Turn lines dumb question

[Bill of Ojai]

Hello all. I've been shooting S&W's for about 50 years. Love them all. Been getting frustrated with seeing cylinder turn lines on new guns in the shop cases. Some of my older revolvers have no turn lines even after much use.

Sooooo, the question is, are turn lines the norm? If a revolver is properly timed are there still turn lines?

Yours in ignorance,

Bill of Ojai

 

[Crazy K38]

I believe the turn lines are from the cylinder stop on the bottom of the cylander housing

 

[M29since14]

I have never seen an S&W without one, unless it was brand new.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

It's just the nature of the design of Smith and Wessons.

Revolvers can be timed properly to drop the cylinder stop right at the beginning of the beveled lead-in to the stop notch, to avoid the turn line.

 

[OKFC05]

"Revolvers can be timed properly to drop the cylinder stop right at the beginning of the beveled lead-in to the stop notch, to avoid the turn line"

Which may be fine for single action, but can result in skipping when fired double action rapidly. In fact, some action shooters adjust them to lift the stop as soon as possible, and grind the bevels longer to help avoid skipping.

If it is a shooter as opposed to a museum piece, the stop needs to come up quickly.

 

[Bill of Ojai]

Thanks! NOw I can sleep tonight!

Bill of Ojai

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Which may be fine for single action, but can result in skipping when fired double action rapidly. In fact, some action shooters adjust them to lift the stop as soon as possible, and grind the bevels longer to help avoid skipping.

If it is a shooter as opposed to a museum piece, the stop needs to come up quickly.

While your statement is true, and I was going to mention it, I didn't because I'll wager that 90% or more of the people who shoot a revolver don't shoot them in action sports. Or even double action most of the time. Which is why I didn't bring it up. Even in double action shooting, unless your in an action event, most people don't shoot quickly enough to ever have any skipping issues. Most of the Colt's I've looked at/handled have timed up closer to the notch, and don't leave the line on the cylinder's surface. The Python is a double action too.

 

[RayGT3]

I have heard of some folks that would polish the leading edge to the cylinder stop enough to remove any rough edges. This is to prevent the dragging a rough surface on the cylinder. Wouldn't take much. Haven't tried it but at some level makes sense.

 

[buck460XVR]

I look at turn lines like I do holster wear. The patina that shows a gun is being used and not just looked at. Kinda like the rub lines on the feed tube of a pump action shottie.

Most of the Colt's I've looked at/handled have timed up closer to the notch, and don't leave the line on the cylinder's surface. The Python is a double action too.

....guess if it was that big a deal, Colt would still be producing DA revolvers and S&W would be out of the business.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Hello all. I've been shooting S&W's for about 50 years. Love them all. Been getting frustrated with seeing cylinder turn lines on new guns in the shop cases. Some of my older revolvers have no turn lines even after much use.

Sooooo, the question is, are turn lines the norm? If a revolver is properly timed are there still turn lines?

Yours in ignorance,

Bill of Ojai

Turn lines are the norm, at least if the gun is fired or dry fired much beyond the test firing the factory does before shipping out the guns.

A turn line on a new revolver in a gun shop means: (1) it is not really new, but a real nice trade-in being misrepresented by a dishonest gun shop owner, (2) customers have dry fired the gun quite a bit to test the action and lock up, (3) the owner has returned the gun to stock after using it for a while himself.

If your personally owned revolvers do not have turn lines, then your definition of "much use" and my definition of the same phrase are considerably different!

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

I look at turn lines like I do holster wear. The patina that shows a gun is being used and not just looked at. Kinda like the rub lines on the feed tube of a pump action shottie.





....guess if it was that big a deal, Colt would still be producing DA revolvers and S&W would be out of the business.

That has nothing to do with what we are talking about here.

I am a Smith fan. Not Colt. Still it shows what can be done when the care is taken to do the extra step. It can be done, and made to be reliable. The fact that Colt is no where now, has to do with their bowing to the government to avoid litigation, not the way they built their guns.

As mentioned above, the line can be minimalized by polishing the bearing surface of the stop bolt, carefully!

 

[deanodog]

Another question. What is the procedure for timing a revolver?

 

[shawn mccarver]

Another question. What is the procedure for timing a revolver?

You send back to the factory and ask them to adjust the timing!