New Vaquero hammer

[Two Dogz]

I am wanting to put either a new super blackhawk or a bisley hammer on my new vaquero. I found a bisley hammer in stock on brownells but they list out large frame and small frame (!?) what do I need to do this?

Help me Obi Wahn!
:wink:

 

[flatgate]

Large frame! The Small frame is for the Single-Six.

You will have to reshape the rear of the hammer a bit so it fits the contour of the New Vaquero's grip frame "ears". I think.

flatgate

 

[Jimbo357mag]

The difference between the Bisley and Super hammer in considerable. Unless you want to spend a lot of time grinding and filing on the Bisley hammer or cutting out the gripframe on your New Vaquero I would suggest a Super hammer which should almost drop in. I put one in a Blackhawk and had no problems at all. (see avatar). To be honest I don't know for sure about fitting the hammer to the New Vaquaro.

...Jimbo

 

[Two Dogz]

The difference between the Bisley and Super hammer in considerable. Unless you want to spend a lot of time grinding and filing on the Bisley hammer or cutting out the gripframe on your New Vaquero I would suggest a Super hammer which should almost drop in. I put one in a Blackhawk and had no problems at all. (see avatar). To be honest I don't know for sure about fitting the hammer to the New Vaquaro.

...Jimbo

ack. I think reshaping that bisley looks to be beyond my skill set. You say the super blackhawk goes in easily though?

 

[Jimbo357mag]

ack. I think reshaping that bisley looks to be beyond my skill set. You say the super blackhawk goes in easily though?

Sometimes they go in without any problems and sometimes they may need fitting to get perfect function. Check for push-off (where you can push the cocked hammer off the sear), light primer strikes and transfer bar pinch as well as rubs on the sides of the new hammer.

Here are a couple of threads on the subject. Note the Birdshead New Vaquero at the bottom of one.
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtop ... &highlight
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtop ... &highlight

Jimbo

 

[tek4260]

If you hace a bench grinder, the Bisley hammer is easy to reshape. Simply use the hammer pivot pin to align the original hammer and the Bisley then scribe where to stop grinding. A file and sandpaper finishes it nicely.

 

[tek4260]

Her is one I reshaped a few days ago. All that is left to do is polish off the cold blue from the sides of the hammer since this is a blued model rather than stainless. Literally took 15 minutes on a bench grinder. Go slow and quench it often to keep from getting discoloration.

 

[Two Dogz]

I ordered the Bisley hammer and am going to attempt this. I will post pics when I start the process so you guys can make "inspirational" comments about the quality of my work.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I got a nice scar on my index knuckle from trying to grind a small piece of metal on a bench grinder. A better way might be to clamp the hammer in a padded vice and go at it with a portable grinder and file. Just a thought.

...Jimbo

 

[Two Dogz]

Yea, I have flung enough small pieces around the shop to have learned that lesson. I have a pair of padded vice grips I use to hold small pieces as well as leather gloves, earplugs and full face shield. My face might scare children and curdle milk but I am used to looking at it in the mirror the way it is.

:lol:

 

[Rob72]

A Dremel reinforced cutoff wheel, followed with a hand-file makes a nice clean cut...and no rasped hands.

 

[Two Dogz]

A Dremel reinforced cutoff wheel, followed with a hand-file makes a nice clean cut...and no rasped hands.

Thats a very good idea. Thanks

 

[JimMarch1]

The New Vaquero and other "mid frames" take the same hammers as "New Model" large-frames.

I dropped an SBH hammer into my New Vaquero and it needed no tuning whatsoever. I really like that hammer, better than the "Montado" variant. The Montado hammer is the same thing as the SBH except for the checkering pattern on the thumbpad - Montado (and the new "SASS special") hammers are diamond checkered with a border, SBH has horizontal unbroken lines running side to side that make slipping your thumb off at the end of the cocking stroke a joy. Ruger got that one RIGHT.

If installing a Bisley hammer, the good news is that the area you have to modify at the back isn't at all a "critical tolerance" situation. As long as all the holes are there and it looks halfway decent you're good to go. The OTHER side is where the critical sear surfaces and the like are and you shouldn't need to touch that unless the "push-off test" fails, in which case yell for help here .