I have a Model 64-6 pre-lock Brink's security company trade in revolver and it came with a factory DAO hammer. Well finding duty style holsters with retention for it is a real pain. I'd much rather have a hammer spur so I can use a normal thumb break holster, and also wouldn't mind the ability to fire in single action on occasion (yes, I know not to cock the revolver during self defense).

How much would it cost to have a standard DA/SA hammer fitted? Does S&W do this at their factory? Please let me know guys.

Thank you!

To get an idea of what is involved, there are probably videos of how to do this yourself, if you are inclined. Bob

Any gunsmith can do that for you, cost should be minimal. Just get the spur hammer from gunpartscorp.com or other supplier.

Hammers pop up on ebay every so often. I opted instead to find a vintage(like new) Don Hume break front duty holster which secures with the trigger guard instead of the hammer. Hammers are about 50 bucks, the holster was $15.

I have gotten used to the DAO for single action shots, not a fan of staging a trigger but it works almost as well as SA. I don't buy the don't use SA for self defense, it has been used successfully for self defense for over two centuries. It is simple do not cock until justified, and then pull the trigger. Very simple concept, IMO less chance of ND's with proper SA discipline. All the ND's I saw by security, and LEO's were with semi autos, or DA revolvers, and most happened DA.

Every day, except for when I do not have my pants on there is a SA in my pocket. It will not go boom unless the hammer is cocked, and then the trigger pulled. I have no intention of doing that unless in very grave danger. I don't see the problem. DAO, and SAO both get the job done.

I purchased a buggered up 66-1 a few years ago that somebody had tried fitting N-Frame internal parts in and ground away at metal until they finally fit. It was a disaster.

Long story short, you can find replacement parts (although becoming more scarce) on Gunbroker for the exact model and engineering change, might cost between 40-75 bucks depending on condition.

It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish to do the swap. There are plenty of videos on Youtube that detail disassembly. You don't even have to break the whole revolver down to make the hammer swap. If you run into any problems, I'd be more than happy to give you my number and you can call me. I can walk you through it, and save you a bunch of money in the process.

Good luck!

I will not have any DAO revolvers or pistols.

Would I have to fit the hammer to the gun? Does it interfere with sears or anything like that, or should it be a more or less drop in replacement? I have no fear of taking the gun apart, have done it to several K and J frames, but wouldn't feel comfortable fitting sears and stuff.

It may be luck, but the ones I've replaced needed no fitting, they just dropped in.

I did my 64-5 LE turn in about a year after I purchased it. I purchased a used hammer and sear off Ebay and tried the swap. The hammer fit fine but the sear needed fitting. ( My old sear in the new hammer didn't quite work either.) It wasn't hard, didn't require any special tools either. Just some caution and thought. I learned allot about how finely everything has to mesh within a revolver to get a good action. In the end, I'm glad I did it myself. I enjoyed the learning experience and she now has an action slicker than goose snot.

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Dave

Guys I may have found a way to get a normal hammer...

Just bought another Model 64!

Pre-lock with firing pin on hammer and old style cylinder release. Don't know the dash number, don't care. Got it for $265 good shape with a strong lockup. Happy boy!! Will post pics when I get it!!

Good. About 5 or so years ago I bought a bunch of model 64-3s that were prison guard trade-ins. Those were the guns that got me into working on Smith revolvers. I eventually cleaned up all of mine and sold them for a decent profit. It allowed me to buy a 66-1...that ironically was so buggered up that I had to order an entire set of internals off of Gunbroker to get working again.

Oh well, good luck!

Very cool. Mine is a police trade in, hopefully it's not too bungled up! We'll see when it gets in! Think I'll leave my current 64 as a DAO. It is a Brink's trade in gun.

Why not?

Gunman In The Courtroom: | American Handgunner

Why would you, in a fight for your life, intentionally handicap yourself? I can think of many situations in which I would elect to give myself the best chance of firing accurately, over the heavier, longer DA trigger pull. Cocking a revolver while "covering" an overt threat would of course be unwise, but there's no reason to make an absolute rule of it. You might have to take a longer shot, or deal with a poor backstop. You might be forced to fire from a position of cover/concealment and want to limit the amount of time you're exposed. You may find yourself running low on ammunition.

Leave nothing off the table. The other side sure won't be pulling any punches.

All, my guns except 2 with shrouded hammers have single action capability, My 396 and my CA Bulldog have a dehorned hammers, but you can still cock them if you want. Just start the trigger pull to move hammer back a bit and then thumb hammer back.But, I always practice shooting double action. The only revolvers I shoot single action are those I would use for hunting. If you practice a lot double action you can be be minute of bad guy accurate at 50 yds. The reasons I would have to take a shot in a self defense situation beyond that range are hard to come up with. If I did I can still thumb cock a de horned hammer.

But, then again, I never understood making a gun DAO. Want it snag proof chop off the hammer spur, no reason to get rid of the DA sear.

A hammer switch is actually quite simple. Should be a video or two available on You-Tube. It will drop right in but whether or not it will work properly is a question that can only be answered after installation. If it doesn't work properly it will need to be fitted.

Personally I have a M-65=1 and a 64-4 both with spurless DAO hammers, which is my preference. Since I am no longer a cop, "duty" holsters are no longer a concern. For concealment I use the El Paso Saddlery "Street Combat", which is an open top, pancake style, very secure holster.

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