Author Topic: Question about S&W Revolvers (Read 678 times)

Mainer · « **on:** March 03, 2006, 01:18:27 PM »

There are lots of beautiful, older S&W revolvers out there.

Some, if not all, have the firing pin on the hammer.

Are all of those guns unsafe to carry with a loaded round under the hammer or do any of them have a "drop safety"?

NE Hunter · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2006, 02:22:10 PM »

my model 29 the hammer rebounds back slightly ,thus allowing for all 6 cylinders to be filled. I don't know about others.

corbanzo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2006, 07:37:32 AM »

With the ones I've seen, there is no drop safety. I actually tested one, and it fired when we pulled the hammer back and let it drop. I would say it is safe to carry, but you have to have a holster on which the strap will go behind the hammer, so it cant go back at all, therefor not being able to drop.

jhrosier · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2006, 01:07:31 PM »

S&W revolvers have had an internal hammer block for the last 90 or so years, It is a block of steel, connected to the trigger, which bears against the frame and forces the hammer back when the trigger is not being pulled. The only way you get one of these guns to fire is to strike the hammer hard enough to break it in half. We're talking about a piece of hardened steel 3/16" thick and 1" wide. :eek:
There is also another piece of steel, connected to the trigger mechanism, which is between the hammer and the rear of the frame when the trigger is forward.
These guns have always been perfectly safe to carry fully loaded.
Modern S&W revolvers must pass a drop test to be sold in many states, such as California and Massachusetts.

ed1921 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2006, 02:04:48 PM »

My 1980 S&W with a hammer mounted firing pin has a hammer block that gets out of the way when the trigger is pressed. It works opposite from guns that don't have the hammer firing pin. It's easy to see if you look in front of the hammer.

Mainer · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2006, 02:23:10 PM »

Thanks for the info.

S.B. · « **Reply #6 on:** March 11, 2006, 03:53:07 AM »

S&Ws have a hammer block to prevent the hammer from contacting the firing pin.

S.B. · « **Reply #7 on:** March 11, 2006, 03:54:51 AM »

I don't know of a modern S&W (1945 to present) that's unsafe to carry, with one under the hammer? Older than that and your talking collectors gun of great value. Things have changed with S&Ws over the years but, safety has always been there.