kbm6893
Member
A friend of mine has an old Model 36, early 1980's vintage. The tip of the hammer spur has been broken off. I have taken apart my revolvers before, but are hammers a drop in part?
Installing a New Hammer in J Frame
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Usually they are. But it's important to use the original Double Action sear. It's the removable lever pinned to the front of the hammer. It's fitted to the trigger.
Be cautious because there's a very small spring behind it that you don't want to lose.
Be cautious because there's a very small spring behind it that you don't want to lose.
If you don't feel like messing with it you MIGHT get an acceptable outcome by taking a Dremel tool and smoothing out the broken portion, depending on how large and obvious it is. Or it might just be easier to change the hammer and exchange the sear. Whatever works.
Look at an exploded view and you will see a small pin that needs to be knocked out of the hammer. Note the spring behind the sear and how it fits in the holes.
Protocall_Design
Vendor
You don't ALWAYS have to change the DA sear. Try the new hammer as is first and go from there.
Protocall_Design
Vendor
The main thing you're looking for there is a smooth transition of the trigger from the DA sear to the bottom of the hammer. The length of the DA sear is what regulates that.
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As said above, the new hammer and DA sear will work 50-60% of the time. If it's not smooth just swap out the new DA sear for the old one. Use a bench block when removing the pin. It sounds a lot harder than it is - it's really not too big a deal. Try the new assembly as is first - it might work fine as-is.
IF you need to change out the DA sear your going to need a .050 or slightly smaller punch and a block with appox a 1/16" hole in it about 3/8" deep. I use hockey pucks for this, but a piece of hardwood will work. Tap on the pin until it moves out a bit, then line it up on hole and tap it out into hole. TRY to tap it out just enough do that it is still stuck in the one side of hammer and your punch is holding the sear and spring in. With the sear facing up, remove punch while holding sear against hammer then slowly release it. The spring should stay in a shallow hole in trigger.
I put a tiny dap of grease on the spring where it goes in hammer to help hold it in place. Then I align the hole in sear with spring and collapse sear into place. If the pin is still started in back side of hammer I can set it on block and with sear in place tap the hammer and the pin will enter sear and go through. Once pin is close I you can use a flat punch to make sure it has no stick out on either side, I keep a small pieces of brass round stock with my punches.
If you have no .050 punch. You can make one. Buy a 1/4" piece of brass round stock at the hardware store. Buy a #56 drill. drill into the end of a
3" of the round stock about 1/2" with the drill. Then cut the shank off the drill and stick it in the hole. You want it to just long enough to stick out about 1/2". Then, lay the tip of the round stock on something real solid and with the drill shank bottomed out in its hole give the side of the brass by the drill shank a solid tap with a small hammer. This should trap the drill shank and give you a decent small punch.
I have a lathe and buy small nail set punches and slowly turn the tips down to what I need.
Brownells sells these, but I got more time than money and lots of pieces of brass round stock.
I put a tiny dap of grease on the spring where it goes in hammer to help hold it in place. Then I align the hole in sear with spring and collapse sear into place. If the pin is still started in back side of hammer I can set it on block and with sear in place tap the hammer and the pin will enter sear and go through. Once pin is close I you can use a flat punch to make sure it has no stick out on either side, I keep a small pieces of brass round stock with my punches.
If you have no .050 punch. You can make one. Buy a 1/4" piece of brass round stock at the hardware store. Buy a #56 drill. drill into the end of a
3" of the round stock about 1/2" with the drill. Then cut the shank off the drill and stick it in the hole. You want it to just long enough to stick out about 1/2". Then, lay the tip of the round stock on something real solid and with the drill shank bottomed out in its hole give the side of the brass by the drill shank a solid tap with a small hammer. This should trap the drill shank and give you a decent small punch.
I have a lathe and buy small nail set punches and slowly turn the tips down to what I need.
Brownells sells these, but I got more time than money and lots of pieces of brass round stock.
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Protocall_Design
Vendor
SS - I think there's a few places in post #10 where you say trigger when you mean hammer. We know what you mean, but might be confusing to a newbie.
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Thanks I fixed it. No idea why I had trigger on my mind. I was messing with a DA sear just the other day too.
Protocall_Design
Vendor
The J frame hammers have been the same for a lot of years. If you get a J frame one that looks like yours, it will most likely work. See if the hammer strut with the spring on it has a ball end or fork end at the top. The hammer will need to be compatible with that.
As Protocall posted check the bottom of the hammer; it should have the cross pin to be compatible with the forked strut.
Model 36 hammers use the forked mainspring strut since 1962. So anything later than that will work.
Also hammers for the Models 30, 31, 32 & 33 are the same if you can't find one for a M36.
Hammer with pin for forked spring strut:
Photo credit: Gunparts
Model 36 hammers use the forked mainspring strut since 1962. So anything later than that will work.
Also hammers for the Models 30, 31, 32 & 33 are the same if you can't find one for a M36.
Hammer with pin for forked spring strut:
Photo credit: Gunparts
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