OM Q's

[gnappi]

I read on another site that the lack of safety in the OM was the reason Ruger made the decision they did regarding the transfer bar mod.

Understand I only recently got an OM revolver but have several Colt and Colt SA type (two with a "Swiss safety") clones and other than a revolver drop on the muzzle (which can be true for the new model) the subject is still unclear how an empty chamber prevents an AD.

The explanation I read for the empty chamber under the hammer was (paraphrased) "if the hammer falls off the thumb during cocking and hits the half cock notch and said notch breaks off it cannot fire because the empty chamber is there".

Well I see that when I cock the hammer in such a manner the empty chamber has already rotated away from the firing position so how exactly does the transfer bar prevent an AD? Is the half cock notch really that fragile and unreliable?

I can see where a revolver with the hammer down on a loaded chamber could have an AD if say you fell off a horse and the hammer was struck, or if the revolver was dropped and again the hammer was struck on the ground or other object but on the half cock notch?

Can those of you who own OM Rugers and or Colt / clone revolvers specifically tell me how an OM is unsafe to carry fully loaded with six and the hammer on the half cock notch that makes sense?

 

[rugerguy]

just by the term "transfer bar" it transfers the hammer impact to the firing pin, if the trigger is NOT held back ,keeping the bar up, in position to transfer, some other makers like S&W this process is called a "hammer block",,,guess being S&W and Ruger got sued, made changes, and it does work, but I often wondered why and how the Colts and their 'cloned' makers still get by with the "keep the hammer down on an empty chamber", and yes the common sense process of a "safe" carry, TILL one starts to pull the hammer back , and begin the firing process.......guess we'll have to ask Alec Baldwin for the proper way to do it and get away with it......:unsure::cool::rolleyes:

 

[Marcruger2]

On traditional single actions when carried with six cartridges, the firing pin is either against or just adjacent to a live primer. A hit by a springy limb, a stirrup or any number of things can drive that pin into the primer and set off a round. The “safety notch” is easily sheared by a similar blow, with the same result. If there is an open chamber under the hammer, no possibility for a surprise discharge. In the old days civilians often carried five cartridges, though loading number 6 made sense if you knew danger was imminent. The Army apparently loaded six as standard. And no, they didn’t carry a paper bill in the empty chamber. Try it some time. A jam up waiting to happen if you don’t set fire to the paper. When unloading and loading fast, is someone going to watch for the paper-plugged chamber?
New Model Rugers are safe and fine with six. The traditional procedure for loading five is “Second Notch. Load one. Skip one. Load four more. Pull back hammer to full cock and then slowly lower onto empty chamber. “ And never lower a single action hammer from anything other than full cock. If on half cock or safety notch, go all the way to full cock before lowering. Prevents drag lines.

 

[TheTexasRAT]

For the transfer bar to rise the trigger must be pulled. If the hammer is being cocked with no finger on the trigger there can be no accidental firing being the transfer bar is still in it's downward position.

As for any revolver with out a transfer bar, in order to be able to smack the hammer without it setting off a primer it would have to have a spring loaded floating inertia driven firing pin of which smacking a hammer in its' resting position would do nothing.