I picked up this dirty chiefs special over the weekend and want to fix it up. It was an old detectives carry piece, the hammers been cut, the bluing has been rubbed off in spots and the grips are beat up. It locks up tight and shoots great but looks terrible

I want to replace the hammer and I am having trouble finding the part number for the hammer assembly and anyone who sells it. It is the old style hammer assembly.

I would like to find some CHEAP black grips that are the same profile as the current, not bulky wrap arounds but I am having trouble finding them since this is a square butt frame.

any input on the hammer and grips would be appreciated.
I am going to oxpho blue the frame.

I believe this to be manufactured after 1980 so I hope I posted in the correct location

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I have a square-butt J frame 36 just like that. The only aftermarket (rubber) grips that I've ever seen for that gun are Pachmayrs. You can get either the 'Compac' or the regular type. The Compacs are smaller. Don't quote me on that exact spelling though. They are both 'wrap arounds' though. But you probably already knew that.

FWIW; I just put the Pachmayr Compac's on mine and shoot it. Try a pair out if you can, the 36 feels & shoots way better in my hand than it does with the wood stocks. The only other option I'm aware of is adding a T-grip.

If you're in my area, I'd loan you my Compacs to try out...

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But then, what do I know?

S&W J Frame Square Butt Pistol Grip. - Custom Pistol Grips and Kits - CollinsCraftGrips

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NRA Benefactor

Your revolver has character. I like it. Reminds me of my Colt Agent of about the same generation. Not much fun to shoot, but easy to carry and are dependable and easily concealed.

These still wrap around the front but at least they will fit and are cheap:

Smith & Wesson J Frame Square Oversized Checkered Walnut Grips New Replacement

I would think you could hit them with some acetone or steel wool and paint them however you like. Or you could even cut them.

Good luck finding the old style ball and socket hammer. I've been looking for one for quite a while since the wife dropped mine and broke the spur off. Everyone tells me to change it out to the new style with the fork but I kinda want to keep it orginal.

Is it possible to order an old style hammer directly from S&W?

Welcome to the forum!

If you do a search on Gunbroker for "wesson parts kit" you'll have your choice of model 36 parts kits including hammers but the frames were destroyed by law enforcement. There's usually more 36 kits than any other model.

A new hammer, if you can find one will cost about $50. But for that price you can have a complete set of parts for your gun and the correct hammer. You can google Poppert's parts or Chicoine both of which supply parts for older models.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Thank you this is just what i need

if you dont mind would you share what you paid for it?

im looking at a pawn shop model 36 in very similair condition

i have a link to some a HUGE selection of grips that you will like at home on my laptop, that ill send you tonight when i get home,

$240 out the door. How much is the one you are looking at?

I had to replace the old ball and socket hammer on my friends 36 I have a friend that has alot of S&W part in the basement of his surplus store.bad side the parts has various levels of surface rust on them.I found a hammer with minor rust and he charged me $25.also found a hammer for my 1946 m10.he would bid on lots of guns the sheriffs office had cut the frame in two.

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God save the SOUTH

Don`t fix it up sell it to me . I like it just as it is.

asking 279, the finish is rubbed off on the end like yours but not too bad

i hope i can get em as close to 200 as possible i want the thing and ill prob get it.

and heres that link to a sweet grip site.

i thought they had more j frames than they do, i had only looked at k frames on there.

I can find no link

wooops

sorry

Gun Grips for Sale| Colt 1911, Python and Woodsman - Exotic and Beretta Wood |Revolver and Handgun Grips

Can someone please explain the above? I thought that there was only one version of the J-frame forged hammer. The above post seems to lead me to believe there is more than one.

I posted this on a similar thread yesterday. You have the hammer in the bottom gun of the bottom photo:

The ball/socket changed to the pin/fork in the early 1960's. You have two alternatives; old style hammers like yours may be available from Chicoine, Poppert's Parts, Jack First, etc. Just google. You can also search on Gun broker for hammer or Mod 36 parts kit.

You'll need to identify which hammer you have.
Pre war style hammer on post war guns; c.1946 to 1953:


New style hammer; early w/ball & socket c. 1953 to 1960 (bottom gun) and post c.1960 to MIM hammers w/pin and fork (top gun); the exterior is the same:


Which ever style hammer you have, the other option is to buy the pin/fork spring strut rod then you can use an easier obtained later model hammer if you're not concerned about originality.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

$240 OR $279....I'd be glad to find a S&W priced like that around here, esp at a LGS. I've bought three different shooter-grade model 36's (2" RB, 2" SB, 3" RB) recently, each for $325-360. The hammers (and everything else) were intact but overall they were about the same condition as the one pictured. Some holster wear (which I don't mind) and some nicks etc in the blueing (which I do mind but can't do much about).
The blueing was beat-up on all three cylinders, nicks & scuffs on two & blood damage on the third. I ended up beadblasting & oxpho-blueing each of them which resulted in a nice matte-black finish. Looks great against the (mostly) shiny blue frame, esp for on a carry gun with some honest holster wear. I also smoothed the serrations & radiused the trigger on all of them, and bobbed the hammer on the 2" RB, came out great. I'm very pleased with them, esp the bobbed-hammer 2-incher. It's my everyday carry..