What to do with this Model 36?

I have a model 36 that I put a bobbed hammer on...and it became extremely unreliable due to light strikes. Did you change to a stronger hammer spring when you installed the bobbed hammer on yours?
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I bought mine used several years ago and I have nothing else to compare it with so I don't know if the hammer is stock or not. While I've had it, it has been fired maybe 30-40 rounds total and has never failed to fire. Hopefully, I can do better than that the first day after I get a better grip. :p

Just realized you were asking @dahermit about his.
 
The NYPD never marked 36's. They were bought by the officer and were his property. The model 36 was never a bobbed model for NYPD officers and wouldn't be authorized to be carried if the officer bobbed the hammer.

In 1988, revolvers with a spurred hammer were phased out to models with factory bobbed hammers so they could only be fired DA. These were the Ruger Service Six and the S&W 64. The Six was phased out and the GP100 in 38 Special was brought it. The guns did have markings that connected the gun to the NYPD. The GP became the GPNY, the off duty SP101 became the SPNY, and the 64 had some sort of marking on the crane. I believe it was stamped NY-1. This was done just to differentiate the standard guns from the factory modifications that made them into their new versions.
 
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I have a model 36 that I put a bobbed hammer on...and it became extremely unreliable due to light strikes. Did you change to a stronger hammer spring when you installed the bobbed hammer on yours?
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I bobbed the stock hammer on my M36. I did extensive smoothing and polishing on the internals (but did not touch the single or double action notches on the trigger). I routinely (every time I buy anther S&W), get a set of three different weights of trigger return springs from Brownell's and use the lightest one that still gives a positive trigger-reset.
Bobbing the hammer (less weight), causing light strikes is a myth that just will not die. Do a search and see what has been posted on that issue before. Most of the issues with light strikes coinciding with bobbing the hammer come about when someone bobs a hammer and puts in a lighter hammer spring, and it results in light strikes...then they blame the lightened hammer.
 
"The NYPD never marked 36's. They were bought by the officer and were his property."

I thought NYPD issued Model 36s to detectives.
 
Nope. No guns were ever issued. They were bought by officers and remained their property. The model 36 was a popular off duty gun and the requisite detective weapon. They did love to take their jackets off and strut around with them on their hip. It was also popular to wrap rubber bands around the wooden stocks. A real "hairbag" gun.

When the job phased out blued revolvers with hammers in favor of stainless spurless ones, the blued spurred hammer guns became a real status symbol. A 35 year detective was fired last year when his partner wanted to see his old wheel gun and shot himself in the leg when he thumbed back the hammer. They had just eaten dinner and had a few drinks. What an awful way to end your career. 35 years on the job and a six figure pension gone. The TV show Blue Bloods used the incident as a storyline in the show.
 
dahermit said:
Bobbing the hammer (less weight), causing light strikes is a myth that just will not die.
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+1

dahermit said:
Most of the issues with light strikes coinciding with bobbing the hammer come about when someone bobs a hammer and puts in a lighter hammer spring
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The other reason can be excessive internal friction. If the gun's in spec, a lighter hammer should increase reliability. But a lighter hammer's also got less momentum, so it's more susceptible to excessive internal friction. For this reason, I always recommend that hammer bobbing be part of an overall action job by a good gunsmith.
 
They issued no guns. Officers bought all of their own weapons from an approved list. The patrolman generally carried a S&W Model 10 4". Many bought the 36 as an off duty and backup piece. If they made detective, the off duty piece was approved for duty carry and the 4" revolver hung in the lokcer for those days a detective had to be in uniform. While on duty in uniform, the 4" revolver was mandatory. In plain clothes, a 2" was authorized. Some cheap cops never bought a second gun, and if they made detective, they just continued to carry their 4".

But as i said, the 2" 36 was almost a status symbol. Even the cops who did not own a 36 generally bought one if they made detective. Had to "look the part", you know.

2" Model 10's were never an option.
 
Wow, you guys were right about the grips making it a totally different gun! Here it is with the Pachmayr Compac:
19ad491a-dc07-465e-8c05-ea226e91e712_zps267947bc.jpg

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Shot 10 rounds this morning and it didn't hurt. Why only 10? Well, I was qualifying for my CCW certificate and my plan was to alternate between the M36 and Glock 19. (Instructor said he had never had someone ask to do that, but OK, have at it.) I took 5 practice shots with each. Then when I was "on the clock" I took 5 with the G19 - nice, pretty good group. Then I took 5 with the M36 - all over the freakin' paper. Went back to the G19 for the rest of qualifying. I guess after I have 400+ rounds through the M36, maybe I can qualify with it too. :o
 
Seeing a bobbed hammer spur on a self-defense snubbie makes my heart sing. It demonstrates that someone else understands the meaning of "defense" as it applies to concealed carry handguns and the purpose of a double-action revolver.
Here is my 36:
SW36_1_1.jpg
 
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Yeah, I "get it", but truthfully, I'm going to need a lot more practice with this thing before I feel good about carrying it. Action job wouldn't hurt either.

Really I need a lot more training period before I feel good about carrying at all. But I got 60-90 days to figure that out.
 
Look close at my M36 and you will see a wide, smooth trigger, and inside, where you cannot see is a lightened trigger return spring, and an action job.
 
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