The Hollywood flip - put to the test.

[murphydog]

I will agree with our esteemed colleague sigp220.45 that the occasional flip of the cylinder into battery probably has no effect on the fit or function of a revolver. (Although he did not mention if spinning the cylinder beforehand made the clicking sound like a Colt SAA, just like in the movies. )

However, as a recent thread highlighted, I think there is a big difference between doing this yourself as an experiment and letting someone else do it on your gun and not correcting their behavior. Perhaps an imprecise analogy, but let someone dry fire your $5000 tuned 1911 by repeatedly putting a snap cap into the open action and dropping the slide on it. Personally, I'd politely ask them not to do it first, then perhaps not so politely if that didn't work.

 

[yeti]

While I get the experimentation aspect for this thread, I am not a fan of the flip.
I concur with the car door analogy or slamming a nice break shotgun. Not a good habit. It also shows disregard and conveys ignorance.
I have swallowed and just let many things like this go. You can't even perceive much, if any facial twitch when someone says "clip" to me when they are clearly holding a magazine.
I do not like the revo flip thing. Can you on yours? Sure.
Should you on mine? Nope.

 

[kamloops67]

You can lead a forum to water but you can’t make em drink LOL
Interesting test , too bad the guys that know all, can’t just take it at face value
One irresponsible or ignorant flip will not harm the revolver .
Thank you , like everyone else , I never have and never will flip my revolver closed but if someone DID now I know I won’t have to rush it to a gunsmith

 

[Old cop]

Thanks for posting but it’s still a move I’ll avoid.

 

[red9]

Here is a suggestion to make your day more interesting. Try that with one of the cheap (or at least used to be) .38 over/under derringers. You know, the ones that if you don't put the hammer on half cock, the firing pin protrudes from the frame.

Bob

 

[Stevie]

Flipping the cylinder closed is simply bad ju-ju and can do damage.
Depending on how perfectly(or less than perfect) fitted-up the revolver is the front edge of the cylinder can collide with the outer edge of the barrel where it's thin(the forcing cone)....can and will leave a mark

 

[Buford57]

Two pre-teen brats at a FNRA banquet about 20 years ago were spinning the cylinder on the J-frame alloy .22 door prize and flipping it. Guess I shouldn't have stopped them.

They are probably tactical instructors today.

 

[gwpercle]

Do it 5,000 times and post an after photo ...
Gary

 

[flap]

This makes me cringe like when the bad guy got the drop on Dirty Harry and made his throw his 29 on the concrete.

 

[glenwolde]

While I'm one of those who feel that a rare closing flip is not likely to cause damage, I'd like to make one slight suggestion about the testing. Get a yoke alignment gauge/spud and verify yoke alignment with the center pin hole in the breech face/recoil shield prior to starting the test. Then repeat after your testing.

There's no apparent damage but that doesn't mean there wasn't any. My suggestion would be have it fitted to a match grade revolver range rod, repeat the exercise, and then see if the match range rod would still align.

 

[steelslaver]

Flipping the cylinder closed is simply bad ju-ju and can do damage.
Depending on how perfectly(or less than perfect) fitted-up the revolver is the front edge of the cylinder can collide with the outer edge of the barrel where it's thin(the forcing cone)....can and will leave a mark

If the front off the cylinder strikes the barrel, the revolver already has a pretty fair problem. Either gross end play or a problem with the yoke screw or button causing gross yoke play. Neither of which would be on a well taken care of S&W

Once again not saying a flip will ruin a gun. It will accelerate problems and as some one said. ''Bad Form''.

 

[dave1918a2]

One of the main reasons I put a tie around the frame and cylinder of all My revolvers at gun shows.

 

[Truckman]

One of the main reasons I put a tie around the frame and cylinder of all My revolvers at gun shows.

Mine are under glass for the same reason......Ben

 

[RevolverJim]

Let's face the truth.........

Some trolls catch more fish than other trolls.

 

[WR Moore]

There's no apparent damage but that doesn't mean there wasn't any. My suggestion would be have it fitted to a match grade revolver range rod, repeat the exercise, and then see if the match range rod would still align.

Range rods ride on the bore, not the grooves. IIRC, most .38 range rods are about 0.346 or so, so you've got considerable slop on the chamber/charge hole diameter before you find interference.

I suppose you could make a mushroom head range rod that would have to be inserted from the forcing cone end but that'd be both expensive and pain to use. I suppose you could make a precision chamber insert that the standard range rod had to enter, but what's the point? OTOH, the yoke alignment gauge gives you a direct indication of any yoke distortion.

 

[Waveski]

Anecdotal:
I had a friend , now no longer with us , who gave me a great deal of help getting started in shooting , gun knowledge and so on. Very knowledgable , very generous ; I held him in high respect. Former fighter jock , he was also a bit of a hot shot. One day I showed him a rather nice J frame I had just acquired. As he handled and admired it he opened the cylinder , looked it over , then flipped it shut.
My respect for him took a bit of a hit as result of that experience ; I never showed him any of my revolvers after that.

Coincidental:
Yesterday , on another popular gun forum , a guy tried to make a case that it's just fine to use common ordinary screwdrivers for side plate screw removal so long as you are a little careful. "Thank goodness Rugers do not require special screwdrivers!" he went on to say.

Is it something in the water supply lately?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

To each his own........However......You do that to my gun and ya probably gonna get B-slapped.

Also there are people out there that work hard at tearing up an anvil.

 

[glowe]

My question is does anyone have a wrist strong enough to apply roughly 30,000 psi to the steel to a vintage S&W? If not, chances are that nothing will happen. If your cylinder has enough end-play to hit the barrel, it is time to get some end-shake bearings. I have also questioned the old adage of NEVER snapping a doublegun closed without holding the latch lever open. Try that with any Parker owner and you will be shown the door!!! From a materials perspective, steel parts are not subjected to anywhere near yield point when closing a cylinder or a doublegun, BUT I do not do either.

Why not? Not sure, but maybe out of respect to those who abhor the practice. Technically, there should be no issues with doing so, but due to the fact that parts can break for any reason, why give someone another excuse to complain about your practice?

 

[flintsghost]

The damage does not always occur and may not occur on an occasional flip, but if it does, you won't be able to see it. The damage occurs on the barrel of the crane that the cylinder turns on. It is the weak link when a flip occurs and is easily bent. With the weight of the cylinder on it and flipping it shut, the crane is then slightly warped each time. Eventually, it will need to be straightened. It is even worse on Colt revolvers where there is nothing to slow the ejector rod down because they lock at the rear only. It's not just theoretical. It may not happen or be able to be measured on an occasional flip but the wear will be there and may end up affecting the entire operation including timing because as the crane wears and bends, the cylinder no longer lines up perfect. The ones that would be most effected, the small J's and alloy frame concealment revolvers are the ones most often being seen "flipped" in hollywood.

 

[Muley Gil]

I have seen several S&W K frames and Colt I frames that had obvious damage to the yoke/crane to frame area. One Smith was so bad that it probably had a over 1/16" gap.