kbm6893
Member
Is there a simple way to disable a revolver that would still allow it to seem to operate? Like still cock a hammer or pull a trigger? But be easy enough to reverse back to operational?
Temporarily Disabling a Revolver
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I would say no if the question pertains to S&W revolvers. If you had an older one with a hammer mounted firing pin (hammer nose) and you could remove that firing pin (not as easy as turning a screw or similarly) but that would work.
There is no other trick I can think of to do what you are asking.
There is no other trick I can think of to do what you are asking.
Yeah. It's an older one. A Model 36. I figured the firing pin coming out but I gotta think that's not so easy to put back.
I know it's easy to remove it in an AR but could you put the gun back together and it still appear to function? Or remove the striker on an M&P or Glock and do the same?
I work in a law enforcement program in a high school and the local PD has offered to come in and give a demonstration. The administration absolutely want the guns rendered inoperable.
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Removing the firing pin is the only thing you can do to have the gun "functional", meaning the action would feel normal, it would cock and the trigger would work.
Why not just use a pair of handcuffs, lock them in the trigger guard behind the trigger and the gun will not function, then simply remove the handcuffs to make it functional again, simple. You could also use the other end of the handcuff to lock it onto something for additional safety. The thing to remember here is that showing how to manipulate the revolver should include normal safety practices (check for unloaded status, point in a safe direction, etc., which is always a good thing to practice), so using a functional gun should not be an issue.
Removing parts is problematic, you could misplace the parts, and doing such requires disassembly in any event (not simple to put it back into service).
Why not just use a pair of handcuffs, lock them in the trigger guard behind the trigger and the gun will not function, then simply remove the handcuffs to make it functional again, simple. You could also use the other end of the handcuff to lock it onto something for additional safety. The thing to remember here is that showing how to manipulate the revolver should include normal safety practices (check for unloaded status, point in a safe direction, etc., which is always a good thing to practice), so using a functional gun should not be an issue.
Removing parts is problematic, you could misplace the parts, and doing such requires disassembly in any event (not simple to put it back into service).
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Sebring Pop
Member
Fill the cylinder with snap caps.
Just 2 cents
Just 2 cents
bigggbbruce
Member
How about teach them proper gun handling.
Every time the gun is handed to the next student open cylinder and demonstrate it is unloaded first.
All of that would happen. It's a miracle the school is even allowing it and they asked for the weapons to be inoperable. I know I could use a trigger lock or something. I knew removing firing pin is not gonna happen for a revolver. But how about a striker fired weapon or an AR? Something to make it impossible to fire
bigggbbruce
Member
Fill the chambers with wax..
I'm guessing if you just remove the mainspring screw the gun will bind up if you try and pull the trigger. At least that's what happens with the larger frame guns. Letting out a few turns of the mainspring screw might allow it to operate while not giving enough force to set off a primer, but I'm not sure that's going to be disabled enough to satisfy the school admins. Of course that's assuming the 36 doesn't have a coiled mainspring...
Removing the firing pin on a newer revolver is simple assuming you're competent enough to know how to open up the side plate. On older models the firing pin is part of the hammer and you'd either have completely remove the hammer or undo the rivet holding the firing pin in place which isn't going to be simple to reverse.
Some bright colored snap caps might be your best bet. Or maybe just showing a video of how one operates...
Removing the firing pin on a newer revolver is simple assuming you're competent enough to know how to open up the side plate. On older models the firing pin is part of the hammer and you'd either have completely remove the hammer or undo the rivet holding the firing pin in place which isn't going to be simple to reverse.
Some bright colored snap caps might be your best bet. Or maybe just showing a video of how one operates...
On the models with frame mounted firing pins they are relatively simple to remove.
A little bit extreme - but then you could show the staff that it cannot be loaded and fired: put a couple small spots of super glue on each of five snapcaps (I use A-zoom because they're aluminum) and seat them in the chambers. The extractor rod wouldn't be able to extract them, but you could pull the cylinder later and tap (well, or pound) them out with a wooden dowel/etc with hopefully minimum residue left in the chambers. Oh, and take along a sixth snapcap so the school higher-ups could see that it's not an actual live cartridge (not that most of them could discern that anyway).
DWalt
Member
Making up some tight wood plugs (from dowel rods) and driving them into the chambers. Sort of the same idea as using snap caps, but a punch and hammer would be needed to remove them.
Jeppo
Member
Are you saying a striker fired pistol is an option? In that case, just yank the striker. Isn't a semi-auto likely to be more relevant to the audience anyway, given what they see on TV (unless they're old enough to remember Dirty Harry).
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Protocall_Design
Vendor
Model 36 is a J frame. It doesn't have a mainspring screw. You would need to remove the hammer nose (firing pin). They are easy to replace. However, I would be willing to donate a hammer without a firing pin to the cause. Then you could keep the original as is and just trade parts in the gun.
Sebring Pop
Member
I have got to ask, why do you want to temporarily disable a revolver ??
Yes. But could you put the gun back together without the striker in and rack the slide?
I've taken guns down before. Completely disassembled Smith revolvers quite a few times. Kids being kids, they're gonna want to rack the slide and make believe they're Navy SEAL's. I know they want to hold the AR. I know how to remove the firing pin on that but could I put it back together without the firing pin?
So it's impossible to fire while teenagers are able to handle it. The cop who is coming said the gun would be checked and no ammo in the room. The principal said "how do we know they won't have ammo on them since they know they will be able to hold the weapon?". Good point, I guess, in this litigious society.
As I said, it's a miracle the administration is even considering it.
Jeppo
Member
If you have an M&P, it's easy to pull out the striker. I'm not sure how the gun would "function" without the striker but you could easily try it.
About having ammo with them, you could bring a semi-auto, with or without magazine disconnect and leave the magazine at home. With the disconnect, the slide would function but pulling the trigger would do nothing. Without the disconnect, even the trigger would function. The only possible danger would be some kid who both brings THE CORRECT CALIBER ammo to the class (you could lessen the risk by bringing a more obscure caliber gun) AND knew how to lock the slide back plunk a round into the chamber and then release the slide to make the gun hot.
About having ammo with them, you could bring a semi-auto, with or without magazine disconnect and leave the magazine at home. With the disconnect, the slide would function but pulling the trigger would do nothing. Without the disconnect, even the trigger would function. The only possible danger would be some kid who both brings THE CORRECT CALIBER ammo to the class (you could lessen the risk by bringing a more obscure caliber gun) AND knew how to lock the slide back plunk a round into the chamber and then release the slide to make the gun hot.
Free replacement hammer or wooden dowels - best ideas yet. I kinda liked my idea until I thought some more about just how much pounding would/might be needed to get the super-glued snapcaps out of the chambers let alone the glue residue left in the chambers afterwards. Maybe your department will spring for one disabled revolver and auto just for occasions like this ... complete with welded or plugged firing pin or striker channels.
ontargetagain
Member
I can appreciate teaching gun safety and proper handling in schools.
HOWEVER...........how safe is safe?? I personally would not want to be the one who takes a gun into a school to teach safety that could be fired at anytime, I would not want a gun that could be enable to be fired at anytime (total safety)
I am still with you in teaching safety 100% but my personal thought is to have a gunsmith or perhaps the police department supply a deemed (unable to fire) revolver. This could be one modified by a gunsmith to supply a hammer with no firing pin or ability to even accept a firing pin. I would half fill the chambers with JB Weld so a round could not be put into place. My gosh who know if someone possible brings in ammo on their own and somehow is able to load a gun? SAFETY total SAFETY is the utmost importance!
I read stories about safety officers, policeman, trainers who somehow make mistakes and fire weapons inadvertently! This CAN'T happen, sorry there are so many variables that need fool proofing.
My other thought, why a revolver? It is the least likely gun that young folks will come across. It is more likely to be a semi-auto and as we know that is much more tricky to understand in 'loaded or not' with magazine and one in the chamber. I think you teach on a semi-auto and chances are as you know if you held the gun up and pulled out the magazine and asked is the gun loaded or not you might get a few that say it is and most will say it is not..............
Sorry to ramble, would love to have the opportunity to help teach this sometime but I would want to be beyond sure I don't have a gun in the room that could possibly be fired ever!
Good luck with this and thanks for educating
Karl
HOWEVER...........how safe is safe?? I personally would not want to be the one who takes a gun into a school to teach safety that could be fired at anytime, I would not want a gun that could be enable to be fired at anytime (total safety)
I am still with you in teaching safety 100% but my personal thought is to have a gunsmith or perhaps the police department supply a deemed (unable to fire) revolver. This could be one modified by a gunsmith to supply a hammer with no firing pin or ability to even accept a firing pin. I would half fill the chambers with JB Weld so a round could not be put into place. My gosh who know if someone possible brings in ammo on their own and somehow is able to load a gun? SAFETY total SAFETY is the utmost importance!
I read stories about safety officers, policeman, trainers who somehow make mistakes and fire weapons inadvertently! This CAN'T happen, sorry there are so many variables that need fool proofing.
My other thought, why a revolver? It is the least likely gun that young folks will come across. It is more likely to be a semi-auto and as we know that is much more tricky to understand in 'loaded or not' with magazine and one in the chamber. I think you teach on a semi-auto and chances are as you know if you held the gun up and pulled out the magazine and asked is the gun loaded or not you might get a few that say it is and most will say it is not..............
Sorry to ramble, would love to have the opportunity to help teach this sometime but I would want to be beyond sure I don't have a gun in the room that could possibly be fired ever!
Good luck with this and thanks for educating
Karl
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BlackTalonJHP
Member
Foam earplugs in each chamber
You could just heat up the cylinder with a hair dryer when ready to remove. Heat will break the bond of super glue or just get some acetone to run down the cylinder. It will break down super glue as well
Thin Man
Member
I'm just trying to grasp this...
SO... the principal's line of "reasoning" (if it can be called that) is that a random student (in a law enforcement program, no less) may just happen to have ammunition of the correct caliber for a specific, previously unknown to them firearm that they don't previously know they are going to handle? And said student will then use that previously unbeknownst gun and fictional ammunition to some nefarious purpose... in a law enforcement program classroom environment with members of law enforcement in the room?
Am I understanding that correctly?
I get that a major dose of safety is in order, but the probabilities of such an occurrence taking place in such an environment are utterly infinitesimal.
Good on you for what you're trying to do, but to say that this "logic" strains credulity is a vast understatement.
Perhaps a bit of pre-education of the principal in question is in order?
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Chino74
Member
what about a CO2 / air gun, styled after a dble action revolver>? don't they make revolvers that have functional cylinders & hammers? My SAA version does...take out the Co2 it'll still cock & fire & cylinder etc will function I would think.
Wee Hooker
Member
My father used to just slap me upside the head if I attempted to do something borderline unwise with a gun. That kind of teaching worked well as I recall.
Take the cylinder right out of the gun,,can't be loaded or fired.
Pull the cylinder bolt spring & plunger out of the bolt itself.
Replace the bolt so you can put the thumb latch back on for looks.
It'll work SA and DA,, can't be loaded or fired,,show them the cylinder separately and how it functions.
The stripped cylinder cannot be reinstalled onto the gun and make it fire w/o some tools and the missing parts being provided.
About the safest I can think of around a bunch of kids that are going to be handling the revolver.
You don't want to present even a remote possibility of the unthinkable happening.
In todays anti gun climate there'll be enough people freaking out over it.
Times have changed since we brought our shotguns and rifles to school and put them in our locker. A little after school hunting was a common thing.
jmo
Pull the cylinder bolt spring & plunger out of the bolt itself.
Replace the bolt so you can put the thumb latch back on for looks.
It'll work SA and DA,, can't be loaded or fired,,show them the cylinder separately and how it functions.
The stripped cylinder cannot be reinstalled onto the gun and make it fire w/o some tools and the missing parts being provided.
About the safest I can think of around a bunch of kids that are going to be handling the revolver.
You don't want to present even a remote possibility of the unthinkable happening.
In todays anti gun climate there'll be enough people freaking out over it.
Times have changed since we brought our shotguns and rifles to school and put them in our locker. A little after school hunting was a common thing.
jmo
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Use a revolver trigger lock.....
I have several revolver trigger guard locks that I use for that purpose.
The ones I have are keyed.
Master makes them and they cost about 10 bucks.
I have several revolver trigger guard locks that I use for that purpose.
The ones I have are keyed.
Master makes them and they cost about 10 bucks.
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