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So while doing some research for an upcoming RPG, I came across a term I've never heard of before. They referred to a revolver as having a 'twisted iron' cylinder as opposed to a steel one. From pictures of it (the Griswold & Gunnison) it appears identical to the gun they are comparing it to (the Colt Navy), at least the cylinders do. What does 'twisted iron' mean, in this context?

It's a method of producing iron where you twist the metal rods during forging to improve strength.

Griswold (don't know about the other one) used this process because steel was a scarce resource in the Confederacy. While the gun frames were made from steel, the steel was heavily diluted with copper*. This made the steel bad for the cylinder of the revolvers as the copper in the steel was a structural weakness. You couldn't use it as a chamber because the chamber would start bending over prolonged use, and thus prevent it from revolving.

*This is also the reason there are so few remaining Griswolds, and why those that do remain are often in such bad shape.

I admit my ignorance in this regard--I know virtually nothing about the gun manufacturing process.

Metal rods? I didn't know gun cylinders have metal rods involved in them. (I kind of thought they were tooled from a single piece.)

 Jimsolo wrote:


Metal rods? I didn't know gun cylinders have metal rods involved in them. (I kind of thought they were tooled from a single piece.)

Its not about how the cylinder was made. It's about the iron that was used to make the cylinder (Griwold owned an iron foundry in Georgia that produced twisted iron). The iron would be cast into rods, then twisted under heat to give it more strength. Later those rods would be shipped out and bored into cylinders.

Gotcha. Thanks for the help!