I need revolver help , please read

[Thaigirl Hunter]

I am semi-auto guy being seduced by big-bore revolver power. I at one time
hated revolvers until I lived in a city and saw all the attacks and the need for
a pulverizing response to BG getting drop on GG.

Anyways I picked up a 44mag Alaskan and this functions perfectly. So i decide
to go the extra mile with the 500 magnum always looking for perfection.

First time out with 4" S&W 500 I had ammo boxes in front of me as I shot at
Wexford gamelands. I saved all the boxes with spent shellls inside because I
plan on reloading and developing my own "street rounds". I got home and I
noticed small holes in these boxes. Today I go shoot and I was practicing
just unloading the gun as fast as I can and my thumb starts bleeding like a
civ all over the place. I thought I must have clipped the sights somehow. So
embarassed at the range, blood is streaming out of my thumb like a river
I just packed up my stuff and called it a day. I get home expecting a huge
slice for this amount of blood I washed the blood off and it was a tiny pin hole.

So is my 500 shredding the bullets somehow leaving the chamber entering the barrel creating
shrapnel? I am totally new to revolvers.

thanks for any help
tgh

[imashooter2]

Probably just high pressure gas or a particle of powder. The .500 S&W is a pretty high pressure cartridge. Keep your tender parts away from the cylinder gap. That applies to all revolvers.

[Thaigirl Hunter]

OK thanks, appreciate

I thought my 500 was defective

take care
tgh

[Frenchy]

I looked all over to find a clear picture of what I was looking for and could not find it, but I did modify a pic to show you what I mean.


What you are experiancing is called the "Flash" of the gun. Technicaly a non part of the gun. The space between the cylinder and the forcing cone. Should be about 3 thousand of an inch, (roughly the thickness of a sheet of paper)



I highlited the area I am speaking of here. This is where your bullet has to pass between the chamber of the cylinder into the barrel. The first part of the canon called the forcing cone. The forcing cone is made to round off the lead or other metal going through it and prepare it to go into the groves of the rifling. When the bullet passes through there, a very small amout of lead or coper is shaved off the projectile to make sure it fits in the rifling, then the rest is pressured down to a size acceptable to pass in the rest of the barrel. The lead shaved off along with quite a bit of gases comes out of the "Flash".

If you shoot in the dark some day, you will see that the fire ball coming out the front is no where as impressive as the one coming out the sides.

If you place cardboards on either side of the revolver when you shoot it, you will see the cuts in the cardboard where lead and gas hit. After a while of shooting, if you look at the top strap, you will actually see a cut there from the metals and gas hitting there constantly.

Good practice in shooting is not to place your fingers or any part of your hand in front of the trigger.

[LastManOut]

Great info Frenchy.

I shoot a B.P. Ruger Old Army, and was curious about the 'shavings' when ramming the ball into the cylinder. Also, the conversion cylinders are in .45 Colt vs. the .44 ball due to the forcing cone (?).

[knight0334]

As stated above, more than likely it was pressure/powder flash.

Mis-indexing does happen in revolvers, but seeing how that Ruger is new - I'd doubt it.

About the 45LC v 44 ball - 44 cap & ball is actually 45cal. Those conversion things do some weird forcing cone tricks. Some have the 45LC cartridge at an angle when compared to the bore.

The shaving thing - depends on the oversize of the ball. My .44 1851 Navy swages to a .4501" chamber and bore. I use .454" round balls that leave that shaving. .452" balls will do the same, just thinner shavings.

[Thaigirl Hunter]

This was my SW 500 that winged me, the Ruger Alaskan 44mag never had
this happen.

My thumb must have got near the gap. Its fine today, just a little pin hole
but man did it bleed. I wiped all the blood on my shirt, walking back home
from where I park my car the liberals in my area stared and gave me a wide berth,
arr those f'ing pansies.

I put a ton of rounds thru the 500, the web of my hand is all red but not too
sore. I just need to toughen that area up. The good news is my 44mag now feels
like a .22 Those 2800ft/lb Win Platinum Tips are mini nukes.

I sold my HK 45 for $300 to a friend, now I am just carrying 44mag and 500mag
in front pockets.

Thanks for the help!
tgh

[XD45]

i'd take the one HK vs both of those handcannons for carry... but whatever floats your boat. just work on your grip a bit and you shouldnt have anymore problems with the 500