checking "hammerless" lock-up?
- Thread starter marksg
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
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S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Rossi, etc don't lock up tight to begin with.
And holding the trigger back does little or nothing to change the normal lock-up.
Old Colts work different, and the cylinder hand pushes one way while the locking bolt holds the other way.
So testing lock-up with the trigger held back is a waste of time on everything except a Colt DA.
rc
S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Rossi, etc don't lock up tight to begin with.
And holding the trigger back does little or nothing to change the normal lock-up.
Old Colts work different, and the cylinder hand pushes one way while the locking bolt holds the other way.
So testing lock-up with the trigger held back is a waste of time on everything except a Colt DA.
rc
MikeJackmin
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So long as the owner is OK with allowing you to dryfire it, you can try pulling the trigger slowly while allowing your thumb to drag lightly on the cylinder. The idea is to make sure that the cylinder has rotated fully into place before the lock engages it.
You want to let your thumb drag on the cylinder so that you take momentum out of the equation.
You can also check for endshake and a sprung crane in the usual way.
You want to let your thumb drag on the cylinder so that you take momentum out of the equation.
You can also check for endshake and a sprung crane in the usual way.
fastbolt
Member
I've never been through the Ruger revolver armorer class, although I've been through one for S&W.
My S&W's and Rugers have always allowed for a reasonable (small) amount of side-to-side wiggle of the cylinders when the cylinder stop is fully engaged within the stop notches.
S&W armorers are taught to hold the revolver firmly and reasonably slowly (NOT slooooowwwlllyyy) pull the trigger through the DA stroke. The ball of the cylinder stop should snap into each of the cylinder's stop notches before DA hammer fall. (Sometimes it may occur barely before hammer fall, but that's still considered within normal spec.)
For guns which also have SA trigger actions (meaning not the DAO guns), the hammer is slowly thumb-cocked to full cock, and the cylinder stop should snap into each of the cylinder's stop notches before the hammer reaches full cock.
In the new model revolvers (no cylinder pins holding the extractor) the best way to check for "timing" (called carry-up by S&W) is to use properly sized dummy rounds in the cylinder's charge holes, as the extractor is fully positioned with empty cases (as it would be during firing with live ammo). Sure, most guns will exhibit proper carry-up even when the charge holes are empty, but the non-pinned extractors are cut with dummy rounds in the charge holes, and are therefore held in the same position when the holes are filled.
S&W armorers are taught NOT to touch the cylinder when checking timing. You don't need to introduce "drag" to a cylinder's movement when checking S&W's. The easiest way to eliminate "momentum" when checking carry-up is to pull the trigger (or thumb cock the hammer) slowly, so the cylinder isn't rapidly spinning.
While S&W armorers may have to fit and adjust the installation of a cylinder stop and extractor (extractors are cut, and then may need to have ratchets filed, and an occasional cylinder stop may require having the adjustment pad stoned or filed), one of the fellows from Ruger told me that Rugers are just "parts bin" revolvers, and don't require fitting in the same manner. He said during assembly they drop parts in, check for function, and try different parts if needed to get any revolver within tolerance.
It's when an occasional owner gets inside and starts tinkering with things in a revolver, trying to "improve" it, that things can get screwed up in a hurry. The old kitchen table tinkerer's "fix it till it's broke" phenomena.
Just my thoughts.
My S&W's and Rugers have always allowed for a reasonable (small) amount of side-to-side wiggle of the cylinders when the cylinder stop is fully engaged within the stop notches.
S&W armorers are taught to hold the revolver firmly and reasonably slowly (NOT slooooowwwlllyyy) pull the trigger through the DA stroke. The ball of the cylinder stop should snap into each of the cylinder's stop notches before DA hammer fall. (Sometimes it may occur barely before hammer fall, but that's still considered within normal spec.)
For guns which also have SA trigger actions (meaning not the DAO guns), the hammer is slowly thumb-cocked to full cock, and the cylinder stop should snap into each of the cylinder's stop notches before the hammer reaches full cock.
In the new model revolvers (no cylinder pins holding the extractor) the best way to check for "timing" (called carry-up by S&W) is to use properly sized dummy rounds in the cylinder's charge holes, as the extractor is fully positioned with empty cases (as it would be during firing with live ammo). Sure, most guns will exhibit proper carry-up even when the charge holes are empty, but the non-pinned extractors are cut with dummy rounds in the charge holes, and are therefore held in the same position when the holes are filled.
S&W armorers are taught NOT to touch the cylinder when checking timing. You don't need to introduce "drag" to a cylinder's movement when checking S&W's. The easiest way to eliminate "momentum" when checking carry-up is to pull the trigger (or thumb cock the hammer) slowly, so the cylinder isn't rapidly spinning.
While S&W armorers may have to fit and adjust the installation of a cylinder stop and extractor (extractors are cut, and then may need to have ratchets filed, and an occasional cylinder stop may require having the adjustment pad stoned or filed), one of the fellows from Ruger told me that Rugers are just "parts bin" revolvers, and don't require fitting in the same manner. He said during assembly they drop parts in, check for function, and try different parts if needed to get any revolver within tolerance.
It's when an occasional owner gets inside and starts tinkering with things in a revolver, trying to "improve" it, that things can get screwed up in a hurry. The old kitchen table tinkerer's "fix it till it's broke" phenomena.
Just my thoughts.
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