Tell me for sure if this K frame hammer is ruined

[Dieseltech56]

I bought this nice post 88 K-frame semi target hammer off eBay last week but I was greatly disappointed when I got it out of the package.

Here it is on the left with an unmolested trigger on the right

Notice the cocking notch. Clearly modified way beyond factory. Now I assume this hammer is not usable and I don't even want to bother installing it in a gun to see if it works.


What do you think?

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...if it doesn't work...

...I would weld it up...

...slip a properly sized pin through both...

...and grind and file the welded one to match the good one...

 

[Culina]

Technically not "ruined" but probably more trouble than its worth.

 

[Dieseltech56]

Wow, there's an idea I hadn't thought of. I do have a TIG welder but I definitely don't have the proper stones or files to reface the notch. What about the questionable hardness of the welded part?

 

[armorer951]

Based on your photographs, I would say yes, it is no longer usable. Not completely toast though......you could put a red tag on it and place it in your spare parts bin as a source for a usable hammer nose, hammer nose rivet, hammer stirrup and pin, and the sear, sear pin and sear spring.

 

[lefty_jake]

I like armorer951's suggestion to keep it for spare parts. I also think that it might be usable if it was converted to be double action only. The idea would be to further modify the notch so that the hammer would not hold in the cocked position. I am not sure if this would be possible, but it seems like it might be.

I understand that many people have no use for a DAO hammer, but I find that with a well tuned double action, I very rarely use the single action. On some guns, I like double action only just fine.

 

[RGVshooter]

I'd slip in the hammer & check for proper function before assuming that it's "ruined" just because it looks slightly different than your stock hammer. I have seen a model 66 357 with a target hammer & trigger installed and the hammer looks no different than your "new" target hammer. Including the bushing and the enlarged notch..

Just try it...

 

[Narragansett]

I bought one part a couple years ago off eBay for a model 70 Winchester and it was defective. Lesson learned. Not bashing eBay but I will do gun parts shopping elsewhere

 

[OLDSTER]

Toss it away, or make a key chain from it.

 

[Breakaway500]

eBay..just send it back and get all your money back. It's that simple. Unless the seller shows the sear on hammers, I don't buy them.

 

[2152hq]

Is the pivot hole way to big and have a bushing pressing down into it to make it the right dia again?,,or is it just the pic..


If you can't send it back and get your $$ back, or it's not worth the postage and time to do so, I'd strip it of parts for now and set it aside.
When you are feeling in a welding mood, take a crack at rebuilding the SA sear tip.
Recut the sear edge with safe edge files or use a thin cut-off wheel in a dreaded Dremel tool.
The Dremel mounted securely and the hammer in a cross-slide of a mill or lathe ( or the reverse set up) to make a perfect square cut edge.
Reharden w/ casenite or one of the other surface hardening compounds now available that won't kill you.

That's how you learn how to do stuff.

 

[Jaymo]

Reharden w/ casenite or one of the other surface hardening compounds now available that won't kill you.

That's how you learn how to do stuff.

Oh, come on. What's a little cyanide between friends?

 

[ken158]

Send it back, no sense fooling with something that will only take time and cause aggravation. The welding idea may be fine for someone with the skill to do that but I would then question the hardness, etc. Not worth the bother.

 

[one eye joe]

Based on your photographs, I would say yes, it is no longer usable. Not completely toast though......you could put a red tag on it and place it in your spare parts bin as a source for a usable hammer nose, hammer nose rivet, hammer stirrup and pin, and the sear, sear pin and sear spring.

I AGREE WITH armorer951's ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION. IT'S GOOD FOR PARTS ONLY.....

 

[6string]

I'm a long time eBay customer.
How was the item described?
"As is, not working"?
"For parts only"?
Or,
Fully functional, used but excellent, etc...
Did the seller include clear, in focus photos of the notch?

Here's what I'd do.

Report the hammer to eBay as "item not as described", if that is the case.
Or, depending how the sale was set up by the seller, click on the "return item" link.
In either case, the seller will be responsible for paying the return postage (you'll be given a postpaid return mailing label to print out) and giving you a full refund of your purchase, including the initial shipping cost.
Don't let an eBay seller get away with selling items not fully disclosed as defective.

 

[Dieseltech56]

S&W SMITH AND WESSON K FRAME TARGET HAMMER ASEMB SINGLE ACTION 14 CASE HARD .500 | eBay

Here is the listing, total oversight by me. I got excited when I saw that it was a post 88 semi-target hammer because these are hard to find.

I recently converted my 64-5 DAO over to single action with parts from a 10-10. I originally wanted a semi target hammer not the service hammer from a 10-10. Then when I finally found one I got too excited and didn't look at the pictures hard enough. I think there is a pretty small window of guns that had this hammer. The late 66-4 definitely has it. My 19-6 has the same hammer but the nose is blued.


I am trying to work something out with the seller. He doesn't have any more of this particular hammer.

 

[Dieseltech56]

Well I had some time to kill today so I dropped the trigger in just to see what would happen. At first it seemed like it might work but once I got the side plate on and the mainspring tight it wouldn't.

It would cycle in double action just fine and cock in single action but when you pulled the trigger in single action the action of hammer falling would pull the trigger forward which raises the hammer block. This would cause the gun not to fire.


Now it seems like you could again pull the trigger which would overcome the bind up but obviously something is wrong. Now what it is I couldn't tell you.

 

[armorer951]

It's the lack of integrity in the SA cocking notch, and the fact that the notch is no longer in the correct position on the hammer. And, the hammer likely exhibits what is called "push off", or has push of symptoms because of the improper stoning of the notch.
Does the hammer push off after cocking in SA?

 

[ontargetagain]

Looks like a DA only hammer

Karl

 

[6string]

Looks pretty clear cut to me.
The description says good working condition.
But, From your experience it is not.
Don't worry about the "buyer pays return shipping" part of the listing.
Forget about wasting any more time with the seller.
Just report it as "item not as described". With what you have documented, you won't have any problem getting back your full purchase price.

Best Wishes,
Jim