NM Blackhawk/SBH hammer swap

Nothing is ever easy...

Trying to swap hammers. Several hours, multiple reassemblies(3x the hammer spring assembly), and lots of creative language later I have to walk away from it. It seemed to work fine before I got into it(of course), but now...

Munged the pawl spring-I think it'll still work ok. What really getting me now is the cylinder latch/stop plunger. It doesn't fit down the hole at all; just sits on the top, making it a royal pain to keep it where it's supposed to be. I have no idea how this stinking thing even worked to begin with.

Recommendations?

Also, the long grip screw that fits into the groove of the hammer pin: Ruger owners manual looks to picture it on the right(loading gate side), while JB Wood book shows it on the left. Which is correct, or it doesn't matter as long as the screw engages the groove?


PS: stainless .45

Look up the youtube video for the Ruger Single action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH9hVc-Ew5U

There is also a very good video by Ron Power of Power Custom, AKA Grand Masters that shows disassembly and assembly of a Ruger SA. I learned a couple of tricks that put an end to all my fumbling and frustration! One tip I learned involves the cylinder stop, or latch. The video is specifically for installing their half cock hammer kits, but the disassembly/assembly tips given by the master gunsmith Ron Power are great! After watching this video, my last disassembly and assembly went smooth and easy! Thanks Ron Power! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W62Pt-z6cZ8

Thanks RSlim, helped a bunch. Finally got it back together, and it looks to be ok.

One issue was I forgot about the spring for the hammer plunger(fell out of the original hammer after I put everything away), and took me awhile to notice that I was trying to put the plunger in upside down

Other was the cylinder latch plunger was slipping off the latch spring when I was putting the grip frame on. Just paid closer attention when bolting it all together.

Try to test fire this weekend

Took a couple of years of reassembling my Rugers and putting divots in my forehead from the mainspring seat before I realized you can just cock the hammer back and put a pin through the bottom of the hammer strut during disassembly. What I lack in mechanical aptitude I more than make up for in sheer tenacious stupidity.

bouncle said:

Thanks RSlim, helped a bunch. Finally got it back together, and it looks to be ok.

One issue was I forgot about the spring for the hammer plunger(fell out of the original hammer after I put everything away), and took me awhile to notice that I was trying to put the plunger in upside down

Other was the cylinder latch plunger was slipping off the latch spring when I was putting the grip frame on. Just paid closer attention when bolting it all together.

Try to test fire this weekend

Click to expand...

One suggestion that may save you some time. Check your firing pin protrusion with the new hammer.

When I swapped out my Blackhawk hammers for Super hammers, I had misfires on my .357 mag. The new hammers needed a little bit of "dressing" of the face because they were not striking the transfer bar hard enough to give good strikes.

The face of the hammer has a "step" where it impacts the frame and the transfer bar is "sandwiched" between the rest of the hammer and the frame, thus transferring the force into the firing pin. If there's too much metal on the face of the hammer, it may not transfer enough energy into the transfer bar (and, by extension, the firing pin), but the cylinder frame instead.

So, to check protrusion, do the following:
- Make sure revolver is unloaded
- Remove the cylinder
- Slide the base pin back to its locked position into the frame
- Cock the hammer
- Hold the hammer with your thumb and pull the trigger
- With the trigger still held, lower the hammer slowly, all the way until its fully down. At this point, the hammer is down all the way, but the transfer bar is up to where it's doing what it should.
- Check the inside of the cylinder frame and check how far the firing pin is sticking out...determine whether you think that's enough to impact a cartridge primer. (Kuhnhausen's manual shows .045"min & .056"max).

I usually advise anyone making a hammer swap to check protrusion with the old hammer as a comparison (given that it was working well prior to the swap).

If there is insufficient protrusion, you want to *lightly* file or sand some metal off the upper face of the hammer. Take a little off at a time until you get the right amount of protrusion. You *do not* want to take too much off the face, because then, you're transferring too much energy into the transfer bar and it may beat it up and/or break it due to "work hardening".

Hope that helps.

Aqualung

Antipaladin, LOL!

Aqualung said:

One suggestion that may save you some time. Check your firing pin protrusion with the new hammer.
<snip>

Click to expand...

Thanks. Done, and I think it will be ok.

Too dry out there to give it a test spin