Bobbed hammer on a 686
- Thread starter BoomieMCT
- Start date
Your 686 is a later version with the lock & a frame-mounted firing pin, no?
In order of decreasing ease and increasing cost, your options are:
1. Take a dremel to the spur of the existing hammer.
2. Buy a replacement MIM hammer from Midway or Brownells, and take a dremel to it, swap in the sear and spring from the original hammer. MIM parts are pretty much drop-in, so there ought not be any fitting of the sear needed. And the new model sears just pop right out of the hammer.
3. Buy a forged DAO aftermarket hammer from Apex Tactical. This is the MacDaddy of revolver hammers, but you'll need to buy an old-style sear, stirrup, sear spring, sear pin as well, and the sear will need fitting. And the old style sear, being pinned in, takes a bit more time to fit, so unless you know what you're doing, installing an Apex hammer will include a trip to the gunsmith.
Personally, for most people, option #2 is the best option. It'll cost a few bucks for the hammer, but you'll keep the original hammer. And if anything goes wrong, you can just get yet another hammer while keeping the original.
In order of decreasing ease and increasing cost, your options are:
1. Take a dremel to the spur of the existing hammer.
2. Buy a replacement MIM hammer from Midway or Brownells, and take a dremel to it, swap in the sear and spring from the original hammer. MIM parts are pretty much drop-in, so there ought not be any fitting of the sear needed. And the new model sears just pop right out of the hammer.
3. Buy a forged DAO aftermarket hammer from Apex Tactical. This is the MacDaddy of revolver hammers, but you'll need to buy an old-style sear, stirrup, sear spring, sear pin as well, and the sear will need fitting. And the old style sear, being pinned in, takes a bit more time to fit, so unless you know what you're doing, installing an Apex hammer will include a trip to the gunsmith.
Personally, for most people, option #2 is the best option. It'll cost a few bucks for the hammer, but you'll keep the original hammer. And if anything goes wrong, you can just get yet another hammer while keeping the original.
ohen cepel
New member
Watch for light hammer strikes if you reduce the mass of the hammer. Not always an issue but if you see it you will need to put a heavier spring into it.
Used to be able to buy hammers which were already cut, they may be gone now though.
Used to be able to buy hammers which were already cut, they may be gone now though.
I'll probably just buy one and cut it. I didn't know until today that MIM parts had the same hardness all the way through. I originally didn't want to cut one because I didn't want to ruin the hardened outside.
I heard a lighter hammer helps ignition because it hits the pin at a higher speed. I guess as long as I save the old hammer I'm safe.
I heard a lighter hammer helps ignition because it hits the pin at a higher speed. I guess as long as I save the old hammer I'm safe.
BoomieMCT said:
What you heard is correct. All else being equal, mass goes down and speed goes up.
Momentum goes down, but while momentum is what jars the muzzle upon hammer strike, it isn't what ignites primers. Power is what ignites primers, and a lighter faster hammer has more power. Energy, btw, stays the same because the spring is supplying that - the hammer merely transfers it.
So bobbing your hammer allows you to lighten the action without reducing reliability (within limits, of course). Competitive revolver shooters will often radically bob their hammers. Icing on the cake is an accuracy bonus, since the lighter hammer hits with less momentum, so it jars the muzzle less.
I find it much easier to have a local 'smith that I trust bob the hammers on my guns than mess with it myself, since he does a much nicer job than I ever could. The work is always done right and the price is very reasonable. He did the ones below for me in addition to a few others.
S&W 327NG, MIM hammer bobbed, bead blasted, and blued
S&W 360J - MIM hammer bobbed and polished
S&W 327NG, MIM hammer bobbed, bead blasted, and blued
S&W 360J - MIM hammer bobbed and polished
Don P said:
Well, depends on what one considers "lighter":
Consider a car rolling at 1 MPH that hits your bumper. Then consider swinging a 1 lb hammer with all your might at the same bumper. Which will hit "lighter"?
Mathematically, both have the same kinetic energy, yet they'll have very different effects on your car: The rolling car has 50 times more momentum than the hammer, and since momentum's good at moving things, your whole car will rock on impact, but your bumper will likely be ok. The swinging hammer, however, has little momentum, but 50 times more power than the rolling car. Power's not as good at moving things, so your car won't likely rock at the hammer's impact. Power's great at denting things, though, as your bumper (and primers) will prove.
I should point out a caveat of hammer bobbing: With less momentum comes less ability to overcome internal resistance. A bobbed hammer really shines when the action is smooth, then, as roughness can slow the hammer down, which can, in turn lead to reliability issues. The more mass you remove from the hammer, the more important a smooth action will be.
I think part of the misconception is that the hammer is actually carrying all the energy whereas the energy is stored in the spring. If you were throwing the hammer at the primer, the mass difference might be a concern. I can't think of many revolvers where that happens, but those with a rebounding hammer (See H&R) may suffer from this. Even then, I would imagine most manufacturers have a spring that's a bit overdone anyway. I don't know, though. I'm not a physicist or engineer.
Speaking of removing hammer mass, isn't that the reason the commander hammer has a hole in it on a 1911? Increased velocity ensures better ignition, right? And there it is; I've successfully contradicted myself...I think. I need to go lie down.
Speaking of removing hammer mass, isn't that the reason the commander hammer has a hole in it on a 1911? Increased velocity ensures better ignition, right? And there it is; I've successfully contradicted myself...I think. I need to go lie down.
e-gunparts.com ....
Spurless or DA only S&W revolver hammers may still be out there; see www.e-gunparts.com . For custom work I'd check Clark Custom Guns or www.AmericanPistol.com .
The American Pistolsmiths Guild may list a shop or gunsmith that does Smith & Wesson work.
The S&W Performance Center may have a few choices too but that may be custom.
Spurless or DA only S&W revolver hammers may still be out there; see www.e-gunparts.com . For custom work I'd check Clark Custom Guns or www.AmericanPistol.com .
The American Pistolsmiths Guild may list a shop or gunsmith that does Smith & Wesson work.
The S&W Performance Center may have a few choices too but that may be custom.