Installing new hammers on my SXS

[Eterry]

I drove to The Rifle Shoppe Wednesday and spent several hours talking to Jesse and handling his huge collection of original guns and exact copies he had made from originals.

I went to get replacement hammers for my William Moore shotgun.

He had a pair of Dogs head hammers he had copied from a different William Moore.

He said it's no problem to install them correctly... but this guy is phenomenal. He has much more confidence in my abilities than I do.

Give me some ideas, tips, thoughts about getting this done. The original hammers had been replaced and the ones on it have been brazed, aren't timed properly and don't match.

Thanks.

 

[Eterry]

Btw, these are investment cast from 4140, so they won't need heat treating.

 

[fleener]

I did this several years ago with a W. Greener ML replacing both hammers. Just go slow and plan it out. Good thing is that if you mess it up, I am assuming you can buy a couple more hammers.

BE carful with your file, you can cut the corners to quick.

Fleener

 

[andy52]

Just out of curiosity do the hammers have a square hole or hex hole like this one?

 

[Sam squanch]

I make a small round piece out of a dowel that has a hole drilled in it to fit on the nipple. Then I turn or sand the outside of the dowel so it will fit into the hammer nose. You want a snug fit. It centers the nose on the nipple, as you slowly bend the hammer to fit your tumbler square. Anneal the hammers first! Start with a undersized hole in the hammer, and file only a little at a time. Take a whole weekend to do this with the wife and kids gone. And lay off the beer, you must concentrate on getting a tight fit. Also before I forget, make a small punch that will fit in the tumbler hole , tight fit , with the point sticking outside of the lock plate. Sit your hammer with the dowel on the nipple, and lightly tap the flat side of the hammer with a brass hammer or mallet. That will mark where you need to drill the starting hole in the hammer.

 

[Sam squanch]

Sorry for the convoluted instructions, a little dog is stealing my wallet and I must catch her…

 

[Sam squanch]

I forgot, pay close attention to the tumbler position at rest before you fit your hammers . You don’t want the mainspring to slip off the tumbler before the hammer nose hits the nipple. May want to mark the tumbler hole first , then place the tumbler at half cock to fit the hammer. Make sure both hammers are in the same position at half cock, that one is not forwards or backwards from the other.

 

[Eterry]

Just out of curiosity do the hammers have a square hole or hex hole like this one?

Thankfully they are square hole...i don't think I could ever get the hex cut properly.

 

[Sam squanch]

I think they hammered a broach to make the tumbler holes instead of filing them back years ago