Editing Revolver (section)

=== Swing-out cylinder ===
[[File:Taurus 627-KLM 357MAG 009.jpg|right|thumb|A swing-out cylinder revolver]]

The most modern method of loading and unloading a revolver is by means of the ''swing-out cylinder''.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.havegunwilltraincolorado.com/revolver-loading-unloading/|title = Revolver Loading and Unloading|last = Rick|first = Sindeband|date = 2014-11-30|access-date = 2014-11-30|archive-date = 2014-12-05|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141205003928/http://www.havegunwilltraincolorado.com/revolver-loading-unloading/|url-status = live}}</ref> The first swing-out cylinder revolver was patented in France and Britain at the end of December in 1858 by Devisme.<ref name="auto" /> The cylinder is mounted on a pivot that is parallel to the chambers, and the cylinder swings out and down (to the left in most cases). An extractor is fitted, operated by a rod projecting from the front of the cylinder assembly. When pressed, it will push all fired rounds free simultaneously (as in top-break models, the travel is designed to not completely extract longer, unfired rounds). The cylinder may then be loaded (individually or with the use of a speedloader), closed, and latched in place.<ref name="forensic" />

The pivoting part that supports the cylinder is called the crane; it is the weak point of swing-out cylinder designs. Using the method often portrayed in movies and television of flipping the cylinder open and closed with a flick of the wrist can actually cause the crane to bend over time, throwing the cylinder out of alignment with the barrel. Lack of alignment between chamber and barrel is dangerous, as it can impede the bullet's transition from chamber to barrel. This causes higher pressures in the chamber, bullet damage, and the potential for an explosion if the bullet becomes stuck.<ref name="Sweeney2009">{{cite book|last=Sweeney|first=Patrick|author-link=Patrick Sweeney (gunsmith)|title=Gunsmithing - Pistols and Revolvers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDAwpKEietkC&pg=PA49|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708220621/http://books.google.com/books?id=MDAwpKEietkC&pg=PA49|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2014|year=2009|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-0389-3|pages=49–50}}</ref>

The shock of firing can exert a great deal of stress on the crane, as in most designs the cylinder is only held closed at one point, the rear of the cylinder. Stronger designs, such as the [[Ruger Super Redhawk]], use a lock in the crane as well as the lock at the rear of the cylinder. This latch provides a more secure bond between cylinder and frame, and allows the use of larger, more powerful cartridges. Swing-out cylinders are not as strong as fixed cylinders, and great care must be taken with the cylinder when loading, so as not to damage the crane.<ref name="Sweeney2009" />