Quote:
The issue that I keep hearing about top break revolvers in anything larger than .32 is that they have a heard time withstanding the pressures over the long haul. I also keep hearing that titanium is far tougher than steel.
|
The main issue is no one's tried (seriously) to come up with an improvement on 100+ year old latch/hinge designs. Pretty sure we wouldn't have magnum revolvers either if development had stagnated similarly with swing-out DA revolvers. Supposedly, the design concept was mortally wounded when Colt won many military contracts out from under Smith (since the S&W's weren't in 45LC), and was then killed (by Colt again) when semi-auto's replaced revolvers altogether.
Quote:
So far as I know, only market acceptance.
|
This is truly the only legitimate reason. Everyone seems to forget how delicate the cranes are on those "strong" swing out revolvers when they bring up latch/hinge strength... The Mateba Unica 6 (swing-out) didn't even need a top-strap to contain .454 Casull pressures. Materials science isn't magic; if you make the contact surfaces and structural members big enough,
they will not fail at design loads.
I guess stupid import laws also killed the (only?) shot the design had at re-emerging when Baikal attempted to export the MP412 to our shores (very well done, Bubba)
FWIW, I'm developing my own latch/hinge/action in a top break platform. According to the stress calculations I've done, numerous latch schemes could handle .357-level loads (my design limit-load is at 100K psi). If I ever piece together the scratch and time to make a demonstration prototype, I may convince somebody to machine a real one to test
A man can dream, though...
TCB
Quote:
I have many top breaks, and the swing out guns to me are not any slower or anything than a top break.
|
With lots of training, they're both as fast with speedloaders. Way easier to learn the motions on a top-break, though (and less likely to damage the axle than a crane with overzealous movements). The biggest advantage (which I'd think defense-pistoleers should be screaming for top-breaks for) is they can be easily loaded with one hand.