Slip hammering & slip hammering...........

[BobWright]

An old term has resurfaced of late, related to the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting, and that is slip hammering.

As practiced nowadays, slip hammering involves emptying a Single Action is as short a time as possible. This is done by holding the Single Action very firmly in the shooting hand and holding the trigger back with the trigger finger. The off hand wraps the shooting hand while the thumb cocks the hammer back and slides off the spur in one swift motion. The thumb sort of makes a circular motion, very rapidly spinning to get off the five shots in the least of times.

Slip shooting, as done in the olden days, was a different breed of shooting. And most slip-hammer guns were extensively modified. I believe it was Bass Outlaw who had a custom Colt so modified, but many others had similar set-ups. The slip hammer gun had the hammer spur lowered to a much lower point on the hammer, and was shortened and smoothed. The trigger was either removed or tied back, sometimes with a piece of rawhide sleeve. Guns with the trigger removed had the opening in the trigger guard plugged and ground smooth. Bass Outlaw's gun reportedly had the 1860 Army Model trigger guard and grip straps. The front part of the trigger guard was cut away but leaving a stub of the back, probably as a "brace" for gripping.

In use, when the gun was drawn, the web between the thumb and forefinger sort of "hooked" the bobbed hammer spur and cocked the hammer and slid off the back of the spur, allowing the gun to fire. Some practice was to slide the thumb along the hammer and off the end of the spur to fire. Either way, slip-hammer guns were fired one handed, and at very close range.

Bob Wright

 

[Blacksmoke]

Adding to the above, McGivern writes in Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting:

"Attention is called to the importance of holding the forearms very firmly against the body for steadiness and support. All movement of the gun is to be made and controlled by body movement only and not by any free movement of the arms or hands after once the gun is in position."

(quote as permitted by the publisher, New Win Publishing Inc.)

An interesting technique for the single action revolver and one I might enjoy practicing.

 

[Monac]

Thanks! I have never heard the term slip hammering before, and now I know what it means. How is this different from what was once called fanning? I have some vague recollection that fanning was considered potentially damaging to the trigger mechanism, although I don't recall how.

 

[CraigC]

Fanning involves slapping the hammer back with the palm and that is hard on the internal parts, as well as the bolt cut-out in the frame. Slip hammering is done with the weak thumb in a much more controlled fashion and is much gentler to the action.

I've done a good bit of slip hammering in the speed dump CAS method using the sights, point shooting and much more deliberate, aimed fire. It's a fun skill to develop and potentially useful if one carries a single action revolver.

 

[Kookla]

In Keith's Sixguns, there's a picture of John Newman demonstrating his technique.