Marking Bad Cylinder in Revolver

[detox]

Using my Hawkeye bore scope i inspected how well each chamber lines up with barrel/forcing cone. I have just one chamber that worries me a little, but it is not off center by much. How should i mark this one chamber temporarily...Sharpie pen maybe? Where on cylinder should i mark permenatly if this certain chamber were to shoot bad? I could leave this certain one empty when i shoot. Gun is Ruger Blackhawk 45LC.

The next time i go to the range with this gun, i will fire groups from each chamber. Five shots from one chamber, then five shots from the next chamber, until all six cylinders are tested and done. Then record results.

[scattershot]

I have marked cylinders as you described. I use a scribe, and scribe a line on the back of the cylinder, centered on the charge hole. You can't see it under normal circumstances, and it won't wear off.

[detox]

I have marked cylinders as you described. I use a scribe, and scribe a line on the back of the cylinder, centered on the charge hole. You can't see it under normal circumstances, and it won't wear off.

Thats a simple good idea.

[44man]

Do you have a few thousandths play? I have never found a chamber that shot worse except from a super tight cylinder lock up.
I shoot all five or six, never had to mark a bad one. Never found one, it was only something wrong with the load with a flier.
If you find a difference you are better then me.
The right boolit will pull the cylinder in line. That is what cylinder play is for.

[detox]

Yes there is a few thousands cylinder play. While looking down barrel using scope and moving cylinder, this certain chamber did not line up perfectly like the rest. I found it amazing how well all these chambers line up perfectly, except this one and it is very minor. Maybe caused by when I enlarge all chamber forcing cones to .4525 a few years back.

I will inspect my S&W 686 next

[Salmoneye]

If you seriously have a chamber that is visually out of alignment, call Ruger...

[detox]

Tight constriction inside barrel at threads was lapped out BTW.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...hand-lap-only)

[fourarmed]

Silhouette shooters load only five shots in their revolvers, and with six-shooters they usually spend some time checking groups from chambers. The catch is, IHMSA does not allow modifications to production firearms, so obvious markings are illegal. Usually, if you inspect the cylinder carefully you will find a factory stamping or some minor flaw that you can use to blueprint the chambers. You know which direction the cylinder rotates, so call the chamber that follows the mark # 1, and go from there. My Dan Wesson .41 has one chamber that centers its group at a noticeably different place than the other five, so even though it is one of the better grouping chambers, it is the one I leave out. I have a speed loader that I mark with a white line that corresponds to the indexing flaw that I use. I have a foam earplug in the hole corresponding to the chamber that is not used.

[detox]

Silhouette shooters load only five shots in their revolvers, and with six-shooters they usually spend some time checking groups from chambers. The catch is, IHMSA does not allow modifications to production firearms, so obvious markings are illegal. Usually, if you inspect the cylinder carefully you will find a factory stamping or some minor flaw that you can use to blueprint the chambers. You know which direction the cylinder rotates, so call the chamber that follows the mark # 1, and go from there. My Dan Wesson .41 has one chamber that centers its group at a noticeably different place than the other five, so even though it is one of the better grouping chambers, it is the one I leave out. I have a speed loader that I mark with a white line that corresponds to the indexing flaw that I use. I have a foam earplug in the hole corresponding to the chamber that is not used.

I have found such a mark to the rightside of suspect chamber. It is a small letter S stamped about 1/16" in size.

Small earplug stuffed inside that chamber is a great idea also. Thanks

[detox]

BTW i checked all chambers of my S&W 686 and all lined up perfectly with forcing cone of barrel. It is amazing how accurate they can machine guns now a days.

Current CNC machined cylinders are interchangable I hear. No fitting required

[Tatume]

If you're serious about an alignment problem, you should get a revolver range rod:

http://www.brownells.com/search/inde...ment&ksubmit=y

If it fails this test, send it to Ruger.

[44man]

I shot IHMSA many years. Won almost every revolver shoot, plain old Rugers. I won Ohio state with 79 out of 80, missed the last ram from being worn out. NEVER did I eliminate a chamber.
You need a BAD gun for that. It is just a feel good thing with no basis in fact.
Being a gunsmith, more line bored guns were the worst shooters. More Rugers, S&W's and BFRs have shot all chambers the same. I seen too many out of box Rugers do 1/2" at 50 yards from all chambers.
I have gone that route, shooting each chamber to find one out but guess what, it is YOU or the load.
Come here, I will spin my cylinder, load one round and if you do not hit a 1" TARGET AT 100 YARDS, it is you.
The bad chamber is an excuse.

[detox]

I shot IHMSA many years. Won almost every revolver shoot, plain old Rugers.

Were you using cast boolits?

I remember back when i first tried commercial cast bullets in this gun. It was a total failure using these hard bullets sized @.452and n320 powder. While cleaning gun I was literally pulling out strips of lead with bore snake. I then tried softer 20/1 lead tin bullets with SPG lube and problem solved using the factory unmodified gun.

I am a tinkerer and like trying new things and hopefully this gun will shoot even better now.

Live and learn.

[lar45]

If you did want to mark a cylinder to not shoot, maybe take one of the Aluminum Blaser cases, exand it a little, push into the chamber and leave it?

[BruceB]

To AVOID confusing the issue:

A "CYLINDER" is the rotating element of a revolver which contains all the "CHAMBERS" or "CHARGE HOLES" for the individual cartridges.

What you are discussing here is the marking of a chamber or charge hole.... NOT the marking of a "cylinder".

Terminology, or nomenclature, IS important in making oneself clearly understood.

[Tatume]

Barrel slug barely slides into cylinder forcing cones with finger pressure. All six were opened to .4525" a few years ago. Hopefully the Blackhawk will shoot a little better.

Yes, and we had someone earlier today talking about checking all six forcing cones too. I didn't bother to correct him, but maybe I should have.

[44man]

I shot both at different shoots, no difference and in fact I did better with cast most times. I won state with Hornady bullets but the way to load is the same.
I never got commercial boolits to shoot. Blame will be put on hardness but it will be something else.

[detox]

Yes, and we had someone earlier today talking about checking all six forcing cones too. I didn't bother to correct him, but maybe I should have.

How's this for title...................Marking Bad Chamber On Rear Of Cylinder

I went back and corrected each post.

OK please correct me. "CHAMBERS" or "CHARGE HOLES". What is that "force cone shape" called in each?

[Tatume]

Each cylinder of a revolver typically has five or six chambers. In the front of each chamber is a throat, and it should not be conical. The correct shape of a throat is cylindrical. The forcing cone is at the breech end of the barrel. Charge hole is something I can't define; I suspect it is slang or jargon.

[BruceB]

Each cylinder of a revolver typically has five or six chambers. In the front of each chamber is a throat, and it should not be conical. The correct shape of a throat is cylindrical. The forcing cone is at the breech end of the barrel. Charge hole is something I can't define; I suspect it is slang or jargon.

The term "charge hole" is widely used in revolver-specific discussions and on websites such as

www.smith-wessonforum.com

I suspect the term is a hold-over from black-powder days, as are so many other terms that we still use today.