully pulled. But, all autos, regardless of quality, feed their cartridges from a piece of coffee can tin and/or plastic called a magazine, too often the weak link in the auto feed cycle. A damaged or dirty mag can put you out of action. I always piss off my sheriff's dept range officer because I insist on spreading a tarp on the ground during combat drills so I don't eject my mags into the dirt.
DA revolver tips:
1. Do NOT take them apart, especially S&Ws and Colts unless you really know what you're doing. They are NOT items for experimentation and exploration! I've had many such revolvers brought to me in pieces and in plastic baggies, sacks, or boxes because the owner wanted to 'detail clean it or tune it up.' One of the common damaged parts from this is the side plate. There is one way and one way only to remove a side plate and it does NOT involve prying with a screwdriver!
If you must and truly know how to tinker with what's under a sideplate, here's the right way to remove it. First take out the screws, usually three. Remove the grips. Hold the revolver horizontally in one hand with the sideplate up and a forefinger lightly pressing it. Take a hammer or other tool with a wooden or hard plastic handle, I prefer a small hammer with wooden handle. Hold the tool by its 'business' end and lightly, repeat lightly, tap on the frame previously covered by the grips with the wooden handle. It may take a minute or two of LIGHT tapping in the grip area but the sideplate will work its way out of its very precision frame fitting and pop up against your finger. You can then carefully lift it away and have access to the revolver's innards. As I said previously, a revolver is a complex beast. All sorts of linkages, levers, and springs are in play to rotate the cylinder, lock it in place for firing, cock and release the hammer, and so on. Most of these functions interact so if you mess up one of them you generally mess up all of them.
Critical tip for DA revolvers: Do NOT---NEVER---flip the cylinder closed! I know the tv and movie cops and bad guys do this all the time but I guarantee you, it WILL screw up the cylinder fitting and alighment. I compare cylinder flipping to slamming the driver's door on your vehicle several times. Do that and the wind will whistle around the door when you're speeding down the highway despite the rugged door hinges. Same thing with a revolver. I've come close to physical conflicts when customers have done that in my shop, and I've ordered a few to leave my premises and find another gunsmith.
Autos: Higher capacity, much simpler mechanically, but dangerous in the hands of careless people. Many autos will still fire a chambered round with the magazine removed and there have been myriad tragic accidents because of that. In some respects autos are not as dependable as a revolver. For example, in the event of a misfire, you must jack the slide to eject the bad shell and insert another. With the revolver, just pull the trigger again. Also, all modern revolvers have a device called a 'transfer bar' which prevents firing unless the trigger is fully pulled. But, all autos, regardless of quality, feed their cartridges from a piece of coffee can tin and/or plastic called a magazine, too often the weak link in the auto feed cycle. A damaged or dirty mag can put you out of action. I always piss off my sheriff's dept range officer because I insist on spreading a tarp on the ground during combat drills so I don't eject my mags into the dirt.
DA revolver tips:
1. Do NOT take them apart, especially S&Ws and Colts unless you really know what you're doing. They are NOT items for experimentation and exploration! I've had many such revolvers brought to me in pieces and in plastic baggies, sacks, or boxes because the owner wanted to 'detail clean it or tune it up.' One of the common damaged parts from this is the side plate. There is one way and one way only to remove a side plate and it does NOT involve prying with a screwdriver!
If you must and truly know how to tinker with what's under a sideplate, here's the right way to remove it. First take out the screws, usually three. Remove the grips. Hold the revolver horizontally in one hand with the sideplate up and a forefinger lightly pressing it. Take a hammer or other tool with a wooden or hard plastic handle, I prefer a small hammer with wooden handle. Hold the tool by its 'business' end and lightly, repeat lightly, tap on the frame previously covered by the grips with the wooden handle. It may take a minute or two of LIGHT tapping in the grip area but the sideplate will work its way out of its very precision frame fitting and pop up against your finger. You can then carefully lift it away and have access to the revolver's innards. As I said previously, a revolver is a complex beast. All sorts of linkages, levers, and springs are in play to rotate the cylinder, lock it in place for firing, cock and release the hammer, and so on. Most of these functions interact so if you mess up one of them you generally mess up all of them.
Critical tip for DA revolvers: Do NOT---NEVER---flip the cylinder closed! I know the tv and movie cops and bad guys do this all the time but I guarantee you, it WILL screw up the cylinder fitting and alighment. I compare cylinder flipping to slamming the driver's door on your vehicle several times. Do that and the wind will whistle around the door when you're speeding down the highway despite the rugged door hinges. Same thing with a revolver. I've come close to physical conflicts when customers have done that in my shop, and I've ordered a few to leave my premises and find another gunsmith.
