Bobbing the Hammer on an Airweight 431pd

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mountain_cowboy

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Okay, so I just got a steal on an exposed hammer 432pd in .32mag and I'm not crazy about the hammer sticking out. Now I know I could have gotten the 432 with the concealed hammer, but it would have costed me at least twice as much. Anyway, I don't know what material the Airweight hammers are made of, but does anyone know if I can bob it myself, without affecting the function of the gun? I'd just use a Dremel cutting wheel at low speed, like I've done before. I didn't know if the weight difference in the hammer would affect ignition, or if the heat from the cutting would mess up the hammer's temper.
 
I have some experience with an old (80s) Charter Arms Off Duty 38, stainless cylender and hammer, alloy frame. I ground most of the hammer down (slowly so as to avoid overheating) and it now carries great. Do it right, and you can still fire it single-action and safely lower the hammer.
I was initially concerned that lightening the hammer might cause problems, but I've only had a few light primer strikes over the years, and they all came from Winchester primers. All others perform perfectly. It's nice to throw the litlle snubby in a pocket and not have to worry about snagging on the way out.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Biker
 
We discussed this topic before. Aside from ignition issue, keep in mind that the gun can still be cocked after bobbing the hammer. That makes for a safety issue, unless you go through the full DAO conversion. If you just bob the hammer make sure you pass that info on if you sell the gun. I've been interested in a 432/1 myself, but they seem in short supply, and I'm still anti lock, but that's my preference.
 
Bobbing the hammer is a no-no on those small guns IF there is also any work involving lightening the mainspring. Because of the small mass of the hammers, the gun has little reserve power for reliable ignition. After the job is done, fire at least 200 rounds of the carry ammo to check reliability. Shouting "Stop or I'll click!" just doesn't have a lot of authority.

Jim
 
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