S&W DA Revolver Question

[pterrell]

So, I've heard of people only loading their revolvers 5/6 and leaving the hammer forward over the empty one. Excuse my ignorance, but why is that? Should I be doing this or can I load all 6? It's a 1917 .45acp if that matters at all.

[232_ray]

Tagged. Hopefully for some knowledge

[sealocan]

I believe the practice is more for older single action revolvers without some kind of hammer blocking safety mechanism.

in theory if you drop the gun and the hammer hit a hard surface AND there is no type of hammer blocking safety (which is a device that has been around for many years and installed in many types and brands of revolvers.) the hammer could be forced forward and the firing pin on the top of the hammer would connect with the primer on the back of the ammunition. = BANG and a bullet would go out the barrel.
which if you're unlucky enough to have drop the gun there's a possibility that it might be pointed at someone or something you did not want to destroy.

does that help?

[perpetual otter]

I've never heard of this practice.

[sealocan]

SORRY I had some typos please reread this post for a better understanding.


one way that I THINK you could theoretically test your gun is...

*** first unload your gun & triple check it ! if you don't know how, don't play with it. let someone show you how, that's a note from my lawyer**

Now that the gun is completely empty...

without pulling the trigger in anyway, press on the back of the hammer forward with some force and see if you can feel or see the firing pin coming through the firing pin hole. if the firing pin can be seen or felt coming through the firing pin hole and you're not holding the trigger back you're gun probably does not have a hammer blocking safety.

2nd warning! please triple check that the gun is unloaded before you do any experiments like this and in fact I would have the cylinder wide open AND empty and no live ammunition in the room I'm working in.

compare that procedure and the results you noticed to this procedure...

pulling the trigger all the way back (again on a absolutely guaranteed empty gun that you've checked at least three times) then slowly lower the hammer with your thumb AND NOT releasing the trigger, in other words holding the trigger back and its most rear position with your finger and one hand.

and with your other hand push on the hammer and you should see the firing pin coming through the firing pin hole. because now that the trigger is pulled back and in its rearward position the hammer block safety is disable and the firing pin can go forward and fire the gun.

does that make any sense to you?

think of it as a movable little metal bar that's blocking the hammer and its firing pin from coming through the firing pin hole.
but when you pull the trigger backward that little metal bar moves out of the way and now the hammer can go fully forward and the firing pin can go through the firing pin hole firing the gun.

[MosinVirus]

a 1917 has a safety blocking the hammer from going forward without the trigger being pulled. Check yours if the hammer is pushed back when yoy release the trigger. If everything is working properly, there should be no reason to not load all 6 in my opinion.

Newer revolvers with integral safeties are shown at 5:40 in the video, but I recommend you watch the whole thing.

[sealocan]

here is someone reporting that his 1917 Smith and Wesson does not have a hammer block safety you might want to read this thread.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/273096-1917-45acp-revolver.html

and always play it safety first.

is this your home defense gun? Is there a more modern gun that you could keep loaded for that purpose?

because if it was me I would probably keep older guns with.possible worn out parts or defective parts in my safe unloaded.
keeping my more modern guns loaded. at least until I had them checked out by someone like a gunsmith who knows what they're doing.

but if I was at the range and getting ready to fire on the firing line I would have no problem loading all 6 chambers of the cylinder.

[Daddo]

a 1917 has a safety blocking the hammer from going forward without the trigger being pulled. Check yours if the hammer is pushed back when yoy release the trigger. If everything is working properly, there should be no reason to not load all 6 in my opinion.

Newer revolvers with integral safeties are shown at 5:40 in the video, but I recommend you watch the whole thing.

Great instructional video! Thanks for posting.

[shooting4life]

here is someone reporting that his 1917 Smith and Wesson does not have a hammer block safety you might want to read this thread.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/273096-1917-45acp-revolver.html

and always play it safety first.

is this your home defense gun? Is there a more modern gun that you could keep loaded for that purpose?

because if it was me I would probably keep older guns with.possible worn out parts or defective parts in my safe unloaded.
keeping my more modern guns loaded. at least until I had them checked out by someone like a gunsmith who knows what they're doing.

but if I was at the range and getting ready to fire on the firing line I would have no problem loading all 6 chambers of the cylinder.

The 1917 transitioned to a hammer block safety around 1919 or so. From what I read someone carrying a 1917 in the navy dropped it on the hammer and shot himself in the head.

[23 Blast]

The 1917 transitioned to a hammer block safety around 1919 or so. From what I read someone carrying a 1917 in the navy dropped it on the hammer and shot himself in the head.

That's what the "official" report said, amirite?

But in seriousness, the Model 1917, as mentioned, has a hammer block that prevents the hammer from going forward unless the trigger is being pulled.

The practice of "load one, skip one, load four" was primarily for the old-style Colt Single Action Army revolvers which did not have the safety features that later revolvers had. This practice ensured that after loading in this manner, the chamber that would be in the 12-o-clock position would be empty, preventing an accidental discharge in the event of dropping the gun, or falling from your horse, etc.

[pterrell]

Lots of great information here, thanks! No it isn't a home defense gun of anything like that so I'm not really worried about carrying it outside of the range. It would be cool to open carry it in Arizona though. Imagine the looks

[highpower]

The story about a S&W being dropped and it discharged, killing a sailor dates from WWII and relates to a M&P Model 1905 (K frame .38 Special). It is true and is what lead to the development of the modern hammer block safety. There is speculation that the gun in question was new and there was cosmoline in the mechanism leading to the existing hammer block system not working properly.

Regardless of all that, if your particular M1917 does not exhibit hammer push off, it is safe to load all six chambers. Please remember that the military did NOT issue special half moon clips that left an empty chamber.

Either what you have heard is total FUD, or they were confused with Colt single action revolvers where common practice is to load one round, skip a chamber, load the remaining four rounds and then bring the gun to full cock. Easing the hammer down from there results in the hammer resting on an empty chamber. There is no hammer block on a single action Colt, so this is the safe way to carry one.

[Revoman]

I think that Eastwood loads a dozen or more cartridges, he never runs outta ammo. Doesn't skip a chamber either.

I think he likes to live dangerously.

[claylakers]

Very interesting

[MosinVirus]

Great instructional video! Thanks for posting.

The entire channel is awesome. Check out his other videos