Light Strikes New Model Blackhawk with Super Blackhawk Hammer

J

jjohnson

New member
Hi Gents!

Being a tinkerer, I decided to replace a pair of original hammers on older New Model Blackhawks with Super Blackhawk hammers (lower profile, wider spur).
ONE of them works just great... the other one is giving me incredibly light hammer strikes and firing maybe 1 of every 5 rounds, only dimpling the primers on the others. This is a revolver that before I changed the hammer shot 100% of the time. The hammer spring is factory original. When I compared firing pin travel on the two revolvers with new hammers, I noticed that the one that still shoots 100% has more firing pin reach (observed by dry firing with cylinder removed) than the one that fails. Anybody seen this before? I'm ready to get an increased power spring from Wolff, just surprised to see this when comparing the two. Thanks in advance!
 
Any sign of friction or wear on the side of the new hammer.?If so that may indicate loss of momentum when the hammer comes down and a light strike. Also could temporarily remove the hammer block to see if that is the root of the problem.
 
Sounds as if the hammer is cut too deep where it contacts the transfer bar. It is hitting the frame instead of imparting its energy to the transfer bar.

Maybe taking a little off the hammer at the nose.


Bob Wright
 
I have done this:

Insure the gun is empty. Cock the revolver, and with the muzzle straight up, drop a red Coca-Cola wooden pencil, eraser down, down the muzzle so the eraser rests on the firing pin opening, then trip the hammer. Pencil should jump clear of the muzzle by a couple of inches.

A yellow No. 2 Eagle pencil works as well, red Coca-Cola pencils being somewhat scarce.

Bob Wright
 
Bob may be Wright

:) Bob, I tried the pencil launch test and the one that fails will launch a Bic pen (no Coke pencil handy) out of the barrel but not far. The one that works will launch it several feet in the air. I swapped out frames (including spring and strut) and the failing one still launches just out of barrel, so the problem should be with the new hammer. I suppose I could put some machinist's blue dye on the face of the hammer to see if it's hitting the frame instead of the frame. Thanks!
 
The dye test will tell you probably that the hammer is hitting both the frame and transfer bar. The hammer projection should hit the frame just a fraction after hitting the transfer bar.

The hammer should not hit the transfer bar with such force that it will break the transfer bar, but impart enough force to drive the firing pin forward.

Do I make sense?

Bob Wright
 
The replacement Super B hammers were new parts? Not taken from working guns, right?

With no other changes to anything one working the other not means the one that doesn't is out of spec, somewhere. Slightly too thick, dragging is likely.

Too long a "safety nose" on the hammer (by just a TINY bit) could cause light strikes as well.

I suggest careful measurement of the new hammer compared to the old one (that work) as well as the dye test.

Just curious, is there a difference in the weight of the hammer? Super B vs B'hwk?

Drag, difference in weight, or profile of the nose (hits frame before enough energy is transferred to the bar) are the only reasons I can think of for your problem. One, or more of these are causing your trouble, I think.
 
I had a 357 Blackhawk that had a similar problem and it was just as Bob said. I had to take a little off the hammer nose and life was good. In my case I was able to tell by checking firing pin protrusion with the trigger pulled and the hammer down. On my gun pin did not protrude far enough for reliable ignition. If you pushed on the firing pin from the back there was plenty of protrusion. I took a little at a time off the hammer nose until the firing pin protrusion was good and I never had another light strike.
If you have good pin protrusion and a strong main spring then it's likely the new hammer is dragging.

Thanks
Mike
 
I had similar problems with a GP100 hammer. It was scraping the frame and not hitting the transfer bar very hard. I removed a little on the step of the hammer and the sides of the hammer. I added hammer shims also to help center the hammer in the frame. I believe doing this would also apply to a Blackhawk.

I would be wary of doing much removal a material on the hammer if you plan on ever putting the new hammer back into a different gun. Once you get the hammer running perfectly in the current gun it could be pinching the transfer bar in another gun you might put it in and then cause a whole other set of problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top