Hole in hammer?

[M91/30]

I was wondering what the hole in the hammer of the cz-52(or any gun) is for. I assumed weight reduction but have heard its for putting a zip tie through and to the back of the trigger. Any truth to that or other uses?

(Not my pic)
http://picturearchive.auctionarms.com/3056232956/9895980/cz-52 hammer.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg

 

[1SOW]

Usually weight (or sometimes just looks). The hammer will fall and strike the firing pin "faster" but still have enough surface area for thumb.

 

[DPris]

No truth whatever to the zip tie thing.
Denis

 

[Clifford]

Duh....ya ever heard of speed holes? Guaranteed to move the bullet 20% faster

 

[Nushif]

Duh....ya ever heard of speed holes? Guaranteed to move the bullet 20% faster

I always thought red bullets went faster.

All kidding aside though, I am kinda wondering at that, myself. My PT911 has a shorter solid hammer that still allows you to cock it ... my 1911 has the hammer with the hole ... so they all seem to do the same thing.
They're hammers ... I figure there's only so much you can do to them, so why all this thought and development?

 

[Skylerbone]

Decreased lock time thanks to reduced weight giving a faster ignition time to minimize movement after squeezing it. Triggers are also known to develop holes and not just for the snazzy appearance. A lighter trigger can reduce the likelihood of bounce when pull weight is significantly reduced. That is why many aftermarket triggers include the weight in grains. In addition to the shoe being drilled often the bow will be half th height of the track.

Other lightened parts include the sear, disconnector, hammer strut and of course firing pin.

For the record red bullets do go faster but green ones are the fastest. Do not use the blue ones!

 

[RevDerb]

I'm probably wrong but I assumed that it was for a lanyard. Probably the wrong place to put a lanyard, huh?

 

[chicharrones]

Just for history's sake, the CZ52 design predates the zip tie coming in to use.

Yeah the lanyard thing would be funny, too. Imagine having the hammer cocked and getting the lanyard wrapped around the front of the hammer when trying to fire. I suppose it could happen with the lanyard in the other position, but . . .

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Just for history's sake, the CZ52 design predates the zip tie coming in to use.

Yes, but surprisingly only by 6 years!

And I guess all this rules out the hole in the hammer being so that the gun can be put on a keyring as well.

 

[chicharrones]

And I guess all this rules out the hole in the hammer being so that the gun can be put on a keyring aw well.

 

[DoomGoober]

This thread made me curious so I Googled it. There are a lot of weird theories out there why skeletonized, ring, or rowel hammers are used (Most are from (http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-280396.html)
1) If dropped on the hammer, a rowel hammer will break rather than discharge the weapon.
2) By putting a chord through the whole, the weapon can be cocked for dry fire without taking the dominant hand off the weapon (huh?)
3) Allow calvary men to cock the pistol against the pants. (again, huh?)
4) Won't bite you as badly as a spurred hammer.

Along with all the theories presented in this thread.

 

[Skylerbone]

That is why Google is not our friend. A search does not always lead to a correct answer.

http://www.nowlinguns.com/product-info.php?nowlin_gun_parts-pid171.html

http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Hammer-Ultralight-Skeletonized-Bullet-Proof-Stainless/productinfo/337S/

Nothing in those descriptions about lanyards, bubble gum/cigarette holder, emergency fire starter or nail file. The beavertail grip safety is used to eliminate hammer bite but due to its geometry a standard spur hammer does not have enough travel to fully cock with most beavertails. The tip of the spur bottoms out against the safety somewhere between half and full cock which necessitated a different shape, but the holes are there for weight reduction.

 

[Zerodefect]

My DW Valor has a really cool looking skeletonized hammer.

I tie balloons to it when I'm at the fair.

 

[Skylerbone]

That was you! How on earth did you manage to draw and shoot all those balloons so fast? It was that speed hammer, wasn't it?!

 

[Zerodefect]

Yup, the hammer drops faster with a skeletonized hammer.

Somtimes I'll clip my kids leash to it when I'm at Disney World.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

Some are to lighten the hammer for target/competition guns and then some are there so the hammer can be big enough to cock with a thumb without being too heavy.

The Beretta 92 Elite has a skeleton hammer that gets pushed by a normal hammer spring. If you change the hammer spring to a "D" spring or "double action only" spring you must use the Elite II hammer that looks the same but is slightly heavier, otherwise you run the risk of light primer strikes.

Any hammer with less mass will move faster than its solid counterpart, but go too light and there will not be enough mass to transfer the correct amount of energy to the firing pin. Go with too light of a spring and you get the same risk.

Triggers with holes do tend to feel lighter with less bounce than the steel counter part...at least in 1911s. I can feel the difference between an aluminum trigger and a steel trigger and prefer the aluminum with or without the lightening cuts/holes

Many people get them for looks. Some think they do nothing ,but they change the characteristic and feel of the trigger or hammer if correctly set-up.