Tallbald
Buckeye
OK so I've always wondered this. Bill Ruger and his engineers never did something without consideration if I can believe what I read. I don't have a camera right now so I'll have to describe the cylinder details I'm wondering about. Without familiarity with both guns, one may not understand my question.
Remove the cylinder from your Blackhawk and look at the rear end of it. You'll see radially spaced flats that project from the rear of the cylinder with which the pawl engages and pushes to rotate the cylinder when the hammer is cocked.
Now remove and look at the rear of the Old Army cylinder and you'll see drilled holes into which the pawl actually inserts to rotate the cylinder when the hammer is cocked.
Can someone explain just why Bill Ruger and his team decided that when both the Old Army and the Blackhawk are single action revolvers, the Old Army had to have holes instead of protruding flats to engage the pawl and rotate the cylinder when the hammer is cocked? I myself like the holes of the Old Army cylinder because it would seem less prone to damage if dropped when out of the gun.
I've pondered on the differences, and the only thing I can think of is that the Blackhawk style flats are needed to allow the cylinder to be machined shorter so the cartridge rims will fit between the recoil plate of the frame and cylinder. But then a longer cylinder with holes for pawl engagement could I think be used in the Blackhawk if the cartridge holes were recessed for the rims.
Yes I'm such a Ruger revolver fanatic that I notice differences like I'm asking about. I'm just hoping to learn more about my favorite guns.
Don
Remove the cylinder from your Blackhawk and look at the rear end of it. You'll see radially spaced flats that project from the rear of the cylinder with which the pawl engages and pushes to rotate the cylinder when the hammer is cocked.
Now remove and look at the rear of the Old Army cylinder and you'll see drilled holes into which the pawl actually inserts to rotate the cylinder when the hammer is cocked.
Can someone explain just why Bill Ruger and his team decided that when both the Old Army and the Blackhawk are single action revolvers, the Old Army had to have holes instead of protruding flats to engage the pawl and rotate the cylinder when the hammer is cocked? I myself like the holes of the Old Army cylinder because it would seem less prone to damage if dropped when out of the gun.
I've pondered on the differences, and the only thing I can think of is that the Blackhawk style flats are needed to allow the cylinder to be machined shorter so the cartridge rims will fit between the recoil plate of the frame and cylinder. But then a longer cylinder with holes for pawl engagement could I think be used in the Blackhawk if the cartridge holes were recessed for the rims.
Yes I'm such a Ruger revolver fanatic that I notice differences like I'm asking about. I'm just hoping to learn more about my favorite guns.
Don