Why is the wrist flick closing of cylinder a bad thing?

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Prof Young

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This post is inspired by part of another recent post.

So, why is the quick-flick a bad way to close cylinder of a revolver?

Opinions welcome. Data preferred.

Live well, be safe.
Prof Young
 
It can also bend the ejector rod, binding the cylinder shut. One of the first tests I do on a used revolver is to open the cylinder and spin it. If the rod wobbles, someone made the habit of slapping it shut.
 
The yoke is not designed for that and is easy to bend. Don't buy a used gun from someone who does that !
 
Its caused by leverage. The crane is "U" shaped, when closed & locked the strains of firing are linear front to back, or radial, pressure pushing outwards. This causes comparatively little side torque to be applied to the base of the "U".
Now unlock & open the action & you have the (comparatively) massive weight of the cylinder hanging on one end & the frame at the other, nothing supporting the base of the "U" at all except its own structure.
Now flick rapidly. This puts inertia against the "U" & then slams it to a stop, reversing the torque forces.
 
I would think that anyone could instantly see how this practice would be damaging to a finely timed mechanical device. I'm surprised the question is even asked.
 
Because if you do it to one of my guns, you'll get yourself hurt, as a friend of mine found out some years ago.

He flicked the cylinder closed on my carry gun, and I yelled at him, and he said "Didn't hurt me at all!"

So I grabbed him by his scruffy little Van Dyke goatee and dragged him around the living room for awhile. He's yelling at me, his wife is laughing, and the whole time I'm telling him "I don't know what you're complaining about, it's not huring me at all!"

Funny, but he's never employed the old wrist flick to any of my guns ever again.

He also shaved his Van Dyke. :p
 
Mike,

You're a bad influence. Now I find myself itching to try your brand of pro-active revolver care. Its bad enough that when I have the opportunity to be the voice of quiet reason when a gun control debate looms that instead I tell them about the baby Jesus crying.
 
I do the wrist flick, but only on guns I don't like. There was a Ruger LCR-22 I hated, but I was never able to bend the yoke even though I always flicked the cylinder closed.

I traded it for a K-frame S&W, which I don't flick. Now I like all my guns, but I need a new flicker. Maybe I should get a Taurus.
 
Mike, that is priceless!!!

It's the equivalent of some punk holding a gun sideways.
Click to expand...
Actually, its quite a bit worse. Holding a gun sideways, while stupid, doesn't risk damage to the mechanism.

Others have explained why it is a bad idea mechanically. Among knowledgeable shooters, its a bad idea socially, as well. Flicking a revolver open or shut publicly displays the fact that you are either ignorant, or arrogant, and maybe both.

You can fix ignorant.
;)

It's dramatic. IT looks good in the movies. At one time it was called "Bogarting", because Humphrey Bogart did it often in the movies. Flip a DA revolver open, to "check it was loaded", then flip, or slap it closed.

Nice, dramatic visual. Directors like that. And besides, it wasn't Bogey's personal gun, it was a prop gun. (apparently "Bogarting" now means something different, and not relative to this discussion ;))

Another movie/TV move is flipping shut a double barrel shotgun. Very dramatic. Good for director, BAD for shotgun. (please, don't do this at home, kids...)

A lot of people discover an interest in guns, but don't have anyone to teach them the proper do's and don't. They imitate what they see on the screen (big or small) thinking its what one does. If they're lucky, they just look foolish, to those who know better. IF they're not lucky, they're still just as foolish, but also have repair bills to pay.

its your gun, its your choice, abuse it if you want, and pay the costs out of your pocket. If you to it with mine, I would have a ...difficult time..being as refined, considerate, and gentle as MR Irwin...
:D
 
In the other thread, I reported spending 3 hours repeatedly "flipping" an M&P revolver with no damage I could see and it passed a range rod check. But my wrist hurt for several days. I don't suggest doing it, but I think "flipping" is one of those things that people instinctively think should be bad for the gun, but which really are not.

Jim
 
Flipping the cylinder closed was a habit propagated by Hollywood "B" movies, mostly of the 30s, 40s and 50s. It was considered "suave" for either the villain or hero to do with his gun.

In reality, it can (and does) damage the cylinder stop.
 
I can only say that in my experiment, I found no damage to either the cylinder stop (the part that stops cylinder rotation) or the other cylinder stop (the part that keeps the cylinder from coming back when open). If the cylinder is not rotating when closed, it would simply push down the cylinder stop (first definition), as it does any time the cylinder is closed. If the cylinder is rotating, it is not moving any faster than it is in fast double action.

Have you actually seen that kind of damage or just heard/read tales of it?

Jim
 
m19m13yokes.jpg


Model 19 on the left, model 13 on the right.

From 10 or 12 years ago, when I was looking at buying that model 13. I had witnessed the owner flick the cylinder closed.

The tale is here.
 
What piece of metal? Have you been hurt that way? If so, I am sorry, but I have to doubt it ever happened.

I feel silly "defending" wrist flicking, which I always considered a Hollywood showoff trick, but it seems to me that the "problems" it supposedly creates are vastly overblown and a bit silly. That is why I ran my experiment, to see if those awful things really would happen. They didn't, and no pieces of metal flew off and hit me in the eye.

Hi, Lee,

(Edited) It is possible that the damage was caused by "flicking", but I think it would have been more than one time. I would be inclined to think the cause was something more drastic, either a factory error or an owner attempt to "fix" something.

Jim
 
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Hi, Lee,

And was that the result of "flicking"?
Click to expand...

I do not for a fact know. That was the suspicion. I did not acquire that piece. Sweet gun otherwise, but I didn't want to mess at the time with getting it fixed.
 
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