Ah, OK, that will make the answer to your query much simpler.
The New Vaquero is fitted with a "free spin" pawl, a concept initially developed by, IIRC, the custom gunsmiths to utilize on their "Large Calibre" revolvers. Some of the loads fired had/have a nasty habit of letting the seated bullet "creep" forward due to the robust recoil generated during firing.
A "long" cartridge, i.e. one that uses ALL available length of the cylinder's chambers, has little room for "bullet creep", i.e. the bullet slides forward, despite the roll crimp, and will soon be far enough forward that the bullet nose contacts the rear of the barrel when the cylinder is rotated. Bad news for "tense situations" :shock: Having the ability to open the loading gate and rotate the cylinder backwards will permit the shooter to eject the "over length" cartridges and replace them with "fresh" ones.
OK, fast forward to the introduction of the "New Vaquero". The Cowboy Action Shooters complained about the standard Ruger "New Model" lockwork and it's lack of a "click" when an unlocked cylinder's chamber is rotated into the loading recess/loading gate location. This makes rapid reloads a bit tricky. So, Ruger invented their "Reverse Indexing Pawl", a little spring and plunger assembly that permits the cylinder to "click" and be restrained from rotating backwards when the loading gate is open and the cylinder latch is retracted away from the cylinder. Now, if one thinks about the situation and the nuances of the New Model Lockwork there's no way the New Model cylinder's chambers will "line up" on the "click" of the pawl and ratchet assembly when the hammer is "at rest". The hammer has to be at "half cock" for the "click" to occur when the chamber aligns with the loading recess. Ah, but WBR did NOT want to use a half cock on the New Models. So, that's where the "Reverse Indexing Pawl" comes into play. It takes over the cylinder's indexing clicks during the reloading process BECAUSE the revolver's Pawl has been retracted and does NOT contact the ratchet. So, the pawl is indeed a "free spin" pawl. If one removes Ruger's Reverse Indexing Pawl the gun immediately emulates the Custom Gunsmith's Free Spin Cylinder feature!
I'm sure my description makes it seem more complicated that it really is. If one plays with these guns a bit the lockwork becomes "very clear".
flatgate
PS The New Model Single-Sixes do not have the "Reverse Indexing Pawl" feature.
