hammer issues?

[getoff]

can anyone help with a simple but important quest? i had a gunsmith replace an obviously home bobbed hammer on a model 60 i got for a nice price.it now doesnt seem to strike the primer as hard as needed. my 442 will fire the same ammo on the first hit, some times 2nd. ammo aside, the primers dont look like they are struck deep from the 60. find a new smith? go back to the bobbed hammer? replace springs? any input would be great. im going to another range tomarrow to see if it was the junk frangible or my hammer job. thanks all ahead of time...

 

[qballwill]

First thing to do is check the strain screw for the mainspring. Its located on the front of the grip frame. Make sure it is tightened all the way. This is probably the most common problem when something has been done to a gun and all of the sudden you are getting light primer strikes.

 

[getoff]

my bad, this is a j-frame with the coil spring held in place in the handle. not sure if this helps anyone help me! i'm obviously no smithy... oh yeah and thanks qballwill

 

[CelticSire]

My advise would be to try a factory mainspring and see if that resolves the issue. If the hammer was bobbed, the mainspring may also have been either replaced or shortened as part of the replacement and may now be too weak to handle the new hammer.

 

[getoff]

i'm placing an order for a wolf spring kit asap. thanks for the tip.

 

[geneboy]

Mim hammers are very light, I have not bobbed my J frame for fear the hammer would be to light and then I would need to put in a heaver main spring, And then of course screwing up my great trigger pull. If a MIM hammer was used that could be the problem.

 

[ken158]

First thing to do is check the strain screw for the mainspring. Its located on the front of the grip frame. Make sure it is tightened all the way. This is probably the most common problem when something has been done to a gun and all of the sudden you are getting light primer strikes.

A model 60 does not have a strain screw...

 

[scooter123]

Mim hammers are very light, I have not bobbed my J frame for fear the hammer would be to light and then I would need to put in a heaver main spring, And then of course screwing up my great trigger pull. If a MIM hammer was used that could be the problem.

You are operating on a common misconception. Primer ignition is a product of Kinetic Energy and that is a result of Mass times the SQUARE of the Velocity. Because of this lighter hammers actually require LESS power from the mainspring in order to achieve reliable ignition. Simple fact is that it's easier to get a lighter hammer moving fast enough than a heavier hammer and speed does matter.

Getoff, you've now found the result of installing a heavier hammer in a revolver that was set up for a bobbed hammer. Your best option is to install a new mainspring that is near full factory power. Since Wolff is famous for offering reduced power springs in addition to ones at full factory power, you will want to look at the details carefully to make sure you aren't ordering a reduced power mainspring in error. If you still have some ignition reliability issues and your model 60 has a frame mounted firing pin, I would suggest that you hit the Apex Tactical web site and order their "improved reliability" ignition kit which consists of a slightly longer firing pin and a slightly weaker firing pin return spring. In fact, you may want to try the Apex Tactical kit before installing a stronger mainsping, it may be enough to achieve perfect reliability without increasing the weight of the DA trigger.

 

[getoff]

it may have been set up by a pro, but doubtful the way the hammer was bobbed. i was looking at the very kit you recommended just minutes ago. think i may go this route. i noticed almost all the wollf stuff is reduced power, not what i wanted at all. thanks for the insight.

 

[qballwill]

Sorry, I wasnt thinking about it being a J frame and having a coil spring. Good luck

 

[c good]

light strikes in double action or single action?

 

[getoff]

both single and double. i'm gonna try several different ammos today. guy at my shop said the frangible they use have "hard primers". not sure about that, but i'll know a little more today. thanks!

 

[mmncw]

Ok, hit a nail with a lighter hammer, Do you think you will drive it in faster, Or harder. NO. Sorry no math just working class fact. Weight ie. mass Matters.

That's because the kinetic energy the previous poster mentioned equals the potential energy of the mainspring (minus conversion losses). If you change the hammer weight, the hammer velocity changes, but unless you change, modify, or adjust the main spring, the potential energy/kinetic energy remains the same. Sounds like he's got a light or defective main spring.

 

[scooter123]

Ok, hit a nail with a lighter hammer, Do you think you will drive it in faster, Or harder. NO. Sorry no math just working class fact. Weight ie. mass Matters.

Talk to a professional framer, you'll find that many are now using 12 ounce Titanium framing hammers when they can't use a nail gun.

As for my experience, I've had excellent results with my 620 at a DA pull of 8 lbs. zero ounces and it's equipped with a Service hammer. On the other hand my 610-3 isn't reliable below 9 lbs. zero ounces and it's equipped with a Target hammer.

Now, Mmncw does bring up an interesting point that does have validity, in theory the Kinetic Energy released at the hammer strike should be equal to the Potential Energy stored in the mainspring. What I've observed may be due to a difference in leverage operating on the hammer between the N and L frames. However, the motion of the hammer is somewhat complex when you take into account how the power is provided and it's quite possible that a lighter hammer allows more energy to be released from the mainspring at impact than a heavier hammer, basically a lighter hammer may be more efficient at releasing the stored energy in the mainspring. I might have to start looking for a Target hammer for my 620 and doing a bit more experimenting with it.