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Old July 14, 2009, 03:54 AM   #23
Doc Hoy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Naples, Fl
Posts: 5,440
Here is a question

I understand that the forces released when a revolver discharges are complex and profound. Any logical person would conclude that these forces are the primary contributor to pistol wear and ultimate failure. I agree with that, not because I am smart about the physics but because it just makes sense.

Just for a second can we consider the force required to load a revolver?

I am thinking now only of the arbor on an open top revolver. Isn't it true that the vast majority of the force required to seat the bullet is applied against the arbor in a direction that would pull against the threads and other features which hold the arbor in place?

I don't know how much pressure I routinely apply to the end of the loading lever to get a ball to seat, but depending upon the specific application I would not be surprized to find that it is thirty to forty pounds. Multiply that by the mechanical advantage of the loading lever and the tensile force on the arbor could be 300 pounds..about the weight of a moderate sized engine block.

A couple of you may remember a discussion a couple of months ago in which I described a chain fire event that loosened the arbor on a brass framed .36 Pietta Sheriff's model. I no longer shoot that pistol because I am reluctant to load it for fear of further damaging the arbor. (I keep the pistol because it isn't worth anything to sell and I like the looks of it).

Every mechanical device is designed with the end of its wear cycle in mind. Pistols that are used, wear out. I am not trying to convince anyone that we break our revolvers during the loading process. I am not that smart about it.

But what is the common knowledge on the forces involved in loading the pistol?
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