Colt Double Action Revolvers Manual. Interestingly, much of the credit for relearning the five-shot rule goes to Ruger, which ran an ad during this period showing a single action with the loading gate open and a rolled-up dollar bill stuffed into one of the chambers. It comes in several variations, my . Letting the hammer down in a harsh or uncontrolled fashion is sometimes a cause of excessively worn or damaged notches and should be avoided. In the interest of showmanship, however, a number of improbable--and impractical--techniques were exploited during the television western/fast-draw era of the '50s and '60s. Here is what handgun hunters can expect from this big-bore X-Frame revolver. A dirty star can also interfere with the hammer operation by preventing the round from being properly seated against the cylinder. 9.12 inches. It can perform two functions at once. . All modern day single-action revolvers are based . Another old-time rule that had to be relearned by a new generation of single-action shooters was to load only five rounds in the cylinder with the hammer resting on the empty sixth chamber. The Best Revolver in the World [2020 Update], the pros and cons of using a revolver for self-defense. Revolvers fail, too. When facing down a, The birth of the legendary Barrett M82 sniper rifle, is a fascinating American tale of inspiration, dedication, and innovation. They continued to pop up on the radar as an extremely affordable, reliable, accurate single action revolver for the hobbyist, trapper or individual who needs a solid 22lr handgun. Yet, it is still possible to scar the cylinder if you do not manually align the flutes on either side of the topstrap before shutting the loading gate. The Uberti 1873 Cattleman II is a versatile gun that is affordable and reliable. The firing pin should not be visible through the recoil shield when viewed from the side with a good light source. The final click is actually two clicks at once, as the cylinder stop engages the cylinder at about the same time as the full cock notch engages. Without a doubt, the most popular is how is the bore, followed immediately by does it work?" You either did it correctly or ended up literally shooting yourself in the foot, or worse. RJay said: Well, got my crystal ball back from the cleaners today and it tells me that the Heritage Combo might be the Rough Rider in 22 with a 22 mag cylinder. And Im not talking about the kind of problems you can fix in a couple of seconds on the firing line. R. This frees the cylinder without having to cock the hammer. Taurus PT 92 is one of the widely renowned double-action guns. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. The gun shoots ragged one hole groups at 20 yards and Im thinking itd shoot better than that if you could scope it or something! If not, continue to press smoothly through while keeping the sights on the target. I feel like I'm starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but I'll probably keep bringing it up until people stop spreading misinformation about revolvers being "100% reliable.". David F. Clark sub-inspected Colt SAA revolver with Gold Seal Kopec letter. Midway has a great series of gunsmithing videos on YouTube and theres one on replacing a worn S&W hand with a few one and fitting it. The transfer-bar system is a safe consistent type of action that finally addressed the problems of revolver safety. By following these steps, a proper understanding of the functionality and aesthetic of the firearms can be deduced to determine if any further restoration, maintenance, or cleaning is needed. The reference was that the 19th century cowboys knew enough to keep one cylinder empty. Contest open to U.S. residents only. proper notch in the cylinder, locking things in place. During this trigger movement, it presses on the DA sear a spring-activated lever on the hammer front which begins to cock the hammer. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. It does feel like a genuine cowboy revolver much more than it does a replica. Marc can build on your gun or a supplied gun. Beretta's new APX A1 Carry shows that this historic brand is still competingin the modern market. When I leveled down on it with the .44, the trigger was so hard to pull in double action that I had to help the cylinder turn to cock the hammer to single action before I shot the sick animal. The trigger is then pulled, rotating the cylinder to the next chamber and cocking the hammer (B . The hammer should not move if the trigger is pulled. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Color Case Frame$849.00 plus polishing. This problem occurs due to improper cleaning or shooting dirty ammunition. My point is that revolvers, in general, break a lot more often than most people realize. From 1900-1906 Colt manufactured approximately 46,500 M1877 revolvers, and roughly 58% were chambered in .38 Colt. Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice. Another trick of single-action shooting is to thin the front-sight blade so it can be more easily centered within the grooved topstrap. Contest void where prohibited by law. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Like most traditional single-action revolvers, the 1873 Cattleman II has fixed sights. Continued rotation clockwise indicates that the cylinder rotated too far, and the stop failed to engage the appropriate notch. With 20% less hammer travel distance, the Uberti KL CMS ensures the transition from one round to the other is as brief as possible in a single action revolver. The cylinder stop should still be engaged to the cylinder, preventing rotation. With the full cock, note the following: Failure at this stage could indicate the SAA is non-functioning or is one that is dangerous to shoot. Revolvers have a reputation for perfect reliability, but this is not always the case. In the Dirty Harry era, the .44 Magnum was "The most powerful handgun in the world.". The proper engagement of the cylinder to the working parts of the frame is a complete necessity in terms of revolver function. However, if you don't mind changing the contour of the front-sight blade (as many 19th century shootists did, much to the chagrin of today's collectors), elevation can be raised by carefully filing down the front-sight blade. Smith & Wesson is chambering its excellent M&P 2.0 pistol in 10mm Auto, and the result is a gun with high capacity and enough power to tackle any defensive task. (I) Giveaway ends September 30, 2022. The gun was priced to be competitive with the Ruger Vaquero, too. (II) Limit one entry per household. Of those, about 20 or so are directly involved with making sure the cylinder lines up correctly with the forcing cone when the gun fires. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. They paid for shipping and I had it back in about 10 days. As handguns evolved, double actions and semiautomatics began appearing in more holsters. He merely looked at the gun blankly, not knowing what he had done. The double action system has more operations to maintain than the single action, and thus has more possibilities to go wrong with its mechanics. Deployed military should use stateside address. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. California Compliant Handguns. Typically, when loading and unloading a traditional Colt-style single action, the hammer is brought to half cock, which frees the cylinder and allows it to rotate clockwise, thus bringing each of the chambers in line with the open loading gate. The Single-Ten is fitted with a single, unfluted .22 Long Rifle cylinder boasting a 10-round capacity, and is currently available with a 5.5-inch barrel. With the gun empty, cock the hammer and insert a yellow wooded pencil (or a red Coca Cola pencil) with an eraser, with the eraser down, into the muzzle until it is against the standing breech and located at the firing pin aperture. Experts and even those with modest experience will have already mastered its importance. Charcoal Blue Revolver $849.00 plus polishing. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winner(s). Used Handguns [+] Muzzleloaders. Home Defense Tactical Tips with Manny Mansfield, The Backyard Sniper Lightweight Edition, Why Wont the Ruger Mini-14 Just Die? And Im not saying that older revolvers dont have problems, too, I just personally have seen them completely stop working less often than newer ones. Unfortunately, it appears that you have fallen under the mistaken assumptionas have many othersin believing that a stainless steel revolver wont rust and doesnt need a little maintenance every once in a while. Bryce M. Towsley. That is a top of the line Smith Wesson Production gun. If you find the gap is 2 thousand or less on any cylinder hole, that could be your problem. This 120 year old S&W Hand Ejector uses a hand and stop too, but the mechanics then He said looking at the diagrams didnt explain how a revolver times or how to identify an issue and then repair it. The current report shows that most guns are single-action. On the other end of the cylinder, a bullet may have come loose or been loaded too long, thereby protruding just enough to exceed the barrel/cylinder gap and bind on the forcing-cone end of the revolvers barrel. The only way to draw a single action is to keep the hammer down and your trigger finger outstretched alongside the guard (which aids in pointing) until the gun is out of the holster and level with your target. And that all wears out. (I) Giveaway ends March 20, 2022. Deployed military should use stateside address. Add to Cart. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. With the muzzle up and vertical, pull the trigger. It has been in use for more than 100 years and offers real safety. with some creative gunsmithing since there are no parts available. $499.95. But even with the growing acceptance of double actions, most gunmen of the time still preferred to cock the hammer before squeezing off a round, as the longer, stiffer trigger pulls of those early wheelguns made accurate bullet placement pretty much a single-action situation. Once the revolver is cocked, try moving the cylinder clockwise and counter-clockwise with said thumb. A little tap or two on the cylinder with a rubber mallet while applying maximum pressure on the cylinder release might be necessary to free it from the frame. Jul 12, 2016 (Edited) You may have a tight cylinder to forcing cone gap and when the crud builds up on the cylinder face or forcing cone due to shooting, it can cause a binding action. Having trouble seeing a recoil plate. No purchase necessary. S&W calls this Carry Up but most of us call it timing.. Single Action (SA)- in a single-action revolver, the hammer is manually cocked, usually with the thumb of the firing or supporting hand. Contest void where prohibited by law. I got my first single action as a birthday gift to myself back in January, a 10-shot Pietta 1873 in .22 LR with a 4.75" barrel. Thus, the single action was ready to fire the instant the muzzle cleared leather. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. You may be surprised at the clover-leaf accuracy some of these single actions are capable of producing. As we mentioned above, this is a single-action revolver. Maybe the hand is too thin (means it cant push the ratchet around enough) so the chamber isnt quite aligned and the cylinder hasnt turned far enough to allow the cylinder stop to snick into the notch. The .22lr is the smallest caliber and easiest to shoot, allowing good control of the gun. The Colt Single Action Army revolver and the Winchester Model. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. Two months later, and it's gone, wending its way slowly back to the . . That is completely context dependent. . Chances are good, too, if youve read this far, youd enjoy our DIY Guns special edition book. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. The hand (vertical metal piece) turns the cylinder by pushing on the ratchet cogs, finally I got mine lined with cowhide and in a great mahogany color. This revolutionized single-action shooting, for it enabled New Model Ruger single actions (those made from 1973 on) to be loaded by merely opening the loading gate. All Rights Reserved. That means the next time you cock the gun, or manually turn the cylinder to line up the chamber, the bolt will etch a nice bare-metal mark on the cylinder, which explains why we often see so many scored cylinders on guns that are perfectly timed. Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. | Easy to Troubleshoot- solving a malfunction with a revolver is a lot . If you have taken the sideplate off of a Smith & Wesson, you know it looks like the guts of a 19th century clock threw up in there. but Id steer clear of those for a beginning shooter " the rimless case presents extra problems that the shooter doesnt need to deal . A more compact version of the classic Hi Power design. Giveaway prizes may have evidence of being test fired or exhibit minor handling marks. No substitutions or transfers to a third party are allowed. These guns typically shoot high and to the left--more dramatically with some brands and barrel lengths than others. Take the sideplate off and spray the action with aerosol gun wash or non-chlorinated brake cleaner. tment on a fixed-sight SA is, if your gun is shooting to the left, turn the barrel to the left, which leans the front-sight blade slightly in that direction and consequently redirects the bullet strike to the right. It is far easier to remove metal than replace it. This action advances the cylinder to the next round and locks the cylinder in place with the chamber aligned with the barrel. Overall Length. This rare Colt SAA revolver is only one of four shipped personally to Bat Masterson. If youre keeping a gun around as a potentially life-saving device, keep in mind, it is a man-made thing that can fail and you cant trust it to work solely based on the design or the name of the factory it came out of. In the video below, I describe yet another revolver failure I recently encountered. When timing gets out of whack the fit of the parts changes. If youre looking for a revolver to use for self-defense, youre probably not going to find anything remotely affordable in current production thats better than what Ruger and Smith are offering. . A micro-second prior to this, the cylinder stop has clicked into the next notch, locking things in place. A single-action firearm is one that can only be fired when you cock the hammer and squeeze the trigger, as this is the only action possible to fire it. However, every case is different and an inexperienced attempt to function check an SAA could result in serious bodily harm to yourself or others. It needs to be cleaned and lubricated as appropriate, and if you use it a lot, it needs to have springs and certain other parts replaced periodically. There are a number of manufacturers of single-action revolvers, including Ruger, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research, Uberti and Colt. Find it online at fmgpublications.com or on Amazon.com. But I certainly dont hate revolvers. On a well made revolver ( Single Action Army Colts never left Hartford if they weren't ), the cylinder is a subtle yet critical demonstration of precision engineering. This is all timed to have just nudged the next chamber in line with the forcing cone (where the bullet enters the barrel). (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Oct 26, 2015. That, of course, is a totally erroneous statement. Relates to the more traditional Single Act. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Mar/Apr 2023, P.O. Answer (1 of 10): Revolvers are very reliable. This allows them to be removed, one by one, from the chambers using the right hand (while the left hand supports the revolver). Add to Cart. All guns have a story to tell, some are just more interesting than others. It takes a bit of talent to fix timing, and almost always a new hand. A thicker hand will push the ratchet cog further around. I feel like Im starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but Ill probably keep bringing it up until people stop spreading misinformation about revolvers being 100% reliable. In the video below, I describe yet another revolver failure I recently encountered. Its totally non-functional. Relationships undernea Troubleshooting a single-action and a double-action revolver th constructivism are merchandise of historic strategies and interaction. A failure in these tests on one or two chambers suggests that the problem is with the SAA cylinder, with an individual stop notch or tooth on the sprocket experiencing wear or damage, but a failure on all chambers suggests that the problem is in the guts of the revolver instead. 10. Contest open to U.S. residents only. This allows the Model 85 to be cocked first with a . Robert Adams is the patent of the first double-action revolver, who invented this type of trigger in 1851 to fire at a greater rate than any single action gun does. The formula is to first load one round, leave the next chamber empty and finish shucking in the remaining four rounds. Even with blanks, a blast to the leg can char both denim and flesh. If your gun is out of time youll likely hear that second click but the stop hasnt seated into the next notch. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: American Handgunner Magazine, GOM Concealed Carry 2023, P.O. After that, I couldnt turn the cylinder at all and had to go back to the house to get another gun. MSRPs are $549 for the brass trigger guard and grip frame and $559 for the blued steel trigger . The one that we usually refer to in discussions of the development of modern sidearms is the Colt Single-Action Army (SAA). As the trigger is pressed further, the hand or pawl attached to the rear of the trigger moves upward and forward (due to spring pressure) beginning to poke through a window in the frame on the breech face. Page #1. The mainspring is released and the internal parts are removed by taking out the screws in the frame. Layne12gun said: First off you have a 686 + PRO Series. On a well made revolver (Single Action Army Colts never left Hartford if they weren't), the cylinder is a subtle yet critical demonstration of precision engineering. Colt's Model 1877 Lightning revolver (occasionally confused with its 1884 Lightning pump-action rifle) was the company's first double-action handgun, brought out to compete with the double . In the meantime the cylinder stop has slipped off the cam on the front of the trigger and is now pressed against the cylinder by spring pressure, waiting anxiously to drop into the locking notch on the next chamber. Its the story of a, In 1873, two of America's greatest gunmakers would unveil the defining arms of the era. Double Action/Single Action Best for Beginners. It not only lifts the empty cases out, but on the face is a very complicated ratchet set. THANKS! You're in luck, Alex, as I just did some repair work for two out-of-time revolvers, a 120 year old S&W Hand Ejector and a modern S&W Model 10. When pressure is let off the hammer, it should not travel a significant distance forward. Maltz, Oklahoma City. Next comes the hammer, often posed to us regarding SAA revolvers as how are the clicks? These clicks (known as the four clicks") are a distinctive set of sounds made when drawing back the hammer of the gun from the fully lowered position to the fully cocked position. Its great for any holster thats tough to draw from. Firing a revolver involves 2 steps (cocking then releasing the hammer) so the term "single action" refers to the trigger's solitary role in releasing the hammer. A very high-ride holster, its vertical and set up to hold the butt in tightly and the muzzle off of the hip, which in some designs can really poke at you by the end of the day. Aside from being dirty from the environment, the ammunition could be a contributing factor as well. Ive transitioned to the Springfield Hellcat as my daily carry gun and its proving to be everything I expected. Single actions derive their name from the fact that they can only be fired by cocking the hammer and squeezing the trigger one shot at a time, whereas the double action can be fired in the same manner as the single action or simply by squeezing the trigger to fire - hence "double action.". S&W Performance Center Model 637 Enhanced Action 38 Special Revolver $ 599.00. I cant prove that Im telling the truth about having seen a bunch of broken revolvers (except for these two). Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected.