Free Spin Pawl

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

You know, I have heard so much blather over the years about free spin pawls, I would like to know who actually uses them to save time on the clock.

 

Let me explain. The 'original model' Vaqueros had a nasty habit of not indexing the cylinder at quite the correct position to facilitate ejecting empties or loading of fresh cartridges. When you opened the loading gate, it was not like a Colt. With the hammer of a Colt at half cock, the hand stops the cylinder from rotating at the exact correct position to pop out empties and load fresh shells. For each chamber you just advance the cylinder using the ratchet and the chambers line up perfectly. With the 'old' Vaqueros it was different. There is no half cock loading position on the hammer, so when you opened the loading gate to reload you had to be a little bit careful positioning the cylinder. If you shoved it just a tad too far, the hand (Ruger likes to call it a pawl) would pop into the next ratchet tooth and the chamber would have moved just a bit too far to get anything in or out of the chamber. At least it did with big calibers like 45 Colt. The hand was preventing the cylinder from backing up to the sweet position, so in order to load that chamber you had to go all the way around again.

 

I used to get a little bit annoyed about this at the loading and unloading tables. Then I heard about the Power Custom Half Cock hammer. I installed them in three of my 'old' Vaqueros. The new hammer had a half cock position on it, and by placing the hammer at the half cock position I was able to load just like a Colt, with the chambers lining up perfectly every time. Now this was all about loading and unloading the cylinder, it had nothing to do with quick reloads on the clock. Power Custom was also offering a Free Spin Pawl as a replacement part, which was supposed to allow the cylinder to spin either direction when the gate was opened, but frankly reloads on the clock were so rare that I did not see the need for the Free Spin Pawl. I was a happy camper with my modified Rugers. It was not about listening to the clicks, you only get three with the Power Custom hammer, not four like a Colt, it was all about making the revolver more convenient to load and unload.

 

When Ruger stopped making the 'old' Vaquero and started making the New Vaquero, they very cleverly installed a small spring loaded plunger in the recoil shield of the New Vaquero. The purpose of this plunger is to engage the ratchet teeth when the loading gate is open so that each chamber lines up properly with the loading gate. What a clever solution, sez I, those boys at Ruger really had their thinking caps on. And they had obviously been listening to the shooting public about the shortcomings of loading the 'old' Vaquero. I was looking for a pair of pistols for Mrs Johnson at the time and since she was an inexperienced shooter, I thought the New Vaqueros would be a great idea. As a new shooter she would not have to deal with frustration of chambers locking in the wrong position. So I bought her a pair.

 

Then no sooner do I buy her the New Vaqueros then I start hearing all this stuff about removing that nice little spring plunger so the cylinder will spin free. How dumb, sez I. Here Ruger has gone to all the effort of adding a clever solution, and shooters are removing it so they can gain a couple of seconds on the rare occasion they encounter a scenario which requires loading on the clock.

 

I have been shooting CAS for about ten years now. I can only remember once or twice actually encountering a stage with a pistol reload on the clock. Not worth it to me to bother modifying a pistol and disabling a very clever feature.

 

So my question is very simple. I would like to know; just how often, just how many times, do the rest of you actually encounter pistol reloads on the clock?

[Deuce Stevens SASS#55996]

I would like to know; just how often, just how many times, do the rest of you actually encounter pistol reloads on the clock?

 

Actually revolver reloads are quite common in top gun shootoffs,so I guess it depends on the shooter.

[Cascade Charlie, SASS # 48668L]

Feeling a little fiesty this morning DJ?

 

The reload was my origional intent a few years ago and actually still do a reload on the clock sometimes during a team shoot at a state match or such.

 

But I think the main reason now is to avoid the cylinder marks that detract from the beauty of a revolver.

 

Cascade Charlie

[Christopher Carson]

Not often. I encourage our stagewriters to include on-the-clock reloads... but even with that, it's not common.

 

FWIW, even if it were, I wouldn't see a free-spin cylinder as a worthwhile investment. Won't hurt anybody, of course, but wouldn't help us enough to fool with 'em.

 

I think Mrs. Carson must have that new set-up you describe on her 50th Ann. Blackhawks... but before she switched to those, she never had any problems with reloads on her previous BHs.

 

-Chris

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

I have to agree with Driftwood. I don't see an advantage to the "Free Spin Pawl." Besides, if it's a single round "added" shot reload, you gotta count "clicks" to get the fresh round to the right position. Plus, after working on hundreds of guns, seeing the cylinder turn both ways just bothers me.

 

Coffinmaker

[Blastmaster]

Actually revolver reloads are quite common in top gun shootoffs,so I guess it depends on the shooter.

+1

 

I include a pistol reload on stages I write.

 

SFS and I incorporate a pistol reload on our couples shoot.

[Painted Filly]

When I switched to my NM vaqueros(that Kiowa had been using) one of the guns after he was doing something with it, sorry not sure what, it started to free spin so he made both of them do it and at first thought was ok. But then when I was practicing with it it became very annoying. I am left handed so was making it very hard to load I think because holding it in the opposite hand then right handers it was always spining and moving. So personnally did not like it. So we put thtem back the way they were and I like them much better.

 

We do not do pistol reloads at any of the shoots I go to very often, that being said we have one this weekend at our shoot. To do it fast I practice rolling the gun in the palm of my hand. You open the gate and then place the round in and place it in a particular place on your finger tips left handed/palm if right handed, that you have previously determined is the correct place and roll to the place that you have previously determined by practice, again to palm if left handed and to fingertips if right handed. Close the gate and shoot. No counting the clicks, but does take a lot of practice to get your places right.

 

Painted Filly

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

I am no longer shooting Rugers - But when I was shooting Rugers, I had free spin pawls in mine.

The pawls make it nicer for loading and unloading, even at the tables.

And MUCH nicer for on the clock reloads - No counting clicks, no "special" positioning on your hand to spin the cylinder.

 

Simply open the gate - stick a round in the empty hole, move that round counter clockwise past the hammer - slap the gate closed and shoot.

10ths, 100ths, 1000ths of a second? How much faster is debatable, but it is faster.

 

You don't see on the clock pistol reloads too often anymore (and as a Gunfighter - I say Thank you), but they are still out there and at ANY level in our game, if you can gain 10ths, 100ths, or even 1000ths on the guy you're running against - You should take it.

[Arcadia Outlaw, SASS 71385]

No it does not happen often but its nice to be ready,my guns have T bars removed so you have to put on half cock to load kinda sucks for reloading on clock but luckily my wifes are set up free spin just in case.

 

 

 

AO

[shenny]

Actually revolver reloads are quite common in top gun shootoffs,so I guess it depends on the shooter.

 

 

Deuce,

 

if'n that's the only time, I sure as you know what don't have too worry about that. I have not had to reload pistol at a local match for at least 5 years. If I'm shooing my .45 OMB's, then I'm covered also. Being as the are West Fargo short stroked guns.

 

Shenny

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Actually revolver reloads are quite common in top gun shootoffs,so I guess it depends on the shooter.

 

......at ANY level in our game, if you can gain 10ths, 100ths, or even 1000ths on the guy you're running against - You should take it.

 

Well, I guess that pretty well defines it for me. I am never, ever in any shootoffs, and 10ths, 100ths, or even 1000ths will not make the slightest bit of difference in where I come in in the standings. So I guess that is why I have never been interested in Free Spin Pawls.

 

And yes, I was feeling a little bit feisty this morning.

 

Wait until I start my Rant about Holy Black.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

. . . luckily my wifes are set up free spin just in case.

 

 

 

AO

 

AO, do you have "free Spin" wives???!!! :D

[Guest Joe West, SASS#1532 L Regulator]

I have a beautiful plaque "Fastest Sixgun" from the first Range War regional. It was a one run sidematch with 15 pistol shots using 2 pistols. I was only wearing one of my 6 1/2" 44-40 Vaqueros as it was side match day so I borrowed an unmodified 7 1/2" 44 mag Vaquero and 5 shells from the kind gent running the side match. My gun has my action work but no free spin or half cock to this day. Aimless Annie was writing stuff up about cowboy shoots then and she came over later to ask how a slow old shooter like me could beat the fast shooters of the day. I told her it was because I'd been shooting IPSC with my Vaquero for some time. After loading 20 to 30 rounds on the clock at each stage for several years, it got a lot easier. So I beat them on the reload time, not the shooting. I was up against every kind of customized action.

People were disappointed that I didn't have some mechanical modification that could account for this fluke.

It's the same thing with good shooters now and then, they practice. So add ons, mods, light loads, and slick leather help but they just plain practice a lot.

Joe

[Nate Kiowa Jones #6765]

Kinda like having a reverse in your cars transmission. It aint needed if you plan ahead but it does come in handy sometimes.

[Lone Dog, SASS #20401]

Had a ole peach colored Galaxy back in the day. Ran good and got me wherever I needed to go, just wouldn't back up on it's own. A small boast -- never had to push 'er back by hand either.

 

Best way to do a single round reload with a Rooger: fire the first round. Leave hammer down on fired round. Open gate and insert reload round as the empty chamber has advanced to be under the gate. Close gate. Continue to march. Don't have to count no clicks or anything, just shoot.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Who cares - if ya like and can use it great ...if not...great. I am not a competitive shooter and don't have one on the 'original' Vaquero, but if'n I had a New vaquero it wouldn't make a difference either way for me, I might even find myself adapting too it.

 

So really - why make an issue of it...

 

GG ~ U*S*A Flag

[Grizzly Dave]

Don't have them, don't really see much of a need. Seen exactly one on the clock reload, I had never even thought about it so just clicked it around several times, closed the gate and then slip hammered until the round fired.

 

If I am ever in a top gun shootoff, Hell will have frozen over, and I'm not talking about the place in Michigan.

 

If I ever start seeing more revolver reloads on the clock I'll probably just practice indexing like Painted Filly describes.

 

Grizz

[Doc McGee, SASS #51213]

Free spin pawl on a Ruger works well for me. With earplugs in there just isn't room for my hearing aids. I can barely hear the timer beep let alone hear the cylinder click. I reload, turn the cylinder back two holes, visually of course, close the gate and I'm ready to go.

 

As far as frequency of an on-the-clock reload, doesn't happen much. I see more rifle reloads than revolver reloads.

 

Doc McGee