Learned a quick lesson! The first time I shot my new 617, I let my wife shoot it and I stood to her left and back just a little. When she fired the gun shrapnel hit the side of my face. Nothing painful, but a surprise! I talked to my gunsmith at the shooting gallery and he said we warns people to never stand closely on either side when a revolver is being fired! Guess I won't do that anymore! Duh! Grigler
Blow back around cylinder!
- Thread starter Grigler
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andyo5
Member
You'd be surprised at how many folks are unaware of this. You can be seriously harmed if part of your body comes close to the front cylinder gap when the gun is fired due to high pressure, hot gas and particles splaying out from both sides. I saw a photo of a guy's hand after he had fired his revolver while supporting the cylinder with his weak hand. The flesh on his thumb was cut right down to the bone.
I've seen you tube videos of what it does to paper when placed in the danger zone .... Not something I want to experience.
Ashlander
Member
The first time it happens -- it's always a shock! I'm glad you're out shooting your new gun. Life is good!
Kernel Crittenden
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
This is normal, and I've noticed it especially with rimfires. They're just kinda dirty, and there's lots of unburnt powder and residue, wax and whatnot on the bullets. It all goes somewhere. I bet you have some nice powder stains on the cylinder.
You might want to check the barrel-to-cylinder gap, to see if it's excessive. You want to see something in the 0.004" to 0.006" range. If it's more than that there are sometimes fixes, with shims, that can close up that gap some. A BTC gap that's too tight can lead to problems also.
You might want to check the barrel-to-cylinder gap, to see if it's excessive. You want to see something in the 0.004" to 0.006" range. If it's more than that there are sometimes fixes, with shims, that can close up that gap some. A BTC gap that's too tight can lead to problems also.
JonF
Member
Agree completely with #7's response.
I learned about forcing cones (or the lack of) when shooting early S&W revolvers. Lead shavings do hurt. Prior to a engineering change in 1922, which mandated the forcing cone for HE's, S&W barrels had no bevel and rifling ran right to the rear of the barrel. Even guns in great condition still shed small amounts of lead as the larger bullet is forced into the rifling.
Hickcock 45 does a video on how NOT to shoot a revolver. He puts a hotdog just forward of the cylinder, close by the forcing cone, and fires the gun shredding the hotdog. Excellent video for a new shooter. He has one using the same method placing the hotdog behind the slide of a semi auto and fires a shot, shredding the hotdog again.
george_lehr
Member
Here's a link to the Hickock 45 video:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFBAcz16GvU[/ame]
George
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFBAcz16GvU[/ame]
George
