Why is the wrist flick closing of cylinder a bad thing?
- Thread starter Prof Young
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Safestuffer
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My sister has been dating a guy for a while, Nice enough guy and he has some really nice guns, but he loves doing the revolver flick.
He has a model 10 that he got a while ago, when he first started dating my sister. When he got it, it was shot fine and locked up fine. 3 years later, he was looking at one of my revolvers and flicked it closed. I asked him not to and told him that its bad for the gun, and his words were "oh, I do that to mine all the time". The next day when we were shooting I noticed he was flicking the cylinder closed really hard on his revolver. I asked him why, and he said "well, that's the only way It will close up now."
That's about as close to real evidence I have seen that the revolver flick will do real damage to a gun.
He has a model 10 that he got a while ago, when he first started dating my sister. When he got it, it was shot fine and locked up fine. 3 years later, he was looking at one of my revolvers and flicked it closed. I asked him not to and told him that its bad for the gun, and his words were "oh, I do that to mine all the time". The next day when we were shooting I noticed he was flicking the cylinder closed really hard on his revolver. I asked him why, and he said "well, that's the only way It will close up now."
That's about as close to real evidence I have seen that the revolver flick will do real damage to a gun.
Mike Irwin
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"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."
I suspect that a single wrist flip, or even a few, would not cause damage that we could see or tabulate.
I also suspect that newer guns would be FAR more resistant to it than much older guns due to better steels and better heat treating.
But, I really suspect that it's the same as popping your clutch.
A few times isn't going to show much wear.
But it's going to be cumulative, just as a steady diet of .357 Magnum out of a Model 19 can show cumulative wear that one wouldn't normally expect with a stouter gun.
I also suspect that the bigger the frame, the more likely it is to happen, and happen faster.
Ultimately, though, it comes down to unnecessary abuse of an expensive precision object.
It's stupidity in action.
I suspect that a single wrist flip, or even a few, would not cause damage that we could see or tabulate.
I also suspect that newer guns would be FAR more resistant to it than much older guns due to better steels and better heat treating.
But, I really suspect that it's the same as popping your clutch.
A few times isn't going to show much wear.
But it's going to be cumulative, just as a steady diet of .357 Magnum out of a Model 19 can show cumulative wear that one wouldn't normally expect with a stouter gun.
I also suspect that the bigger the frame, the more likely it is to happen, and happen faster.
Ultimately, though, it comes down to unnecessary abuse of an expensive precision object.
It's stupidity in action.
I'm a doubter too. That is, I look at the mass and size of the cylinder, the crane and other parts and I'm dubious that flicking would cause damage.
That said, I'm gentle on my stuff and I treat others stuff as I'd treat mine. So no flicking here. But I just wonder how much of this is internet lore (rather than movie lore) and how much is real physics and real world examples.
The only time I would be hard on a handgun is when it has to protect me. Then anything goes. Other than that, they are expensive mechanical devices that should be treated well.
B
That said, I'm gentle on my stuff and I treat others stuff as I'd treat mine. So no flicking here. But I just wonder how much of this is internet lore (rather than movie lore) and how much is real physics and real world examples.
The only time I would be hard on a handgun is when it has to protect me. Then anything goes. Other than that, they are expensive mechanical devices that should be treated well.
B
Flicking a cylinder closed isn't for REAL men.
Rackin' a pump 12 gauge one handed's for REAL men.
(Although the last time I saw it done was in one of the Terminator movies and it was a gal doing it...but she was a TOUGH gal. And IIRC after racking it one handed, she still shot it two handed.)
Rackin' a pump 12 gauge one handed's for REAL men.
(Although the last time I saw it done was in one of the Terminator movies and it was a gal doing it...but she was a TOUGH gal. And IIRC after racking it one handed, she still shot it two handed.)
Dfariswheel
New member
"Bogarting" the cylinder open and shut or dropping the gun was worse on pre-war revolvers. The Colt's and S&W's from that era had softer metal used in the crane and sprung more easily.
Elmer Keith wrote that the Colt New Service was noted for how easily the crane could be bent by mistreatment.
I caution people not to do it with any revolver, because while it might not be exactly bad for it, it certainly won't do it any good.
Elmer Keith wrote that the Colt New Service was noted for how easily the crane could be bent by mistreatment.
I caution people not to do it with any revolver, because while it might not be exactly bad for it, it certainly won't do it any good.
The revolver in Clark's post (#30) looks more like a bent frame than a bent crane. That happens when the barrel is hit hard on the side. I never saw a revolver damaged like that from "flicking", but I have seen quite a few police and ex-police guns that had the cranes sprung or the frames warped from use of the revolver as a means of less than gentle persuasion applied to the cranium of some unruly gentleman. After straightening the frame on his Colt OM revolver for the third or fourth time, I asked one cop if he knew what his blackjack was for and why he used his revolver as a club; he replied that "those [guys] have hard heads, and if they get really nasty, the blackjack won't shoot."
(Some might wonder why cops would not have had their revolvers worked on by the police armorer, but if they did, they would have had to file a report of how the gun was damaged. 'Nuff sed.)
Jim
(Some might wonder why cops would not have had their revolvers worked on by the police armorer, but if they did, they would have had to file a report of how the gun was damaged. 'Nuff sed.)
Jim
The procedure taught to me in the military was to hold the revolver in the right hand cradling it in the left and using the thumb to gently close the cylinder, and even rotating the cylinder slightly with the fingers of the left hand to align the bolt cut with the bolt if at all possible. (This was back when USAF was using Mod. 10s and 15s.)
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