I barely lost a bid on this auction.

They said it's not original because the hammer is replaced.
Is it replaced or not? I didn't know people made Model 3 replacement parts.

Just a moment...

Help me feel better about barely losing the auction!

Welcome! As far as I know no other company made model 3 hammers, although this part from a quality foreign copy 'might' fit.

I suspect the seller was going on the fact that the hammer looks much newer and in better condition than the rest of the gun, especially compared to what appears to be the original trigger.

Overall, the gun looks "well loved". Keep looking, these later Russian Models are out there.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Hi There,


I concur with Alan. The hammer looks too good compared with
the rest of the revolver to be original to that gun.


Cheers!
Webb

Yes, you have a revolver with much wear, no original finish, and pitting, and yet a hammer that exhibits vivid case colouring. The only logical explanation is that the hammer is replaced.

I think it is original but brutally cleaned.
The grips are also later replacements

I have reason to believe that modern Uberti No 3 Russian parts fit the S&W No 3's.

Ivan

I have a New Model Russian with an American style hammer????

Almost no parts will interchange between the Uberti #3 Russian and the original S&W Russian. Infact there are only two springs that may be used, and they require a minimal alteration. The internal parts have been heavily modified from the originals.

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Mike Maher #283

If the hammer is not from a Uberti, then where did they get a replacement?


If you had an original gun in much better shape like the hammer is, would they take it off and put it on this one?


Or is it possible to hand fit the uberti copy?

It may have been a spare part originally, or broken up from a parts gun. The swap may not have been recent. All sorts of possibilities.

Found another Russian yet?

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Going from memory, the Uberti hammer has a hammer block, the hammer is thicker, and the pivot is a different (larger?) diameter.

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Mike Maher #283

My first thought was that this sounds like the phrase, "just a little pregnant"

The is the possibility that someone re-case hardened the hammer......not sure why you would or perhaps someone parted out a gun with a nicer hammer?????

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James Redfield
LM #497

Water under the bridge now. Have you tried posting a WTB ad here? Might be worth your time, and you might find a "more loved" example.

Momma always said, "Things happen for a reason." Good Luck!

Probably from a parts gun. But making that hammer would not be a huge task. I’m sure there are backyard machinist on the site that could make one lickity split.

Hi There,


Back in the early 1990's, I purchased an NOS hammer and trigger
for my 1917 Brazilian from a parts dealer in Maine. He said they
bought S&W's obsolete parts so, someone may have found an NOS
hammer from this place 30+ years ago.


Cheers!
Webb

Dave Chicone used to have parts like this hammer available when he was in business.
Condition varied as did availability.
He would refinish/restore some parts to factory new condition (like a hammer) if it needed it.
Much the same as some Colt SAA restoration specialty shops do to hammers & triggers.

If someone needed one to replace a broken or damaged hammer in a gun, you bought the refinished to new one he had for sale and he took the broken one you had in at a trade value.

So a brandy new lookin' hammer would get installed in a somewhat worn looking revolver.
Most would wear the finish back on the new replacement to match the rest of the revolver.
But some just want a hammer and for it to work.

Just one explanation,,not necessarily the right one.