Cylinder (firearms)
In firearms, the cylinder is the cylindrical, rotating part of a
Typically revolver cylinders are designed to generally hold six cartridges (hence revolvers sometimes are referred to as "six-shooters"), but some small-frame concealable revolvers such as the
As a rule, cylinders are not designed to be detached from the firearm (except for cleaning). Rapid reloading is instead facilitated by the use of a speedloader or moon clip, although these work only on top-break and swing-out cylinder revolvers; revolvers having fixed cylinders must be unloaded and loaded one chamber at a time.
Designs
Fluted Cylinder Designs
Fluted cylinders are commonly found on
In more recent years, companies have produced revolvers with non-fluted cylinders for the purposes of more extensive engraving or for more robust aesthetics (often on revolvers firing particularly powerful cartridges).Fixed-cylinder designs
The first generation of cartridge revolvers were converted
Oddly enough, the loading gate on the original Colt designs (and copied by nearly all single-action revolvers since) is on the right side, which may favor left-handed users; with the revolver held in the proper grip for shooting in the left hand, the cartridges can easily be ejected and loaded with the right. This was done because these pistols were intended for use with cavalry, and it was intended that the revolver and the reins would be held in the left hand while the right hand was free to eject and load the cartridges.[7]
Since the cylinder in these revolvers is firmly attached at the front and rear of the frame, and since the frame is typically full thickness all the way around, fixed-cylinder revolvers are inherently strong designs. Because of this, many modern large-caliber hunting revolvers tend to be based on the fixed-cylinder design. Fixed-cylinder revolvers can fire the strongest and most powerful cartridges, but at the price of being the slowest to load and unload and they cannot use speedloaders or moon clips for loading, as only one chamber is exposed at a time to the loading gate.[8]
Top-break cylinder
The next method used for loading and unloading cartridge revolvers was the top break design. In a top-break revolver, the frame is hinged at the bottom front of the cylinder. Releasing the lock and pushing the barrel down brings the cylinder up, which exposes the rear of the cylinder for reloading. In most top-break revolvers, the act of pivoting the barrel and cylinder operates an extractor that pushes the cartridges in the chambers back far enough that they will fall free, or can be removed easily. Fresh rounds are then inserted into the cylinder, either one at a time or all at once with either a
One of the most famous "break-top" revolvers is the
Swing-out cylinder
At the end of the 20th century, the most widely adopted method of loading and unloading a revolver is the swing-out cylinder, invented by several people in early 1860s, not counting Daniel S. Moore's swinging barrel and cylinder assembly
The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies, television, and videogames of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can in fact cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. The lack of alignment between the chambers and the barrel is a dangerous condition, as it can impede the bullet's transition from chamber to barrel. This gives rise to higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes lodged.[20]
The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder, in stronger designs, such as in the Ruger Super Redhawk, it uses a lock in both the crane as well as a lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing-out cylinders are rather strong, but not as strong as fixed-cylinder counterparts, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the crane.[20]
History
Background
Firearm cylinders were first developed in the 16th century and, over time, had anywhere from three to twelve chambers bored into them.
Snaphance and flintlock
The first firearms to incorporate a cylinder were the snaphance and flintlock types. The lock mechanisms were very similar and used the same type of cylinder. The chambers did not penetrate completely through the cylinder. The back of each chamber had a small touch hole drilled through the side of the cylinder. For each touch hole, a small flash pan was created at the cylinder's surface. Each pan with touch hole had a sliding gate to cover it. This prevented the gunpowder from falling out as the cylinder was turned. Assuming that each pan was filled with powder and that each chamber was charged, the operator manually turned the cylinder to align a chamber with the barrel, opened the pan cover, and was then ready to fire. Compared to the single-fire musket, the manufacturing process for this type of firearm was very expensive, which kept their numbers fairly low.
Percussion
The next evolution of the cylinder did not occur until the 1830s. While chemistry was still in its infancy, the development of
Needle-fire revolver
After the initial invention in the late 1830s of a needle-fire rifle, a revolver was soon developed. This type of firearm used a paper cartridge.[23] It used a long, thin, needle-like firing pin that passed through a small hole at the rear of the cylinder, through the powder, and struck a disposable primer cap that was set behind the bullet. The revolver's cylinder simply had a small hole drilled at the rear of each chamber.[24] The use of a paper cartridge was a change from the earlier method of charging a firearm.
Pinfire
At approximately the same time that the needle-fire system was developed, a pinfire method was also developed. The
Rimfire and centerfire
Cylinders that use these cartridges are what most people envision as modern cylinders. These cartridges are all metallic and are struck at the rear by the hammer. The
Tape-primer
In the 1850s, in competition with Colt's percussion revolvers, a revolver was developed that used a paper tape primer to ignite the powder in the chambers. This worked much as today's toy cap pistols.[28] This basically worked the same as a percussion revolver, but with only one nipple that sent the ignition spark to a flash hole at the rear of each chamber. Each chamber was loaded in the same manner as the percussion revolvers.
See also
- Clip
- Magazine
- Revolver
- Firearm
- Chamber (firearms)
- Needle gun
- Pinfire
References
- ^ "NRA Museums". www.nramuseum.org. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Association, National Rifle. "An Official Journal Of The NRA | Smith & Wesson Model No. 1, Third Issue". An Official Journal Of The NRA. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Smith & Wesson's Model No. 3 Six-Shooter: An Innovative American Classic". HistoryNet. 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Two Smith & Wesson Model No. 1 1/2 Second Issue Revolvers". Rock Island Auction Company. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "Identified Ainsworth U.S. Colt Cavalry Model Revolver". Rock Island Auction Company. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ]
- ISBN 978-0-7627-4508-1.
- ]
- ISBN 0-89689-140-2.
- ISBN 978-1-61059-745-6. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-4402-2694-6.
- ^ "Moore's Patent Revolver at RIA (Video)". 14 February 2015.
- ^ "Patent – Daniel Moore – C&Rsenal".
- ^ "Patent: Charles Hopkins – C&Rsenal".
- ^ "Patent: Benjamin F. Joslyn – C&Rsenal".
- ^ Jean-Pierre Bastié. "Le rovelver Guerriero". Academie des armes anciennes (in French). Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "Patent: W. Mason – C&Rsenal".
- ^ "Patent Augusto Albini – C&Rsenal".
- ISBN 978-1-57607-194-6.
- ^ ]
- ^ Blair, Claude, ed., Pollard’s History of Firearms (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1983), 210.
- ^ Hogg, Ian V. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Firearms: Military and civil firearms from the beginnings to the present day ... (London: New Burlington Books, 1980), 40.
- ^ Friedel, Robert. A Culture of Improvement (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2007), 371.
- ^ Myatt, Frederick. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pistols & Revolvers: An Illustrated History of Handguns from the 16th Century to the Present Day (New York: Crescent Books, 1980), 66.
- ^ Myatt, Frederick. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pistols & Revolvers: An Illustrated History of Handguns from the 16th Century to the Present Day (New York: Crescent Books, 1980), 88-91.
- ^ Batchelor, John and John Walter. Handgun: From matchlock to laser-sighted weapon (Portugal: Talos Books, 1988), 78.
- ^ Myatt, Frederick. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pistols & Revolvers: An Illustrated History of Handguns from the 16th Century to the Present Day (New York: Crescent Books, 1980), 84.
- ^ Myatt, Frederick. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pistols & Revolvers: An Illustrated History of Handguns from the 16th Century to the Present Day (New York: Crescent Books, 1980), 67.
Sources
- Batchelor, John and John Walter. Handgun: From matchlock to laser-sighted weapon (Portugal: Talos Books, 1988).
- Blair, Claude, ed., Pollard’s History of Firearms (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1983).
- Friedel, Robert. A Culture of Improvement (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2007).
- Hogg, Ian V. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Firearms: Military and civil firearms from the beginnings to the present day. . . (London: New Burlington Books, 1980).
- Myatt, Frederick. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pistols & Revolvers: An Illustrated History of Handguns from the 16th Century to the Present Day (New York: Crescent Books, 1980).