troubleshooting a single action revolver

Page #1. . Or, in other words, theyre involved in timing the revolver. And Im not saying that older revolvers dont have problems, too, I just personally have seen them completely stop working less often than newer ones. The pencil should shoot out the muzzle a little distance upward. Still You have to keep that wheel gun ticking like a clock. Derringers. Box 1926, Escondido, CA 92033. The revolvers I have seen with the biggest problems, for the most part, have been those made within the last 10 years or so that have a relatively low round count. And that leads me to believe that in the 21st century, revolvers, in general, are just not made to the same standards they used to be. Items 1 - 24 of 938. It represents one of the fundamentals of gun choice and should be well understood before you enter the gun market. Performance-wise it has a lot of power, and its design offers an easy to load, quick-firing revolver. An innovative way to carry your backup gun. And that seems to have made a lot of people unhappy. Its a nice gun. With the muzzle up and vertical, pull the trigger. Traditionally, Kentucky windage was employed to bring the gun on target. Click number three, the SAA cylinder stop, happens shortly before the full cock notch. With 20% less hammer travel distance, the Uberti KL CMS ensures the transition from one round to the other is as brief as possible in a single action revolver. This frees the cylinder without having to cock the hammer. It takes a bit of talent to fix timing, and almost always a new hand. A thicker hand will push the ratchet cog further around. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Reader Alex Vrenios sent us a note asking to explain revolver timing as he recently had a problem with one of his revolvers having to do with that very topic. Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. Richard Nance shows off this easy to carry flashlight from Streamlight. Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. If your gun is out of time youll likely hear that second click but the stop hasnt seated into the next notch. I feel like Im starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but Ill probably keep bringing it up until people stop spreading misinformation about revolvers being 100% reliable. In the video below, I describe yet another revolver failure I recently encountered. $399.95. It deserves a spot on the list of stack-and-a-half micro 9 millimeters. After that, I couldnt turn the cylinder at all and had to go back to the house to get another gun. Then bring the hammer to full cock, and when you lower it back down, just like magic it will be resting over an empty chamber. A single action revolver has a light and smooth trigger pull, as it only needs to drop the hammer. Pietta 1863 Pocket Remington Parts Starting at $4.25. However, more finite adjustments can be made. Another old-time rule that had to be relearned by a new generation of single-action shooters was to load only five rounds in the cylinder with the hammer resting on the empty sixth chamber. Of those, about 20 or so are directly involved with making sure the cylinder lines up correctly with the forcing cone when the gun fires. 3.5 inches. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. As the ratchet cogs wear or the hand or the trigger or the cylinder stop and other things that delicate set of events can get out of time. The cylinder might start to turn before the stop gets withdrawn. Things like an in-house barrel machined from Krieger stainless stock, custom grips by Marc, timed and tuned action, beautiful black PVD DLC Black plating called Hot Rod Black and 24K gold plate done in-house only start the options available. Available barrel lengths are 4.75, 5.5, and 7.5 inches, and calibers offered include .357 Magnum, .44-40, and .45 Colt. And knowing how to shoot it--and shoot it well--will ensure its immortality well beyond the memory of buckboards and bootlaces and perhaps right up there with bicycles and baited hooks. Single-Action Revolvers. Alternatively, there's also DAO guns, such as the DAO versions of the Beretta 92 and . Beretta Covert Pocket Classics: The 21A Bobcat and 3032 Tomcat. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if needed) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. For a beginner like you, a DA/SA gun may be the best option to go with. Too many years of carrying a duty gun in the same spot makes it feel natural and comfy. It can also do double-duty as a cross-draw worn in front of the off-side hip. The transfer-bar system is a safe consistent type of action that finally addressed the problems of revolver safety. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. Taurus G3XL EDC Compact 9mm Pistol: First Look, 6 Great Revolver Cartridges for Carry and Home-Defense Applications, Buying a Suppressor Is Easier Than You Think, Weak-Hand Shooting Skills Drills: Learning To Shoot With Your Non-Dominant Hand, Taurus G3c Striker-Fired No-Safety Pistol: Review, SCCY DVG-1 RD Striker-Fired 9mm Pistol Includes a Red-Dot Sight, KelTec P50 Blowback Semiauto 5.7x28mm Pistol, 9 Best Pistol Drills to Become a Better Defensive Shooter, Smith & Wesson Model 350 Hunting Revolver In .350 Legend, First Look: Federal .30 Super Carry Pistol Cartridge. Beretta's new APX A1 Carry shows that this historic brand is still competingin the modern market. move and lock the cylinder in place correcting timing so they both work together. The proper engagement of the cylinder to the working parts of the frame is a complete necessity in terms of revolver function. I flipped open the loading gate, put the hammer on half-cock so my fellow scribe could see that the gun was empty and handed him the revolver, butt first. Is .25 ACP Literally the Worst Self-Defense Cartridge? Many of the rules that stemmed from the original 1873 Single Action Army changed in 1973 when Ruger brought out its transfer-bar system. All Rights Reserved. If you find the gap is 2 thousand or less on any cylinder hole, that could be your problem. I mean, put it in a box and mail it to the men with tools kind of problems. The screws in the side of the revolver are removed to free the action. This, of course, is to preclude any chance of the gun going off should it be accidentally dropped. Once the hammer is checked, the cylinder comes next. If working properly, the first click should be heard when the safety notch on the hammer engages, the second click when the half-cock notch engages, the third when the SAA cylinder stop pops up to engage the notches (note: the stop pops up before the cylinder has completed its rotation, hence why partial drag lines are found even on otherwise nice SAA revolvers), and the fourth when the hammer reaches full cock and the stop drops into the appropriate cylinder notch near simultaneously. If it is the 22 single action does it misfire on both cylinders? Purchase A PDF Download Of The American Handgunner Nov/Dec 2020 Issue Now! Yet, it is still possible to scar the cylinder if you do not manually align the flutes on either side of the topstrap before shutting the loading gate. Of those, 12,789 were shipped out blued and sporting a 4-1/2" barrel and an ejector. The design is meant to keep the firing pin from protruding through the recoil shield and potentially contacting the primer of a cartridge. The cylinder should remain locked, no new clicks should be audible, and there should not be an excess of play in the cylinder. Rebate Available. With the gun empty, cock the hammer and insert a yellow wooded pencil (or a red Coca Cola pencil) with an eraser, with the eraser down, into the muzzle until it is against the standing breech and located at the firing pin aperture. In a way, you can't blame him. He immediately lowered the hammer from half-cock, then cocked the gun again, thereby etching a nice, faint gray line around the otherwise unblemished cylinder. Barring aftermarket alteration, this procedure would be applicable to all major variants of the SAA, such as the Bisley, Buntline, Flattop and others, as well as faithful reproductions made by a number of firms both foreign and domestic. Bryce M. Towsley. Single Action Army Colts never left Hartford if they weren't. Here is what handgun hunters can expect from this big-bore X-Frame revolver. An American-made, single-action classic that pays homage to the Old West. It does feel like a genuine cowboy revolver much more than it does a replica. Now, Ruger has really good customer service in my experience. No purchase necessary. Not finding an answer in my Kopec book. Interestingly, much of the credit for relearning the five-shot rule goes to Ruger, which ran an ad during this period showing a single action with the loading gate open and a rolled-up dollar bill stuffed into one of the chambers. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. Youre in luck, Alex, as I just did some repair work for two out-of-time revolvers, a 120 year old S&W Hand Ejector and a modern S&W Model 10. Step 3: The SAA Cylinder. Typically, when loading and unloading a traditional Colt-style single action, the hammer is brought to half cock, which frees the cylinder and allows it to rotate clockwise, thus bringing each of the chambers in line with the open loading gate. Like most traditional single-action revolvers, the 1873 Cattleman II has fixed sights. Even worse, it could hit the primer while the bullet is positioned to strike the edge of the barrel throat instead of straight on, causing the gun to explode in the shooter's hand. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Even having said all of that, I have never intended to imply that revolvers are generally less reliable than semi-autos. If you are a novice in the world of guns, this guide to the differences between Single Action Vs Double Action is for you. The metal lining enabled the hammer to be cocked while the gun was still in the holster. Roy was able to get this one back in time The trigger is designed with a 6-pound pull, making it ideal for high-noon shootouts. The most notorious was "fanning" a single action, in which the hammer was slapped back with the off hand while the gun hand kept the trigger depressed. Answer (1 of 7): * Ammunition. Taurus 605 Black 357 Magnum / 38 Special Revolver . Pietta 1873 Single Action Revolver Parts Starting at $4.25. The mainspring is released and the internal parts are removed by taking out the screws in the frame. Which is why so many New Model Ruger single actions have this tell-tale line around the cylinder. Thats where a gunsmith might need to take a look at the revolver, unless you are comfortable with detail disassembling and reassembling the pistol. However, if you don't mind changing the contour of the front-sight blade (as many 19th century shootists did, much to the chagrin of today's collectors), elevation can be raised by carefully filing down the front-sight blade. Otherwise, when the gate is snapped shut the cylinder bolt will rise up against the cylinder rather than into the cylinder notch. is out of time, or, as S&W calls it, failing to Carry Up.. To get your revolver back into operation, you have to get the cylinder open and unloaded while keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. The grips can be either checkered wood or black checkered plastic. Marc can build on your gun or a supplied gun. 4) Depress the trigger again; hammer will have audible "click" 5) Continue to depress trigger, manually cycle the action and eject the snap cap. But check this out. The additional elements of semi-automatic operation differ according to whether the firearm is single-action or double-action. He worked up a target load using . . The .454 Casull took that title and when Freedom Arms in Wyoming started making revolvers, I had to have one. When I leveled down on it with the .44, the trigger was so hard to pull in double action that I had to help the cylinder turn to cock the hammer to single action before I shot the sick animal. were considerably different from a modern revolver. Later, German and Italian clones were added to the mix. . Robert Adams is the patent of the first double-action revolver, who invented this type of trigger in 1851 to fire at a greater rate than any single action gun does. A micro-second prior to this, the cylinder stop has clicked into the next notch, locking things in place. Sure, theres YouTube videos on how to fix Carry Up but remember theres also some rubes out there who are advising you to do wrong things. A failure in these tests on one or two chambers suggests that the problem is with the SAA cylinder, with an individual stop notch or tooth on the sprocket experiencing wear or damage, but a failure on all chambers suggests that the problem is in the guts of the revolver instead. So again, Im not trying to slam either of these companies. My point is that revolvers, in general, break a lot more often than most people realize. But an even more dramatic change has taken place with the advent of the New Model Ruger Blackhawks, Vaqueros and now the New Vaqueros (same basic gun as the Vaquero but built on a smaller, Colt-style frame with Ruger's original XR-3 frame from the '50s). Best Single Action Revolver: Freedom Arms Model 83. With a choice of 357 Magnum or 38 Special +P, the Taurus 66 is a versatile 7-shot revolver that features comfortable rubber grips and a deep, lustrous finish. But is sounds to me that there is a possibility that the Hammer stud may be bent or mis-shaped.If that is in fact the case then only the Smith Wesson factory can repair the problem. The hammer . All modern day single-action revolvers are based . All guns have a story to tell, some are just more interesting than others. No purchase necessary. Simply having a qualified gunsmith crank the barrel a quarter of a degree right or left (depending on where you want the gun to hit) can make a dramatic difference in the striking point of a bullet. You're in luck, Alex, as I just did some repair work for two out-of-time revolvers, a 120 year old S&W Hand Ejector and a modern S&W Model 10. The current report shows that most guns are single-action. This allows the Model 85 to be cocked first with a . California Compliant Handguns. Rich Nance shows us a drill that helps with target transition and accuracy. Any time one thing moves, everything else moves. A single action comes with its own set of guidelines comprising some very basic but often critical do's and don'ts. The cylinder stop should still be engaged to the cylinder, preventing rotation. (II) Limit one entry per household. Smith & Wesson is chambering its excellent M&P 2.0 pistol in 10mm Auto, and the result is a gun with high capacity and enough power to tackle any defensive task. Associated taxes and fees will be the responsibility of the winner. As with any other firearm, taking the time to implement routine inspection and maintenance practices will prevent revolver malfunctions when your wheelgun is needed most. Taurus PT 92 is one of the widely renowned double-action guns. Next comes the hammer, often posed to us regarding SAA revolvers as how are the clicks? These clicks (known as the four clicks") are a distinctive set of sounds made when drawing back the hammer of the gun from the fully lowered position to the fully cocked position. I cant prove that Im telling the truth about having seen a bunch of broken revolvers (except for these two). Gently ease the hammer down, and repeat the process five more times, each time maintaining light thumb pressure and slowly cocking the hammer. The cylinder stop should be fully engaged, possibly with a small amount of play in the cylinder, but not permitting any significant rotation. Discussion of the parts in the Single Action style guns as to which ones wear, break, and what issues are caused. Although I had owned the gun for a number of years, I always carried it in a lined holster and was quite proud of its unmarred condition, even though I had taken it afield many times. A dirty star can also interfere with the hammer operation by preventing the round from being properly seated against the cylinder. In DA mode, you start the trigger pull which due to a minor miracle of cams, springs and timing starts to move the cylinder stop out of the notch on the cylinder, preparing it to be able to rotate. If a revolver is only slightly out of time, shooting it normally in DA mode will allow the cylinder mass to Carry Up correctly, turning that last few thousandths using inertia. The gun pictured is the first one sorry folks, its sold! While the SAA hammer check is performed, be mindful of the mainspring; looseness or excessive resistance both indicate trouble, the former from a badly worn, broken, or absent mainspring, and the latter a mainspring that is losing ductility, which could potentially become brittle and break during operation. That, of course, is a totally erroneous statement. Home Defense Tactical Tips with Manny Mansfield, The Backyard Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 Just Die? Whereas in single action it is a two-stage process. Check the sear tip and the hammer notch to make sure there is no buildup there, then relubricate the action. Firing that cartridge with a heavy charge of Alliant 2400 could have easily caused the primer to flow back into the firing-pin opening, making the cylinder even more difficultif not impossibleto rotate without extreme force. Contest void where prohibited by law. The second is the click as the stop slips back home into the next notch on the cylinder. Our Great Western II (GWII) line is period correct with the floating firing pin in the hammer, not a transfer bar. A Beginner's Guide. So far, this rig is just what I needed and its both comfy and secure. If youre keeping a gun around as a potentially life-saving device, keep in mind, it is a man-made thing that can fail and you cant trust it to work solely based on the design or the name of the factory it came out of. The presence of these particles will not let the extractor seat properly and causes excessive friction against the frame, making the cylinder hard to turn. This is true for single-action wheel guns and double-action, for centerfire and. It can perform two functions at once. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM DIY 2022, P.O. Follow Lucky Gunner Lounge from your Inbox! Once back together and function-checked, the revolvercoupled with quality ammunition and periodic maintenanceshould be as reliable as it ever was. MSRPs are $549 for the brass trigger guard and grip frame and $559 for the blued steel trigger . Single-Action Revolvers: $80.00: FIT NEW STOCKS: Labor charge per firearm (does not include parts and shipping) Shotguns - Pistol grip only (straight stocks and 28 ga. not available) $50.00: No. That, of course, is a totally erroneous statement. Ill send it to them and Im sure they will fix it and itll be fine. If youd like me to write more on this sort of thing, drop us a note at [emailprotected], That Magical Master of Rugers, Marc Morganti, has done it again. However, every case is different and an inexperienced attempt to function check an SAA could result in serious bodily harm to yourself or others. And Im not talking about the kind of problems you can fix in a couple of seconds on the firing line. Deployed military should use stateside address. But even with the growing acceptance of double actions, most gunmen of the time still preferred to cock the hammer before squeezing off a round, as the longer, stiffer trigger pulls of those early wheelguns made accurate bullet placement pretty much a single-action situation. With the exception of single actions with adjustable sights, most thumbbusters incorporate a historically correct grooved topstrap and a high-blade, fixed-sight arrangement. During the 19th century, and prior to the 1870s--before the widespread advent of the double-action revolver--there was no trick to shooting a single action, for that was all there was. Colt Colteer 1-22 Operating Instructions and Safety Manual. Details in the video, or scroll down for the full transcript (along with a few additional comments and links those lazy video watchers wont ever see). The double-action (DA) revolver uses a long pull of the trigger to cock the hammer, rotate the cylinder and fire the piece. 3) Release the trigger and move to "fire" position. With fixed front sights, adjustable rear sights and a custom Single Action/Double Action trigger for improved accuracy and speed, the 66 is the ideal self-defense firearm. Nonetheless, back in the late 1950s, while competing in a regional fast-draw contest in Buckeye, Arizona, I remember buying a second-generation Colt Single Action from a fellow participant who was walking with a noticeable limp. A very high-ride holster, its vertical and set up to hold the butt in tightly and the muzzle off of the hip, which in some designs can really poke at you by the end of the day. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. IF you value safety, because a gun with a long DA trigger for the first pull and a safety is going to be the safest type of gun to safety. Some people peen the cog which is coming up short, pushing metal toward the hand. Unlike portable single-action guns, double-action weapons are quite long and heavy, weighing around 9-10 lbs. Contest void where prohibited by law. Remove from Compare Add to Compare. by George Harris; posted on May 28, 2018 . RJay said: Well, got my crystal ball back from the cleaners today and it tells me that the Heritage Combo might be the Rough Rider in 22 with a 22 mag cylinder. In the Dirty Harry era, the .44 Magnum was "The most powerful handgun in the world.". Repeated shots may be fired by repeatedly pulling the trigger until all rounds have been fired. Sort By. Chances are good, too, if youve read this far, youd enjoy our DIY Guns special edition book. This idea of basic function checks" as an assessment of fundamental mechanical operations has been discussed before, however, due to limitations in facilities (absence of a firing range), Rock Island Auction Company cannot always guarantee complete functionality. Either technique, keep the front sight buried in the target. Contest void where prohibited by law. But single actions don't go off by themselves--someone has to physically cock the hammer, which this fellow apparently did while practicing fast draw with live ammunition. It is common with revolvers of this design to have to tap the barrel hard to get it to actually move. The trigger both cocks the hammer (or striker) of the firearm which prepares for the actual firing to take place and then fires the handgun. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. Timing is a general term for the process occurring when you cock the hammer or pull the trigger in double action mode on a revolver.