Okay------------------

Of course turn lines hurt value---compare the 99% gun with a turn line to the 100% gun without one---compare the faint line to the Grand Canyon!!

Yes, the turn line can be minimized by "breaking" the edge of the cylinder stop (whichever edge that is), also by polishing the top surface of the cylinder stop.

Now, the reason I don't know "whichever edge that is" (other than it's clearly the leading edge) is because I'm not much of a shooter anymore----handgun shooter anyway-----AND because I long ago learned that turn lines can be prevented (on a new gun) or minimized on a used gun by altering the timing of the cylinder stop.

Here's how I came to learn that:

I bought my first, brand new in the box gun----a K-22------with the funky finish. This was in 1956. The funky finish was the name of the game, unless you had the patience for a special order-----6 months for "Bright Blue". I didn't. By the spring of 1960, I'd had all I could stand of the funky finish, and sent the gun back to the factory. The accompanying letter of instructions went like this: Please refinish in Bright Blue, and assign this gun to your very best craftsmen, and have them make it as perfect as can be. I don't care how long it takes nor how much it costs. I had the gun back in maybe 2-3 weeks (a thing of beauty), the cost was single digit dollars (as near as I can recall), and I had no clue as to what they might have done to make it as perfect as can be.

Time passed, and in the vernacular of this hive, I shot the snot out of it. I got older and wiser with that passage of time, and after a very loooooong time came to notice my very pretty gun was still very pretty--because it had no turn ring. (Actually it does----rather faint---and it's about 3/32" long at the lead into each cylinder stop notch-------which is to say my S&W didn't work like the rest of them.

I told Jinks about all this----hoping to learn the what and how of it. (BIG mistake!!)

WELL----He had a conniption fit!! "They NEVER should have done that!! It'll skip chambers in rapid double action fire! I NEVER would have allowed that!!" I didn't have the heart to tell him about half of the half a box car full of ammo that had been run through that gun had been rapid, double action fire-------in my (failed) efforts to emulate McGivern---and that it had never missed a beat------not once!!

So---how to and what to? I don't know--which is to say I've never done it. I've sat and stared, and have an idea, but by the time all this came to light I was a whole lot more collector and a whole lot less shooter, and had no need. If it was me (and I had a need), I'd be on the phone to the big time gunsmiths.

Ralph Tremaine