the owner is aware of it. The momentum of the cylinder will often "carry" it on around until the cylinder bolt stops it. However, if you ever slowly cock the hammer (either SA or DA) then the hand is worn too short to fully rotate the cylinder around.
To check for this condition, with an empty gun of course, slowly cock the hammer, or work the DA trigger pull, while putting some friction against the side of the cylinder with a finger of your non firing hand. once you think you've rotated the cylinder all the way, slowly grab the cylinder with your nonfiring thumb and finger, and see if you can rotate it any further towards full lock.
Sometimes, this condition is a simple fix, done by "peening" the end of the cylinder hand with a hammer, on an anvil, starting about 1/4" from the point, and working towards the point. Sometimes, replacement of the hand is required. Sometimes, replacement of the cylinder bolt is also required. Sometimes (pretty rarely) the bolt notches in the sides of the cylinder are so worn that the entire cylinder needs to be replaced. Dont even THINK about Tig welding up the notches and recutting them, except perhaps on a .22lr, or a 5 shot model (where the bolt notches fall between the chambers, instead of at the thinnest point, as it is on the 6 shot models.
To check for this condition, with an empty gun of course, slowly cock the hammer, or work the DA trigger pull, while putting some friction against the side of the cylinder with a finger of your non firing hand. once you think you've rotated the cylinder all the way, slowly grab the cylinder with your nonfiring thumb and finger, and see if you can rotate it any further towards full lock.
Sometimes, this condition is a simple fix, done by "peening" the end of the cylinder hand with a hammer, on an anvil, starting about 1/4" from the point, and working towards the point. Sometimes, replacement of the hand is required. Sometimes, replacement of the cylinder bolt is also required. Sometimes (pretty rarely) the bolt notches in the sides of the cylinder are so worn that the entire cylinder needs to be replaced. Dont even THINK about Tig welding up the notches and recutting them, except perhaps on a .22lr, or a 5 shot model (where the bolt notches fall between the chambers, instead of at the thinnest point, as it is on the 6 shot models.
That way, you only have to spend $50-$100 on the live fire practice gun, once every 6 months or so, and the carry gun will last for years. only dryfire it 500 rds a year, put maybe 200 wadcutters a year thru it, and maybe 10 rds a year of your ccw load. It all adds up to very little ablity when you jerk it out of your pocket, tho. There's no REASON to carry a .38 snub or Kahr, 380,etc, in a belt rig, you can have a REAL gun and load in a belt rig, with up to 800 ft lbs, and still bemore controlable in rapidfire than a .38 snub is, with its pathetic 300 ft lbs.
