I fanned my .45 LC and....

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Brianma65

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It was a very awesome shooting experience :) But I've read this is not good for the gun. Would it be safe to do it 1 or 2 chamber fulls, once a week.. Lol . Or should I never do it again :( . It's so easy to hit the target when fanning the gun .
 
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Not a single action aficionado so I'll ask: Why is it considered not good for the gun? How can it offset timing? The gun is designed to take the recoil so where is the issue?
 
I'm not sure , but I've read it's not good . But who gets a .45 LC and don't , at least try this once or twice. It certainly is a great shooting experience. I like the .45 Colt so much , I always save it for last.
 
I know that Ruger will void your warranty for fanning their guns, it is considered abuse. Single actions can be beefed up to take the punishment, a stronger hand and lighter mainspring will make it easier to fan the gun.
 
It creates excess force on the locking bolt/latch and accelerates cylinder notch peening.
 
Recoil isn't the factor involved in fanning abuse. The mating surfaces where the hammer, hand, pawl and spring interact with each other is in no way made to be fanned. Believe me, I've had to manufacture springs and repair hammers and associated parts for my JP Sauer .357. The bits that are meant to handle recoil do just that, and do it very well and THEN some. Can you fan your gun?......sure you can. Will fanning it damage your gun? I guarantee the likelihood of breakage due to fanning will occur before breakage from proper use.
 
A "fanning" gun should be modified to handle the abuse, even then something will eventually wear/break.
 
OP,
Keep a log of rounds fanned and damage done.
Post the results on Youtube.

It's your gun, have fun, be safe and if you sell it..... full disclosure.
 
Can-down said:
OP,
Keep a log of rounds fanned and damage done.
Post the results on Youtube.

It's your gun, have fun, be safe and if you sell it..... full disclosure.
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Always,always and always. I've done it with 2 full chambers , but sadly I won't do it again. I really like the gun.
 
To a certain extent, how proficient and smooth you are at fanning would make a big difference to the damage done.
 
Well I wasn't going all full blown Clint Eastwood , more like a steady , mid speed fan. I know it's not recommended , I've read a post from from BC Rider , explaining it , somewhat. Just wondering if the occasional , controlled fan would be OK.
 
Brianma65 said:
Well I wasn't going all full blown Clint Eastwood , more like a steady , mid speed fan. I know it's not recommended , I've read a post from from BC Rider , explaining it , somewhat. Just wondering if the occasional , controlled fan would be OK.
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The answer is no.

I get it, I really do, but you can't keep throwing parameters at it hoping to change the outcome.

At the end if the day it's your gun, do with it as you like.
 
4n2t0 said:
The answer is no.

I get it, I really do, but you can't keep throwing parameters at it hoping to change the outcome.

At the end if the day it's your gun, do with it as you like.
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Yes, I guess if I keep asking long enough , I'll get the answer I want to hear. But I don't want to mess up my gun, I like it too much. So I won't be fanning this one anymore. Maybe this summer, I'll look at getting one , that is geared up for this type of shooting. Thanks for the info.
 
Try the "slip hammer" technique. I've done it with my old Ruger Vaqueros without damage to the gun.

Hold back the trigger while thumb cocking the gun fully as fast as you can with the supporting hand. Practice first with an EMPTY gun.
 
Look at the videos on You Tube of the faster cowboy action shooters that #### the guns using their support hand. If you fan the run at roughly the same speed it'll last as long as their guns do. And for most of us that's still fast enough. The second part of the trick is to ensure that you slip it back all the way. If you release too soon it can cause additional issues depending on the gun.

If you run them like Bob Munden did (and still does in his videos) expect to see the cylinder grooves peening, hand wearing and likely the bolt window in the main frame peen into failure. There's a price paid when the guns are cycled at that sort of speed. As mentioned already the serious fast draw guns that are fanned are built to aid in withstanding the abuse for longer.

The same thing happens to S&W revolvers that are used in DA very fast, very often. The cylinder slams into the new position with enough force to damage the stuff eventually.
 
Brianma65 said:
It was a very awesome shooting experience :) But I've read this is not good for the gun. Would it be safe to do it 1 or 2 chamber fulls, once a week.. Lol . Or should I never do it again :( . It's so easy to it the target when fanning the gun .
Click to expand...

You're not saying what brand it is, a Colt or a copy. You can give Peter a call at ....., Rustywood, sponsor on this side. He fixes guns for cowboy shooting, he will help you out if needed.
 
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