I have a couple M10-7's, the ones that came without a barrel and we put 2" barrels on them. I was looking at the hammers today and saw one had a hammer spring and the other did not. Hammers have been changed to .375" and 0.5", I like the wider hammer. Is a hammer spring critical, recommended, or doesn't matter?

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Kevin in Oregon

The spring loaded hammer nose appears primarily in the magnum caliber revolvers, and is not critical or essential for proper function.

I've always thought the spring served to mitigate some of the stress on the hammer nose caused by the magnum caliber and primers, but I have no idea concerning the actual engineering reason for them.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Armorer951, thank you. Had a friend that lived in your town, an M1 collector. He had a concrete business there. Unfortunately he passed a few years ago way too young. I have a new stainless .375 hammer, without nose, coming this week for a M64 snub, hence my questions. I checked several revolvers of same M64 series and some have spring and some not. I have blue hammer nose in my parts but no stainless. Guess it doesn't matter?

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Kevin in Oregon

Just a reminder, the hammer nose changed in or about 1988. The hole for the rivet was moved to a position slightly lower on the part. (left in photo)

The color of the nose doesn't matter. The stainless and blued ones from the same time period are the same, dimensionally speaking.







Carter

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Those noses look different, a notch in the one on left. I guess when the new hammer arrives I will be able to determine which I need. Thanks again.

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Kevin in Oregon