Revolver for CCW: Hammerless?

Well, any excuse to get a new gun is a good excuse. BUUTTTT, you could just get in the habit of putting your thumb on the hammer when you place your hand in your pocket to retrieve the gun. It gets to be second nature to you, and you don't get your hammer snagged.

Well, I've managed to make do with S&W Chiefs Specials with hammers for about 50 years now.

All it takes to get it out of a pocket is to jamb your thumb behind the hammer till it clears the cloth.

Personally, I would not own a completely hammerless revolver, as I spend more time in the woods then on the mean streets late at night.

For me, longer range accuracy in the field afforded by the SA feature is more importent then snag-free high-speed low-drag.

rc

For SD, I'd go with the least snagging design possible.

Sometimes, during summer's boiling months around here, I carry an old .32 S&W 5-shot H&R hammerless top-break revolver.* The thing is tiny and slips in and out of my pockets like butter. I'd also plan to bob my ol' Charter Arms Undercover someday. For me, anything that makes a small SD gun easier to slip in and out of a pocket is a distinct plus. Sometimes you just want to tip out to the store for ten minutes without a hassle, you know?

* Yes, yes, I know that it's suicidal of me to rely on such an anemic caliber!

S&W Model 649

Have you thought about the S&W Model 649 Bodyguard.

Its has a shrouded hammer. You still have the single action capability along with the "snag free" option.

Yes.

I am STILL debating this on my Ruger SP101. I wanted the 3" model, but also the DAO hammer. If I'm not using the spur, I think the DAO looks better, and any less chance to snag is good. However, it will involve me sending my revolver to Ruger and paying $100 to have the part fitted, so I'm not 100% sure that it's something that I want to do.

Like RC said, for a longer-range fight, the SA would be nice. However, from what I understand, most civilian shootings are going to be at 3 yards with 3 shots in 3 seconds, so that's sort of a moot point.

Are you going for pocket carry or another form of carry? If I were pocket carrying, then the hammerless would definitely be the way to go (I *MAY* get an LCR for this purpose down-the-road). My SP101 is going to be carried IWB, so I'm not sure on what I want.

I think I'll wait until my holster gets here and see exactly how it works before I decide whether or not to go. I hope my rambling helped in your decision.

I was taught to "hook" my thumb upwards on the body side while drawing a hammered pistol. In practice it works pretty well, but I'm double jointed and that seems to give me a leg up on that tactic. I've also practiced putting my thumb on the hammer as I draw. My thumb acts as a shield from my clothes, as soon as the pistol is free, I pull the hammer and my first shot is SA. I shoot better SA than DA.

CDR,

It's hard to beat the LCR's, best out of box trigger I've ever pulled on a J-frame size revolver. I carried a model 49 many years ago and it served me well. I've never liked to carry in my pocket but like some others have said it's doable, you just have to train your thumb.


I'm not familiar with your particular model Taurus but if your comfortable with it and it carries well for you sounds like you've got it covered.

It depends somewhat on how you are going to carry, and if a covering garment is going to be involved. For pocket carry I much prefer an inclosed or bobbed hammer. Of course if you always use a "correct technique" to cover the hammer while drawing you may be O.K., but I'm not sure that if faced with a sudden,unexpected lethal threat I'll remember to do what I'm supposed to. Also I establish my full grip on the handle before starting to draw and don't have to reposition my thumb later. Thus a bobbed or inclosed hammer is good insurance.

If a conventionally hammered revolver is concealed by a garment, it has to be gotten out of the way or a hammer spur can snag during the draw, and if the garment can rub against the spur it will soon be rubbed ragged and have a hole in it. A good holster design will prevent this, but keep it in mind.

"Fishhook" hammer spurs almost never go well with deep concealment, and really aren't necessary on snubbies intended to be used for personal protection at distances from point-blank to 25 yards.

One point to consider when talking about covering the hammer with your thumb as you draw from a pocket - if you then decide to reinsert it into the pocket and your thumb hangs up, you have just cocked your revolver. Holsters were invented for some very good reasons. Also most garment pockets are made from flimsy cloth with minimal sewing and were never designed to lug a firearm around in. And finally, pocket lint can and will in time work its way into the action and wreak havoc with finely tuned mechanisms. I have never understood why someone would want to carry a handgun in their pocket.

Referring to my post #10.

I presumed that anyone that reads (or has read it) understands that pocket carry includes using a quality pocket holster. I also make a point of looking at the pockets (quality and depth) before I buy a pair of pants. Otherwise your points would be well taken.

One of several advantages of pocket carry is unlike other methods you can put your hand into the pocket and wrap your thumb and fingers around the handle without actually drawing it, and no one can later claim you were brandishing a pistol.

I very often drop a J-Frame .22 or .38, or SIG DA .380 in my hip pocket without a pocket holster.

If I am stupid enough to accidentally cock it putting it in my hip pocket?

Then I deserve to shoot myself in the hind end!

I would not even consider pocket carrying a small SA or striker fired auto without a pocket holster.
But a S&W revolver, or a SIG or Walther DA auto is just about as idjit proof as a pocket gun can get.

rc

I will sometimes carry a 642 with hammer in my pocket. Although, I always use a pocket holster. When drawing, I use the thumb on hammer method to avoid snagging. However. often this make it even more difficult to draw as my thumb will often block me drawing the gun. So if it were me, I would probably get a hammerless. And I really like the LCR.

Pocket gun? Hammerless.

Holster gun on your belt? Shouldn't matter.

That's my take.

I am STILL debating this on my Ruger SP101. I wanted the 3" model, but also the DAO hammer.

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Are you planning on trying to pocket carry your SP101? I always thought the SP101 was a little to large for that but if you are carrying it in a belt holster, I really don't see the need to remove the hammer, other than possible aesthetics.

I vote lcr! I just love mine. For a pocket gun it's hammer less ftw.

mdauben, it's a combination of:

Aesthetics
Uniformity (all my semi-autos are DAO-style with no manual safety)
Don't want it to snag on my t-shirt when drawing with a firm grip
Don't want to accidentally cock it when reaching into the safe to grab it

I don't plan on firing SA in a self-defense situation, and I'm not an accuracy shooter. Range is combination of fun and practicing for self-defense. So even at the range, I don't plan on firing in the SA mode.

On the flip side (why I'm debating it), the spur being present doesn't prevent me from shooting DA, and it's time away from the revolver and $100 + shipping.

I could pocket carry it. My shorts pockets are big enough

Remllez said:

CDR,

It's hard to beat the LCR's, best out of box trigger I've ever pulled on a J-frame size revolver. I carried a model 49 many years ago and it served me well. I've never liked to carry in my pocket but like some others have said it's doable, you just have to train your thumb.


I'm not familiar with your particular model Taurus but if your comfortable with it and it carries well for you sounds like you've got it covered.

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This. I don't think there's a problem with a non-shrouded hammer because you can just put your thumb on it... but the LCR pretty much wipes the floor with every other little snub in existence in terms of trigger pull. It's not even close - if you compare the pulls of a j-frame and a LCR side by side, it's almost embarrassing for the smith

Hmmm...I looked up the numbers on FedEx after looking at another thread, $87 to ship (before insurance) the only way they'll accept it. Getting the part fit is not worth it to me to pay probably $170 both-ways + $100 for part and installation. So I'll be sticking with the spurred.

If anything, I'd just buy the DAO version and swap hammers and then sell the now-2.25"-DA/SA and keep my DAO.

OP, if you don't have a problem snagging the hammer when drawing your Taurus, I'd say you don't need to worry about it.

On the other hand, if you have a problem with snags, then yes, buy a snubby with a shrouded or enclosed hammer.

If you like your .357, and you can successfully carry it in your chosen fashion as-is, then you don't need another gun, whether spurless, hammerless, or standard.

However, if you do decide that you'd like to get something without a spur, you have lots of options, and the LCR is only one of them.

Well, any excuse to get a new gun is a good excuse. BUUTTTT, you could just get in the habit of putting your thumb on the hammer when you place your hand in your pocket to retrieve the gun. It gets to be second nature to you, and you don't get your hammer snagged.

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Is what I do. I like having the SA ability in my carry, but normally shoot it DA.

OWB, it doesn't matter for me, and I simply prefer DA/SA
but for IWB or pocket, I would go hammerless, most probably the Ruger LCR