For those who carry a Revolver IWB or OWB do your worry about the hammer snagging on clothing at all? I know this is a concern with a small revolver carried in the pocket,and for this reason I have a S&W 340 M&P for pocket carry use as it is a centennial with an enclosed hammer. My main question is for those here who carry a revolver IWB or OWB do you prefer a bobbed hammer? I ask this as I'm considering having the hammer bobbed on my Ruger SP101,what do you guys think? Should I the hammer bobbed on my gun of is the hammer snagging not really an issue on a gun carried one the belt?
Revolver CCW question
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Even for pocket carry, I chose the 637 because I wanted the hammer. Maybe because I grew up with a hammer, so I've always been aware of them?
I just prefer having single-action as an option, and have never had problems with snags in pocket/owb/iwb (my thumb is on the back of the hammer as I draw & place).
I just prefer having single-action as an option, and have never had problems with snags in pocket/owb/iwb (my thumb is on the back of the hammer as I draw & place).
There's always the possibility of a hammer snagging clothing when the gun is drawn. That's why I carry only hammerless or bobbed hammer weapons. My main carry is a Springfield XD9SC (striker-fired) One of my backups is a Taurus 85UL. I bobbed the hammer on it myself. It's easy if you have some small tool skills and a little patience.
One thing you can try is drawing with your thumb covering the hammer so it won't snag. The draw should be practiced a lot, anyway.
One thing you can try is drawing with your thumb covering the hammer so it won't snag. The draw should be practiced a lot, anyway.
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Both my SP-101's are DAO (double action only) and can not be cocked. As such they came from factory with bobbed hammers. So they are snag free.
If you want to bob your hammer, I would have it done by a gunsmith, or be very careful if doing it yourself. If you take off too much steel and make the hammer too light, you can end up with problems igniting the primers of your bullets.
Also if you bob the hammer on a gun which has not been modified to be DAO, you can still have the hammer locked back in the "cocked" position for single action shooting, however it is very dangerous to attempt "cocking" the gun with your thumb on a bobbed hammer. With the bobbed hammer, it is very, very easy to have your thumb slip off the hammer, thus causing a negligent discharge. That hammer spur is there for a reason.
Now my Ruger Speed Six has a traditional hammer, but It is too big to pocket carry so I won't have the snag problem trying to draw from a pocket.
For those who have a hammer spur on their snub nose revolvers and you want to pocket carry and not have the gun snag on the draw there is a method for the draw as follows.
When grasping the butt of the gun inside the pocket, do not get a full and complete firing grip on the gun. A) you hand will be made into a fist while gripping the gun making it harder to draw the gun from the pocket. B) the hammer spur is still exposed and can snag on the edge of the pocket.
Instead, use the following method for your draw: A) Use only your middle, ring and pinkey fingers to curl them around the front of the grip, with the grip in the palm of your hand. B) Keep your index finger straight along the frame of the gun. C) Place your thumb on top of the hammer, covering the hammer spur and creating a sort of ramp/shroud as you draw your gun, thus preventing any snag from the hammer spur. Also, this kind of grip on the gun will create a narrower profile and allow the gun to slide out easier, rather than getting a full grip on the gun.
(You can get a visual effect of the difference in profile if you make a closed fist with your hand and hold it out in front of you, and look to see how big it is. Then, change from a fist to how you held your hand as a kid to simulate pointing a gun at someone, with your index finger pointing out straight and your thumb up in the air. You can see the imaginary gun is a much thinner profile than a balled up fist)
It's easier to demonstrate then explain it in text so if you need further clarification, just ask.
If you want to bob your hammer, I would have it done by a gunsmith, or be very careful if doing it yourself. If you take off too much steel and make the hammer too light, you can end up with problems igniting the primers of your bullets.
Also if you bob the hammer on a gun which has not been modified to be DAO, you can still have the hammer locked back in the "cocked" position for single action shooting, however it is very dangerous to attempt "cocking" the gun with your thumb on a bobbed hammer. With the bobbed hammer, it is very, very easy to have your thumb slip off the hammer, thus causing a negligent discharge. That hammer spur is there for a reason.
Now my Ruger Speed Six has a traditional hammer, but It is too big to pocket carry so I won't have the snag problem trying to draw from a pocket.
For those who have a hammer spur on their snub nose revolvers and you want to pocket carry and not have the gun snag on the draw there is a method for the draw as follows.
When grasping the butt of the gun inside the pocket, do not get a full and complete firing grip on the gun. A) you hand will be made into a fist while gripping the gun making it harder to draw the gun from the pocket. B) the hammer spur is still exposed and can snag on the edge of the pocket.
Instead, use the following method for your draw: A) Use only your middle, ring and pinkey fingers to curl them around the front of the grip, with the grip in the palm of your hand. B) Keep your index finger straight along the frame of the gun. C) Place your thumb on top of the hammer, covering the hammer spur and creating a sort of ramp/shroud as you draw your gun, thus preventing any snag from the hammer spur. Also, this kind of grip on the gun will create a narrower profile and allow the gun to slide out easier, rather than getting a full grip on the gun.
(You can get a visual effect of the difference in profile if you make a closed fist with your hand and hold it out in front of you, and look to see how big it is. Then, change from a fist to how you held your hand as a kid to simulate pointing a gun at someone, with your index finger pointing out straight and your thumb up in the air. You can see the imaginary gun is a much thinner profile than a balled up fist)
It's easier to demonstrate then explain it in text so if you need further clarification, just ask.
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Don't bob the stock (spurred) SP101 hammer. Rather, order an extra bobbed (DAO) hammer for your SP101 from Ruger & install it. That way you have both. But, in the bigger picture, there are very few (any?) self-defense occasions when SA cocking is practical or necessary. So getting a DAO SP101 from the start (if that's ALL you're gonna' use it for) makes more sense. Only if you plan to use it for more "precision" shooting (Sport, Target?) will the SA function come into play anyway.
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The revolvers I carry for defensive use, as a rule, have the Hammers "bobbed" and the Single Action cocking notch ground off by a Gunsmith. This renders the gun Double Action Only.
If I wanted to shoot Single Action I'd carry my Hi Power, my SAA, or 1911. You can make precise long distance shots shooting Double Action. So, in answer to your question, yes, the Hammers are "bobbed" and it does help in preventing snagging.
Biker
If I wanted to shoot Single Action I'd carry my Hi Power, my SAA, or 1911. You can make precise long distance shots shooting Double Action. So, in answer to your question, yes, the Hammers are "bobbed" and it does help in preventing snagging.
Biker
I have a taurus M85 in .38 special and I have no problems with the hammer carrying IWB. I do not do pocket carry. In my draw stroke I clear the garment. Now with that being said Murphys law will probably catch up to me one day and I won't have that optimum draw. So I have the gunsmith getting me a smoother hammer similar to the one on the taurus judge public defender. The hammer spur is rounded so hopefully this will reduce the chance of it getting caught on something.
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My IWB snubby holster has a thumb break for the hammer, but I don't use it for EDC.
I am new to the Forum... However I am a Dealer thus I am somewhat experienced... I guess I need to pose an obvious question (leastwise to me)...
Why would anyone want to defeat the purpose of a DA Revolver??? If you are concerned about a hammer snagging on clothing then opt for a DAO...
I carry both. A 327 S&W in the SOB and a 640 BUG. I have access to any number of additional firearms but I must state that my preference always leans towards a DA Revolver of which I have an option...
Regards,
Why would anyone want to defeat the purpose of a DA Revolver??? If you are concerned about a hammer snagging on clothing then opt for a DAO...
I carry both. A 327 S&W in the SOB and a 640 BUG. I have access to any number of additional firearms but I must state that my preference always leans towards a DA Revolver of which I have an option...
Regards,
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I have both, but my carry revolvers are factory DAO and since I shoot most revolvers that way anyway, not having a hammer spur is my choice. My first was a DAO SP-101 and I love the gun and the way it shoots. I wanted a bit bigger gun and looked at the Security Sixes but they were not what I was looking for. I then came across one of the repatriated GP-100's from Canada. They were ordered DAO from Ruger and have short shroud 3" barrels. Perfect for what I was looking for. Here are my carry guns.
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I occasionally carry an N fram 610 openly at the gunshop and casually concealed to and from and haven't had a problem. It's a pretty big gun and I carry it OWB in a FIST holster. I have an old fancy nickel plated J frame 37 with pearl grips as a "church gun" carried in a FIST IWB under a Guyaberra shirt. With the right technique both draw nice and smooth. I sometimes carry the 37 as a BUG in my Maxpedition Jumbo diaper bag, same thing. You just have to draw with your thumb kind of acting as a hammer shroud.
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Plus 1 above
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I have my 642 in a front jacket pocket during the winter months more than any other carry style for just that reason. Very discreet and nobody knows your hand is on the thing if you need to pull it out.:hand5:
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