Ruger Hammer Shims

A

arquebus357

New member
My Security Six (1974) has a whopping .012" hammer sideplay. I have installed a pair of .004" shims. While my main purpose was to prevent the highly polished hammer from getting scuffed, (:)) I find that the hammer feel is much improved. It's a very easy modification on a Ruger double action. You only need to apply a bit of gun grease to hold the shims in place. You also need to remember that the shims are there for general disassembly when detail cleaning.

Get out your feeler gauges, you might be as shocked as I was.
 
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I agree 100% , I have installed hammer and trigger shims plus spring kits in my wife's gp-100 and my SRH and wow what a difference.
 
Yes...I also installed the 10# hammer spring from the Wolff GP 100 kit. I have only tested with castrated 38 special rounds so far which have been 100% ignited. I will be doing further testing at the range.
 
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I don't see the problem with having a little side play in the hammer.
I just looked at mine and there is some, but nothing that would affect the function of the gun.
 
I don't see the problem with having a little side play in the hammer.
I just looked at mine and there is some, but nothing that would affect the function of the gun.
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In guns tuned for the lightest double-action pull, play in the hammer can be important. In such guns, it is common to use only Federal primers and if the hammer rubs on the frame before striking, energy is lost which could result in a light strike and no ignition.
 
Hammer shims can definitely make a difference. Having the trigger rub the frame isn't helpful for a smooth double action trigger pull. Having the hammer strike the frame every time the hammer drops can't be good for accuracy or function of the gun.

A couple of months after purchasing I remember noticing the hammer on my GP100 had scratch marks covering the part of the hammer that rested inside the frame. You could clean then off with a little 0000 steel wool but they'd be back after a couple of dryfires. I researched the issue and bought some shims which made a huge difference. I can shoot 100's of rounds and it will still get scuffed up a little but it's barely noticeable.
 
Highvallyranch you are right, the side play on a hammer or trigger will not effect the function of a gun. But if one wants to have the best action one can get then taking and centering the trigger and hammer so there is no drag will tune the gun. Kinda like a car engine it will be just fine stock but if one wants better performance they tune it ..
 
Highvallyranch you are right, the side play on a hammer or trigger will not effect the function of a gun. But if one wants to have the best action one can get then taking and centering the trigger and hammer so there is no drag will tune the gun. Kinda like a car engine it will be just fine stock but if one wants better performance they tune it
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That's odd, I also set the valve adjustment for my Honda Prelude .002" tighter than specified.
 
I'm not sold on this idea because my Ruger security six has some wiggle on the hammer, but the hammer stays centered and has the nicest trigger I've ever felt on a Revolver and most semi's. And I've shot most competition target guns for comparison.

It's not possible for it to hit the sides as it sits so deep into the frame recess.

I could see this in revolvers with a firing pin on the hammer, but with the Security six and transfer bar setup, the centered hitting of the firing pin is not necessary for smooth function. As long as there is no binding, there is not enough friction to affect the hammer fall.
 
It's not possible for it to hit the sides as it sits so deep into the frame recess.
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I'm not understanding this statement at all. If I was seeing scuffing on the side of the hammer it must have been hitting the frame sides.
 
"...apply a bit of gun grease to hold the shims in place..." Grease doesn't hold anything anywhere. At least not until it gets full of dirt and assorted grit or solidifies in cold weather.
If the hammer isn't moving sideways, you don't need anything. If it is, it's due to the diameter and fit of the hammer pivot pin.
That 12 thou the total for both sides? As in 6 thou per side. 2 thou may not be enough clearance.
 
"Grease doesn't hold anything anywhere." Sure it does. Take a small washer and dab some grease on it and it'll stick to your fridge... same principle with the shims and the hammer. It would be impossible to position the hammer and shims in the frame without the use of something to hold the shims in place.

High Valley Ranch, If the hammer isn't hitting the frame then I guess you have nothing to worry about. It is very possible that there is no need for shims on some guns, but that doesn't mean there is never any use for them. If the hammer is hitting the frame the use of shims can help. I'm not worried about the hammer being centered. I don't want the hammer rubbing or smacking against the frame.
 
"...apply a bit of gun grease to hold the shims in place..." Grease doesn't hold anything anywhere. At least not until it gets full of dirt and assorted grit or solidifies in cold weather.
If the hammer isn't moving sideways, you don't need anything. If it is, it's due to the diameter and fit of the hammer pivot pin.
That 12 thou the total for both sides? As in 6 thou per side. 2 thou may not be enough clearance.
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Grease can indeed hold things in place. Not firmly in place but enough for this procedure. If the hammer is free to slop back and forth on it's pivot pin, it will. .002" not enough clearance ? I have a Spanish Star 9mm that you cannot slip even a .002" feeler gauge between the hammer and frame. It's smooth as glass and no hammer scuffing. But then again it's hammer is case hardened so maybe the scuffing would not show. That's real case hardening not the fake case hardening that Ruger used.
 
Grease doesn't hold anything anywhere. At least not until it gets full of dirt and assorted grit or solidifies in cold weather.
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Grease does hold parts together for assembly. Try putting the needle bearings in the cap on a differential without grease. You will never get them back together without a little grease to hold them in place.

Remember the part in Saving Private Ryan where they made a Sticky Bomb with an explosive in a sock and then covered it with grease and stuck it to the side of the tank?
 
Apparently some gunsmiths seem to think the shims help improve trigger pull too even on Smith and Wesson revolvers.

I have a 629 Mountain gun that I bought used. It has sideplate shims on the hammer and trigger and it has the smoothest trigger pull I have ever felt on a revolver. Other folks that shoot it comment also. It actually feels lighter than another smith I own with the same pull weight and springs.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...igger-tools/s-w-sideplate-shims-prod9850.aspx
 
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