High Hammer and Lower Hammers and Short Strokes...

[McCandless]

I have lowered hammer, short-stroked guns for shooting in duelist style categories. (Three-Cut does a great job!)

 

But, I found that the lowered hammers are a hindrance for me when shooting two-handed. A standard hammered Vaquero or Colt gives me better results. So, I have guns set up for Duelist-style, and guns set up for two-handed style.

 

Everybody is talking about short-strokes, and I haven't found them particularly useful yet, for two-handed shooting. (I found that I really need to practice smoother Shotgun loading and Transitions!)

 

Have you two-handed shooters really noticed a difference?

[gabby the frog]

i think short stoke on a handgun is more to reduce wear on the gun parts than gaining an advantage

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Just my opinion and personal experience, but.........

 

I think short stroke pistols do have an advantage based on the style of shooting.

 

One particular advantage that I seem to have gained is that I am less likely to pull my pistol sites off targets while manipulating a 'Properly Tuned' set of short stroked Rugers.

 

I have a couple pair of those 'Properly Tuned' short stroked Rugers by Lassiter in Ohio and Three Cut in N.Carolina.

 

Both are great gunsmiths.

 

I have also handled other work by excellent gunsmiths but I don't actually own any (at this time... ).

 

 

..........Widder

[Yul Lose]

Maybe Smokestack will chime in, but in his two big hands them short stroked pistols are sure fast. IMO two handed shooters benefit too. I have a pair that Shotgun Boogey short stroked and I shoot gunfighter and I feel that they are definitely faster.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

The hammer spur on the 'original model' Vaquero was low enough that you could sight the gun with the hammer down.

 

When Ruger first introduced the New Vaquero, one of the design changes over the 'original model' Vaquero was a higher hammer spur, to make it resemble a Colt more. With the original configuration of the hammer on the New Vaquero, you could not see the sights with the hammer down, just like with a Colt. And why would you need to, you can't fire the gun until the hammer is cocked anyway.

 

You can see in this photo how much lower the hammer spur was on the 'original model' Vaquero at the top.

 

 

 

 

This photo shows the similarity of hammer shapes with the Colt at top and New Vaquero at the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

So after Ruger goes to the trouble of redesigning the hammer of the New Vaquero, right away shooters started clamoring for a lower hammer spur. Which is what you get with the SASS Vaqueros.

 

Personally, the original hammer shape on the New Vaquero has never bothered me, and neither has the hammer shape on a Colt. I shoot everything Duelist style, and I like a nice tall hammer spur to grab. It is a lot easier than grabbing the lower and further forward hammer spur on a Smith and Wesson Top Break.

 

 

 

 

But what do I know? I am never trying to shoot particularly fast.

 

Short strokes don't even enter into the picture with me.