ELi5: In a wild west movie or game, when a gunslinger puts their revolver into their holster it often makes a “click”. (for example in Red Dead Redemption 2). Would this happen in real life, and if so, what is it caused by?
In: 19
It’s a dramatic effect added to indicate that the gunslinger eases down the hammer on their single action revolver, making it safe. De-cocking the hammer on a real revolver doesn’t make this sound.
It’s an added sound to indicate heightened or lessened danger, I think it probs my corms from the old movies when characters would cock guns to show that they were serious or deadly. The sword version of this in various media is called “Audible Sharpness”. Most media add a sound or sounds to tell you that a dangerous thing has been deployed or put away, otherwise they’d have to use dialogue and/or an action sequence, it’s mostly just a convenient shorthand for the viewer to know how heavy and/or real the shit is at the moment.
It’s a dramatic effect added to indicate that the gunslinger eases down the hammer on their single action revolver, making it safe. De-cocking the hammer on a real revolver doesn’t make this sound.
It’s an added sound to indicate heightened or lessened danger, I think it probs my corms from the old movies when characters would cock guns to show that they were serious or deadly. The sword version of this in various media is called “Audible Sharpness”. Most media add a sound or sounds to tell you that a dangerous thing has been deployed or put away, otherwise they’d have to use dialogue and/or an action sequence, it’s mostly just a convenient shorthand for the viewer to know how heavy and/or real the shit is at the moment.
The movies and games use a lot of sound effects which does not match the actions. So in general you can not rely on those sounds being correct. But this could be potentially done, but unlikely. This have to do with how old revolvers worked. They were usually double action, in order to fire you had to do two things. First you would pull back the hammer to cock it and then you could pull the trigger. Even more modern single action revolvers would have a lighter trigger pull if you cocked the hammer first. So you would typically have the hammer cocked if you were prepared to immediately fire the gun. When you would put the gun back into your holster you would typically decock the hammer which would make a clicking sound. This is so that the gun does not accidentally trigger if you for example fall off your horse or similar.
The reason this does not make sense though is that if you decock an old revolver the hammer would be resting on the primer of the cartridge. So if you fell off your horse or similar then you could equally well hit the hammer and fire the gun anyway. The correct way to carry such a revolver was to have an empty chamber where you could safely rest the hammer. Some very early revolvers did allow the hammer to rest between the chambers. But in any case you would have to not only decock the hammer but also align the chambers to the correct position. So this was a two hand operation that would make more noise then just a single click.
Later revolvers did come with safeties so that the hammer could not hit the primer without someone holding down the trigger. But this was after you had single action revolvers that could easily be fired without cocking first and it was also very late for the wild west. But a modern “wild west” revolver would have this safety so it could be safely holstered with one hand after having been cocked.
The movies and games use a lot of sound effects which does not match the actions. So in general you can not rely on those sounds being correct. But this could be potentially done, but unlikely. This have to do with how old revolvers worked. They were usually double action, in order to fire you had to do two things. First you would pull back the hammer to cock it and then you could pull the trigger. Even more modern single action revolvers would have a lighter trigger pull if you cocked the hammer first. So you would typically have the hammer cocked if you were prepared to immediately fire the gun. When you would put the gun back into your holster you would typically decock the hammer which would make a clicking sound. This is so that the gun does not accidentally trigger if you for example fall off your horse or similar.
The reason this does not make sense though is that if you decock an old revolver the hammer would be resting on the primer of the cartridge. So if you fell off your horse or similar then you could equally well hit the hammer and fire the gun anyway. The correct way to carry such a revolver was to have an empty chamber where you could safely rest the hammer. Some very early revolvers did allow the hammer to rest between the chambers. But in any case you would have to not only decock the hammer but also align the chambers to the correct position. So this was a two hand operation that would make more noise then just a single click.
Later revolvers did come with safeties so that the hammer could not hit the primer without someone holding down the trigger. But this was after you had single action revolvers that could easily be fired without cocking first and it was also very late for the wild west. But a modern “wild west” revolver would have this safety so it could be safely holstered with one hand after having been cocked.
The movies and games use a lot of sound effects which does not match the actions. So in general you can not rely on those sounds being correct. But this could be potentially done, but unlikely. This have to do with how old revolvers worked. They were usually double action, in order to fire you had to do two things. First you would pull back the hammer to cock it and then you could pull the trigger. Even more modern single action revolvers would have a lighter trigger pull if you cocked the hammer first. So you would typically have the hammer cocked if you were prepared to immediately fire the gun. When you would put the gun back into your holster you would typically decock the hammer which would make a clicking sound. This is so that the gun does not accidentally trigger if you for example fall off your horse or similar.
The reason this does not make sense though is that if you decock an old revolver the hammer would be resting on the primer of the cartridge. So if you fell off your horse or similar then you could equally well hit the hammer and fire the gun anyway. The correct way to carry such a revolver was to have an empty chamber where you could safely rest the hammer. Some very early revolvers did allow the hammer to rest between the chambers. But in any case you would have to not only decock the hammer but also align the chambers to the correct position. So this was a two hand operation that would make more noise then just a single click.
Later revolvers did come with safeties so that the hammer could not hit the primer without someone holding down the trigger. But this was after you had single action revolvers that could easily be fired without cocking first and it was also very late for the wild west. But a modern “wild west” revolver would have this safety so it could be safely holstered with one hand after having been cocked.
A revolver in a leather hoster: no. It’s just a gun shaped leather cone that the gun sits in. There might be a retaining strap over the top that can he snapped or buckled.
Many modern plastic holsters have retaining devices that click in to secure modern firearms.
A revolver in a leather hoster: no. It’s just a gun shaped leather cone that the gun sits in. There might be a retaining strap over the top that can he snapped or buckled.
Many modern plastic holsters have retaining devices that click in to secure modern firearms.
Same as many “clicks” when a modern sidearm (especially Glock) is pulled or returned.
There is no safety to disengage on the Glock, nor on a revolver like the quintessential police double action (Smith & Wesson et al). So leveling the pistol would not have that soundboard “click” that so often occurs.
Now a western single action pattern revolver does have a series of clicks as you cock it, passing half-cock, engaging the pawl (that advances the cylinder), disengaging the cylinder stop, and finally settling into full cock. It happens quick and unless you’re moving slow, it blends into one “C-c-click”. Decocking would entail a single click and best be done with more control over the gun than just the thumb, but with a little focus it can be done. Other technical reasons would come into play IRL (like lowering a fixed firing pin into a now-loaded chamber), but for entertainment venues that “click” is mere cinematic.
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