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bisley hammer for vaquero ??


Turkey Flats Jack

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I normally do most of my own smith work but not being familiar with the workings of rugers...... Long story short. I have a pair of OMV that i'd like bisley hammers installed. I've seen them on midway for $29.99 each + shipping but I have a local smith that says he has them and will install them for $66 each. Is it worth the $30ish savings per pistol to not deal with it myself?   

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I contacted Ruger about exchanging my plow handle grips for Bisley.
They quote $400 each, for parts and hand-fitting labor.

I dunno if your hammers are a drop-in fit, but the Bisley grips are definitely not.
They require hand fitting.

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7 minutes ago, Tyrel Cody said:

For me it would be, I hate disassembling and reassembling a dang Ruger.

yeah after watching a couple videos I was like well maybe i'll ask around for opinions before doing it. 

 

6 minutes ago, bgavin said:

I dunno if your hammers are a drop-in fit

I dont know either but hand fitting stuff has never really bothered me much on colt style setups. The rugers just look overly complicated in comparison 

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I suspect The Original Lumpy Grits will come by shortly and tell us how easy it is and how you can handle it just fine :P

 

However, if you only disassemble/reassemble one occasionally it is a big pain in the @$$.

 

P.S. I mean no offense towards OLG, he's right most of the time ;)

 

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28 minutes ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I normally do most of my own smith work but not being familiar with the workings of rugers...... Long story short. I have a pair of OMV that i'd like bisley hammers installed. I've seen them on midway for $29.99 each + shipping but I have a local smith that says he has them and will install them for $66 each. Is it worth the $30ish savings per pistol to not deal with it myself?   

You will have to reshape the hammer to fit the slot in the grip or make the slot the hammer goes in longer.  I reshaped the hammer on a pair I put the Bisley hammers in. I took them out later. Glad I didn't make the slot longer.

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16 minutes ago, Purly SASS # 57438 said:

You will have to reshape the hammer to fit the slot in the grip or make the slot the hammer goes in longer.  I reshaped the hammer on a pair I put the Bisley hammers in. I took them out later. Glad I didn't make the slot longer.

Never thought about that aspect of it. I was worried more about if i'd have to fit the bisley hammer to the vaquero trigger group. any input on that or did you swap the triggers too? 

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12 minutes ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

Never thought about that aspect of it. I was worried more about if i'd have to fit the bisley hammer to the vaquero trigger group. any input on that or did you swap the triggers too? 

Not much input here, but I will tell you it can be done and I understand although not a drop-in, not a lot of work for  knowledgeable gunsmith.  Back on one of my "I'll try Rugers" ventures a few years ago, Jimmy Spur suggested I try one of his set-ups especially for me as a duelist with rather small hands.  He sent me a pair of short stroked (not something Jimmy really likes to do) NMV with Bisley hammers installed.  I still have them and they are very nice as Jimmy's work would be.  No doubt the Bisley hammers complimented the guns and project. 

 

The whole idea was to get away from flat main/hammer springs and experience the smooth short stroke action work that the finer smiths can do on a pair of NMV.   Result was that I am just faster with my FA Model 97s so these Jimmy Spur pair are "safe queens" with maybe 100 rounds fired thru each. 

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33 minutes ago, John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 said:

A Super Blackhawk hammer will drop right in your plow handle Vaquero. This would be much easier than trying to fit a Bisley hammer. Benefit same you get a lower wider hammer.

Sounds great until you look at the super blackhawk hammer and bisley hammer side by side. the bisley is just a smidge lower. which is what i'm wanting. 

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2 hours ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I normally do most of my own smith work but not being familiar with the workings of rugers...... Long story short. I have a pair of OMV that i'd like bisley hammers installed. I've seen them on midway for $29.99 each + shipping but I have a local smith that says he has them and will install them for $66 each. Is it worth the $30ish savings per pistol to not deal with it myself?   

Yes 

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32 minutes ago, John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 said:

You’ll never notice the difference when your shooting 

 

40 minutes ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

Sounds great until you look at the super blackhawk hammer and bisley hammer side by side. the bisley is just a smidge lower. which is what i'm wanting. 

John is probably right in actual difference felt but in weighing amount spending in package/project a good gunsmith can also cut the SBH hammer to lower spur.

I mentioned a pair of JS NMV done but some where in the venture to try NMVs I also came up with a pair of Snake Oil George's SS and lowered SB hammer guns.  Also very nice....and "safe queens" like the JS pair.

SBH hammer in pics is not one that has been cut and spur lowered.

thumbnail.jpg

hammer sideview.jpg

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2 hours ago, Tyrel Cody said:

 

 

P.S. I mean no offense towards OLG, he's right most of the time ;)

 

 

You haven't talked to my wife:wub: then......:lol:

 

 

IIRC, you have to modify the plow grip frame for the 'B' hammer.

OP, have you looked at the SBH hammer?

OLG 

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59 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

OP, have you looked at the SBH hammer?

yes I have and i'm torn on the matter. The decision i'm trying to make is spend the $72 paying a gunsmith to install them, Attempt to do it myself and end up spending more $ if I screw one up, Or just go with the SBH hammer which should be simple enough to just drop in myself. The Bisley hammer looks more appealing to me and is also a smidge lower than the SBH hammer. I'm not a ruger fan or shooter normally. I just picked these up recently and trying to make a go of them. The other option is to trade them off and get another set of remingtons in 44/40. 

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2 hours ago, John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 said:

You’ll never notice the difference when your shooting 

 

That is my experience.

 

I normally shoot OMV Bisleys. I have a pair of plowhandle OMVs that I installed SBH hammers and the "feel" difference is now negligible between the Bisleys and my SBH hammered Vaqueros, even with the grip difference.

 

While shooting on the clock I notice no difference at all.

 

 

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26 minutes ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

yes I have and i'm torn on the matter. The decision i'm trying to make is spend the $72 paying a gunsmith to install them, Attempt to do it myself and end up spending more $ if I screw one up, Or just go with the SBH hammer which should be simple enough to just drop in myself. The Bisley hammer looks more appealing to me and is also a smidge lower than the SBH hammer. I'm not a ruger fan or shooter normally. I just picked these up recently and trying to make a go of them. The other option is to trade them off and get another set of remingtons in 44/40. 

 

Ruger SA's are easy to tear down.

Lots of videos out there.

Hint-Do one at a time......

Good luck and keep us updated. 

OLG 

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6 hours ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I normally do most of my own smith work but not being familiar with the workings of rugers...... Long story short. I have a pair of OMV that i'd like bisley hammers installed. I've seen them on midway for $29.99 each + shipping but I have a local smith that says he has them and will install them for $66 each.

 

Is it worth the $30ish savings per pistol to not deal with it myself?   


“NO, it’s not worth your doing it yourself,” is the short answer.  Have it done by a competent, knowledgeable gunsmith.

 

Make sure the gunsmith knows what hammers it is that you want.  Show him a picture if you have one.  If he has hammers in stock, make sure you look at them carefully and okay them.  If he doesn’t have them, then you order them yourself and pay him to install them.   Do your nitpicking going in, not later.

 

Cat Brules

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Yes, the SBH hammers are drop-in and easy to do and work very well.

I do think the Bisley hammers look better and are a bit lower but my old Vaqueros with the SBHs work great.

If ya go with Bisleys, I would have a smith do em. And the SBH look GREAT with a nice mirror finish!

Best of luck.

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Before getting a pair of Bisley Vaqueros I had a pair of .45 Colt Vaqueros that I got to shoot duelist with, I ordered the Bisley hammers from Ruger and removed some metal off the area El Mulo Vaquro shows in his post, They dropped right in with no changes to the timing. As long as you have a way to remove the metal evenly it's a very easy process. I used a Vaquero hammer that had the spur cut off to scribe the line where metal had to be removed, worked out great.

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17 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

 

Ruger SA's are easy to tear down.

Lots of videos out there.

Hint-Do one at a time......

Good luck and keep us updated. 

OLG 

Tear down is no problem. Putting it together is where the problems are. Damn things require a minimum of 3 hands and an advanced degree in engineering to put back together. I'll stick with my Colts.

 

17 hours ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

yes I have and i'm torn on the matter. The decision i'm trying to make is spend the $72 paying a gunsmith to install them, Attempt to do it myself and end up spending more $ if I screw one up, Or just go with the SBH hammer which should be simple enough to just drop in myself. The Bisley hammer looks more appealing to me and is also a smidge lower than the SBH hammer. I'm not a ruger fan or shooter normally. I just picked these up recently and trying to make a go of them. The other option is to trade them off and get another set of remingtons in 44/40. 

There is nothing wrong with wanting something to look right, or at least a certain way. I am not a fan of any of the lower hammers. I think they all look silly, but at least the Bisley hammer's resemble something that existed (a Colt Bisley). Those other ones never existed and probably shouldn't have ever been allowed into our game, or at least that's what one member of the ROC once told me.

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TFJ, Are you shooting at Niles this Saturday? I just converted a pair of OMV with Super Blackhawk hammers and I will have them there if you want to try them. I just followed the videos I found on line. It was rather easy.

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1 hour ago, Bobtown Cooter said:

TFJ, Are you shooting at Niles this Saturday? I just converted a pair of OMV with Super Blackhawk hammers and I will have them there if you want to try them. I just followed the videos I found on line. It was rather easy.

Yep i'lll be there. i'd love to give them a feel. That'll help make up my mind. If I decide I like the bisley hammers better i'll leave them with Shenango Joe to do. If I like the way yours feels i'll order a set through Midway. Thank ya kindly

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20 hours ago, Major E A Sterner #12916 said:

Before getting a pair of Bisley Vaqueros I had a pair of .45 Colt Vaqueros that I got to shoot duelist with, I ordered the Bisley hammers from Ruger and removed some metal off the area El Mulo Vaquro shows in his post, They dropped right in with no changes to the timing. As long as you have a way to remove the metal evenly it's a very easy process. I used a Vaquero hammer that had the spur cut off to scribe the line where metal had to be removed, worked out great.

I did this with a pair of OM Blackhawks last fall. Easy, works well for my short fat fingers and no mods to the grip frame . Drop in except for the cut to the back of the hammers. Dremel is your friend if you dont get carried away.

 

Imis

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