All he has demonstrated is that a very massive open frame gun (Dragoon) has thus far contained some plus P pressure levels "not magnum" ( which by the way would test his equal strength contention) pressure levels, as efficiently as closed frame design. The test would need to be conducted with at least 500 rounds and then if the revolver survived the barrel cylinder gap re-measured to confirm that no stretch has been noted.
Also it must be remembered that none of the manufacturer's I'm aware of will advise or recommend plus P loads in their convertible cylinders and it ain't the cylinder their worried about .
I don't understand the argument here. I must be dense because it's not getting through to me. Let me put it into words as it appears to me:
1. Open tops aren't a strong design. Common opinion and M.D.L.
2. Proof: manufacturers don't make open top Magnums (M.D.L.)
3. (45D) debunks that datum by shooting nearly double the intended pressure loads in open tops
4. #3 isn't valid proof since 45D isn't shooting Magnum loads (M.D.L.)
And then it's also not valid proof because 45D is using a massive open top. Well, yeah - aren't magnums massive guns?
But 45D isn't shooting magnum loads in a massive open top...
What have I missed in this logic sequence?
Ok - we'll find out just how much a Walker can handle since 45D is working his way up gradually. At some point it'll reach its limit. Perhaps someone would like to test a Walker conversion to see if it will survive magnum loads. Do it now, and see if it self destructs. (please don't do it where you could get hurt!)
Being that the Walker was the most powerful revolver till the 357 Mag, it shouldn't take much to reach magnum levels. (which seems proof enough to me - as if the concept and design hasn't already been proven)