Excessive Cylinder End Shake?

[Doug S]

What is "excessive cylinder end shake"? I know that this is defined as forward to aft movement of the cylinder. What I would like to know is do all revolvers develop some end shake after regular use? Will revolver cylinders have some movement after use or is any amount of visible movement of the cylinder considered excessive. Thanks for any info.

 

[Doug S]

Also I forgot to ask, will excessive end shake be noticable when the cylinder is closed or open or does this not matter?

 

[Mike Irwin]

Yes, eventually, with enough use, just about any revolver will develop some endshake. It depends on the specific design as for how much it will develop.

"Excessive" endshake is when one of two things happens:

1. The primers start to back out of the case during firing, locking the gun up.

Endshake is most effectivly checked for when the cylinder is closed.

OR

2. Reliable ignition becomes a problem because the cylinder moves so far forward that the firing pin can no longer reach the primer.

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.