Chamfer Cylinder

[pargent]

ff There was during the 1850s a very well made and known revolver that was issued to cavalry , it had special chambers that were designed for ease of loading , a brilliant piece of kit except it had a very major flaw in that it had a habit of unloading itself in the holsters of troopers when at the trot . this by the way gave Colt a big plus with military orders .

 

[FishDFly]

I just got my new Pietta 58 Remmie today and will shoot it tomorrow.

I'm thinking about chamfering the chambers on the cylinder. Want to keep this simple. Any advice/thoughts?

Why chamfer the cylinders?

Can you site one custom revolver builder who does so?

If chamfering is the best thing, how come ROA's are not chamfered?

 

[BowerR64]

I think its personal preference, I like a 3-4lb trigger but the ruger isnt like that.

Like i said i prefer to squish the balls in rather then cut rings of lead off that can get caught in the bullet path and cause accuracy issues.

If your loading outside the gun this isnt a problem but in the gun at the range in a low lit booth it can sometimes be hard to see those little lead shvings and clear them away.

 

[rodwha]

Because a ROA doesn't come chamfered proves it's not worth doing? Seriously?

I think there's something to be said about not needing to pull slivers of lead shavings from the chambers.

 

[FishDFly]

Because a ROA doesn't come chamfered proves it's not worth doing? Seriously?"

Seriously, "YES".

If chamfering was value added, Bill Ruger would have done so on the ROA. They are the chosen revolver for line pistol shooters at the National level.

Bill Ruger designed the ROA and took the proto type to Friendship and passed them out to let the revolver shooters try them. After the shoot he offered to sell them at his cost, each shooter who used them, bought the one they had shoot.

Uberti 1858s are the "As Issue" pistols of choice at the national level.

None of the above have chamfers.

Did Sam Colt chamfer his cylinders? Seems he know how to design pistols, did he not?

Can you let us know which major or custom makers chamfer their cylinders?

 

[FishDFly]

"I think there's something to be said about not needing to pull slivers of lead shavings from the chambers."

When a ball is seated a lead ring is formed during seating, it is on the top of the cylinder, surrounding the just loaded chamber, not in the chamber.

Physically impossible for a lead ring to enter the cylinder chamber during seating.

 

[rodwha]

That's funny. I pull out little slivers from both my ROA and my '58 Remington. Guess it's just bad lead.

I'm not sure why you feel that unchamfered chambers make for better target shooting. It's not done to increase accuracy. If it were then I'm certain you'd see them on nearly every pistol used in matches.

Still disagree with your logic concerning the design of the ROA without chamfered chambers.

 

[FishDFly]

That's funny. I pull out little slivers from both my ROA and my '58 Remington. Guess it's just bad lead.

I'm not sure why you feel that unchamfered chambers make for better target shooting. It's not done to increase accuracy. If it were then I'm certain you'd see them on nearly every pistol used in matches.

Still disagree with your logic concerning the design of the ROA without chamfered chambers.

You are free to disagree.

Thus far this year I went from Marksman to Expert at the National level, set five (5) national records in Phoenix. Of the five new records, Revolver Agg, 50 yard revolver, and 25 yard Re-entry were set with a ROA.

In Brady this week, finished first and second in the 2 revolver matches, won the Texas Novice State Pistol Match and won the Texas State Hand Gun Match. Also finished first in Revolver As-Issue Re-entry match.

You chamfer if you wish, I will stay with what wins and sets records.

 

[rodwha]

You do realize that there's more to shooting than the matches you attend, right?

And just because it falls outside of your understanding and viewpoint doesn't make it folly.

 

[FishDFly]

You do realize that there's more to shooting than the matches you attend, right?

And just because it falls outside of your understanding and viewpoint doesn't make it folly.

It's past 5 o'clock in London, gone from here.

 

[FishDFly]

And just because it falls outside of your understanding and viewpoint doesn't make it folly.


Yep, you are correct, not does it make it a fact because you say so.

 

[rodwha]

Never mind...

 

[azmntman]

What would it mean if a lowly gent or lady with chamfered cylinders beat the stock ROA?

 

[Zonie]

Some of Sam Colts revolvers did have factory chamfered edges on the chamber mouths. Most do not.

I've never read the reasons he had them or the reasons for deleting them from production.

As for shearing off a ring of material vs crushing it and the ball into the cavity I seriously doubt there is any difference in the "press fit".

Lead is so ductile it will offer virtually no "spring back" to make the fit in the chamber any tighter than if the material was just sheared off and removed.

Just my opinion but I think the edge that will be rolled onto the area of the ball outside the chamber by the chamfer will end up engaging the forcing cone and rifling first.
Because very little of it will be attached to the ball it will most likely shear off and end up fouling the bore.

 

[azmntman]

I have had it (lead ring) work its way under the cylinder and make turning HARD. No other complaints, just gotta watch and blow off or pick out the lil rings as I load. I'm not quite handy enough to try the chamfering job myself anyway.

 

[nkbj]

I've had revolvers with chambers closer to coned as opposed to just a little bitty chamfer. But hey, I was shooting cone-icals! :rotf:

OK, enough of that. Seriously, in a machine shop holes are going to receive the minimum necessary work because time is money. The amount of chamfer coming from Bill Ruger or Guglielmo Rugiari is probably no more than just that, what was needed to clean up the hole. But I have had chambers that wouldn't shave a ring and they worked just fine.
Got a shorty barreled .44 with the little short loading lever that could use some "coning" to load easier.

 

[ccmountainman]

Haven't seen a real need to chamfer mine.
But a friend wanted his done.
so to be a as precise and accurate as possible.
I chucked a wood / metal counter sink in the drill press. Loosely clamped the cylinder down.
lowered the 'sink. centered, tightened clamp.
Then turned the press arbor by hand.
This made it concentric all the way around the chamber mouth.