I just bought a SW10 as recommended by many of you in another thread. It is vintage 1975. One question: I see references in the standard reference on SWs about a hammer block. Also, this 30 year old revolver came with box and papers but did not explain about a hammer block. So, is this different from a SAA revolver in that, with a SW, one does NOT need to have the hammer resting on an empty chamber if carrying it in a holster?? I do not plan on carrying this as a sidearm, just take it to the range in a case and fully load it and shoot immediately. But, it would be good to know. If this is dropped with a loaded cylinder could it discharge if the hammer spur, say, struck a rock? Thanks in advance for clearing this up.
Question about SW 10
- Thread starter moewadle
- Start date
- Status
Around 1945 S&W redesigned the internals to include a sliding bar that prevents the hammer from striking home unless the trigger was actually pulled. This is the "hammer block." This is what you hear rattling around when you shake the gun, BTW. Your gun can be carried fully loaded with no concerns.
ugaarguy
Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 13,828
Hammer block function test
Empty the gun, make sure it's empty, check again and ensure that it's empty. Now hold it up with a light behind it so that you can see the gap between the frame & cylinder. Thumb cock it. Now put your thumb on the hammer like you're going to lower it, pull the trigger and keep holding it as you ride the hammer down, do not release the trigger, and keep watching the gap as you ride the hammer down. You should see the firing pin cross the gap to the top chamber, keep holding the trigger back. Once the hammer is all the way down remove your thumb from the hammer. Now release the trigger and watch as the hammer barely moves back and the firing pin crosses the gap back to the frame. If it does that the block is working.
Empty the gun, make sure it's empty, check again and ensure that it's empty. Now hold it up with a light behind it so that you can see the gap between the frame & cylinder. Thumb cock it. Now put your thumb on the hammer like you're going to lower it, pull the trigger and keep holding it as you ride the hammer down, do not release the trigger, and keep watching the gap as you ride the hammer down. You should see the firing pin cross the gap to the top chamber, keep holding the trigger back. Once the hammer is all the way down remove your thumb from the hammer. Now release the trigger and watch as the hammer barely moves back and the firing pin crosses the gap back to the frame. If it does that the block is working.
ugaarguy:
What you are describing and seeing is the hammer being rebounded (retracted back into the frame), and in fact after the hammer rebounds it is blocked at the bottom by the rebound slide, so that it can't move all of the way forward until the trigger is pulled again.
This however is not the positive hammer block that was added in 1945. The block comes between the hammer and frame just under the firing pin. It moves into place as the hammer rebounds. If you cock the hammer and use a flashlight you can see it by looking down the front of the hammer slot. If the trigger is let go so that it may follow down as the hammer is lowerd with the thumb you should be able to see the hammer block coming up in the front of the hammer slot.
Not too many people seem to know it, but most post-war S&W revolvers have two, seperate hammer blocks that are independent of each other.
So post-World War Two revolvers can be safely caried fully loaded.
What you are describing and seeing is the hammer being rebounded (retracted back into the frame), and in fact after the hammer rebounds it is blocked at the bottom by the rebound slide, so that it can't move all of the way forward until the trigger is pulled again.
This however is not the positive hammer block that was added in 1945. The block comes between the hammer and frame just under the firing pin. It moves into place as the hammer rebounds. If you cock the hammer and use a flashlight you can see it by looking down the front of the hammer slot. If the trigger is let go so that it may follow down as the hammer is lowerd with the thumb you should be able to see the hammer block coming up in the front of the hammer slot.
Not too many people seem to know it, but most post-war S&W revolvers have two, seperate hammer blocks that are independent of each other.
So post-World War Two revolvers can be safely caried fully loaded.
ugaarguy
Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 13,828
Well Old Fuff, you never cease to amaze me. All this time I was thinking the hammer rebound was a function of the hammer block on the post WWII guns. Having removed a sideplate on one of my Smiths before deploying, - boy did it need it, I don't even wanna know what all the tweezers pulled out - and looking at a schematic here online I see what you mean.
I suppose, and correct me if I'm wrong, that the proper check for the additional post WWII hammer block is to: 1) ensure the gun is unloaded, then 2) push on the hammer with it already down and ensure that the firing pin doesn't protrude from the frame to the cylinder. Or would that still be checking the original FP block?
I suppose, and correct me if I'm wrong, that the proper check for the additional post WWII hammer block is to: 1) ensure the gun is unloaded, then 2) push on the hammer with it already down and ensure that the firing pin doesn't protrude from the frame to the cylinder. Or would that still be checking the original FP block?
There isn't any easy way to make an independent check of the hammer block short of removing the sideplate and watching it because the rebound slide will (or should) rebound the hammer and then block it. Once the hammer is blocked you can't be sure which safety is doing it because in effect they both are. If you use a flashlight and look down the front of the hammer slot while the hammer is cocked you should be able to see the block, and if you slowly lower the hammer while letting the trigger follow down you should be able to see the hammer block starting to move up before the hammer gets too far forward.
I always look. Because some ding-bats have been known to remove the block because they think it will make the double-action easier (it doesn't) or they don't like the rattle it sometimes makes.
Better a rattle then a BANG!!
I always look. Because some ding-bats have been known to remove the block because they think it will make the double-action easier (it doesn't) or they don't like the rattle it sometimes makes.
Better a rattle then a BANG!!
- Status
