SP 101 bobbed hammer

[bradepb]

Tomorrow will be the function test,fingers crossed but from what I have been able to research it should not be a problem. I got tired of snagging on clothes and got the die grinder out tonight. Sanded and polished it came out ok.

 

[OldePhart]

I bobbed the hammer of my Model 19 back when I was shooting action pistol with it; used a cutoff wheel on a Dremel tool and then cleaned it up...looks great and works fine. No reason that your SP101 shouldn't work just as well. I will probably bob the hammer on my SP101 one of these days but I don't think I'll take it all the way off. I will probably leave a little rounded nub with checkering on the top so I can still thumb-cock it when desired.

 

[NewportNewsMike]

I will probably leave a little rounded nub with checkering on the top so I can still thumb-cock it when desired.

There's a reason factory bobbed hammers are DAO only.

Once you cock that "little rounded nub" and change your mind about shooting that round, it can get pretty exciting trying to let that hammer down gently with nothing to hang on to. It can be done but it is not always easy to do so. One little slip and "Bang" goes the SP.

 

[Jim Puke]

It should shoot fine, they make one that comes from the factory that way.

http://www.ruger.com/products/sp101/specSheets/5720.html

 

[OldePhart]

I will probably leave a little rounded nub with checkering on the top so I can still thumb-cock it when desired.

There's a reason factory bobbed hammers are DAO only.

Once you cock that "little rounded nub" and change your mind about shooting that round, it can get pretty exciting trying to let that hammer down gently with nothing to hang on to. It can be done but it is not always easy to do so. One little slip and "Bang" goes the SP.

It's not all that difficult and, obviously, you want to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction any time you're lowering the hammer on a live round, regardless of the size of the spur. I would never be cocking for SA in a defensive situation, for numerous reasons...not least of which is the whole adrenalin dump, thing.

When I bobbed the hammer on my model 19 I took the spur completely off and I can still cock it and lower the hammer safely by hand. Is it easy? No. Can you do it with one hand? Not really. Do you want to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction? See first sentence above.

I bobbed the 19 because I was using it for action pistol games at the time. I never actually "used" it in SA after bobbing it, except for a few times when I was testing some hand loads for accuracy. Even so, I practiced cocking and decocking it with the bobbed hammer just because.

As for factory bobbed hammers - they don't have the little serrated nub I'm talking about leaving on the SP. Besides which, on a purely defensive gun as most factory bobbed revolvers tend to be manufacturers want to strongly discourage people from holding someone at gunpoint with a cocked revolver (with good reason). The only reason I'm thinking about leaving a little nub on my 3" SP is for ammo testing sessions or maybe potting a coyote or what have you. Defensively, it's DA all the way.

John

 

[bradepb]

I can still cock mine by pulling the trigger slightly and getting a finger under the hammer. Same thing for letting it down . I realy like that fact and it is much easier than it sounds. Obviously I would not do it loaded unless I was intending to fire the gun.t

 

[turbo111]

Nice looking revolver!

 

[charlesappel]

I will probably leave a little rounded nub with checkering on the top so I can still thumb-cock it when desired.

There's a reason factory bobbed hammers are DAO only.

Once you cock that "little rounded nub" and change your mind about shooting that round, it can get pretty exciting trying to let that hammer down gently with nothing to hang on to. It can be done but it is not always easy to do so. One little slip and "Bang" goes the SP.

Agreed! That is why the three revolvers I had bobbed were converted to DAO. IMO leaving the SA mode in place is a dangerous practice - an accident waiting to happen.

 

[bradepb]

I don't know. If you put your finger in front of the hammer and let it down it's really no different than thumbing a spur down, probably safer. I would have no reason to cock the hammer if I was not going to fire the gun anyway.
If I were ever to sell it maybe I would grind the single action notch off, still might actually.

 

[RCP1936]

Wish I could get up the nerve to Bob my GP100

 

[OldePhart]

If I were ever to sell it maybe I would grind the single action notch off, still might actually.

What is this "sell" you speak of? I thought guns were like wives - "'til death do us part" - except you can have more than one without them getting mad at each other?

 

[bradepb]

So true this SP101 and my GP100 are pretty much never sell guns for me.

Also if anyone was curious i put 150 rounds through it today and it was flawless with its new hammer job.

Two different brand reloads .38 special and some WWB .38's. Also some federal .38 spcl., 10 rounds Geco .357 and 10 rounds Magtec .357. It fired all them just fine.

 

[eveled]

If you bob a hammer then want to go back, will Ruger replace the hammer? I have a SP 101 factory bobber, and a fixed sight GP that I would like to bob.

 

[PebblePimp]

Not knocking your handy work (looks good), but why not just buy a DAO/spurless hammer from Ruger? If you ever wanted to change it back, you could. I looked at SA/DA hammers for my DAO SP101 years back & they weren't very expensive.

 

[bradepb]

I researched this before I did it and from what I have been able to find out Ruger will not sell you a hammer unless you send the gun and they convert it to DAO and you don't get your old part back.
Some gun parts places sell hammers but they seem to be forever out of stock.. That would be great to have both hammers since it is so easy to switch.

 

[PebblePimp]

Gotcha. It's been 5 years since I looked at doing it. I think I found a few back then from 3rd party suppliers.

 

[Smee781]

Any one remember the commander looking DAO hammer Ruger installed many moons ago, it too was for snag free draws.

 

[ginzo]

I have a bobbed hammer on a speed six. Still iffy when you put it in SA mode to release hammer, but If I'm not mistaken, if you put your thumb in front of it, release it then remove your finger from the trigger, the transfer bar will not activate making it OK to let the hammer down? I went to the range last week and tried out the bobber, did some SA just to see, but always sent a round down range. Didn't try resetting hammer with a round in it.

Keep in mind we are still dealing with a mechanical device.

Nice job BTW. I got mine from Numrich's, and it does have the knurled top.

 

[OldePhart]

I have a bobbed hammer on a speed six. Still iffy when you put it in SA mode to release hammer, but If I'm not mistaken, if you put your thumb in front of it, release it then remove your finger from the trigger, the transfer bar will not activate making it OK to let the hammer down?

Yes, that's correct. It's obviously not something you want to do while holding someone at gunpoint, for example, (though you shouldn't be holding someone at gunpoint with a cocked DA revolver, anyway) but is something that you can do on occasion if the need arises and there is a safe place to point the muzzle while you lower the hammer.

 

[ginzo]

I don't really see myself using SA, it was for the carry/snag issue. Your point is well taken.

I have a bobbed hammer on a speed six. Still iffy when you put it in SA mode to release hammer, but If I'm not mistaken, if you put your thumb in front of it, release it then remove your finger from the trigger, the transfer bar will not activate making it OK to let the hammer down?

Yes, that's correct. It's obviously not something you want to do while holding someone at gunpoint, for example, (though you shouldn't be holding someone at gunpoint with a cocked DA revolver, anyway) but is something that you can do on occasion if the need arises and there is a safe place to point the muzzle while you lower the hammer.