“You talkin’ to me? Well, I’m the only one here.” – Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver

Minutes before this quote – and very famous scene – is verbalized in the movie Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle rehearses drawing a spectacular revolver. That revolver is the Smith & Wesson Model 29; specifically a 44 caliber and 8 3/8th inch barrel (quite large and powerful). I choose the Smith & Wesson model 29 44 specifically for this post because, well, I just like the gun. The revolver entices me – as do most western-style guns; the revolver is no different.

The Smith & Wesson 29 functions just as any double-action revolver does. Pull the trigger and the hammer cocks back. Then the hammer propels forward, smashing the firing pin into the primer. The pin ignites the gunpowder (the stuff that goes boom), and the bullet speeds away. If that made no sense, all is well. Allow me to explain. Sticking out in the rear lies the hammer: the part springing (literally and figuratively) forward. It rests just above the grip – the part your hand grabs. The firing pin hides from us (fortunately for us, I am very good at hide and seek 🙂 ). The firing pin can be found on the tip of the hammer; the tip lays inside the framework when the hammer is at rest as it is shown in the picture. As for the gunpowder, it is not found inside the gun. Rather, it resides in the casing of a round – commonly mislabeled as a bullet. The bullet is the part that flies forward out of the gun. A round encompasses everything: primer, gunpowder, casing, and bullet.

As I said before, the Smith and Wesson model 29 is double action. You may know double action revolvers if you have watched any Japanese/Korean crime show – the revolvers policemen use are almost always double action. Specifically, the Japanese police use a Smith and Wesson as well. However, only a model 60 in 38 caliber rests in the holster – 38 caliber is not as cool as a 44 caliber; criminals are still mobile after taking a 38 bullet. A 44 is much safer to use because it has a higher chance to immobilize a criminal. A criminal immobilized means he/she can’t run away and hurt more people. Walter White, from Breaking Bad, uses a double action (I think. Don’t have a good look).

But I digress. A revolver is a double action when it performs two actions – the meaning of double. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer cocks back and is spring released. Whereas a single action requires the marksman to reach the hammer and pull down with the thumb in order to shoot again (we’ll cover single action when I feel like talking about cowboys). A notch on the trigger pushes the base of the hammer upwards causing the top to lower towards the grip. Eventually, the notch and hammer lose contact. The hammer flies forward, hitting the primer, igniting the gunpowder, and shooting a bullet (see paragraph 2). After the trigger moves back to its original position, the system resets. Unfortunately, I am not too familiar with the inner workings of a double-action revolver; hopefully, you still get the basic idea.

If you are interested, here is a full diagram of the Smith and Wesson Model 29. I believe this is a 44 caliber. Apologies if it is not.