Lee Martin
Hunter
Redhawk hammer and trigger are lost wax (investment) cast. Heat treatment through-hardens the parts, imparting great durability. A proper trigger job sustains a consistent letoff for years. On the other hand, a fugitive trigger----no matter how good the steel and heat treatment----is doomed to early failure. Redhawk incorporates a single spring to power hammer and rebound trigger.
Hammer and trigger in approximate relationship of single action cock.
Redhawk hammer with hammer dog (a.k.a. double action fly or DA sear). The dog is polished if necessary to remove burrs or tool marks.
Trigger holds transfer bar (12 o'clock) and pawl (1 o'clock); neither is touched for trigger job. (Mainspring strut is seen at 9 o'clock.) First rule of an amateur is to remove metal without knowing why. Don't!
Single action cocked. Redhawk trigger angles are designed to regain----i.e., a slight hook angle. Redhawk SA may be adjusted down to 3-1/4 pound letoff. A lighter letoff will cause trigger to rebound at hammer fall and catch hammer dog on trigger. (A fugitive SA job does the same to an S&W.)
A light mainspring risks misfires, especially in double action, where hammer fall is less.
Hammer, showing full cock dog and notch. Do not touch the notch! The only exception is for an experienced smith with dead square tool. Stones are not dead square. Basically, this is no reason. This is why nomenclature must distinguish between dog and notch.
To reduce full cock dog requires skill and patience. Those who possess one but not the other should stay away from revolver lockwork. The object is to reduce takeup (creep) while preserving engagement. Work proceeds slowly, revolver reassembled and tested with multiple dry fires----via as many teardowns as necessary.
Roughness of the trigger sear may be polished on a very fine flat stone or fine crocus cloth on a hard dead-flat surface, such as steel or glass. Do not distort bevel. Surfaces indicated "POLISH" are to remove----only if present----roughness or tool marks----to smooth double action.
Trigger sear tip is critical to preserve regain in hammer notch. "ALTERNATE... CAUTION" indicates modification of trigger tip angle, and is never done at expense of regain. Do not narrow or reduce width of hammer or trigger, nor of engagement surfaces.
Hammer dog (a.k.a. double action fly). Trigger tip raises hammer via the hammer dog in double action. Polish if rough but, per the other parts, do not in the process remove metal. Compared with many DA revolvers, Redhawk carry-up is early, with cylinder latching well before hammer fall, both SA and DA. Removal of metal retards carry-up (a.k.a. timing). Observation is your friend when working on a firearm. Ignorance is Murphy's friend. A friend of Murphy is your enemy.
To reduce full cock dog, hammer MUST be dead-square to a fine dead-flat diamond stone, ceramic stone or fine composite stone (such as a top quality India stone or Japanese chef stone. A small machinist's clamp may help. Place a sheet of paper between hammer face and stone. Do not stone hammer face.
Eze-Lap diamond sharpening steel cuts finely and offers a surface flatter than many sharpening stones. Imperative hammer is square to "stone" during short push & pull motion to reduce full cock dog. Paper shields nose of hammer from abrasive. Take too much and the hammer is ruined. Proceed slowly, patience is a part of the coordination. To insure correct contact patch between hammer & trigger, clean/reassemble/dry fire frequently.
A clean single action letoff improves offhand shooting, which any self-respecting handgunner must be ready for.
Width of hammer and trigger narrow slightly to prevent sear rub on frame. Width of sear contact patch remains unaltered during trigger tune. The test single action letoff, gently squeeze trigger. At hammer fall, trigger sweeps rearward. Trigger must not kick forward at hammer fall. Trigger kick is proof of unsafe engagement; a sure sign of a fugitive trigger job. The single action squeeze/sweep test applies to SA and DA revolvers.
Hammer with double action dog and mainspring hook.
Still on trigger job from 1982.
Better view of single action dog & notch. n action, entire loackwork area is lubricated with one or another motor oil, synthetic motor oil, moly-disulfide grease. Menu may include Anti-Seize Compound and auto transmission fluid.
5-1/2" Redhawk, offhand @ about 85 yards. Temperature somewhere between zero and 15-fahrenheit. Federal .44 Mag 180 JHP.
Hammer and trigger in approximate relationship of single action cock.
Redhawk hammer with hammer dog (a.k.a. double action fly or DA sear). The dog is polished if necessary to remove burrs or tool marks.
Trigger holds transfer bar (12 o'clock) and pawl (1 o'clock); neither is touched for trigger job. (Mainspring strut is seen at 9 o'clock.) First rule of an amateur is to remove metal without knowing why. Don't!
Single action cocked. Redhawk trigger angles are designed to regain----i.e., a slight hook angle. Redhawk SA may be adjusted down to 3-1/4 pound letoff. A lighter letoff will cause trigger to rebound at hammer fall and catch hammer dog on trigger. (A fugitive SA job does the same to an S&W.)
A light mainspring risks misfires, especially in double action, where hammer fall is less.
Hammer, showing full cock dog and notch. Do not touch the notch! The only exception is for an experienced smith with dead square tool. Stones are not dead square. Basically, this is no reason. This is why nomenclature must distinguish between dog and notch.
To reduce full cock dog requires skill and patience. Those who possess one but not the other should stay away from revolver lockwork. The object is to reduce takeup (creep) while preserving engagement. Work proceeds slowly, revolver reassembled and tested with multiple dry fires----via as many teardowns as necessary.
Roughness of the trigger sear may be polished on a very fine flat stone or fine crocus cloth on a hard dead-flat surface, such as steel or glass. Do not distort bevel. Surfaces indicated "POLISH" are to remove----only if present----roughness or tool marks----to smooth double action.
Trigger sear tip is critical to preserve regain in hammer notch. "ALTERNATE... CAUTION" indicates modification of trigger tip angle, and is never done at expense of regain. Do not narrow or reduce width of hammer or trigger, nor of engagement surfaces.
Hammer dog (a.k.a. double action fly). Trigger tip raises hammer via the hammer dog in double action. Polish if rough but, per the other parts, do not in the process remove metal. Compared with many DA revolvers, Redhawk carry-up is early, with cylinder latching well before hammer fall, both SA and DA. Removal of metal retards carry-up (a.k.a. timing). Observation is your friend when working on a firearm. Ignorance is Murphy's friend. A friend of Murphy is your enemy.
To reduce full cock dog, hammer MUST be dead-square to a fine dead-flat diamond stone, ceramic stone or fine composite stone (such as a top quality India stone or Japanese chef stone. A small machinist's clamp may help. Place a sheet of paper between hammer face and stone. Do not stone hammer face.
Eze-Lap diamond sharpening steel cuts finely and offers a surface flatter than many sharpening stones. Imperative hammer is square to "stone" during short push & pull motion to reduce full cock dog. Paper shields nose of hammer from abrasive. Take too much and the hammer is ruined. Proceed slowly, patience is a part of the coordination. To insure correct contact patch between hammer & trigger, clean/reassemble/dry fire frequently.
A clean single action letoff improves offhand shooting, which any self-respecting handgunner must be ready for.
Width of hammer and trigger narrow slightly to prevent sear rub on frame. Width of sear contact patch remains unaltered during trigger tune. The test single action letoff, gently squeeze trigger. At hammer fall, trigger sweeps rearward. Trigger must not kick forward at hammer fall. Trigger kick is proof of unsafe engagement; a sure sign of a fugitive trigger job. The single action squeeze/sweep test applies to SA and DA revolvers.
Hammer with double action dog and mainspring hook.
Still on trigger job from 1982.
Better view of single action dog & notch. n action, entire loackwork area is lubricated with one or another motor oil, synthetic motor oil, moly-disulfide grease. Menu may include Anti-Seize Compound and auto transmission fluid.
5-1/2" Redhawk, offhand @ about 85 yards. Temperature somewhere between zero and 15-fahrenheit. Federal .44 Mag 180 JHP.
