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PushPuller

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Morning everybody! Through various sources I accrued a handful of Scheels gift cards and set off yesterday with the intentions of putting a decent dent in the cost of a CZ shotgun, or maybe even a 686 Plus that iv talked about wanting for years but couldn't afford before they became harder to find.

I perused the shotguns with no luck, then the revolver case that had several 686s but they were short barrels (iv been wanting a 6"). A little bummed out I decided to take a second look at the revolver case when I noticed a 6" 2020 Colt Python! Iv always liked the look of the python and have considered looking into getting one but between cost and availability that was a pipe dream. As I'm sure you suspected with the help of a few hundred dollars in gift cards burning a hole in my pocket I couldn't pass up the Python and brought it home without hesitation. Needless to say I've fallen in love fast.

I however am not a wheel gun guy. I love rifles and semi auto pistols but have very little experience aside from a few older police 38 specials and my dads 686. Is there any advise you guys would give a wheel gun novice, anything I need to keep an eye on that isn't typical to every firearm. or anything that is Python specific i should know about?
 
I can't speak to the Python, but I can relate that 57% of my handguns are revolvers, and I don't really have a preference for one over the other. My situation is the reverse of yours, with pistols following the revolvers in inventory. The major difference I feel is the convenience of the pistol magazine size on one hand vs better trigger control with the wheel gun, especially single action. But over time and continued practice, any significant differences completely disappear, replaced by confidence.
 
Is there any advise you guys would give a wheel gun novice, anything I need to keep an eye on that isn't typical to every firearm. or anything that is Python specific i should know about?
Click to expand...

this applies to all swing out cylinder revolvers,

DO NOT "FLIP" the cylinder in and out the way you see done in the movies and on tv. EVER!! Doing a "Bogart" shutting the cylinder with a flck of your wrist is hard on the gun. It can damage it. Don't do it.

they do it in the movies for its dramatic effect. Those guns are not the actor's personal property. They don't give a snit about damage to finely fitted mechanisms.

Like flipping open and flipping shut a double barrel shotgun, its good for drama on film, its BAD for the mechanism.

Also be aware that they are not designed to be taken apart and put back together endlessly. Unlike semiautos designed for military use, where that is a consideration in the design, revolvers are made with the general expectation that the owners are not going to be detail stripping and screwing with them. Resist that temptation.

If you ever get a misfire, squib, unusual report, bullet doesn't strike target or anything like that STOP!!! DO NOT pull the trigger again. STOP and find out what happened, and make sure the barrel is clear.

Combat training is a good thing, BUT when you get a weapon malfunction, TRAINING IS OVER, RIGHT THEN!!!
Teaching someone to keep going is asking for serious trouble. Might be necessary when people are shooting at you, but when they aren't (and that includes training pretending that they are) a malfunction means STOP, identify and fix the problem.

Revolvers have other quirks, unique to their designs, one of them is that recoil "pulls" the case back away from the bullet. This is called "jumping the crimp" or "bullet creep". Not an issue with properly made ammo, but if the ammo is sub-par in neck tension and crimp, the bullet can move forward in the cylinder, even far enough to poke out the end and jam the gun.
Just something to keep an eye out for...

Another thing is that screws can loosen. Get a PROPERLY made and fitting screwdriver (hollow ground tip) that completely fits the screw slot and check screws for tightness every so often. Never use a "regular" screwdriver, it can slip and mar the screw slot.

I would also recommend not doing what some U-tube or other internet source shows/tells you how to "improve" things.

This list is not all inclusive, I'm sure I left out a few things, :D
Hope this helps...
 
A drop or two of Locktite or fingernail polish on the threads of the ejector rod is another good precautionary measure, otherwise when you least expect it, it "might" turn out and jam up your new baby. Very common problem (happened to me twice over the last 40 years:D), once addressed, I find revolvers far more reliable than semiautomatics.
 
DO NOT "FLIP" the cylinder in and out the way you see done in the movies and on tv. EVER!! Doing a "Bogart" shutting the cylinder with a flck of your wrist is hard on the gun. It can damage it. Don't do it.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree with this admonition but only because I've always been warned about it and the argument always seemed to make sense. But lots of things are predicated on folklore that seems to make sense and I've always wondered if anyone has ever empirically tested how "hard" it really is on a revolver and if there is actual evidence to support the allegation that measurable damage (springing the crane) can be incurred by the practice.
 
What? I learned all my techinuqes by watching movies!
I know it works because they never run out of bullets and always get the bad guys by the techniques they use. That's enough proof for me!:D
 
Since you are not used to shooting revolvers, make sure you allow the trigger to go all the way forward before firing a follow-up shot in double action. The trigger does not reset like most semi-autos. My second piece of advice is to have fun shooting it. Congratulations on the new gun!
 
I had a Ruger I didn't like very much, so I cowboyed the cylinder every chance I got. I don't think you can break a Ruger, they are inelegant but sturdy.
 
"I absolutely agree with this admonition but only because I've always been warned about it and the argument always seemed to make sense. But lots of things are predicated on folklore that seems to make sense and I've always wondered if anyone has ever empirically tested how "hard" it really is on a revolver and if there is actual evidence to support the allegation that measurable damage (springing the crane) can be incurred by the practice."(Dgludwig).

Next time you are at a gun show or gun shop, take a look at older revolvers. Sooner or later you will find one that has a huge gap between the ejector crane and frame. Cylinder will be very loose. Gun might even shave lead when it fires due to its looseness. It's no allegation, no need for "testing"; anyone who has been around awhile knows it as fact... keep flipping that cylinder shut hard like TV stars and you WILL eventually damage the crane & ruin the gun.

It's one of the first things to look for (and avoid!), when shopping for a used revolver, especially LEO trade in's.
 
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Unless you have large hands, the Python will be a problem. I have medium hands and couldn't reach the trigger for DA operation. Sold it and got a S&W 27.
 
I will add that its not just flipping it SHUT but also flipping it open with excessive force that can bend things.

Think about it, you have a large mass of metal (cylinder) at a right angle to the crane, when the crane comes to a hard sudden stop. The faster it moves, the more force twisting the crane when it stops. Only takes a tiny bit of bend to screw up the gun.

Opening or closing the gun at normal speed does no harm. Even letting the cylinder fall open of its own weight isn't a concern but slamming things, with a wrist flick is a BAD idea.

Also, when ejecting fired cases, its best to point the muzzle UP. This not only allows gravity to assist, but also minimizes the odds of getting debris underneath the extractor star, which is one of the things that will jam a DA revolver.

If you want to empirically test how many flips it takes to spring a crane, go right ahead, with YOUR gun! :D

Me, I'll just ask Mr Owl, how many licks it takes, for he is wiser than we....:rolleyes:
 
Pushpuller, read the "Sticky," "The Revolver Checkout," that is right above your post; it's great for reviewing what to look out for if you are buying a used revolver, but it also reveals what can eventually go wrong with yours.
 
44AMP, that's a great idea! Someone should take one for the team, buy a new Python, and record how many hard snaps it takes to bend the crane and effect lockup, etc. That way we have empirical evidence to post on the internet. But to be fair, Ruger, S&W and Korth should also be tested. :D
Perhaps one of the Youtube experts (like Yankee Marshall?), will pony up the money and conduct the testing?:D
 
It's no allegation, no need for "testing"; anyone who has been around awhile knows it as fact... keep flipping that cylinder shut hard like TV stars and you WILL eventually damage the crane & ruin the gun.
Click to expand...

I've probably been around a lot longer than you and, for all the reasons cited, have never and would never flip the cylinder of a revolver closed. I simply wondered if the practice had ever been tested to determine the extent of the damage (if any) and how many times it would take to incur it. I'm sorry that just entertaining the idea seems to have caused so much disconcertion for some folks.
 
PushPuller,

I suggest you read some books on double
action shooting by such authors as
Masad Ayoob and Grant Cunningham.
They'll help you on not only shooting
but holding the revolver, loading it.

They both have You Tube demonstrations
as well.

And keep your fingers away from the
front of the cylinder during firing. The
blast from the cylidner gap can injure you.
 
DGLudwig, no disrespect intended, we are just ribbing you in a good natured way. You probably do have me by a few years, of that I have no doubt.:D
 
I don't think you could come up with a meaningful test result, other than what the tested gun took.

Different guns, different alloys, different size cylinders, different amounts of force in "the flip" I don't see where you could say X number of times bends it, and have it apply to everything.

If you're old enough to remember Mr Owl and the Tootsie Pop, you already know the answer...

one...
two...
threeee.....

CRUNCH!!!
:D
 
^ You forgot the dry and declarative "Three." as Mr. Owl hands the lollipop stick back to an answered and disappointed child... :)


"How many flips does it take to ruin a revolver? The world may never know..."
 
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Owl and the Tootsie pop... and "I'm just a Bill". :D

But, that was back when it was ok for Yosemite Sam to have revolvers and Elmer Fudd was allowed to hunt small game with a shotgun. Things are sure different now. :rolleyes:
 
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