And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
This S&W Frontier Double Action revolver was dug up in the 70s in Goldfield, Nevada.
I found the picture elsewhere and it's part of a set. One of the other pictures shows a German Collectors table in the background so it's not so much "where" as "who." However, there is the Dug-up Gun Museum in Cody, Wyoming, full of such treasures. For the curious, a few thousand guns of with slightly better care reside half a mile down the road at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Is the empty chamber in the cylinder a result of carrying revolvers like that to prevent misfires? I read somewhere that back when hammers rested on live rounds that they could be struck or dropped and cause the pistol to fire, so the habit evolved of letting the hammer rest on an empty chamber. Of course today's modern revolvers have fixed that problem, but in the 1880s up to the 1920s, that seemed to be a problem. So seeing that empty chamber makes me wonder if it's empty for that reason.
In the Dirty Harry book Harry, while sighting down on a bank robber, mentioned that SFPD policy was to only load five. He asked the fellow on the other end of the gun if he thought he (Harry) followed the rule.
That's it. Even since the advent of the transfer bar a lot of people carry a revolver with the hammer on an empty cylinder. Lots of arguments on why people still do this...close to the same type arguments you get when you tell people that you carry a 1911 in Condition 3.
FYI: A firearm instructor with NRA and FLETC certs up the whazoo told me to rotate the cartridge carried in the chamber. The reasoning is that cartridge will, over time, becom compressed which increases the likelihood of a FTF. I disbelieved and still am in doubt even after he showed me a cartridge which I held side by side with a fresh cartridge of the same caliber, grain, manufacture, and so on. The one was noticably shorter.
The instructor was talking about an auto pistol, not revolver. What happens is that when the bullet impacts the feed ramp for the barrel, the bullet moves into the brass. It tends to move each time it is chambered from the magazine. Reducing the volume the powder is within, or even compressing it, will increase the chamber pressure when fired. At some point this can exceed the strength of the chamber+brass, and grenade.
I've measured this setback, and the amount can quickly get scary. The brass has to have good temper, as too soft equals a lot of movement. In a batch of commercial reloads, my .40sw Glock27 could cause 0.071" first cycle. Generally, good factory ammo might move less than a thou, but what I've seen is that each time it is cycled, it tends to move a bit more than the prior hit.
So, if you want to load with the same ammo, consider dropping that first round into the chamber by hand, lower the slide until it touches the brass, tap the back of the slide to close the slide to battery, and then install the mag.
WARNING: Do NOT do this on a 1911 with an original style extractor. Your gun MUST have a pivoting extractor, or it will break. Might not the first time, but it will, probably when your life is on the line.
Sharing a case of .45acp, my buddy's government model would stop cycling with the bullet nose against the ramp. My Officers Model, with 24 lb spring, would feed anything, however the targets showed vertical stringing due to variable chamber pressure. This was a case of FACTORY NEW ammo. So far, the rest of the pallet load hasn't exhibited this problem, yet. The maker told him to f' off, they didn't want to hear about it. Blazer Brass, from several years ago. Made for an interesting and frustrating 4day class.
I'm sure there's a good story in here somewhere...
ReplyDeleteAnyone know where this display is?
ReplyDeleteI found the picture elsewhere and it's part of a set. One of the other pictures shows a German Collectors table in the background so it's not so much "where"
Deleteas "who." However, there is the Dug-up Gun Museum in Cody, Wyoming, full of such treasures. For the curious, a few thousand guns of with slightly better care reside half a mile down the road at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Dug up Gun Museum in Cody, got it, thanks!
DeleteI found an 1867 seated liberty half dollar with a minelab SD2200 not far from Goldfield. It was about 20" deep in spoils pile of a dry washer.
ReplyDelete'Prolly get pretty good money for those live rounds, just sayin',
ReplyDeleteGonna need a bit of WD40….
ReplyDeleteIs the empty chamber in the cylinder a result of carrying revolvers like that to prevent misfires? I read somewhere that back when hammers rested on live rounds that they could be struck or dropped and cause the pistol to fire, so the habit evolved of letting the hammer rest on an empty chamber. Of course today's modern revolvers have fixed that problem, but in the 1880s up to the 1920s, that seemed to be a problem. So seeing that empty chamber makes me wonder if it's empty for that reason.
ReplyDeleteIn the Dirty Harry book Harry, while sighting down on a bank robber, mentioned that SFPD policy was to only load five. He asked the fellow on the other end of the gun if he thought he (Harry) followed the rule.
DeleteThat's it.
DeleteEven since the advent of the transfer bar a lot of people carry a revolver with the hammer on an empty cylinder.
Lots of arguments on why people still do this...close to the same type arguments you get when you tell people that you carry a 1911 in Condition 3.
FYI: A firearm instructor with NRA and FLETC certs up the whazoo told me to rotate the cartridge carried in the chamber. The reasoning is that cartridge will, over time, becom compressed which increases the likelihood of a FTF.
DeleteI disbelieved and still am in doubt even after he showed me a cartridge which I held side by side with a fresh cartridge of the same caliber, grain, manufacture, and so on. The one was noticably shorter.
'Rotate' To exchange or replace one with another. Not to spin or rotate on its longitudanal axis.
DeleteThe instructor was talking about an auto pistol, not revolver. What happens is that when the bullet impacts the feed ramp for the barrel, the bullet moves into the brass. It tends to move each time it is chambered from the magazine. Reducing the volume the powder is within, or even compressing it, will increase the chamber pressure when fired. At some point this can exceed the strength of the chamber+brass, and grenade.
DeleteI've measured this setback, and the amount can quickly get scary. The brass has to have good temper, as too soft equals a lot of movement. In a batch of commercial reloads, my .40sw Glock27 could cause 0.071" first cycle. Generally, good factory ammo might move less than a thou, but what I've seen is that each time it is cycled, it tends to move a bit more than the prior hit.
So, if you want to load with the same ammo, consider dropping that first round into the chamber by hand, lower the slide until it touches the brass, tap the back of the slide to close the slide to battery, and then install the mag.
WARNING: Do NOT do this on a 1911 with an original style extractor. Your gun MUST have a pivoting extractor, or it will break. Might not the first time, but it will, probably when your life is on the line.
Sharing a case of .45acp, my buddy's government model would stop cycling with the bullet nose against the ramp. My Officers Model, with 24 lb spring, would feed anything, however the targets showed vertical stringing due to variable chamber pressure. This was a case of FACTORY NEW ammo. So far, the rest of the pallet load hasn't exhibited this problem, yet. The maker told him to f' off, they didn't want to hear about it. Blazer Brass, from several years ago. Made for an interesting and frustrating 4day class.
A malaysian dood on youtube can have that thing up and running like new in 13:47 minutes,seconds.
ReplyDelete