Yeah, what is the deal with the dearth of break-top designs? Is it just not strong enough? Or more difficult to machine?
Well, if I recall in looking it over (I had a lot of fun with that little gun before ammo dried up), all the locking was in tension except for the little pin holding the sight base, which was in shear stress (or strain, I forget which is which all the time). You pushed up on the sight to unlock and hinge down the barrel and cylinder.
I see no reason why that locking method could not be replaced by something else much stronger --remembering that the original load was black powder and smokeless loads were pretty wimpy.
Either that or make that hinge pin out of Unobtainum Carbide, UoC
2.
As far as operation was concerned, I found I could use my gun-hand thumb to unlatch it, and when the barrel tipped down, the ejector star automatically pushed the cartridges out most of the way and a shake threw them out all at once. Reloading with loose cartridges was necessary, but I remember wishing I could design a speed-device to reload with the off hand.
I can see a thumb control for unlatching placed in the same place as a normal DA revolver opening button, left side, and designed for strength with modern cartridges.
Incidentally, the "automatic" ejection led at least one manufacturer (H&R?) to call it an "Automatic !"
Anyhow, I've been moderately enamored of the top-break system ever since I had that gun.
Not as enamored as I am with Sofia Vergara, but... interested.
Terry
