modifying a "J" frame hammer

[Medford4]

I'm about to buy a little Smith "J" frame snubby. I'm ordering it with a laser grip on it, and I'm going to have an action/trigger job done on it. I seem to be catching all kind of flak simply because I want to retain it's single action capabilities. What I've about decided to do is buy the exposed hammer model and maybe "semi-bob" the hammer. What I think would be ideal would be to somehow put a 1911 sleletonized hammer on the little snubby, or simply something with just enough thumb purchase to cock on the rare occasion I wanted to, but at the same time be relatively snag-free. Do any of you guys know somebody that does this kind of work?

[Dueeast]

I've sent you a PM. in the meantime, go to www.smith-wesson.com the go to thier performance center, then precision gunsmithing. You'll see just like I said, bobbed hammer work for $60:thumbsup:

[Bushflyr]

Just Dremel it. Read this thread: http://glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=529447

[Dandapani]

The purpose of a single action firing position on a SD revolver is????

Cock it to show you mean business?

[Bushflyr]

Originally posted by dmobrien2001
The purpose of a single action firing position on a SD revolver is????

Cock it to show you mean business?

Who cares? I shoot DA all the time, but occasionally like to pop one off SA. The SA notch doesn't interfere with anything so why bother removing it?

[Medford4]

The purpose of single action shooting on ANY revolver is more precision at a greater range. A cocked hammer with a 4pound trigger pull AND a laser easily triples the range of a little snubby. While you may never care to do that, why waste the potential of your gun?

[Bren]

Originally posted by dmobrien2001
The purpose of a single action firing position on a SD revolver is????

Cock it to show you mean business?
To hit your target when time allows and distance requires.

[Medford4]

I believe you hit the nail on the head, Bren.

[Bren]

I have a J Frame with a semi-bobbed hammer. By semi-bobbed, I mean it flew out of my ankle holster one night at work and broke off half the hammer spur and so I smoothed over the end and went on. If I was intentionally doing it, I would cut off nearly all of the spurr and maybe leave a little nub and file some ridges on it, or else take off the whole spur and file ridges on the top edge of the hammer, so you would have to start it back double-action then cock it, sort of like the hammer on my S&W 1076.

[JerryinPA]

Originally posted by Medford4
I'm about to buy a little Smith "J" frame snubby. I'm ordering it with a laser grip on it, and I'm going to have an action/trigger job done on it. I seem to be catching all kind of flak simply because I want to retain it's single action capabilities. What I've about decided to do is buy the exposed hammer model and maybe "semi-bob" the hammer. What I think would be ideal would be to somehow put a 1911 sleletonized hammer on the little snubby, or simply something with just enough thumb purchase to cock on the rare occasion I wanted to, but at the same time be relatively snag-free. Do any of you guys know somebody that does this kind of work?

medford,

look at the model 649 if you want a 357, and look at a model 638 if you want 38 special. you're wasting money to bob a hammer if you are buying a new revolver...

jerry

[Medford4]

Thanks Jerry, but I already bought a 637. I could just save too much money buying it with the laser package to pass it up. Don't know why Smith don't offer a laser package for the 638. I've decided to just quit sweating the hammer. It's staying. I dry fired it a couple of times (I'm going to buy snap caps for it). My previous duty gun was a G35, and my current duty gun is a Kimber, so you can imagine what I thought the first time I dry fired this gun double action. Double action, this gun is strictly a close range "spray and pray" gun...even with the laser. Getting it tuned I hope will help that a little, but yes, the hammer is definetely staying.

[JerryinPA]

Originally posted by Medford4
.......My previous duty gun was a G35, and my current duty gun is a Kimber, so you can imagine what I thought the first time I dry fired this gun double action. Double action, this gun is strictly a close range "spray and pray" gun...even with the laser. ...

hi medford,

i don't mean this in any sort of disrespectful way, so please don't take offense... let me make it a little dramatic... you are wrong; in two ways.

first, with only five rounds, you don't have much to spray... so you you better make each and every round count.

second, although the snubby is often thought of as a beginner's or perhaps unskilled hoodlum's gun, it ain't so! i have shot snubby's as my favorite style of handgun for more years than i care to admit, and, let me state flatly that there is definitely a difficult learning curve to learn to shoot a snubby well.

most shooting sports fellows can be taught basic competency with a glock or a 1911 in an hour or so... an 8" circle at 7 yards, usually way better,... kinda thing.
however, learning the trigger pull, the grip, and the very short sight radius of a snubby takes a while... (you can definetely miss the 8" paper plate at even 5 yards with a snubby!!!)

if you work on truly mastering the snubby, i predict that a year or so down the road, you will surprise yourself.

PS. as a humorous sidenote... most of my time lately is spent with a glock 27. last tuesday, i had shoulder surgery... the right arm is in a sling for 3 more weeks, and will be only marginally functional for a month or so after that. so, last night we need a gallon of milk... i go to the cabinet and look at my glock... my hk uspc, my keltec ... that's all i could do; look at them. ever try to insert a mag one-handed, let alone rack a slide? i realize that lots of fellows do train for one-handed operation of a semi, but not this boy! ....so, with my left hand, i swing open the cylinder, and load my 638 jframe! i can shoot it passably well left handed. she'll be my only companion for at least another month.

regards,

jerryinpa

[Medford4]

Didn't mean to badmouth the snubby, Jerry. After all, I own one now, and while I had me a perfectly good Charter Arms snubby, I upgraded to a Smith 637 with laser because of the potential I see in them. When I get some snap caps in, I'm going to dry-fire the hell out of it, plus I'm going to have the action and trigger smoothed out. By the time I've got all that done, and have some range time under my belt, I hope to be fairly proficient out to 15 yards double action, and maybe out to 50 yards single action...alan

[JerryinPA]

Originally posted by Medford4
Didn't mean to badmouth the snubby, Jerry. After all, I own one now, and while I had me a perfectly good Charter Arms snubby, I upgraded to a Smith 637 with laser because of the potential I see in them. When I get some snap caps in, I'm going to dry-fire the hell out of it, plus I'm going to have the action and trigger smoothed out. By the time I've got all that done, and have some range time under my belt, I hope to be fairly proficient out to 15 yards double action, and maybe out to 50 yards single action...alan

hi medford,

i didn't take anything you said as badmouthing... i'm just kidding around.

i started my snubby experience with a charter arms snubby,.. i think they called it an undercover model? that was 1980... had it stolen from my pickup truck.

after that i bought a 38 special nickel plated s&w 442, which is the internal hammer model, and then it's twin in 357 magnum, the 640. then i had a very interesting experience... i mangled the end of my trigger finger in an industrial machine. since i couldn't shoot double action, i traded them both in... i replaced them with a 638 in 38 special, and a 649 in 357 magnum. these are the hump-backed looking, shrouded hammer models. i could only shoot single action with my right hand for a couple years until the finger healed.

a bonus was that i did force myself to learn at least a functional level of skill shooting with my left/off hand. today, with this darned shoulder surgery, i'm sure glad i can function off-handed.

one interesting comment... of all these snubbies, i was by far best with the dao model 640 in 357. i can't even begin to explain this.

remember, grip consistency,trigger technique, and precise aiming when using the iron sights are absolutely critical with a snub. but, in a year or so, you'll surprise yourself if you do want to work with it to that level of mastery that is possible with "even" a snubby.

thanks for an enjoyable conversation about one of my favorite topics... hope i didn't bore you too much!

jerryinpa