Has anyone tried changing a revolver with the firing pin in the frame to using a hammer with the hammer nose (firing pin)?
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In-frame firing pin to hammer nose pin
- Thread starter Muley Gil
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Not that I ever heard of. Why would you want to? I suppose it could be done, most purely mechanical things can be done if you are willing to spend the money. If the bushing hole is the correct diameter and in the right place you MIGHT be able to simply take the frame mounted pin parts out, bush the hole for an old style hammer nose and put on an older hammer. I am GUESSING the spacing of the pins, etc. is all the same. I could easily be wrong.
Most any gunsmithing job can be accomplished with the proper application of cash.
A frame moounting firing pis is mostly rod shaped
Image Courtesy of Apex
The hammer nose firing pin is mounted at the front of a triangle (part 48)
Image Courtesy of Numrich
At the very least, a current revolver frame would need to be machined so that the triangle portion had a place to go when the hammer is in the fully forward position .
As mentioned other things might be in the wrong place for it to be a drop in conversion
Smith & Wesson has been using the frame mounted firing pin on revolvers for something like 60-100 years or more now.
Trying to find photos of older guns with the fixed firing pin. This 1960s era Model 45 is a fixed firing pin.
You can see the firing pin retention pin just behind the top of the cylinder
I have older ones, but not photographed
A frame moounting firing pis is mostly rod shaped
Image Courtesy of Apex
The hammer nose firing pin is mounted at the front of a triangle (part 48)
Image Courtesy of Numrich
At the very least, a current revolver frame would need to be machined so that the triangle portion had a place to go when the hammer is in the fully forward position .
As mentioned other things might be in the wrong place for it to be a drop in conversion
Smith & Wesson has been using the frame mounted firing pin on revolvers for something like 60-100 years or more now.
Trying to find photos of older guns with the fixed firing pin. This 1960s era Model 45 is a fixed firing pin.
You can see the firing pin retention pin just behind the top of the cylinder
I have older ones, but not photographed
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Protocall_Design
Vendor
The 2 kinds of hammers are very different at the top portion where the firing pin is. The frame would need a good bit of machining to convert either way. Not a drop in for sure, but anything is possible with enough time and money. In this case, it would take a lot of both.
texmex
Member
You could spend a lot of money to take a short step backwards while probably eliminating the value of your revolver and voiding the warranty. I think the money would be better spent on ammo or leather.
1sailor
Member
So Colt SAA tell me, is that a pic of your everyday carry piece?
I presume you want to change a frame with new MIM S&W hammer to use the old style hammer with hammer nose.
I've done this conversion from frame mounted pin to hammer mounted pin twice, just not on a new MIM Smith. Once on a Christy modified Colt SAA and once on a 22 rimfire pre war Smith converted to a 22 centerfire round. It's not the voodoo task same may think it is.
It takes two relatively minor cuts in the hammer channel:
One is to deepen the top of the end of the hammer channel for the square top side profile of the hammer with a hammer nose pin. A much easier alternative to this is to grind back the upper front hammer face with hammer nose removed, to match the slant of the MIM hammer face and re-install the hammer nose. Compare the heights of the two hammers. If the old style hammer is a bit taller, the upper curve of the hammer channel may need to be extended. Or grind down the top of the old style hammer. doing that will allow the frame to be converted back to an MIM hammer w/o evidence on the outside of the gun, not counting the vertical slot in the hammer channel from step 2 below.
NOTE: The function of the sliding bar hammer safety block should not be affected, but double check for function before going to step two.
The 2nd step is to mill in a vertical slot thru the hole, above and below the hole, that used to house the frame mounted firing pin, for the hammer nose to fit in. In my case on the rimfire gun I had to change the firing pin bushing to one with a firing pin hole in the ctr instead of at the top of the bushing. That's not needed in your case, use the original bushing.
This is normally a milling machine task. But with some skill, it can be cut with a dental tool and small round diamond bit. Even a Dremel tool with a high enough speed. (Unfortunately, the slot is too deep in the channel to use a carbide cut off wheel to cut the slot.)This eliminates all the milling machine set-up time.
Looking at both hammer channels side by side with hammers cocked should make the above text clearly understandable.
I've done this conversion from frame mounted pin to hammer mounted pin twice, just not on a new MIM Smith. Once on a Christy modified Colt SAA and once on a 22 rimfire pre war Smith converted to a 22 centerfire round. It's not the voodoo task same may think it is.
It takes two relatively minor cuts in the hammer channel:
One is to deepen the top of the end of the hammer channel for the square top side profile of the hammer with a hammer nose pin. A much easier alternative to this is to grind back the upper front hammer face with hammer nose removed, to match the slant of the MIM hammer face and re-install the hammer nose. Compare the heights of the two hammers. If the old style hammer is a bit taller, the upper curve of the hammer channel may need to be extended. Or grind down the top of the old style hammer. doing that will allow the frame to be converted back to an MIM hammer w/o evidence on the outside of the gun, not counting the vertical slot in the hammer channel from step 2 below.
NOTE: The function of the sliding bar hammer safety block should not be affected, but double check for function before going to step two.
The 2nd step is to mill in a vertical slot thru the hole, above and below the hole, that used to house the frame mounted firing pin, for the hammer nose to fit in. In my case on the rimfire gun I had to change the firing pin bushing to one with a firing pin hole in the ctr instead of at the top of the bushing. That's not needed in your case, use the original bushing.
This is normally a milling machine task. But with some skill, it can be cut with a dental tool and small round diamond bit. Even a Dremel tool with a high enough speed. (Unfortunately, the slot is too deep in the channel to use a carbide cut off wheel to cut the slot.)This eliminates all the milling machine set-up time.
Looking at both hammer channels side by side with hammers cocked should make the above text clearly understandable.
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