Wondering why the X frame (which is legendary for jumping time) doesn't have the extended/enhanced bolt cuts??

Wondering why the X frame (which is legendary for jumping time) doesn't have the extended/enhanced bolt cuts??

Interesting you should ask this. I asked this same question of Herb Belin at S&W (he was at the time in charge of revolver production and the X Frame was his baby). He said it was not necessary and did not expound any further. When I pressed him on the issue, he simply said that tests had proved it was not necessary.

Now, if I recall correctly, the reason for the lengthened bolt stop notches on the N Frame was that high speed photography had picked up on the cylinder moving far enough that the cylinder stop would come out of the notch, and the longer cut simply insured that when the cylinder moved the cylinder stop stayed locked into the notch.

Why this was not necessary on the X Frame is a mystery that Herb did not really clear up for me, other than to assure me that it had been tested and was not necessary.

Thus, in the end, your guess is as good as mine, although I was assured they had "thought of the problem."

I wish one of our resident engineers or someone else with "inside knowledge" would take a stab at this one.

By the way, I have not read any reports of the X Frames in either .500 or .460 having incidents of the cylinder stop jumping the stop notch. Have you read or heard of this?

As far as I know, the issue of the cylinder jump is caused primarily from the release of the trigger during the exteme recoil of the gun. The trigger on the 500(I own the three primary models) is awfully light for the brute. I've had numerous cylinder back-ups and one double fire. I started taking a little more notice on trigger control and have been able to effectively eliminate further problems. Great gun system. I like it just the way they come out of the box.
kid

Hello Shawn, in the beginning we added a bit more spring to the bolt/cylinder locks to prevent the jumping time issue.

We had three examples out last week in various barrel lengths and yes it happens enough to disuade us from carrying the X frames into the bush here in AK.

My shooting bud and I have had 454 Casulls since the Bi-Centenial and have added a few Linebaughs along the way so we are not inexperienced with heavy recoil.

We sometimes wonder WHO does the shooting at S&W to proof the guns or are rag writers the test bed?
An example is the peening of the center pin inside the ejector rod when firing heavy loads, it's a simple fix for a smith but S&W should have addressed this a longtime ago.

BTW, here in AK one may see a half dozen of the X frames on any given day, yes they have problems.

PS, did ya know the X frames are more accurate without the factory compensator?

Who was making 454 Casull's back in 1976?

Jim

Ummm Dick!
The budding 454 Casull was part of an AH annual covered by Jeff Cooper on the new 454 Casull Super Magnum when Dick was in Idaho and the first Casulls were C/C gutter sights, tool steel and reported as a dangerously high pressured cartridge what with Triplex powder loads.

Makes me an olde fart in the gun culture, grin!