Revolver carry question

S

Steve B

New member
Do you carry your revolver fully loaded or with the hammer down on an empty cylinder? Would the type of safety on the gun effect how you`d carry?
 
The "empty chamber under the hammer" is a carry-over from the old single action revolvers, whose actions allowed the firing pin to rest on the primer when the hammer was down. Almost any blow to the back of the hammer (a falling stirrup, when saddling a horse) would cause a discharge. Ruger re-designed their single actions because of this. Modern double actions have either a transfer bar (Ruger) or a hammer block (S&W) which prevent hammer/firing pin contact with the primer until the trigger is pulled. To discharge the guns with these features would need a blow sufficient to collapse the frame. Strangely enough, the "empty chamber" thing has persisted. A friend in NC, back in the late 70s, took a job as a corrections officer at a state prison. They were advised that officers carrying revolvers were required to keep an empty chamber under the hammer, for safety. They were issued M19s - go figure.
 
I never really worried about keeping an empty chamber. I figured the double-action trigger pull was so heavy that the chances of it the trigger being pulled enough were too slim to worry about.
 
The Hammer block that will allow you to carry with a round under the hammer became standard with the Colt Improved New Service around 1909 and in the 1890's by S&W.
 
There is absolutely no reason to carry a modern revolver with an empty chamber. You can pound on the hammer with a hammer and it wont contact the firing pin.
 
For some reason, my 64 year old father still INSISTS it's safer to leave an empty chamber. I've tried to explain it to him, but I think his hearing aid batteries are on permanent discharge.

Carry a full cylinder... you're already limited as it is... why make it worse for NO appreciable reason whatsoever?
 
The age and design of a revolver do indeed matter when it comes to carrying the hammer down on an empty or loaded chamber. With the exception of late-model Ruger’s all single action revolvers should be carried with the hammer down on an empty chamber. Double action revolvers made before World War Two, with the exception of Colt’s made after 1908 should also be carried on an empty chamber. Smith & Wesson introduced their current safety in 1944 after the Navy had an unintentional discharge when someone dropped a gun on a battleship deck. Older ones have various safety devices that will probably work, but I don’t accept “probably” in matters of safety.

As a rule I still carry the hammer down on an empty chamber when I’m carrying a revolver in a non-weapon context. In those situations I don’t need more then five shots before reloading. If, as I sometimes do, carry a revolver as a weapon I make sure it is a modern one made after 1945 and load all chambers.
 
Any Smith late enough to have a model number on the frame....
I carry stuffed full.

Older ones, on an individual basis depending on the lockwork design.

Sam
 
MOST wheels these days have a safety bar between the hammer and firing pin. These guns can be carried fully stocked and hammer down, SAFELY! If this is the case with the gun you want...GO FOR IT! I do it everyday.
Shoot well
 
Fully charged.

I fill all 5, 6 or 8 wholes depending on the revo I have handy. All my wheels have transfer bars or other firingpin blocking doodad whatchamacallits. That is the technical term I believe.
 
Walosi covered the issue quite well. . . . which is why I also carry with all chambers loaded; can't afford not to when I'm carrying a Smith .38sp 5 shot.
 
I always fill 'em up, even when carrying my replica Remington New Army blackpowder sixgun which is perfectly capable of going of if the hammer is struck while resting upon a loaded chamber. The reason I'll do this is that the cylinder has cuts between each chamber to allow the hammer to rest in instead of on the nipple which primes the cylinder.

Then again I don't carry this gun much, but just use it for plinking and some target shooting on the range. Now if I were to carry it everyday while getting from place to place on horse back - 5 might be enough.
 
"I never really worried about keeping an empty chamber. I figured the double-action trigger pull was so heavy that the chances of it the trigger being pulled enough were too slim to worry about."


Huh ...... ? If it is a double action and the trigger DID manage to get pulled, it would be the NEXT round in the cylinder that would be under the firing pin, not the (empty?) one that was under the firing pin originally.

The only reason to carry with an emtpy chamber under the firing pin is to protect against an external impact causing a discharge.
 
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