flipped the cylinder closed

[dave1918a2]

I see idiots doing that at gun shows a lot. Had a kid ( 24-27) maybe tell Me He was a personal firearms trainer when He picked up My Buddies 686. Open it, looked at it, spun the cylinder forever, like that will tell Him anything. Slapped it shut, aimed at the ceiling and dry fired several times. Then started shaking it like He saw some girl do at another table. By then I got to Him and ripped the gun out of his hand. He said 'that hurt' and My reply was 'GOOD'. When He told Me He was a firearms expert I actually told Him He was to stupid to even walk upright. Needless to say He was asked to leave the show. Now when I show someone a revolver I tell them not to close the cylinder, that I will do that. On the better guns I put a zip tie around the cylinder now.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

When I hand someone a revolver who I think doesn't know better I always say "Don't flip the cylinder closed" and then explain why. I have a heavy barrel Model 64 fixing to be given to a former Marine buddy of mine and I will be telling him to not flip the cylinder exactly because he is literally a former Recon Marine with three tours of duty in the sandbox and I have no idea if he has ever handled a revolver.

But this was new to me:

The same scenario happens with bows. Some doofus will pick up a persons bow without asking and then dry fire it. Limbs, cams, bowstring and cables can be destroyed.

Obviously, that's all about a compound bow with which I know nothing about so I am curious what the difference is between dry firing and using an arrow. That's a thread theft question so maybe use PM or start a different thread? Up to y'all.....

 

[diyj98]

Obviously, that's all about a compound bow with which I know nothing about so I am curious what the difference is between dry firing and using an arrow. That's a thread theft question so maybe use PM or start a different thread? Up to y'all.....

There's a tremendous amount of energy expended when a compound bow is released. The arrow absorbs a great deal of that energy. Watch a slow motion film of an arrow as it's being shot sometime. Without the arrow or even an arrow too light, all the energy is absorbed by the bow limbs. This can break the string, cracks the bow limbs, break cams and/or limbs, etc.

 

[Shooting Padre]

I don't think it looks "cool" ... I think it shows how little you know about good revolvers and most of your gun handling knowledge was gleaned from Hollywood and TV .
Gary

I'd much rather look professional than cool.

 

[JS Esq.]

When I hand someone my 10-8, I demonstrate how to open and close the cylinder. Then I add "if you slam it shut like you see in the movies, I'm going to smash you in the face with the butt when you hand it back to me; got it?" Usually gets a laugh, never had anyone slam it shut.

 

[BC38]

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.

Pretty sure I saw Brendan Frasier do it in one of the Mummy movies.
BTW, the best thing about those movies is Rachel Weisz. I wouldn't smack her for snapping a cylinder closed

 

[murf205]

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.

Sgt. Joe Friday on the show Dragnet.

 

[gonerydin]

Should require all noobs to watch this video before handing them a revolver: NEVER DO THIS....Revolver Edition - YouTube

 

[Buford57]

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.

Once again proving that having even the rudiments of firearms knowledge is not a requirement to hold an FFL.

 

[bgrafsr]

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!"

Ahh, ******* Lord, a true anti gunner if there ever was one.

 

[LCC]

Unfortunately, snapping the cylinder closed has without doubt rendered it unsafe for future use, and from this point forward you would be liable for any use accidents.
Accordingly, provide your address and I will send you a pre-paid shipping box so you can send it to me for appropriate use...er, disposal.

 

[Walter Rego]

I can still remember when I was in summer camp in 1963 and they had archery and a BB gun range. One of the "counselors", who was an older kid of maybe 16 told us never to dry fire a bow. And safety was taught long before we were allowed to actually pick up one of the rifles on the BB gun range. They had those Crosman pistols that looked like a 1911 too, and you had to be at least 12 years old to fire one of the handguns.

Don't get me started on why women, in particular, always close the door on a car by swinging it by the window glass. Not only is it hard on a car with a frameless window, but then they leave their fingerprints all over the glass !

 

[texmex]

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.

That sounds about right because when I went through the police academy in 1974, when they taught us not to flip the cylinder closed, they called it "Bogarting the revolver". No one had a semi-auto back then.

 

[Bladeswitcher]

I was at a pawnbroker's conference one time and one of the gun distributors (Bill Hicks, IIRC) was set up in the expo haul. Nobody was stopping by to talk to them so the two polo-shirt sales guys were chilling behind their table. One was sitting there with some cheap side-by-side shotgun in his hands. He was opening the gun and whipping it closed one handed. I stood there and watched him do it over and over again. Couldn't believe it . . .

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

A friend's step son did that one time at the range to my 581. I recovered the 581 and gave it the rest of the day off. Fortunately, it was the only revolver present.

 

[steelslaver]

Here is another thing. I will dry fire my center fire S&W revolvers. I will not dry fire another guy's. Guns are persona and unless I know exactly how he treats his, I am going with all the "best practices"

Can I borrow you rifle? Do you want to use my wife too?

 

[4011]

Even in a timed reload and keep shooting quailfaction you don't slam the cylinder. You roll it shut.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

You shouldn't automatically assume people - especially those under 30 years of age, know how to handle revolvers properly. Case in point - about 19 years ago, my son and I attended a local gun show. To be compliant with their rules, I stopped at the front entrance and informed the 2 LEOs manning the table that I had 2 unloaded revolvers for them to check. I pulled out a Model 642 and a Model 640 both of them equipped with Crimson Trace laser grips (#405). You could tell that neither of the officers (BTW, they were SWAT officers) had the slightest idea of how to check a revolver. One of them was startled when he picked up the revolver and activated the laser. He looked at his partner and loudly whispered: "He's got a laser on this one". By this time his partner was getting ready to look down the barrel of the piece when I stopped him. I asked if they had a Sergeant they could summon. They did and a few minutes later he arrived, quickly checked the revolvers and made sure they were unloaded, zip tied them shut and handed them back to me. I pulled him over to the side and told him that in my humble opinion, a SWAT officer should know how to safely handle and check a single action revolver, a double action revolver, as well as a single action semi auto handgun (I figured they already had the DA/SA autos figured out). The sergeant agreed with me, but said he had no input in their training.

Regards,

Dave

 

[robvasi]

I agree, I used bad judgment by allowing this idiot to handle my revolver. The other gentleman I was with new how to handle them and he gave me the impression that the other man was equally skilled at handling them.

My concern at this point is if there was any damage done to the gun, Of course it was unloaded. the cylinder was lighter than if it had been loaded. Will one flip of the cylinder damage the crane?

 

[ContinentalOp]

You shouldn't automatically assume people - especially those under 30 years of age, know how to handle revolvers properly.

That reminds me of an anectode from Ed Lovette's book, The Snubby Revolver. He said he was observing a training exercise, a raid simulation, at the DEA Academy. As part of the exercise, one of the students recovered a revolver. During the exercise debrief, none of the students knew how to clear the revolver. The instructor had to show them how.