Opinions - Bobbed hammer or Spurred hammer.....better primer strikes

[Stantheman1986]

I have Wolff springs of an unknown weight in the .38 SP101 , with the bobbed hammer and have had 0 reliability issues with 200 rounds of PMC .38

I just put ISMI springs in the 9mm SP101 with the spurred hammer, and ran 100 rounds of CCI Blazer through it with 100% reliability and deep primer dents. A few rounds of Freedom Munitions 9mm took two hits to pop but they are known for seating primers high

I had thought about having the 9mm SPs hammer bobbed but , having fired revolvers with both bobbed and spurred hammers over the years and not seeing any real difference as far as using lighter springs.....what are some opinions out there ?

Google searching and other revolver shooters opinions seem split on this. Some seem to feel the lighter , bobbed hammer is faster and more reliable and others feel the spur keeps the mass needed for a reliable hit on the firing pin.

 

[Hvymax]

You're Mixing multiple variables. A spurred hammer should weigh slightly more than a bobbed hammer giving it more inertia. Unknown "Custom" springs no matter who made them are the Wild Card. When it comes down to it the primers are the only Judge that matters. Having !!!A!!! DAO bobbed hammer revolver and 2 DAO semi autos "I" wouldn't give up the SA option willingly. The stainless revolver is a bathroom gun because the steam shouldn't hurt it and the semi's are second or third string in my rotation. Having the option of that precision SA shot if I need it is priceless.

 

[Stantheman1986]

You're Mixing multiple variables. A spurred hammer should weigh slightly more than a bobbed hammer giving it more inertia. Unknown "Custom" springs no matter who made them are the Wild Card. When it comes down to it the primers are the only Judge that matters. Having !!!A!!! DAO bobbed hammer revolver and 2 DAO semi autos "I" wouldn't give up the SA option willingly. The stainless revolver is a bathroom gun because the steam shouldn't hurt it and the semi's are second or third string in my rotation. Having the option of that precision SA shot if I need it is priceless.

I did commit the "cardinal sin" of leaving the SA notch on the hammer of the bobbed .38 SP in the event I need to make one of those oft discussed "aimed shots on an active shooter " at 50 yards or some such . People get irate over this like "there is no safe way to decock if you don't shoot!!" I can 100% safely decock with my thumb. Plus it's an emergency, oh measure for self defense

The old Speed Hammers offered by Ruger could be thumb cocked too but back in the 70s-80s it wasn't as big of a deal . Now people act like the safety of every person in a 200 mile radius is at risk by leaving an SA notch on a despurred hammer

I have a parts organizer full of Ruger springs, I have Wolff GP/SP springs I bought probably 15+ years ago of unknown weight, I randomly selected one , it felt good, no "cap gun" trigger and it pops Magtech and CCI primers. Winchester 130 gr FMJ .38 Special will be the final test when I get some. In my experience they are the hardest to light off, apparently Winchester makes the 130gr .38 FMJ for the limited use our military and NATO still has for .38 revolvers. Like the 9mm NATO ball, it has very tough primers

I don't carry this gun much anymore anyway, so it's become basically a "match gun" for my gun clubs "micro auto/snub revolver " matches

I'm just looking for overall opinions on spurred vs despurred hammer reliability .

 

[Johnnu2]

I did a test re: your very question; using my S&W 637. I bought an extra hammer and bobbed it myself. Then I took it out on a snowy, winter day in NYS and left it out on the shooting bench for an hour or two while I was plinking away with my Blackhawks. When I was certain that it was "frozen" as cold as it was gonna get that day, I fired some handloads and some factory without a hitch. Recently, I put back the original hammer (with spur) and qualified for my NYS recertification training (don't ask). Here are pics of it bobbed, origninal config. and my quals target (just for bragging rights). Springs are stock/original...I never change springs on a defense gun. Reliability with either hammer configuration was 100%.

 

[Stantheman1986]

I did a test re: your very question; using my S&W 637. I bought an extra hammer and bobbed it myself. Then I took it out on a snowy, winter day in NYS and left it out on the shooting bench for an hour or two while I was plinking away with my Blackhawks. When I was certain that it was "frozen" as cold as it was gonna get that day, I fired some handloads and some factory without a hitch. Recently, I put back the original hammer (with spur) and qualified for my NYS recertification training (don't ask). Here are pics of it bobbed, origninal config. and my quals target (just for bragging rights). Springs are stock/original...I never change springs on a defense gun. Reliability with either hammer configuration was 100%.

This is excellent, real world info

I feel that lighter springs are where the curve balls come out...

None of my numerous GP100s with factory bobbed DAO hammers have any issues with any ammunition, but a certain GP100 with Trapper springs and a spurred hammer doesn't like hard primers.

It may just come down to the individual gun

Guys like Jerry Miculek use spurless hammers in .45 ACP S&W race guns but of course they're also using handloaded ammo with carefully seated Federal primers and ultra-worked guns

I just emailed my gunsmith, who despurred the .38 SP hammer, telling him I'm dropping off my 9mm SP for a despur. I'll see what happens, worst case I'll put the stock springs back in

 

[contender]

You seek reliability answers when you ask about bobbed or not.
If you change nothing else,, from my years of watching others do such things,, I do not think you'll see any real difference in reliability. The small amount of weight of removing the spur,, has been pretty much negligible.

It's when you start swapping springs, or ammo or whatever to continue the search for the "perfect" gun.
Nobody makes all their ammo 100% perfect every time. Even some of the very best can have the occasional misfire.
Springs are often swapped to give a "lighter" feel in the action. This is where any reliability issues often start appearing.
I used to be of the mindset to "swap the springs to make it lighter" crowd. Nowadays,, I prefer to have an action worked over to make it smoother,, and that most often gives it a lighter feel in general.

As for competition guns,, talking with Jerry Miculek long ago,,, we discussed his guns & their actions. He actually has heavier springs in his revolvers than the normal factory ones. But his actions are smoooottthhh! He allowed he prefers heavier springs to (1) assure ignition, and (2) faster hammer fall. He has the capability to "outrun" his guns actions.

So, to basically answer your question, I do not think just bobbing a hammer will affect the reliability at all in a quality built handgun.

 

[epags]

FWIW, a retired undercover LA Sheriff always carried a snub nosed revolver that he had had the hammer bobbed. Never had issues. When he decided to sell it, he had me seach eBay and find an un-bobbed hammer which I did. I installed it replacing the bobbed hammer. Of couse it worked just fine in it's original configuration. He did not change the spring and only used OTC defense ammo.
He sold it with both hammers so the buyer could decide what configuration he preferred.

 

[needsmostuff]

You know the gun, you know the reliability. Your call there.
To me it boils down to if you carry the gun in your pocket and it snags, bob the hammer.
If you don't and it doesn't, leave it alone.

 

[Stantheman1986]

The 9mm SP101 was a train wreck when it left Ruger, I'm somehow doing it right and slowly making it into a sweet shooter

.010 of endshake shims, having to remove the firing pin bushing to clean manufacturing junk out , cleaning up the ratchet teeth........a set of ISMI springs and just tonight I knocked a little bit off the Gemini customs front sight to try to bring the elevation up.....

I'm honestly enjoying the challenge of fixing a gun I probably should have let Ruger deal with. It's like I was too stubborn to "lose" and here I am with it....

My gunsmith will do the rest with the hammer Bob and cleaning the front sight up for me that I was kinda rough with. The ISMI springs popped 150 rounds of Blazer today so I expect it will still be reliable after the bob. I've reached the limit of my skills

Still a bit low at 10 yards one handed in DA , not quite done fiddle-fracking with this gun yet .

 

[Hvymax]

I did a test re: your very question; using my S&W 637. I bought an extra hammer and bobbed it myself. Then I took it out on a snowy, winter day in NYS and left it out on the shooting bench for an hour or two while I was plinking away with my Blackhawks. When I was certain that it was "frozen" as cold as it was gonna get that day, I fired some handloads and some factory without a hitch. Recently, I put back the original hammer (with spur) and qualified for my NYS recertification training (don't ask). Here are pics of it bobbed, origninal config. and my quals target (just for bragging rights). Springs are stock/original...I never change springs on a defense gun. Reliability with either hammer configuration was 100%.

I qualified for my DC Permit with my Max9 today. I shot the first half like it was an actual threat for the first half. Then they mentioned that if you shoot out the X you get a hat. The 8&9's were about 1/4 second from low ready. I slowed down to 1/2 to a second for the rest. There wasn't any question who was first on the shot timer.

 

[Johnnu2]

After I passed the NYS training, I turned in my full carry and amended to a Premises Only permit because it allows for a 5 year renewal instead of a 3 year renewal... All the new NYS laws (that resulted from the lawsuit against the state) allow for almost ANYONE to get a carry permit, BUT new restrictions make it illegal to actually carry anywhere (except if you don't leave your car).. too much to explain here. Since I never carried, I just gave it up (the Premises Only permit does allow one to "transport" your guns to a range for shooting as long as they are locked in an approved case and unloaded with ammo stored separately from the gun being transported. So, the net result for me is 'no change' except the words on my permit.
Lots more to the changes but certainly no room to bore you here /
J.