Revolver owner irritations

[OK Hog Shooter]

I think what's bothering us more than having someone handling our guns in an improper manner is that fact that they are showing disrespect for something we own and have entrusted to them. If I respect you I will show it by also respecting your property.

This, I believe, is the crux of the matter. You'd think this would be something people would learn in kindergarten. Obviously not.

 

[Kavinsky]

So today I had some friends over for lunch and went to show one of them my newly purchased Smith & Wesson Model 28-2 6". I bring it out of its case, unloaded and open the cylinder after showing it is unloaded and hand it to him...

The first thing he proceeds to to do with my new to me 95% condition Model 28-2 is check the chambers to confirm they are indeed vacant and then does his best 1935 detective impression by swinging the cylinder shut one handed with a loud clack. Then tell me how nice a gun it is
I was very temped to take his keys and hop into his car, put emergency brake, set it in neutral and redline the engine for a minute or so.

Anyway, guess who is not invited into my reloading room/office anymore...

Yeah unfortunately thanks to hollywood doing that and using the spinning noise of the SAA at half cock for someone spinning the clyinder of a modern DA revolver we have to remember to tell people to treat a gun like you'd treat a very nice gold watch that you've always wanted to own.

and that I dont want none of that hollywood whipping the clyinder closed or spinning the clyinder when its locked into place **** as that considerabily mars up the finish of the clyinder when you do that plus the possibile damage of the gun parts holding the cylinder of the gun in.


and that goes for semi autos too when it comes to using the slide lock as a slide release, thanks Mel!

plus gun spinning and all of that showoff ****.

basically thanks alot hollywood, thanks to you the rest of the world things that guns are only for shooting people and thinks that their scarry evil demon entities that will kill anything and anyone just by their sheer existance and then when it comes to the people who actually like guns you teach them how to inadvertantly screw them up like morons.

 

[jrhoney]

Just for everyone to know on both occasions that I had my revolvers flipped open and shut I took the moment to correctly show how it is done and to insist in the strongest possible polite terms not to ever do it again lest they want to buy me a S&W Model 27 with a 5 inch barrel in +90% condition. When I told them what that would cost their eyes grew pretty wide.
I have since cooled down and decided not to hold it against him, but I still think he should have known better as he is a shooter.

 

[pharmer]

I certainly hope you took the opportunity to instruct him in the proper way to close a cylinder, and the reasons never to flip one closed. .

If he's a real friend, that's how to handle it. Shouldn't happen more than once. Joe

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I had one of my favorite N frames opened & closed that way. Afterwards it just didn't work as well. S&W said the yoke was bent and fixed it but it still didn't work like it had.
An ex friend wanted to look at my then brand new RRA Limited Match and when he handed it back it had an idiot scratch on it. I waited 8 months and $2500 for that only to have the moron damage my brand new adoption. Grrrrr

 

[rcnixon]

Ok here's an idiots question. Why can't you flip it closed? What happens? Just for reference I own zero revolvers and shot 5 rounds out of one a few years ago.

As Snowman said, it can increase the wear on the cylinder latch rod and the hole it locks into. It can also, especially if loaded, actually bend the crane enough to mis-align the cylinder and change the cylinder-to-forcing cone gap. These are "bad things" (r) and can be expensive to fix. ALWAYS close the cylinder with the off hand.

Russ

 

[jrhoney]

Well I gave him a second chance today with my new 28-2 with a 4" barrel this time. Had the 6" and wanted a 4" to match it and for carry and he did well. I think he is welcome back into the fold again.

 

[Stu Honea]

Burt Reynolds used to do it every week at the beginning of "Dan August" proving early on that he was a grinning idiot.
Can ya'll tell I don't like Burt Reynolds?

I don't like people handling my S&W revolvers.They have greasy hands and it messes up the marble.I have dry hands.
And dry eyes. And a dry sense of humor.

 

[rilkil23]

Not a good start to securing a new range friend but if he didn't know any better what's a guy to do. I am very careful when I touch something that doesn't belong to me and I'm quick to ask for help if I don't know the correct way to operate something I'm not familiar with. I am also not afraid to tell someone how to treat my property before I hand it over.

 

[BUFF]

30-35 years ago, I was showing I forget what (a S&W commemorative of some sort) to one of my better friends. I told him that it was unfired and hadn't even been cocked since I had un-boxed it new at the dealer. He asked why. I told him why. He looked at me, grinned and began pulling the trigger as fast as he could. "Not now it isn't!" When I complained, he said, "Nobody will know!" I said, I did.

I got minor bent whenever I looked at the gun, so much I sold it shortly after.

I haven't let him handle one of my guns since.

He still thinks I am a sorehead. I guess I am.

 

[Roundsworth]

Years ago, I purchased a slightly used Colt SAA .45. I allowed my brother-in-law to shoot it. Oboy! He hooked the hammer with his thumb and yanked it back, very hard. The 4 audible clicks turned into one solid 'thunk'. I even explained that it was a thousand dollar gun while I was loading it, apparently, to no avail. As a comparison, I made up a scenario, where he drives his car at about 20 MPH and throws the shift lever into 'park'. It got a good laugh, of course, but didn't sink in.

 

[chief38]

I think since he is a friend, you should have a talk with him regarding "Revolver and Gun Handling Etiquette". He should understand that some people value their possessions more than others and work hard for the money that they spent on them. If he gets it...... fine; if not just don't let him handle your guns anymore.

On the plus side I truly doubt that the Bozo No No he did one time will ever effect your heavy duty M28. It is a pretty durable gun.

I've been in your position a few times so I know exactly how you feel.

Chief38

 

[Roundsworth]

Wow! 'Bozo No No'...it has been awhile since I heard that!

 

[Brian41]

My FIL did that once to one of my revolvers and he's a gun guy but never learned it was bad to do. I cringed and explained the why to him. He apoligised and I'm sure won't do it again. I only hope he hasn't damaged his own revolvers that way.

 

[forresth]

do any of you guy carry a revolver for SD with a speed loader?
or are revolvers all safe queens?

I high end revolvers can't take a little rough handling, I am glad I don't trust my life to one. good thing I read this thread when I did. I was considering a pocket revolver for my next handgun, and I'd certainly want to practice speed loading, including slapping or flipping the cylinder shut if I did. I certainly don't genetly insert the mags into my auto-loader.

 

[DeathGrip]

30-35 years ago, I was showing I forget what (a S&W commemorative of some sort) to one of my better friends. I told him that it was unfired and hadn't even been cocked since I had un-boxed it new at the dealer. He asked why. I told him why. He looked at me, grinned and began pulling the trigger as fast as he could. "Not now it isn't!" When I complained, he said, "Nobody will know!" I said, I did.

I got minor bent whenever I looked at the gun, so much I sold it shortly after.

I haven't let him handle one of my guns since.

He still thinks I am a sorehead. I guess I am.

That was uncalled for and mean. He'd be the one with the sore head.....STILL.

 

[jlrhiner]

Years ago, I purchased a slightly used Colt SAA .45. I allowed my brother-in-law to shoot it. Oboy! He hooked the hammer with his thumb and yanked it back, very hard. The 4 audible clicks turned into one solid 'thunk'. I even explained that it was a thousand dollar gun while I was loading it, apparently, to no avail. As a comparison, I made up a scenario, where he drives his car at about 20 MPH and throws the shift lever into 'park'. It got a good laugh, of course, but didn't sink in.

Wait........What?

 

[Roundsworth]

Well, here is where I came up with the analogy.....the heavy Colt cylinder was spun at a high rate of speed, due to the extremely, and unnecessarily, vigorous cocking of the hammer. The cylinder stop absorbed the brunt of the force when it engaged the notch, thus bringing the cylinder to an abrupt halt. The little pawl inside of an automatic transmission is about the size of my little finger. A 4,000 pound vehicle has a bit of inertia going 20 MPH. that little 'PARK' pawl, and its associated gear, are going to be put under quite a bit of stress when the pawl is thrust into a notch on the output shaft of the transmission. As some folks say, 'Will it really hurt the gun?'. Unless you are in an actual combat situation, why subject your firearms to that sort of treatment. As for training with a duty sidearm, yes, they will endure some of the aforementioned treatment. That goes without saying. A service revolver may wear out sooner than a target revolver. I found that out after training military police for 3 years. They were armed with Model 15 S&Ws and used speedloaders.

 

[GKC]

IMO, these situations fall into one of two categories.

One, there are people who don't know much, if anything, about guns...they see the "cylinder flip close" and other things on TV and in the movies, and don't know any better. They can be excused, but it is also a chance for educating them.

Second are those who may know, or may not...but they don't care and/or have any respect for other people's things. Those people aren't excused, and it is a waste of time trying to educate them. I once had an acquaintance who was that way...he felt like he could do as he pleased with anyone's property. The final straw for me was when we were taking a ride in my new truck...and I mean brand new...he propped his foot, shoe on, up on the dashboard. I asked him politely to take it down, since I didn't want his shoe to scratch or mark my dashboard. He left it there, and said i was being silly...cars eventually got wear on them. (His looked like a junk heap.) So, i pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. He asked me what was up, and I said, politely but firmly, "This is my truck...you may disagree with what I want to do, or how I want to do it, but when you are in my truck, you can either do it my way, or you can get out and walk."

He took his foot off the dash, and it was a silent ride the rest of the way home. He got in his car and took off, and I haven't heard from him since...which I don't mind.

 

[jlrhiner]

So,.... It's possible to cock a revolver wrong? And if it is a problem, why in the world would you hand it to some one?

BTW, I've been down in the den speed cocking my RM