"Free spin" pawl spur?

[Asltrfl]

I've seen a couple threads that come close, but none that fully explain what or how the small spur on the bottom of the med-frame flat-tops pawl works. I've seen the grip frames are "relieved" below the spur, but what exactly does it do? Does it make contact with the grip frame? The Cyl frame? If so, why? The large frames dont use a spur, and I understand how the free spin assy works. But what is the purpose of the spur on the bottom of the pawl? Thanks.

 

[Hondo44]

When the hammer is down the cyl hand is at its lowest position.

In that position the spur on the bottom of the cyl hand (pawl) contacts the angled cut-out on top of the trigger guard strap and is cammed back out of engagement with the cyl ratchet teeth.

This allows the cyl to free spin.

The hands with the spur (free spin hands) are only used with the RIPS (Ruger Indexing Pawl System) feature. The system has another pawl in the hammer channel to stop the cyl with the chambers in line with the loading gate, because the chambers of new models with transfer bars don't align at the click of the hand because the hammer is not on half cock.

So the cyl needs the free spin hand to rotate backwards a little bit till it clicks on the extra pawl in the hammer channel to align the chambers.

The large frame regular Blackhawks or Single Six frames do not use this system and therefore use hands without spurs; only New Vaqueros and NM Flat Top Blackhawks.

The RIPS feature can be installed on any Ruger though by making the cut-out above trigger guard and drilling/tapping the hole for the 2nd pawl in the hammer channel.

 

[David Bradshaw]

Ruger's freespin pawl concept is well executed. And Hondo 44 explains it well. In manufacturer's jargon, Colt and Ruger call the part which rotates the cylinder a PAWL. Smith & Wesson calls the same part a HAND.

Ron Power's innovative Freespin Pawl for the Ruger New Model Blackhawk/Super Blackhawk has a tail which contacts the pawl slot cast into the frame. As the hammer is lowered, the tail rides the contour of the slot in the frame, retracting the pawl away from cylinder ratchet. Opening the loading gate retracts the CYLINDER LATCH (Colt calls this part the BOLT; S&W calls it the STOP). More often than not, a Ron Power Freespin Pawl must be hand-fit to the revolver. Timing is critical; slight variations in the frame casting process preclude use of a drop-in pawl on the Blackhawk/SBH.
David Bradshaw