Recessed cylinders.

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smoothshooter

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I see no reasonable purpose for the recesses cut for cartridge case heads in centerfire revolvers. In fact, they seem to be a detriment because they are good places for burned and unburned powder granules to accumulate, causing the case rims to not seat fully down in the chamber.
Why does anyone consider guns with this feature desireable?
 
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old bear pretty much hit the nail squarely on the head with his post. And I also find that my 27's with recessed cylinders look better to me, as the gap between cylinder and recoil shield is much narrower. But that has nothing to do with functionality or strength, just looks.
 
I was under the impression that at one time recessed cylinders were desirable when case rims were not as strong as they are now and more at risk to "blowing" out when used with stout loads. Nowadays they just aren't needed with modern cases.
 
smoothshooter said:
I see no reasonable purpose for the recesses cut for cartridge case heads in centerfire revolvers. In fact, they seem to be a detriment because they are good places for burned and unburned powder granules to accumulate, causing the case rims to not seat fully down in the chamber.
Why does anyone consider guns with this feature desireable?
Click to expand...

You would have to cite me a case where this has happened. In the hundreds of thousands of rounds I have fired out of multiple guns with recessed cylinders, including 22's, that has never happened to me. I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that every P&R revolver that I own (a significant number) is better built and of higher quality than anything in current or recent production. Anyone who owns revolvers of that vintage would agree with me.
 
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I think Sodacan nailed the reason they are desirable. It isn't the recesses themselves that make them desirable, but the craftsmanship of the era in which the magnum guns were recessed. The K38 from the same time period do not have recessed cylinders, yet most knowledgeable in things S&W would pick a well taken care of pre model number K38 over a newer one, knowing more time was spend getting everything just right,better polish and blue job. Nothing huge, just a bunch of little details.
 
mike campbell said:
Cars used to have little vent windows in the days before air conditioning and when more people smoked. My '68 Firebird convertible doesn't have them. I don't smoke and don't miss air conditioning in the convertible.....but I sure wish they hadn't discontinued those little windows after the first year.
Click to expand...

I had several wasps & bees & one hornet go down my shirt in my 55-57-chevy & my 67 rs Camaro with vents. I wonder how many people ran off the road or worse causing an accident? They look good but I cant say I miss them. I kind of miss the recessed cylinder and pinned barrel on my 19-5 I bought new.:)
 
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The 357 was new with an unknown future and a high intensity cartridge, no one knew what goofy ideas the cartridge makers would come out with and Smith I Wesson opted to go for safety of their customers.

I appreciate their concern and like the looks of the cylinders.
 
Cylinders were recessed in magnum revolvers as part of marketing a premium product. Pinned barrels are another feature of that era, and probably provide a more practical function, keeping the barrel straight after assembly instead of the current "crush" fit.

At one time, center fire cartridge rims were formed by flattening a tube, forming a hollow "balloon". The first .45 Colt cartridges were made that way. Currently, only .22 rimfire cartridges have a hollow rim, and use recessed cylinders for safety in case of rupture and improved ignition.
 
I like them.
I don't care for convertible autos as with my '75 Vette convertible birds were always pooping on me as I drove. 8-/
 
The pinned barrels were"crush" fit the same as the current ones. The pin does nothing. Taken both types apart and the pinned ones are torques just as tight as non pinned. BUT, I believe that back in the day of pinned and recessed S&W had more craftsmen and those who worked for them saw their job as a calling and lifes work and had pride in there work.

This isn't just a S&W problem. The day of going to work for a company and believing that if you did good work the company would look after you is long gone. Labor doesn't trust management and management does not trust labor.

We must get this issue resolved. Plus, younger people accept that everything work related takes actual hands on effort and not a keyboard. Same goes for management. They must quit thinking that workers are interchangeable parts and that they deserve a fair share of a companies profit margin. Great long term companies are not driven by the next stock dividend, but rather the total future. It doesn't mater how cheap you make something if the vast majority cannot afford it. When a worker can't get a raise and sees the CEO get 50 million its hard to blame him for not putting forth his best efforts.

Wanna make America Great again. Fix those problems.
 
sodacan said:
You would have to cite me a case where this has happened. In the hundreds of thousands of rounds I have fired out of multiple guns with recessed cylinders, including 22's, that has never happened to me. I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that every P&R revolver that I own (a significant number) is better built and of higher quality than anything in current or recent production. Anyone who owns revolvers of that vintage would agree with me.
Click to expand...

X2........Must be new to revolvers.........
 
Aesthetics, my friend. A sign of pride of a manufacturer of a quality machine. A symbol of the craftsman's touch instead of mass-produced, soulless plastic widgets. A detail with symbolism attached.
Need I say more? We often overlook the individual steps in the manufacturing process that show attention to detail. With a Smith and Wesson revolver, especially the older, hand-fitted models, the details are evident all over the firearm. The pins, the sights, the cylinder recesses on magnum models, the action, all precision-fitted to work together seamlessly. It's a thing of beauty in looks as well as function.
So yes, Smoothshooter, there's a purpose. It may not be practical, but it puts S&W craftsmanship on display and sets it head and shoulders above the rest.
Merry Christmas!
 
For what it is worth, the Colt Python never had a pinned barrel or recessed chambers, and I have not heard many complaints about their quality or craftsmanship.

P&R has no practical function, and certainly has nothing to do with pride or craftsmanship; those were just union employees doing what they were paid to be doing. Nothing more or less.

Just sayin'.
 
To my knowledge, S&W never had a union, unlike Colt and many other companies. However, in my opinion the old revolvers were much better than what they make today. They were classic guns and we will never see them made that way again. I believe that is the reason that the prices on the old guns keep going up.
 
mike campbell said:
Cars used to have little vent windows in the days before air conditioning and when more people smoked. My '68 Firebird convertible doesn't have them. I don't smoke and don't miss air conditioning in the convertible.....but I sure wish they hadn't discontinued those little windows after the first year.
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I AGREE ON THE WINDOWS, MIKE. THEY WERE VERY UTILITARIAN--NOT MERELY COSMETIC. I HAVE THEM ON MY '66 OLDSMOBILE 88, AND MY '67 CORVETTE ROADSTER. THEY ARE A WONDERFUL FEATURE AS NEITHER OF THOSE CARS ARE AIR CONDITIONED........

IMHO, THE RECESSED CYLINDERS PROVIDE NO ADVANTAGE, AND IN FACT ARE JUST AN AREA THAT COLLECTS UNBURNED POWDER AND DEBRIS FROM THE IGNITION PROCESS. NOTHING IS GAINED BY HAVING THEM.........
 
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