flipped the cylinder closed

[gerhard1]

When this was brought up on the Kansas forum, this one guy insisted that if it was done right, it would not hurt the revolver. He swore that did it all of the time and his guns were not damaged.

Yeah, right.

No way was I going to let this guy handle my wheelguns.

 

[gerhard1]

Someone needs to research how the “Hollywood Flip” got started and spread and write an article about it. I think it was from an old Humphrey Bogart movie but that may be wrong.

I have never seen anyone young try it, because I don’t think they have ever seen those old 40’s detective movies. Plus I have not seen anyone try it in years, I suspect because those who were fans of those movies are dying off (or the last time they tried it the revolver owner thumped their skull). Most movies these days don’t show revolvers being used either.

It was done in the film Monuments Men. On of the trainees is seen doing it to what appears to be a 1917 S&W.

 

[Sgt911]

A few years ago I bought a brand new bearcat. The owner of the shop wanted to see it. He started cocking it and pulling the trigger as fast as he could. I grabbed it back and yelled at him not to ever treat a customers firearm like that.

 

[steelslaver]

Would you close up your cylinder and then wack it with even a small hammer? Of course not. Flipping the cylinder closed amounts to the same thing, The cylinder has mass and when you give it velocity with that wrist twist. So no a moving mass has to come to a dead stop when it strikes metal, The energy has to for somewhere and it does, into the yoke, both at the fame and that pivot point as well as cylinder against its yoke tube, the yoke against frame, the center pin is slammed into the side of its small hole in the recoil shield

Cylinder weighs say 8 oz. Let me take a small oz hammer and whack your finger with a short quick tap using one and then you will have a real good idea how much energy it is and why it can do damage.

You could "flip" a cylinder closed with no damage. You would just need to use EXACTLY the amount of energy needed to completely close it and NO MORE. Basically just slowly rolling the gun over to the right in your had should just about do it, depending on the weight of the cylinder. An N frame 357 cylinder being about the heaviest it should close up I think. A J frame 38 or a titanium 396 cylinder probably not. But, I have never tried that

 

[6518John]

It was done in the film Monuments Men. On of the trainees is seen doing it to what appears to be a 1917 S&W.

Interesting. I have seen and enjoyed that movie but I don’t remember seeing that. I will re-watch.

Thinking back to what I suspect were the biggest revolver movies, I think it would have to be the Dirty Harry series (and I think even Clint switched to an Auto-Mag eventually).

John Milius wrote the series and is a huge gun guy so he would not write-in something so stupid as the Hollywood Flip.

 

[03hemi]

586 I handle my 586 with great care. It is one of the older models. A man whom I thought was familiar with guns, wanted to hold it. So, I opened the cylinder to show him it was empty, closed the cylinder, and handed it to him. He opened the cylinder and flipped it closed!
I said, " Don't ever do that to a revolver.'
He handed me the gun and walked away.
Will a one-time flip
of a empty cylinder damage the gun?

Yes, it's ruined, send it to me.

 

[Velle]

That's almost as bad as letting a single action hammer down from half cock. At least with the SA all you risk is an unsightly scored cylinder.

 

[ImDrRich]

He watched too many movies and obviously knows nothing about revolver care.

 

[old tanker]

Still from the opening sequence from Hawaii 5-0 (the original with Jack Lord). Somebody loads a flat latch J-frame with four fired cases (note dented primers), spins it and snaps it closed.

All I can say is, "Book 'em, Danno!"

 

[Krogen]

Interesting thread. It touches on ignorant vs. stupid people, manners and the willingness to learn. While I wouldn't have though to dry fire a bow, I had no idea it was potentially damaging. Now I know.

I am continually amazed at people who mishandle others' possessions. Some are ignorant - they don't know any better. Others are just stupid. No amount of duck tape can fix that.

At a gun show one time, my buddy G_____, just picked up a Glock off a table and stuffed in his pocket to see how it "drew from concealment." Argghhh.... I saw him do it and did my best to stop him in his tracks. I looked at the owner and did the roll eyes, palms up gesture. Owner said "I was watching him . . . ." I bet he was! Some folks may have come across that table and taken G____ down right there.

I explained to G____ how may ways he had gone astray. He's not stupid by any stretch and understood what had gone wrong. He apologized to the owner and admitted he didn't realize his faux pa.

Now my cousin's friend is a stupid one. Despite being told many times it's impolite to pick up a gun without asking, he continues. He argues that they're sitting on the table to be sold. He must think it's Walmart or something. Can't get through to him that it's just plain bad manners. He can't, or more likely won't learn. That's stupidity, IMHO.

 

[03hemi]

I also love the guys that like to drop the slide on a 1911 with a trigger job down on an empty chamber? Some just never get it.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Yo, gwpercle, it was Sarcasm. A joke. A jest. Meant to reflect absurdity.

 

[robertrwalsh]

gwpercel, it was SARCASM. A joke. Meant to highlight the absurd.

 

[TMan51]

Will a one-time flip of a empty cylinder damage the gun?

On a 586, not a chance. Not even 10 or 20 times.

What can be a problem is the attempt at being cool, and flipping the cylinder to battery repeatedly just for something to do. I've watched a couple clowns do that over the last ?? decades, and it can be a problem in time. But the K and N frame Smiths are pretty rugged, and it would take some effort/ignorance to do any actual damage.

 

[2152hq]

It's just plain courtesy in handling the property of others.
Plus in most all cases it's proper to avoid any damage or extra un-needed wear or damage.

Don't flip the cylinder shut (or open)
Don't Stagecoach flip the SxS shotgun closed (or open)
Don't slam car doors
..the list goes on.

If you want to do that to your own stuff, go right ahead.
Treat mine with some respect.

 

[The Norseman]

Flipping Out

My second rule of Revolver: Never, Never ever hand over a
Revolver, always assume the person knows nothing about
Revolvers, especially a Single Action Colt style revolver.

This rule reverts back to #1: Never buy a Revolver/Pistol I can
not handle and inspect, especially from a Website.

My Guns, My Rules.

 

[Rule3]

 

[CH4]

A good buddy of mine was standing at the counter of an LGS after completing the required paperwork and playing $1300 3” 625-3, when the salesman opened the cylinder, spun it and flipped it closed. I had to peel my buddy off the ceiling. About a week later I had to peel my same buddy off the ceiling when I told him I just traded into the same gun (LNIB 3” 625-3) for $775. He didn’t speak to me for weeks.

 

[Old cop]

Every double action revolver featured in a movie has the cylinder flipped shut and I’m guessing they’re directed on set to do that. No wonder everyone thinks that’s how to do it.

 

[ggibson511960]

Rolling the Cylinder

I have a few small gun handling habits. When I close a revolver, I roll the cylinder so the locking notch engages the bolt just before it closes, saving the cylinder from a brighter ring where a mis-timed bolt scrapes around the cylinder. I also close double barrel shotguns with my thumb against the left side of the lever, letting it down gently instead of snapping in place. This lessens peening of the locking notch recess, keeping the gun tight longer. I also like to raise the bolt on bolt action rifles, pull the trigger, and let the bolt down. Saves dry fire snapping. You would be surprised how many automatic firearms have mis-timed disconnectors that allow pulling the trigger and releasing the hammer while the bolt is against the hammer, allowing the bolt and hammer to be safely eased down without dry fire snapping. All of this probably doesn't do a great deal of good, but it makes me feel good, and that spreads to better handling of firearms in general.