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Old 10-24-2012, 02:43 PM
Cruisers460 Cruisers460 is offline
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Default Can I Bob It? Or find a new hammer?

Ok, first post on this site, I usually just come over and look for info. I bought a S&W Model 36 yesterday.SN J573xxx which seems to date it around 1976/77 from what I've read. Pistol would be pristine except the previous owner dropped it years ago. This placed a small scratch on the grips and broke off the tip of the hammer. I'm considering bobbing the hammer completely, just not certain if the weight of the bobbed hammer is sufficient to keep it reliable. Anyone ever done this? The alternative would be to replace the hammer. Anyone have a source? I'd like to keep it color case hardened like the original if I did that.
Thanks
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Old 10-24-2012, 02:47 PM
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Hammers are available from a variety of sources. If it were mine, I'd just tidy up the existing hammer with a dremel. The weight of the bobbed hammer will have no effect on the primer strike force. That's the job of the mainspring.
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Old 10-24-2012, 02:59 PM
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If it was me, I'd give it the full bob treatment. It'll just (continue to) look goofy if you half-bob it. Google up some photo's of the factory DAO model 37-2 for how the hammer should look when you're done.
You will still be able to shoot SA-- just start the hammer back with the trigger & then cock it the rest of the way with your thuumb. Care must be exercised, of course, esp when de-cocking.
I have a different problem- I recently bought a very nice model 60. I had it in mind to dremel the trigger blade smooth & bob the hammer to match my old bobbed model 36, but I hate to "butcher" the stock parts, plus the hammer & trigger are both flash-chromed & I don't think they'll look too good when I get done.
I checked Numrich and Brownells websites & neither place seems to have replacement triggers & hammers. This model 60 is a 1980-ish pinned-barrel model -- anyone out there have a suitable j-frame hammer & trigger they can spare, or know of a source? Thanks.
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Old 10-24-2012, 03:51 PM
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I have a NY-1 DAO, the hammer just seemed to have a bit more metal on it than the model 36. That was part of my concern.
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Old 10-25-2012, 01:55 AM
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I bobbed my model 36 hammer plus installed a Wolff 8# hammer spring, and I get 100% ignition. Don't know how much difference the 1/2# lighter hammer spring makes in the trigger pull, so I bought some 13# rebound springs for my other j-frames but will be leaving the stock hammer springs in them.
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Old 10-25-2012, 06:38 PM
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Did you call customer service at SW and see if by chance they might have a hammer that would fit? It may not be case hardened. If you do not care about the full original hammer I would give it the full bobbit.

Or post a request here on the forum for a hammer, there is probably someone who collects them and has boxes full of them.
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Old 10-25-2012, 09:42 PM
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As mentioned, the energy is in the cocked spring. If the hammer is lightened, it will just move faster, so that the total energy will be the same. It will just have more speed and less mass.

Rick
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Old 10-25-2012, 10:51 PM
alwslate alwslate is offline
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I bobbed the hammer on this md. 37, my most often carried J-frame.
I wanted it snag free but tried to leave a little metal on the back side.
Might not make a difference in ignition reliability but I just felt more
comfortable with it. So far I've had no misfires.
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Old 10-25-2012, 11:02 PM
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Try a semi bob job. I have a few bobbed hammer smith's, then saw some pics of a semi bob. If you leave a 3-5 rows of checkering, there will be enough to operate the hammer in single action mode, and to decock it if need be. The semi bob works as well as in and out of the pocket as a full bobbing. My first semi bob is shown below. I just finished the same for a model 58.



Charlie

Last edited by crsides; 10-25-2012 at 11:05 PM.
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Old 10-25-2012, 11:45 PM
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Here's a thumb-nail of the bobbed hammer on my old model 36.
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Old 10-26-2012, 10:39 AM
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Semi bobbing would make it easier to cock, unfortunately it is a clean break in front of the checkering. Smith no longer has the hammers so i'll be putting a bob job on it in a few days!
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Old 10-26-2012, 03:30 PM
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At least you don't have to decide whether to bob an intact old hammer or not, since yours is damaged anyways. I kinda like the full bob, esp if I could put a checkered or serated treatment on the top. I've seen this done n a lot of Colt hammers, but not so much on Smiths.
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Old 10-26-2012, 07:33 PM
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Bob it is, spent a few minutes with the dremel tool today. boo and back together, Just have to try it, Will probably be the first time it has been shot outside the factory.
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Old 10-27-2012, 12:03 AM
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I saw a hammernose-style model 38/49 bodyguard hammer for sale on ebay today, sort of a semi-bobbed..
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