To bob, or not to bob?

wesnellans

wesnellans

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I'm really considering bobbing the hammer on my 60-7. But I keep going back and forth on it....

I pocket carry frequently, and the hammer spur proves to be a problem often during my practice sessions. But I really like having the ability to check my index and cylinder rotation with ammo, not to mention the odd single-action shot (often at rabbits and other varmints on the farm) ability.

NOT going to buy another gun just for pocket carry right now. Too many bills to pay at the moment....

So, if I decide to take the plunge on this, will I experience light strikes by removing the spur, or will the (what I think to be) stock hammer spring and now newly-lightened hammer be sufficient for reliable ignition?

OR.... am I on crack for daring to think of modding what is a nice (somewhat) vintage piece?

Oh, the choices....
 
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If you bob it you shouldn't have light strikes unless it has a light hammer spring. (There's a debate akin to .45 vs 9mm on if a bobbed/lighter hammer moving faster or a heavier slower moving hammer is better.)

You could still keep the SA notch on the hammer and still be able to cock the hammer for the times you need a longer shot on the farm, although it will need more care to decock.

You can try drawing with your thumb over the hammer till out of your pocket (What I'd do either way.) or you could semi bob the hammer.

Don't think you are crazy but I've bobbed two hammers myself...:D
 
Bobbing a hammer on a revolver just looks wrong to me. I get not buying another gun now due to bills. I'm going through the same thing. But I would not bob a hammer. You said you like thumb cocking for the occasional shot. Why deny yourself that option?

Have you tried resting your thumb on the hammer as you draw the gun? That should take care of your snag problem. I used to literally push down on the hammer of my 36 as I drew it. I'm talking down towards the cylinder, not back as if you were cocking it.
 
wesnellans said:
I'm really considering bobbing the hammer on my 60-7. But I keep going back and forth on it....

I pocket carry frequently, and the hammer spur proves to be a problem often during my practice sessions. But I really like having the ability to check my index and cylinder rotation with ammo, not to mention the odd single-action shot (often at rabbits and other varmints on the farm) ability.

NOT going to buy another gun just for pocket carry right now. Too many bills to pay at the moment....

So, if I decide to take the plunge on this, will I experience light strikes by removing the spur, or will the (what I think to be) stock hammer spring and now newly-lightened hammer be sufficient for reliable ignition?

OR.... am I on crack for daring to think of modding what is a nice (somewhat) vintage piece?

Oh, the choices....
Click to expand...
I did it on my 36, bought a spare hammer & bobbed it.
It works great with std. springs, and I can always replace the std. hammer to return to factory stock. (hammer was $35 on ebay)
 
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I bobbed a 637 which I use for pocket carry. I got it slightly used for a very good price and I wasn't terribly concerned with it's appearance since it was going to spend 99% of it's life in my pocket. It may not be pretty, but it doesn't snag on anything either.

I've never had an issue with light strikes since I bobbed the hammer either.
 
Why don't you try to find a set of those grips that shroud the hammer like the old bodyguard revolvers? That way you have the best of both worlds like I have with my 638.

Lou
 
Why not just buy another bobbed hammer and try it? I have done this with K frames and the hammers have worked fine without a need for fitting. That way you can always go back to the original hammer.
 
I'm sorry but I'm going to have to disagree with kbm6893 on this one. On a serious carry revolver, there is never going to be a need for single action fire. PERIOD. I have 5 DAO revolvers, one is a 442, two police trade in 15s that still have the spur, and two custom bob jobs: 696, 581.

All that said, I shoot DAO all the time, even hunting that way now with my other N & L frames. I shoot all my S&W's the same way every time. It works, try it.

If your worried about resale, do like DUNTOV says and get a spare hammer. Get it done by a competent smith and send the spare for fitting too. Then you can do it right by taking off the single action spur because it does make for a smoother pull with it off.
 
Wes, if you ever get in a situation where you have to get that gun out of your pocket in a hurry, all the single action potshots at rabbits are not going to be worth it. Go ahead and get a bobbed hammer, (or bob the one you have and get a spurred original). Don't worry about light strikes, it's an old wives tale.
 
My defensive revolvers are never shot Single Action. In fact I never shoot any of my revolvers SA, even my target revolvers. Shooting DA makes me a better shooter. Go ahead and bob the hammer on your small carry piece. You should never shoot it SA anyway.
 
HarrishMasher said:
My defensive revolvers are never shot Single Action. In fact I never shoot any of my revolvers SA, even my target revolvers. Shooting DA makes me a better shooter. Go ahead and bob the hammer on your small carry piece. You should never shoot it SA anyway.
Click to expand...

Well, for reference, I'm currently putting a cylinder full into a 1" group at 20 feet when I'm doing my part - DA - so, I agree with DA skills being tantamount... but those little buggers run if you miss! :)

I agree about not using SA in a defensive scenario (with the possible exception of the "active shooter at distance" unlikelihood)...
 
afetr reading all these opinions. I going to say you still have a delema. remember it's your gun and it doesn't matter if people like it or not.
 
Lou_NC said:
Why don't you try to find a set of those grips that shroud the hammer like the old bodyguard revolvers? That way you have the best of both worlds like I have with my 638.

Lou
Click to expand...

I just did some web searching on "j frame shroud hammer grip" and learned that Bianchi Lightning Grips were made for both J and K frames. In fact, there's a pair currently for sale on Ebay for a K frame round butt. If you're patient, you may find a pair for a J frame. Who knows, an ad in the classifieds on this forum may solve your problem without having to bob that hammer. :)
 
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