Swing out revolvers

[Doc Hoy]

I have accumulated some old (1912 to 1962) swing out revolvers. These are Colt and S&W in excellent mechanical condition. In fact my observation is that nearly any Colt or S&W stands up extremely well to age and wear.

An "old salt" cautioned me not to close the revolver using the "wrist flick" because the technique damages the pistol.

While I agree that flicking the cylinder closed might apply more stress than gently closing it two handed, my sense is that just firing the pistol (force exceeding eight tons) creates enough stress that flicking it closed might be discounted as a stressor.

I do understand that any unnecessary wear should be avoided. I also understand that if someone allows a different person to examine their handgun, they have the right to direct the examiner as to how to handle it. At this point they get to make the rules and the rationale is not material.

Is there any evidence of swing out revolvers being damaged by flicking it closed?

[Jim Watson]

I have seen revolvers with bent cranes. Did they get that way from being Bogarted? I don't know but I am not willing to take the chance.

As to flicking versus firing, consider that the gun is DESIGNED to be fired. The stresses are known and prepared for. The crane is not stressed by firing, there is little or no load placed on it by chamber pressure.

[44 AMP]

Is there any evidence of swing out revolvers being damaged by flicking it closed?

While I can't give you a cite, or a link, it is the generally accepted belief that "flicking" the revolver open and shut is bad for it.

Its called "Bogarting" in current gun slang, because of the way Bogart flicked them open and shut for dramatic effect in his movies.

Consider this, firing the gun puts all the stress IN LINE with the gun, and that is what the gun is designed to handle. Flicking the cylinder, letting it slam open and shut, puts all that stress perpendicular to the line of the gun, a direction it was never designed to handle.

Flicking it open is, I think worse than shut, in terms of how likely to damage the gun, but neither is good, and generally the people who do it, do it both ways.

Imagine the stress on the crane flicking open, with the weight of the cylinder (maybe loaded) coming to a sudden stop, supported only on the forward end, by the crane. Cranes can, and do get bent, and it only takes a very small amount to cause issues. Flipping it shut puts a harder than normal impact on the contact points and latch mechanisms.

If they gun belongs to the studio, and only shoots blanks anyway, do what the director wants. If it is your gun, do as you think best. If it is MY gun, you do it the way I say, or you'll suffer my wrath.

Also, in the same vein, do NOT flip open and shut break action shotguns, EITHER!!! Letting all that weight slam against the hinge pin, and frame will do damage!

Any good gun will survive this kind of treatment, if only done once in a while, but if you make a habit of it, bad things will happen to the gun, eventually.

ONE of the places NEVER to get gunhandling instruction is silver screen.

[jdscholer]

ONE of the places NEVER to get gunhandling instruction is silver screen.

Hey, wait a minute.-- Are you tellin me that my sideways ghetto grip is all wrong!?? jd

[4V50 Gary]

Hollywood wrist flick can bend the yoke and throw off the timing. Don't do it. It's an unnecessary trip to the gunsmith and the money spent on fixing it would have been better spent on ammunition.

[Doc Hoy]

Lesson learned

[James K]

I don't advise anyone to do something that can damage a gun. But I once decided to test out the "wrist flick ruins revolvers" story. I got an M&P (pre-Model 10) and played Bogart, first with an empty cylinder, then with a cylinder full of dummy rounds. I flipped for the better part of a morning, hundreds of "flips" each way. I suffered a very sore wrist and forearm. As far as I could tell from gauges and a range rod (alignment gauge), the gun suffered no damage at all.

In my experience, police revolver cylinders and cranes usually were knocked out of alignment by the officer applying some forcible lessons to the head of a recalcitrant suspect. Police armorers insisted that the blackjack, not the revolver, was the appropriate instructional tool in such a case, but not all the officers complied and cylinders and cranes kept getting bent.

Jim

[eastbank]

when its you firearm you can run over it with a truck if you want, when its my firearm and you try that it will be removed from your hands pretty quick and you will not be invited touch another. eastbank.

[James K]

I have concluded that to some folks "flipping" a revolver cylinder is a crime far more serious than mass murder. Believe me, eastbank, I would NEVER think of going anywhere near one of your delicate and fragile revolvers. Mine are apparently much better made.

Jim

[noelf2]

I think I get annoyed more by the ignorance of someone flipping a cylinder than the actual damage that could happen. No matter what, that can't be a good thing to do to a revolver. A friend's friend once flipped the cylinder on one of my revolvers. I asked him politely not to do that again. He smiled and kind of did the thing. A year or so later he got a brand new retro-style mustang. I had the opportunity to shut one of the doors...

[Scorch]

I have accumulated some old (1912 to 1962) swing out revolvers. These are Colt and S&W in excellent mechanical condition

Not to worry, Doc. Just send them to me (pre-paid, no COD), and I will make sure they never bother you again.

[bedbugbilly]

Jimmy Cagney may have been able to get away with the "wrist flick" but I've seen both some Colts and Smiths pretty messed up by treatment like that. Already covered as to what can happen - but the stress of firing a revolver on a cylinder where it is locked in place, yoke and all . . is a lot different that flicking the cylinder out to the side - as they say . . "it just ain't kosher" to do it.

Believe it or not . . . I once saw a guy doing the "wrist flick" with his "Python" when I was at a range shooting. The guy had more money than brains to be treating a high end revolver like that . . plus he was trying to put on a "show" for anyone who would watch him . . . including the good looking blonde gal that I shoot with once in a while . . and she wasn't impressed. :roll eyes:

When I see somebody doing that . . . it reminds me of the "gang bangers" who think they can fire a semi-auto accurately by holding it sideways.

[James K]

And anyone who has had a revolver "flipped" and doesn't want it, send it on to me. I'll let you know in a year or so if it was damaged.

Jim

[Onward Allusion]

I personally debunked this myth a couple of years ago with a Taurus 66. Did the flicking thing between 50 to 100 times (don't remember the exact count) and took the gun to the range a few days later. Result? Nada. No change in function. Action was fine. Ignition was fine. Timing was fine.

Personally, I don't flick my revolvers. Too tacky. I just did this to prove a point to myself.

[James K]

Hi, bedbugbilly,

Can you post pictures of those revolvers you saw "pretty messed up" by "flipping"? It would be nice if you can show the damage by using gauges or measuring instruments, like a cylinder out of alignment, a bent yoke or a warped sideplate. If possible, try to rule out damage from any other cause, like using the gun as a club or running it over with a car.

Jim

[44 AMP]

I look at it like "dumping the clutch". Its not the best method of longevity for the machinery. You can do it, without notable damage, for some time, but the odds are good that a some point, problems will occur.

If they never do, what are you out?

[eastbank]

if your ficking the cylinder shut with loaded rounds a few may come out enough to keep the cylinder from closing, losing any speed you may have tried to gain. like said ,you can run over your revolver with a truck for all i care, hell even use it for a hammer. you can also poke a sleeping bear with a sharp stick too, but keep it up and sooner or later the bear is going to wake up. eastbank.

[Doc Hoy]

At the very least.... two things appear to be true.

1. Wrist flick to open or close the revolver is harder on it than treating it more gently. Does it take a hundred times for the wear to show up, or a thousand? Doesn't matter.

2. The single determinant of whether or not a pistol gets flicked, or a trapdoor gets slammed, or a slide gets released too quickly, or, or, is the rules set by the owner of the firearm and then impressed upon those to whom he entrusts the firearm.

I am absolutely certain that as I handle my pistols I will occassionally forget and flick the cylinder. I probably won't fall to my knees and go into a prayer of forgiveness when it happens. But I will try harder to remember not to do it again and I won't do it with a pistol belonging to someone else.

[Doc Hoy]

Thanks a heck of a lot for the kind offer but trust me when I tell you...

The only thing that bothers me about these revolvers is that I don't have more of them. ;o)

[Mike Irwin]

Some people say yes it can cause damage over time, some people say no.

I don't know definitively which it is, but I don't I won't take the risk.

I paid my money for my revolvers, in some cases a LOT of money.

If someone wrist flicked my S&W 25-5 4", for which I looked for over a decade, and for which I paid close to $1,000, I'd probably take the gun back and very likely would punch him. HARD. In the face.

If I see someone do this it immediately lets me know that this is someone who doesn't know how to properly handle a gun, and as likely as not their safety skills are lacking.

[manowar]

Flicking a cylinder closed is an affectation for sad guys who want to appear tough. It's NOT a good thing for the revolver and it's NOT a good thing for your image.

[RickB]

Flipping the cylinder open is going to be more "dangerous" than flipping it closed. The weight of the cylinder would act to twist the crane as the assembly comes to a stop.
Flipping it closed is sort of like letting the slide slam shut on an empty chamber in an auto pistol, in that the gun is supposed to work that way, but the excess forces applied to all of the associated parts is greater than necessary.

[Claude Clay]

look along the turn-line, if you notice dings outside the scalloped area chance is it has been wrist flipped. so besides stressing the cranes, it stress the bolt and causes additional mars along the turn-line.

[hartcreek]

If someone does it to one of my $1000 Smiths you know where my steel toed boot is gonna wind up.

[gyvel]

If someone wrist flicked my S&W 25-5 4", for which I looked for over a decade, and for which I paid close to $1,000, I'd probably take the gun back and very likely would punch him. HARD. In the face.

Very smart. The assault and battery case and (probably) the resultant lawsuit would cost you plenty.