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Old October 28, 2009, 12:52 PM   #5
Doc Hoy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Naples, Fl
Posts: 5,440
As Ronald Reagan always said, "Well...."

Kflach,

Other folks here have more experience than I do so I would encourage you to read my post with a healthy skepticism. I would also invite others to wade in and either endorse or contradict what I am saying.

I am one of those who believe that you put almost as much strain on the frame of a pistol during the loading operation as is developed during the discharge of the round. The mechanical advantage of the loading lever is significant. So the force you are applying to the lever is multiplied by somewhere between four and ten, depending upon which pistol you are loading.

I have one pistol which I no longer shoot because the frame is essentially shot. It is a .36 Cal Sheriff's model Colt with a brass frame. I am certain that the frame (actually the arbor) loosened up during a chain fire event. But it really failed while I was loading the pistol after the chain fire. It still holds together, stays in battery but the arbor is just loose enough that I have no confidence in the pistol. I am presently buying up every frame I can get in the hopes of finding one that will fit this pistol.

Others may have their own stories about loose frames but I would be willing to bet that in most cases, the final failure occurs during loading rather than the pistol flying apart when it is fired. The worst mechanical falure I had during firing was the loss of a front site, and the dropping of a loading lever.

I think there are two ways around the issue of strain during loading.

1. Go buy a loading stand that will facilitate loading of the cylinder while it is out of the pistol. (I don't have one of these, but I am thinking about making one. In this case, the only strain on the pistol will occur during discharge. This will give you a good idea of how much damage is being done to the recoil shield by firing the pistol.

OR

2. Choose the smallest ball or bullet size from which you can get acceptable performance to reduce the amount of force required to get it to seat.

As I said I don't have a loading stand so I load with the cylinder in the frame. Every time I seat a round I apologize to the pistol for the rough treatment.

Huh?!
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Last edited by Doc Hoy; October 28, 2009 at 01:07 PM.
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