So just why do they (usually) flute revolver cylinders?

[greg vess]

Greg- is that a Rossi .44 special?

No I edited it. It's a 357.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Sometimes they don't. That's what attracted to this gun. It's a real early Alexandra Arms Rossi. One of the finest feeling and shooting handguns Iv'e had the opportunity to shoot. I love it and wouldn't part with it for nothing. All 357 deliciousness!

I was just about to mention that revolver. I had the same one in 2" or possibly 2.5" inch back in the 90s. One of the things that Drew me to it was the smooth cool looking cylinder. I really wish I had it back. But the Houston Co S.O. " Lost it" back in 97.

 

[AlphaMike11]

Smith and Wesson used to flute the cylinders because there was not enough room to clarinet the cylinder...

 

[cullen1780]

I don't know.

 

[the_great_white]

I think they only had two choices .Either flute the cylinder or stipple it.

 

[spencer60]

In the case of a heavily fouled blackpowder revolver, it would give extra traction, for turning the cylinder, when reloading(unless you're Josey Wales, then you just whip out more pistolas).

I always figured it made it easier to grip the cylinder.

That was one I ran across but forgot to put in the list up top... That it was to make it easier to manually turn the cylinder.

Specifically they said it was so you could turn and index the cylinder on a single-action gun while you were loading cartridges in through the loading gate. Most people do this by cupping the front of the gun in their support hand, and just using their index finger to rotate the cylinder into the next position. Having flutes there would probably make that easier, especially of the gun was fouled.

It would also give you a tactile reference for where each chamber was, which is important if you are doing the load-skip-load-load-load-load method to keep an empty cylinder under the hammer.

 

[ItBeMe]

Who gives a toot about a flute just shoot.

 

[7pt62THOR]

Fluting the cylinder makes it less scary to the libtards.

 

[Glorfindel]

I think they the flutes are to make the revolver lighter. Some are not fluted because extra cylinder strength is needed for calibers like 454 Casull or 44 mag. Same with 7 shot 357's or my single seven 327. Not a lot of metal left with 7 holes in cylinder.

 

[GAGunguy]

They did it so they could charge more the non fluted ones.