Alright, let's hear the horrible truth about "fanning"

[WheelMan]

Everytime I hear somebody say something about "fanning" a single action revolvers hammer they are always met with the reply, "it's hard on the gun." Why? unless you are actually "pounding" the hammer instead of "fanning" it I don't see how it could cause more damage than cocking it normally (granted you've accelerated the rate quite a bit, but still).

And before anybody says anything, no I'm not planning on fanning anything (with my .44s it would only result in two or three rounds over the backstop and revolver barrel upside the head anyway).

 

[TallPine]

I think - but am not sure - that it has something to do with holding the trigger down while cocking the hammer ... sort of like trying to make the revolver into a Gatling gun.

There is a technique called "slipping" (or something like that) where you cock the hammer with the heel of your left hand, and then let it "slip" down when the trigger is pulled. This is not so bad, even though it looks like almost the same thing as fanning. The trigger is pulled for each shot.

 

[RUT]

>>"it's hard on the gun."<<

Hell, sounds like it would be hard on the shooter!!!

 

[SDC]

I've always heard that it chips the sear cuts on the hammer and trigger, making it unsafe when you try to use it the normal way. Just my .02, FWIW.

 

[355sigfan]

Well it caused my Ruger Vaquero to skip a cylinder and I had to have it repaired. What happens is the cylinder is going real fast much faster than when its thumb cocked. When it hits the cylinder stop it causes the cylinder notches to becomre deformed. When deformed enough the cylinder cpins past the notch causing a misfire if the cylinder stops in the middle of the previous notch and the next one. Or it will go allt he way to the next chamber and fire that one. It is hard on the gun.
Pat

 

[BigG]

If you read SIXGUNS, by Keith, he gives the lowdown on fanning and slip hammer techniques. I haven't been a single action fan but he explained very clearly what the harm was. The cylinder bolt, due to the way it has to jump over a stud on the hammer was often broken, IIRC. "Sixguns" is a great book for anybody's gun library. Jim Keenan or somebody will come by and give you the exact answer from the voice of experience, I'm sure.



SIXGUNS, by Keith

 

[WheelMan]

Aha, that's the sort of thing I was looking for, it's actually the cylinder that get's damaged from excessive speed. I suppose those people that like to spin the cylinder very fast and then lock it up are causing the same sort of damage (I have to watch this with my free wheel pawl, it's easy to get that cylinder going pretty good when you're loading in a hurry)

 

[dfariswheel]

Force cocking or fanning any revolver is destructive of the action.

This includes forcibly cocking the hammer on a double action revolvers.
Cylinder notches and locking bolts aren't made of super-metal, and they will deform.

I once saw a shooter at my old club shooting a S&W 686, about the most bullet proof revolver around.
Every time he cocked the hammer, he did so by "yanking" it so violently, I head a loud "CLACK" as the cylinder indexed.

I asked him about it, and he assured me that it wasn't harmful, S&W's were built to be used that way.

His cylinder notches had so much metal pulled out of them, I was amazed it would still lock still all.
The bolt was battered until almost 1/4 of it was peened out, and the bolt window in the frame was so distorted it was beyond repair.

And double action guns are stronger than single actions.

The people who fan single actions usually have modified guns that will stand up to it a little better. Even then, most of them have one gun in use, one in reserve, and one in the shop being rebuilt.

Price no object? Fan away, you'll be buying a new gun shortly.

 

[WheelMan]

Well I already said I wasn't fanning anything. But I'm always buying a new gun shortly (trying to at least).

 

[JohnKSa]

Bob Munden, the fast draw champion and single action revolver exhibition shooter extraordinaire is also an accomplished gunsmith.

For a price he will sell you a fan proof revolver or modify yours.

 

[Blueduck]

Anyone know exactly what modifications are made to a revolver to make it "fan proof"

 

[dfariswheel]

There are modifications Mundan and others can make to the single action to help prevent it from wearing too quickly, but there is NO "fan proof" action possible.

As above, most heavy shooters like Mundan and Thell Reed have at least three guns; one in use, one in reserve, and one in the shop being rebuilt.

No amount of tuning or modification can eliminate bolt and cylinder notch battering and peening.

 

[Blueduck]

Thanks dfariswheel.

Can't think of much I'd be less interested in than fanning a single action, but it has really aroused my curiosity as to exactly what modications they use to make a gun last longer while fanning, and whether they might have some "real world" applications just for the general longevity of genereally well treated wheelguns??

 

[Old Fuff]

Blueduck:

The modifications done to so-called "fanning guns" can make them generally unreliable and even unsafe for regular shooting. This includes deepening the bolt-notches on the cylinder, shortening the lower finger on the hand, brazing or welding a block inside of the frame to support the side of the bolt and sometimes putting a stop in the trigger guard to prevent the hammer from any further travel after the bolt locks the cylinder. All of this is followed by careful hand tuning the action, especially the springs. Often the hand spring is replaced with a plunger and coil spring of the type used by Ruger, and the bolt & trigger spring is replaced with one made out of music wire.

Other then shortening the hand or deepening the cylinder notches these modifications can be performed on any single action, but they shouldn't be necessary. At best, fanning is a good way to ruin a gun.

 

[JohnKSa]

www.bob-munden.com

The way he words his advertisement, it sounds pretty impressive.

I guess it ought to be for $900 to $1000 (that's on YOUR gun).

 

[4v50 Gary]

Hard to fan when your gun is a Ruger DA with a flat top cocking piece for the hammer. The adjustable sight also cuts up your hand. So much for the follies of youth.

 

[Blueduck]

Gracias Old Fuff

 

[foghornl]

I don't have it in front of me right now, but the "Owner's Manual" for my Ruger Vaquero plainly states NOT to "fan" the gun.

 

[Old Fuff]

I just happen to be looking at a copy of a Single Action Army parts-price list issued by Colt in the 1960's. It contains the following notice:

WARNING

Do Not "Fan" Your Colt Single Action Army Revolver!

To permit "fanning" the internal mechanism of any Single Action revolver must be specially altered. This alteration will DEFINITELY render your revolver both unsafe and unsatisfactory for general all-around shooting and is not recommended.

 

[Ala Dan]

Some excellent post's here, thus far; and I really can't
think of a thing to add, except

In my way of thinking, FANNING is best done with the old "Fanner Fifty" cap pistol's!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Jim K]

Hi folks,

Since my name got took in vain, I'll chime in, even though the others pretty much covered the situation. I will note that many of the actors or performers who fan revolvers are well able to solve the problem of wear simply by trashing a worn gun and getting a new one. They really don't care about damage, especially if sponsored by a gun company.

The average shooter, who has shelled out $1000-1500 for a gun might not feel the same way.

When the SA revolver is "fanned", the cylinder rotates at a much higher speed than in thumb cocking. The cylinder is stopped by the cylinder bolt rising from the bottom of the frame. If the timing is not perfect, the bolt can cause damage to the cylinder and the cylinder will "skip" a chamber. Even if timing is perfect, the bolt not only batters the cylinder notches, but is itself battered. In addition (and worse) the cylinder bolt window* in the frame is battered out of shape, so that not even fitting a new cylinder bolt will correct the subsequent "slop", or rotational movement when the cylinder is locked (sometimes called "cylinder wiggle"). That means the alignment between the chambers and the barrel, often not perfect to begin with, becomes worse, since the hand will try to force the cylinder around as far as possible and thus force it out of alignment.

At the extreme, the frame itself is ruined, not just small parts, so fanning can really shorten the life of a SA revolver.

If fanning is done right, with the trigger held back, there should be no damage to the sear or hammer. But if the trigger is held back by the finger (instead of tape or some similar method like the rawhide used by early shooters) and the finger relaxes, damage to those parts can occur.

As to the "fan proof" work, it consists of several steps already mentioned. In addition, hardened inserts can be put into the cylinder notches, and a hardened plate inserted in the frame around the bolt window. But these are expensive jobs and not always effective.

The easiest way to prevent fanning damage is to not fan the pistol.

*Anyone can easily see how thin the frame metal is at that point.

Jim

 

[Gunhamr]

Several years ago before my retirement I was in the auto parts and gun business and I sold a young friend a Colt SAA in .45 Colt. He bought a nice holster and proceeded to try to fan the gun. He was also a reloader.
While fanning the gun, one of his reloads was a squib load and without catching it, he immediately fanned another on top of it and fired it behind the stuck bullet from the previous shot. Split and bulged the barrel but with no harm to shooter. He had me to send the gun back to Colt and have it rebarreled and then never took it out again but traded it to me.
Being a dealer, I sold it. Wish I still had it.