Transfer Knowledge

Yesterday, I installed a Wilson mainspring and trigger rebound spring in my Model 66-8.

I have an alone policy when I open up any gun: I do not want anyone looking over my shoulder or distracting me.

When I work on guns beyond cleaning them, my workbench is free of anything not related to my intended task.

It was my first experience with a Model 66-8. Double action revolvers are more complex than a 1911-A1, but they follow they rule of all mechanical devices: they work in logical progression. If you can envision how they operate, odds are you'll be able to reassemble what you've disassembled.

Long story short: I distracted myself. And I was eagerly anticipating assessing function with new springs installed.

I carefully reassembled that baby. I couldn't wait to see her dressed in her new wooden grips. Sure as heck, she has a lot smoother double and single action trigger pull.

I got to putting stuff away when the sight of my handgun's transfer bar stunned me into long, reflective pause. How the heck did I leave a piece out? How the heck was I able to reassemble her without its transfer bar in place.

I was not a happy camper. I knew beforehand that watching football games and opening any gun are incompatible. My first thought was the gun wouldn't fire. Double and single action worked fine. When hammer hit firing pin, firing pin would have struck a primer had there had been rounds in the cylinder. My next and very frightening thought was hammer would push firing pin without trigger pressure. Nope. Unless I pulled the trigger, single or double action, its hammer wasn't going anywhere regardless of how much pressure I applied to the hammer. In essence, without its transfer bar, my 66-8 was every bit as safe as older S&W handguns w/o firing pin blocks.

I've read a bunch of 'net articles. It appears as though transfer bars add no substantive measure of safety to a properly handled S&W double action revolver. I've read accounts of gunsmiths discarding transfer bars because they do not increase a properly handled S&W double action revolver's safety. Without a transfer bar, an S&W revolver will not fire if dropped.

I really didn't want to open her up again on NFL Sunday. Now I'm not sure whether it's worth the effort.

What would you guys of more knowledge of latest iterations of S&W revolvers do?

Since you guys know a lot more about latest iterations of S&W revolvers, should I leave it out or reinstall it? Have any of you guys intentionally removed your revolver's firing pin block?

Based up my experience with my 66-8, it is 100% safe without the firing pin bock. It functions like Smith and Wesson revolvers I've carried on-duty for 10 years or so before the semi transition.

First of all S&W revolvers do not have a transfer bar. They do have a hammer block. If your speaking of the little arm that has a slot and flag, that is the hammer block. Unless the trigger is pulled, the flag portion is between the hammer and frame and will not allow hammer to move far enough forward for firing pin to contact primers. It blocks hammer from transferring energy to primers. An anti transfer bar if you will, or a transfer to the frame bar. There is a second hammer block in S&W revolvers where a bump on the bottom of hammer is blocked from travel by a hump on the rebound slide. Your gun will fire and function fine. It will not fire accidentally unless you drop it hard enough in such a way as to break the hammer stud. Lots of these were left out on purpose by people. Not the best idea in my opinion, Take the screws out, install the flag, slide it all the way up, place slot in side plate over fag arm and slide it up into position. Install screws. 10 minutes tops.

Ruger on the other hand does use a transfer bar where bar has to be place up by trigger and the hammer strikes the bar and its energy is transferred to the firing pin.

But, on you mistake. Live and learn. If you never ever make any mistakes your not doing much. Plus, you never let your mistake leave the table. Would not call it a real mistake.

I set about cleaning a new-to-me older K-frame revolver and discovered the hammer block missing. It took some time to find the proper part (Smith’s current parts are ever so slightly different) but finally got one installed.

In my PPC days, it was fairly common to remove the hammer block and the spring in the cylinder bolt to make even the tiniest reduction in friction on the DA.

For a working gun, not a chance.

Put it back in unless you want to end up like that WWII sailor.

It's called a hammer block.

The hammer block is not the primary safety mechanism incorporated into the action of the S&W revolver. As others have stated, the block acts to prevent the hammer from moving forward should the uncocked/cocked gun be dropped on the hammer spur, causing the hammer stud to break.

The primary safety is the interface of the hammer seat on the rebound block, and the rebound seat on the bottom of the hammer. If the trigger is not held back, or the revolver is dropped and the hammer/trigger go forward, this interface prevents the gun from firing. This is the case whether or not the hammer block is installed. The hammer block is still a very important part in terms of safety of the revolver and should never be removed.

Other "passive" safeties built in to the S&W revolver include the 3 pound (or more) factory SA trigger pull, the strength of the centerpin spring which is rated to hold the centerpin in place in the breechface during firing (recoil), secondary pin on rear of the hand, which holds the thumbpiece back when the hammer is cocked, and the leg at the rear of the bolt, which prevents the gun from being cocked when the cylinder is open.

Hammer block in position when the gun is uncocked and at rest.....note hammer and rebound seat position. (holds hammer rearward)




Hammer block pulled down, hammer seat on rebound pushed rearward during final trigger position prior to hammer release: (hammer block removed for illustration)

I always keep the hammer block in my guns, even the ones with hammer spur removed. The hammer block does not impair the function of a tuned action if you smooth out the sides of the triangle hole and chamfer or radius the top of the flag on both sides.

I have seen a couple of hammers where the gun got dropped on the hammer spur and it broke off the bottom of the hammer where the rebound slide resets it. The gun would have still fired in those 2 cases if the gun had been loaded and the hammer block was removed.

If you shoot in any kind of competition their rules will "probably" require All Safety mechanism's must be in fully operating condition.

I learned to make sure hammer block is in correct position or your not getting the side plate back on, no matter how many bad words you say.

jbtrucker said:

I learned to make sure hammer block is in correct position or your not getting the side plate back on, no matter how many bad words you say.

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Bad words just won’t make it work, have to pay attention!

The easy way is to roll the gun over on the barrel, with the grip frame an inch or so in the air. Then gravity keeps the hammer block in position. Works every time. Gravity has been pretty predictable so far.

Protocall_Design said:

Gravity has been pretty predictable so far.

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^^^That was classic and hilarious^^^

Thanks for the humor.