History Of The Revolver
The first revolvers used gunpowder, balls and caps like the earlier percussion-cap pistols. The shooter would load each of the six chambers in the cylinder with gunpowder and a projectile, and place separate percussion caps on corresponding nipples. While the loading procedure was tedious, a shooter could have six rounds fully prepared ahead of time.
In the 1870s, these models were replaced by revolvers that used bullet cartridges instead of gunpowder and caps. Cartridges are a combination of a projectile (the bullet), a propellant (gunpowder, for example) and a primer (the explosive cap), all contained in one metal package.
In a modern revolver, cartridges are loaded into six chambers, each of which can be positioned in front of the gun's barrel. A spring-loaded hammer is positioned on the other side of the cylinder, in line with the barrel. The basic idea of the gun is to cock the hammer back, line up a new cartridge in between the hammer and the barrel and then release the hammer by pulling a trigger. The spring throws the hammer forward so it hits the primer. The primer explodes, igniting the propellant, which drives the bullet down the barrel.
The inside of the barrel is lined with spiraling grooves, which spin the bullet to give it stability. A longer barrel improves stability, since it spins the bullet for longer. Extending the barrel also increases the speed of the bullet, since the gas pressure accelerates the bullet for a longer period of time.
In early revolvers, a shooter had to pull the hammer back before each shot and then pull the trigger to release the hammer. In modern revolvers, simply pulling the trigger will force the hammer backward and then release it.
You can see how a modern revolver works in the diagram below
Specifics
Of The Weapon
Will we talk about the Smith and Wesson,
Model 65, which is a .357 magnum revolver capable of holding six rounds of
ammunition throughout this article.
The Smith and Wesson Model 65 is a double -action revolver.
Double-action – A revolver or pistol on which a long trigger pull will both cock and release the hammer to fire the weapon. In a revolver this action also rotates the cylinder to the next chambered round.
The ammunition used in a revolver
Specifications
·
Caliber: .357 Magnum/.38 SPL
·
Muzzle Velocity: 925 fps
·
Barrel: 4 inches
·
Weight (Empty): 30 ounces
·
Length: 9.5 inches
·
Capacity: 6 rounds
General
Nomenclature For The Revolver
Cylinder: The
cylinder holds six rounds in individual charge holes. The cylinder is fluted
and it pivots into and out of the frame for loading or unloading.
Ejector Rod: The extractor rod passes through the yoke and
the cylinder and is attached to the star shaped extractor. Pressure applied to
the extractor rod pushes the extractor away from the cylinder; extracting and
ejecting expended cartridge cases.
Barrel: The barrel
is threaded into the frame. The
underside of the barrel contains a locking lug to support the extractor rod
when the cylinder is closed. The barrel
contains the front sight. The rear of
the barrel just forward of the cylinder is known as the forcing cone.
Cylinder Release: when the thumb piece is pushed forward, unlocking the cylinder from the frame
and allowing it to swing open for loading and unloading.
Top
Strap: Stainless steel frame of
the weapon located on top of mid-frame and houses the rear sight.
Front
Sight: Stainless steel sight
mounted on the front of the barrel with grooved graduations on the ramp at the
rear of the front sight.
Rear
Sight: Manufactured into the rear
of the top strap. NOTE: The rear sight is not adjustable on our model.
Hammer: Located behind the rear sight. The hammer
incorporates the hammer nose. The hammer nose is the striking mechanism, which
strikes the primer on most models
Backstrap: The rear of the two grip straps on a handgun,
which lies beneath the heel of the hand when gripping the gun.
Grips: The handle used to hold a handgun.
Frontstrap: The part of a revolver or pistol grip frame that
faces forward and often joins with the trigger guard.
Trigger: Refers to the release device in the firing system
that initiates the cartridge discharge. Usually a curved, grooved or serrated
piece that is pulled rearward by the shooter’s finger, which then activates the
hammer.
Trigger
Guard: Usually a circular or oval
band of metal, horn or plastic that goes around the trigger to provide both
protection and safety in shooting circumstances.
Safe Condition
·
Finger off
the trigger at all times.
·
Barrel
pointed in a safe direction at all times.
·
Hammer down.
·
Cylinder
open.
·
All charge
holes empty.
When carrying the weapon in the safe condition,
the cylinder should be held open and the barrel should be held straight up.
Loading
·
Keep the
finger off the trigger during the loading process.
·
Keep the
barrel pointed in a safe direction at all times during the loading process.
·
Open the
cylinder by pushing the thumb piece forward with the thumb of your strong hand
then push open the cylinder with your ring and middle finger of your weak hand,
keep the weapon at eye level and pointed at a 45°degree angle toward the ground
for the remainder of the loading process.
· With the
strong hand, load a cartridge into the charge hole at the 12 o'clock position,
and then rotate the cylinder clock wise with the weak hand thumb until an empty
charge hole is again at the 12 o'clock position. Repeat this step until the weapon is fully
loaded.
· Close the
cylinder with the weak hand as the strong hand establishes the proper grip on
the weapon.
·
NOTE: Do not slam or flick the cylinder closed as
this can cause damage to the yoke.
·
The weapon is
now ready for firing.
Unloading
·
Keep the
finger off the trigger during the unloading process.
·
Keep the
barrel pointed in a safe direction at all times during the unloading process.
·
Press the
thumbpiece with the thumb right thumb as your left hand pushes and holds
the cylinder open.
·
Point the
barrel straight up as the thumb of the weak hand (right handed shooter) or the index finger of the weak
hand (left handed shooter) presses the extractor rod, ejecting the cartridge
cases. (Pressure from the palm of the hand may be needed)
·
Check to
ensure that all charge holes are empty.
Check again.
Reloading
·
Keep the
finger off the trigger during the reloading process.
·
Keep the
barrel pointed downrange at all times during the reloading process.
·
Press the
thumbpiece with the thumb of the strong hand as the weak hand pushes and holds
the cylinder open.
·
Point the
barrel straight up as the thumb of the weak hand (right handed shooter) or index finger of the weak hand
(left handed shooter) presses the extractor rod, ejecting the cartridge cases.
·
Bring the
weapon to a position at eye level, barrel pointed downrange at a 45°degree
angle toward the ground.
·
With your right hand, load a cartridge in the charge hole at the 12 o'clock position
then rotate the cylinder clock wise with the weak hand thumb until an empty
charge hole is again at the 12 o'clock position. Repeat this step until the weapon is fully
loaded.
·
Close the
cylinder with your left hand as your right hand establishes the proper grip on
the weapon.
·
The weapon is
now ready to be fired again.
The
Fundamentals
During the following, the physical aspects
of shooting are broken down into seven fundamentals, which are the building
blocks of shooting excellence. They are:
·
Stance
·
Grip
·
Sight
Alignment
·
Sight Picture
·
Breathing
(Respiration)
·
Trigger
Control
·
Follow
through
Although the essence of the fundamentals remains
the same for target and combat shooting, the difference emphasis of the two
shooting styles quite naturally leads to different techniques in applying the
fundamentals.
Making
the accurate shot is simply a matter of properly aligning the sights on the
target, and then making the weapon fire without disturbing that alignment.
Stance
Stance is the body position assumed by the
shooter. It is the mechanism by which
the shooter attaches the weapon to the ground.
The significance of stance is that is determines overall stability of
the body and weapon during the act of shooting.
While the word "stance" is normally associated with the
position of the feet, when used here it will refer to the body position assumed
by the shooter to fire the weapon.
Proper Stance
A
subtle and often overlooked aspect of proper stance is that it should allow the
shooter to support body weight and the weapon with a minimum of effort. This means allowing the skeletal system of
the human body to support as much of the weight as possible, thereby
diminishing the amount of weight that must be supported by muscle. The more weight that is supported by muscle,
the faster the shooter will fatigue.
The
general characteristics of proper stance are:
·
Provides adequate stability without adversely
affecting the ability to fire the weapon.
·
Maintains balance by equally distributing the
weight over the center of gravity.
· Allows the shooter to support body weight and
the weapon with a minimum of muscle fatigue.
·
Places the weapon sights into proper position
and alignment with the shooting eye.
Isosceles Stance
The
isosceles stance is one that lends itself well to both target and combat
shooting. The stance allows for a solid
two-handed grip on the weapon that can be adapted to standing and kneeling
positions. In the standing position, the
isosceles stance is described as follows:
· Feet shoulder width apart, parallel to the
target line or strong foot slightly to the rear, toes pointed slightly outward.
·
Knees unlocked or very slightly bent.
·
Upper body bent slightly forward.
·
Head held upright.
·
Shoulders parallel to the target line or strong
side shoulder slightly to the rear.
·
Arms extended fully forward, elbows locked out,
bringing the weapon to eye level.
The
isosceles stance has numerous advantages:
·
By virtue of the locked elbows, it brings the
weapon quickly to the same position in relationship to the shooting eye,
allowing for quick alignment of the sights.
·
The locked elbows also provide maximum
resistance to the recoil of the weapon.
·
It provides the shooter with the ability to
quickly engage multiple targets over a wide field of fire without having to
readjust foot position.
Grip
Grip is the method by which the shooter is attached to
the weapon. It can be accomplished with
either one or two hands. It is important to precision
shooting in that it will determine the nature and amount of movement the weapon
will experience due to recoil. The manner
in which the weapon is gripped can lead to unwanted movement as trigger
pressure is applied, movement that will move the sights off the target prior to
ignition. Improper gripping force can
adversely affect shot placement. It is
the grip that provides primary resistance to the movement of the weapon during
recoil.
Precision shot placement requires
consistent gripping force.
It
is important that the grip, once established, will allow for the free and
independent movement of the trigger finger.
Allowing for the unhindered movement of the trigger finger is critical
to precision shooting.
Proper
gripping technique will incorporated the following characteristics:
·
Primary gripping force directed from the front
strap to back strap.
·
The same from shot to shot
·
Consistent (unchanging) throughout the shot
·
Allows for adequate trigger finger access
·
Firm, but does not induce muscle tremors
·
High on the back strap (close to the hump of the
weapon)
·
Wrists locked
·
Applied with thumb and non-trigger fingers only
A
two-handed grip frequently used in conjunction with the isosceles stance is
one, which places both hands in contact with the butt of the weapon and is
characterized by the following:
·
Strong hand high on the back strap of the
weapon, fingers applying firm rearward pressure to the front strap, exerting
about 40% of gripping force on the weapon.
·
Strong hand placement allows for adequate access
to the trigger (i.e., the pad of the trigger finger centered on the face of the
trigger, space between trigger finger and receiver of the weapon).
·
Heel of weak hand in contact with the side of
the butt, weak hand thumb extended fully toward muzzle, alongside of the
weapon.
·
Heel of weak hand in full contact with the heel
of the strong hand, completely enclosing the grip of the weapon.
· Fingers of the weak hand wrapped around the
strong hand gripping fingers, applying approximately 60% of gripping force on
the weapon.
Sight
Alignment
Sight alignment is simply defined as the relationship of the
front sight to the rear sight. Correct
sight alignment can be described as follows:
·
The top of front sight is even with the top of
the rear sight.
·
Equal amounts of space appear on either side of
the front sight.
·
The shooting eye is focused on the front sight.
The correct alignment of front and rear sights is illustrated.
The human eye is very much like a camera in
function. It can be focused on only one
point. Anything in front of or beyond
that focal point will be slightly out of focus.
When shooting, the eye attempts to focus on three
things simultaneously:
·
The front
sight
·
The rear
sight
·
The target
This is physically impossible, and the shooter
must therefore make a choice from among the three. The natural tendency is to focus on the
target. To do so can be fatal to the accurate
shot.
To ensure that the sights remain perfectly aligned
throughout the act of shooting, the eye must be focused on the front
sight.
To precisely align the sights, the shooter must
avoid the tendency to look away from the front sight to focus on the target
when shooting at longer distances.
Center of Available Mass
The concept of center of available mass is used to
provide a method to quickly deliver deadly force to those areas of an imminent
threat most likely to incapacitate.
On the human body, center of mass is considered to
be the geometric center of the area that includes the head and torso. On irregular shapes, such as the human body,
the center of mass will shift toward the largest part of the target.
Center of available mass is simply defined as the geometric center of the
portion of the target that presents itself to the shooter. That will seldom coincide with the geometric
center of the area on the body most likely to cause the body to be instantaneously incapacitated. Center of available mass
may or may not be located in the quick incapacity areas of the body.
Sight Picture
Sight picture is defined as the relationship of
correct sight alignment to the target.
Correct sight picture has the following characteristics:
·
The target appears blurred in secondary vision.
·
The sights are properly aligned on the target.
·
The point of aim touches the top center of the
front sight.
·
The shooting eye is focused on the front sight.
Weapons
should be zeroed for a center hold (point of aim equals point of impact.)
The
top of the front sight should literally touch the exact point of aim.
In
striving to achieve perfect sight picture, it becomes quickly apparent that the
shooter cannot hold perfectly still. The
sights constantly move in, around and through the point of aim. The area covered by the sights in this
movement is called the wobble area.
Since it is impossible to hold the weapon still, you the shooter must apply
trigger squeeze and maintain correct sight alignment while the weapon is moving
in and around the center of the target.
You
the shooter must strive to control the limits of the wobble area through proper
grip, breath control, trigger squeeze, and positioning. Focusing on the front
sight while applying proper trigger squeeze will help you resist the urge to
jerk the trigger and anticipate the movement of the weapon. NOTE: Wobble is
caused by blood flow through the body.
Breathing
(Respiration)
Breath control is another fundamental,
which is far more critical in target shooting than combat shooting. Without oxygen, several interesting effects
set in on the body, which include blurring of vision, involuntary muscle
tremors and eventually unconsciousness.
To
obtain accuracy, you the shooter must learn to pause your breath at any given
time during the breathing cycle. This must be done while aiming and squeezing
the trigger. To pause your breath properly, you must take a breath, let it out,
then inhale normally, let a little out until comfortable, pause your breath and
then fire.
The
shot must be fired before you feel any discomfort from not breathing.
Trigger
Control
Trigger control is defined as the
ability to press the trigger without moving the weapon.
While
it is impossible to add pressure to the trigger without some movement of the
weapon, such movement must be minimized by the application of correct trigger
pressure if the shooter is to hit the intended target.
The
characteristics of proper trigger control are:
·
Trigger pressure is applied straight back.
·
Trigger pressure is applied with the center of
the pad of the trigger finger.
·
Trigger pressure is applied slowly, smoothly,
continually and evenly so as not to disturb sight alignment.
·
Trigger pressure is applied to the face of the
trigger only, not to the frame of the weapon.
·
The trigger finger does not touch any part of
the weapon except the face of the trigger.
·
Trigger pressure should be applied in such a
fashion that the weapon fires before physical and mental fatigue set in,
leading to anticipation.
·
Once trigger pressure begins, the shooter should
only interrupt the pressure if the sights move completely off the intended
target.
Follow
Through
Follow through is the continued effort
of the shooter to maintain sight alignment before, during, and after the round
has been fired. The shooter must continue the rearward movement of the trigger
even after the round has been fired. Releasing the trigger too soon after the
round has been fired results in uncontrolled shot, causing a missed target.
The
shooter who is a good shot holds the sights of the weapon as nearly on the
target center as possible and continues to squeeze the trigger with increased
pressure until the weapon fires.
The
shooter who is a bad shot tries to “catch his target” as his sights alignment
moves past the target he fires the weapon at that instant.
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