So I paid $25.00 to a gunsmith to bob the hammer on my 637-2. I spoke to him in great length about the safety issue of the revolver locking back in single action and not being able to walk the hammer down once it was bobbed. He spent a long time explaining to me that the only way the hammer will lock is by pulling it back to the farthest point, pulling the trigger in double action does not cause the hammer to "set and lock". I carry the revolver in my front pocket and found the hammer to be a factor in drawing cleanly from my pocket without hanging up. I am very happy with the finished product but must warn anyone considering doing the same that it is near impossible to walk the hammer down once it has been bobbed. The gunsmith showed me how to block the firing pin with a small screwdriver if it ever became locked in single action but in reality I don't see it being very probable. I purchased the weapon in near perfect condition for $250.00 as it is my first attempt to ccw a revolver. I will take it to the range this Tuesday and see how it performs, I have it sold for more than I paid for it if I don't feel safe carrying it for self defense. Anyone else have their hammer bobbed? Would love to hear your reasons and experiences. Thanks so much.

I have a Colt Agent that I bobbed. Brownell's has a video showing how to do it using a Dremel tool and a lot of patience.

I have no problems with my gun and feel comfortable knowing that it won't snag on clothing or other materials. I also like the idea of it being a double action only gun- no concerns about accidently discharging a cocked gun under high stress conditions.

A lot of it depends on personal preference. Ford or Chevy? Stick or automatic transmission?

I have a 3" 65-3 with a bobbed hammer. I had the hammer bobbed so that it will be less likely to snag on clothing when drawing from concealment and to be more comfortable when worn in a belt holster. I also had the gun converted to DAO so the hammer can't be cocked for safety and, to a lesser extent, liability reasons.

You should have bought a model 38 hammer. Thats what I did. You also should have made your hammer DAO by grinding off the ledge on the hammer.

You could have done that. However, You did what you wanted, and that's not bad either.

I've replaced the hammer on my 351PD, using the one allglock used. I had to strip the parts off the original hammer and put them on the new one. When I finished, I had a hammer I could cock. Didn't bother to convert it to DAO. It took longer than it did to bob the Colt Agent.

I think it all boils down to personal preference.

allglock, if I buy one it will be the 642 but this was purchased from a friend. I want to try the whole revolver thing before throwing down $400.00 plus for the model of my choosing. My thought is I can replace the hammer and sell the pistol without gutting the factory set up. Wouldn't want to grind down anything and then sell it to someone, doesn't seem safe or fair to the buyer.

I just thought to be on the safe side you should have had your gunsmith, grind the ledge off the hammer to make it DAO, and NOT cockable. If you were going to replace the hammer, with a new one when you sell it, it would be back to normal again.

Put your thumb in front of the hammer -- pull the triger and allow the hammer to move forward slightly -- release the trigger -- let the hammer go all the way forward. Perfectly safe - the hammer block will rise with the first move of the hammer forward.

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Pisgah

Thanks Pisgah. I was hoping there was a simple way to walk the trigger forward.

allglock, maybe I misunderstood the gunsmith but it seemed he would have to grind something that couldn't be returned to factory once he performed the work. I will talk to him on Tuesday.

Good choice. I prefer bobbed hammers to the Centennial models personally. I bob them myself with a Dremel.

This is my 337PD bobbed. I pocket carry it everyday. Some people worry about lint and such getting in the cracks, but my experience has proved to me that it is a non-issue. (Yes, those are Taurus grips)

What Pisgah said. Perfectly safe and second nature after you practice it a while. The secret is to assure you allow the trigger to go forward after the initial pull. The hammer block safety takes it from there.

p.s. I'll bet you like the new bobbed hammer arrangement. I've had more than my share of J frames and my go to carry guns have always been the bobbed hammer or hump back flavors.
Here is my 360PD with a bobbed hammer.

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Dave

Thanks for the input men. I am going to shoot it tomorrow and see how it does. I ordered a set of wood grips from S&W today so it is looking like it will be staying here with me, hoping the wood grips won't cause my shirt to creep up like the stock rubber grips.

Wow. That is one of the performance center offerings? Why the Taurus grips?

Just a regular (now discontinued) 337PD with a bobbed hammer.

I have big hands and want grips that cover the backstrap - AND that also only have a short two-fingered grip for ease of pocket carry. Most grips that cover the backstrap have an extended grip for the pinkie finger.

The Taurus grips fit the bill and work on J Frames with only a little fitting. Specifically, the frame cross pin is in a different place on the Taurus, so you need to relieve the inside of the Taurus grips to fit the J Frame cross pin placement. a 5 min job.

All my "business guns" that are revolvers are bobbed hammers or Centennial designs.

I actually shoot better DA than SA and FWIW is due to better concentration on the trigger.

I agree with Allglock and like to replace the spur with a bodyguard hammer. A stronger return sping is needed of the lesser mass results in light hits though.

This is interesting because I know where I can get a 637-2 for $325 in NIB condition. So that's about $100ish less than the new 642 I'm thinking about.

Buuuuut, I want to pocket carry it. So, if anybody can please tell me about a bobbed (DAO type) replacement hammer, then that would be cool, because I could keep the original and put it back on if need be.

Edit: ok, now I'm following you - if you put a different hammer on it, then you'd have to change out the spring - makes sense. You know, I'm just going to wait and get a new 642 or 442 and be done with it rather than get the 637, order parts, etc. Plus, I really want a no-lock version...

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But then, what do I know?

You can check this out:

Hammer, .240"

It shows the same hammer that alglock used on his gun. It's relatively inexpensive, but you will have to strip the parts off your current hammer and put them on this one.

If you decide to do this, consider doing it inside a cardboard box. Then, if a spring gets away from you, you will be able to find it easily.

This is the one I installed in my 351PD. Works fine.

IMHO, changing the spring on a bobbed hammer is a hold over from the days of full sized/heavy non-MIM hammers. I've bobbed 3 modern MIM hammered J frames and never changed out to a stiffer spring. No issues of a single misfire with any of them through hundreds of rounds. The amount of metal removed on an already super light MIM Jframe hammer is VERY small. I beleive there is plenty of margin built right into the factory spring. (I don't see a different part # for factory 638 springs either.)
That said, I'm not looking to start another Nth degree "what's your life worth" argument.
Also not arguing it's a bad idea to swap it out ( if you can live with the increased pull of a beefed up spring). Just saying that my experience shows it's not a hard fast requirement for reliability. FWIW: I cut my hammers with a dremmel cut off wheel while they are right on the gun. A little masking tape goes a long way in keeping everything nice and clean.

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Dave

I am happy to report the gun worked perfectly today. I ran some Hornady Critical Defense and some Buffalo Bore +P. I will admit that I SUCK with accuracy at this point but I had a blast and will continue to work on it. I have a nasty gash on my thumb as the Buffalo Bore forced the cylinder release into my hand. The +P wasn't that much difference than the Hornady but you could easily feel the difference as I alternated the rounds in the cylinder. I have a lot of work to do but the bobbed hammer made it tons easier to pull cleanly from my front pant pocket. I am now a huge fan of wheel guns.