Why not more gas sealed revolvers?

[Master Blaster]

Too heavy trigger pull, low mechanical strength, too much complexity for little gain, no market demand. The extra 50 fps you may get from a sealed gap can be easily met with a different load or bullet design. So there is really No benefit and many drawbacks.

 

[jaguarxk120]

With todays newer cartridges operating at much higher pressure's gas sealing
would be very hard to do. Maybe a ceramic mechanical gas seal at the cylinder barrel
junction closing that gap. But then the frame and barrel would be over size for caliber.

 

[Rudolph31]

With todays newer cartridges operating at much higher pressure's gas sealing
would be very hard to do. Maybe a ceramic mechanical gas seal at the cylinder barrel
junction closing that gap. But then the frame and barrel would be over size for caliber.

The gas seal on the Nagant was accomplished not only by moving the cylinder forward, but by the special ammo. The Nagant’s case is long and the bullet is seated deep inside; in fact it looks like an empty carbine cartridge. When the trigger is pulled the front of the case actually enters the barrel and the brass expands upon firing to effect the gas seal.

 

[ATLDave]

I've picked up a few of those brass from the floor of a range. They are interesting little cases!

 

[jaguarxk120]

I would like to see how that system operate on a S&W 500 Magnum.
The 454, 460, and 500 operate somewhere around 60,000 PSI. At those pressures
not many seals will hold up. Actually the SAAMI service pressure for the 500 is 60K
and the 454,460 is 65K.

 

[Rudolph31]

The problem wouldn’t be the seal, it would be, as ATLDave pointed out, the lock-up of the cylinder. I hadn’t thought of that before, so, THANKS DAVE!

 

[GBExpat]

Prior to having fired a Russian Nagant M1895 revolver, I thought that this chap was just an overwrought Commissar about to shoot some poor fellow:



After having fired a Russian Nagant M1895 revolver I realized that this chap may not be angry at all but just attempting to fire his Nagant in double action mode.

 

[BobWright]

The gas seal on the Nagant was accomplished not only by moving the cylinder forward, but by the special ammo. The Nagant’s case is long and the bullet is seated deep inside; in fact it looks like an empty carbine cartridge. When the trigger is pulled the front of the case actually enters the barrel and the brass expands upon firing to effect the gas seal.

As a matter of interest both the .32-44 and 38-44 S&W (not the .38-44 S&W Special) were seated entirely within the case. The case was same length as the cylinder, thus supporting the bullet until it entered the forcing cone of the barrel.

Come to think of it, the -44 meant the same thing, intended for the .44 Framed revolvers. The target rounds for the No. 3 Top Break, and the Special for the N-framed guns.

Bob Wright

 

[Englishmn]

I made that same face first time i tried double action on mine.
To be accurate in DA mode you have to hook the front sight under your targets belt.

 

[jmorris]

Why are there not more gas-sealed revolvers like the Nagant Revolver? It should perform better in theory, less dirty, and no cylinder blast. We could even suppress the big heavies.

Short answer is that people make things that they think will make them money. If they were wrong, they stop. If you have enough money you can have anything you want built for you. Some complicated devices are so common they are even free at times.

The technology to make a “sealed revolver” is far less complicated that what it takes to make the solar powered calculator your bank gives away for free but it’s the manufacturer making millions of them and that makes the price so cheap.

If there was the demand, a supply would exist.

 

[BigBlue 94]

I would like to see how that system operate on a S&W 500 Magnum.
The 454, 460, and 500 operate somewhere around 60,000 PSI. At those pressures
not many seals will hold up. Actually the SAAMI service pressure for the 500 is 60K
and the 454,460 is 65K.

Check out the John Ross Custom 500mag from the SW performance center. It utilizes a nut on the end of the barrel to bring the gap to .0035". Reports of 100fps increase out of the 5" barrel. There's a 357mag round sitting on the lower frame for size comparisons. Two models limited to 250 units each were produced: blued or stainless were the only difference.

 

[Merle1]

I seem to recall some .38 revolvers made with essentially no barrel/cylinder gap.
Supposedly they would jam after about 12 rounds, due to powder fouling on the cylinder face.