Praise for SBH Hammer on Vaquero

[Tom in Ohio]

Another board member graciously sent me a SBH hammer for my New Vaquero, and I really like it. I think it looks better; it absolutely works better (easier, surer cocking); and I can still see my sights with the hammer down. That last benefit turns out to be the best one.

I was a IPSC IDPA shooter who religiously followed Brian Enos's shooting philosophy. He is a huge advocate of proper follow through, which includes watching your sights through recoil. You can't do that with the stock Vaquero hammer, and it really messed with me. The SBH hammer fixed that problem. I highly recommend it.

 

[Rclark]

Nice, the serial number suggests it is a New Vaquero. That said, I still just use the stock hammer. Not a competitor though.

 

[contender]

Many find the SBH hammer is a good addition. Kudos!

 

[Bob Wright]

Tom in Ohio said: "....... and I can still see my sights with the hammer down. That last benefit turns out to be the best one."

Why, may I ask? Seems to me when you're looking over the sights, you should be ready to fire, that is, have that hammer eared back. Somehow I'm not with you there.

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

As for me, I'm t'other way around, I prefer the higher, narrow hammer spur. The narrow spur sort of "digs in" to the flesh of my thumb and gives me a surer grip, whereas the beavertail spur lets my thumb sort of "sit on top" of the spur.



And, I'm using the thumb that came on my shootin' hand.

Bob Wright

 

[Tom in Ohio]

Tom in Ohio said: "....... and I can still see my sights with the hammer down. That last benefit turns out to be the best one."

Why, may I ask? Seems to me when you're looking over the sights, you should be ready to fire, that is, have that hammer eared back. Somehow I'm not with you there.

Bob Wright

That's what follow through is. The hammer falls and you watch your sights rise in recoil.

https://brianenos.com/shop/shoppractical-shooting-beyond-fundamentals/

I suggest the above book. Reading it (many times) did more to improve my shooting than anything else.

I was an "expert" in the Marines, a "top gun" police firearms instructor, and international 3-position small bore intercollegiate shooter, so I thought I was pretty good. Until I started shooting in practical pistol competitions against a shot timer. I hadn't thought it was possible to shoot as fast and accurate as I saw the experienced shooters do. I asked, and was told to read the book. After a while I started putting lighter springs in my competition pistols because the slides were moving too slowly for me. I can't recommend his book enough.

 

[Bob Wright]

Tom in Ohio said: "That's what follow through is. The hammer falls and you watch your sights rise in recoil."

Well, you got me there. I'm so slow I'm still looking at the target while the gun is somewhere above my line of sight.







Worked for me all these years.

Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Looks like you need just a might more powder
Yea if you want to shoot slow cock with strong hand rather than weak hand

So easy a kid can do it. Been friends with this kids dad and watched Dylan grow up.

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[protoolman]

That's what follow through is. The hammer falls and you watch your sights rise in recoil.

https://brianenos.com/shop/shoppractical-shooting-beyond-fundamentals/

After a while I started putting lighter springs in my competition pistols because the slides were moving too slowly for me. I can't recommend his book enough.

What am I missing here? A lighter recoil spring makes the slide cycle slower. A lighter mainspring increases lock time which decreases accuracy and a lighter trigger return spring makes the trigger take longer to reset. The head armorer at Ruger told me years ago when they get a gun for repair the first thing they do is put in factory fresh springs.cures most reliability problems, increases accuracy and cures lethargic semi autos.

 

[contender]

Tom has made an excellent point about follow through AFTER the shot. Brian Enos was a top championship shooter,, who developed his skills by lots of practice. Plus,, his book, as well as his direct teaching is spot on.
And yes,,, it's often something many don't realize they can use to make themselves a better shooter. Follow through, and seeing your sights AFTER the shot does help.

But, as Bob has shown,, often, a heavy recoiling handgun rises well above the line of sight. It's the point AFTER that recoil that the sights settle back into your line of sight if done correctly. Most guns recoil enough to where the sights leave your line of sight upon firing. Yet,, the follow through, and seeing your sights AFTER the shot tells you a lot about your grip, form, stance, and accuracy.

I see Tom's point in that after his shot is taken, he wants his gun to return to the center of the shot, AND be able to see the sights to make the second shot. In gun games where speed is a part of the score, along with accuracy, this is important.

 

[Tom in Ohio]

Being able to see the sights with the hammer down also helps a lot with dry firing.

 

[Randyzzz]

Without getting into the technical aspects mentioned in prior posts- I agree with the OP that the Super hammer is awesome. I end up with either a Super or Bisley hammer on all my Blackhawks. Here's some recent pics-

 

[Bob Wright]

As to rapid firing with the Single Action revolver, one reason I prefer the narrow hammer spur is that, when a rapid follow up shot is required, the hammer should already be cocked when the gun comes down out of recoil. My thumb sort of swipes the hammer cocked as the gun is coming down. The flat beavertail hammer allows my thumb to slip off the side without bringing the hammer vully back. Sort of what I mean when I say it "digs in" to the flesh. As the gun comes down the weight of the gun helps cock the hammer.

Bob Wright

 

[seasterl]

I can see how the standard Blackhawk hammer would be ideal for gunslinging, but I never grew accustomed to shooting that way and preferred the wide-spur SBH or Bisley hammers.

Edited for a typo

 

[contender]

Good point Bob,
In fast SA shooting,, many folks do "cock the hammer as the gun returns from recoil. In that case,, you can also see the sights as they settle in.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Bob and Others,
Sometime just for grins try cocking with your off hand thumb. That was the first thing I was taught when I started shooting SASS.
By doing this you will not have to change your shooting hand grip and your thumb will not slip off the hammer. All of the SASS shooters do it this way.
The Super and Bisley hammers work best when shooting one handed. After all the Colt Bisley was made to shoot one handed.
Ruger changed the style of hammer on The New Vaquero for a reason. Most shooters shoot 2 handed. I'm kind of an exception I can shoot either hand and 1 or 2 handed and my Ruger Old Armys and have Super Hammers on them for shooting one handed.
And yes cocking while in recoil is just a given,

Watch the video in my above post and you can see how it is done

Notice how the off hand thumb is ready to cock the hammer or just cocked it.

Shooting one handed at competition speed 5 shots with cap and ball cylinders in the ROAs. And why do I shoot low. For me if I do not focus on front sight I tend to shoot over the top of the target. I don't care where I hit the target as long as I hit it. This isn't bullseye shooting.

 

[Bob Wright]

I do shoot that way when on the range, use my off hand thumb, that is. But my practice has been to draw and shoot when I may be faced aanother way, or not in a fixed shooting position. My scenerio has been around the two times I'm most vulnerable: at the gas station gettin out of my vehicle or when pumpin gas; and in a "bump and grab" situation. I don't depend on having the luxury of two hands for shooting.

So call me gunslinger if you will, I practice on the way I can get my gun into action the fastest and getting off a shot or shots that will do the most good in the shortest time possible.