Hammer Question

[Matt Valinsky]

The hammer is loose and the screw is tight. How does one fix the problem and how difficult is the fix? Thanks for the help.

[B. Dudley]

The square hole in the hammer is tapered. It is designed to lightly press onto the tumbler shaft. If I is loose, it could be wear, or a sign that the hammer is mismatched or tumbler replaced from another gun.
A way to tighten this up is to remove the hammer and lightly strike the hammer surface on the 4 sides of the square hole. Or with a pin punch large enough to span over the whole square hole as to get all sides at once. But you wan to make sure you are well under the screw.
Basically you are lightly knocking the metal down to make that taper grab the shaft tightly.

This is the best way I know of to remedy this issue without more extensive modification to other parts.

[Dean Romig]

Or the axle may be loose in the lock plate.

Is the hammer loose on the axle or are the axle and hammer loose as a unit?

[Matt Valinsky]

The hammer and axle are loose as a unit. Guess I should have mentioned that. Thanks

[B. Dudley]

Double check the issue.
Remove the screw and move the hammer and see if it is moving on the tumbler shaft. If it is, then it is the issue I described above. And of this is the case, the hammer should come right off the shaft with no effort.
If the hammer is snugly the shaft and there is movement of both the tumbler and hammer then something may be broken or tweeted inside the lock mechanism. The hammer should be firm at the "safe" half cock position unless it is pulled back against spring pressure, or GH trigger depressed and pushed forward.

[Matt Valinsky]

Brian, double checked. Took the screw out and the hammer is very tight on the shaft and will not come off without some amount of help. What I see when I look at the hammer and firing pin is something less than 1/16" of seperation.

Also, the hammer moves back and forth from front to back and side to side. When moving towards the firing pin, it does not touch the firing pin. Hope that helps.

[B. Dudley]

Sounds like you have an issue inside the lock mechanism. The hammer should be firm still unless the trigger is pulled and then the hammer can be pushed forward to fully depress the hammer.

Could just need a cleaning or tightening of screws on the lock plate.

[Autumn Daze]

Matt, I would bush the spindle hole with a steel bushing. A loose axle can cause the sear relationship to be in question.

[Dean Romig]

Plunger Brian.

[Matt Valinsky]

So in order to determine if the plate needs to have a bushing installed I would need to remove the hammer and I'm guessing the side plate? There is one screw and 5 pins. The screw is removed, thats easy. Do the pins have to be drifted and from which side if they do and are tapered? Is there anything else that needs to be done so that I don't have to be looking for pieces and parts all over the shop floor?

BTW, when the hammer is cocked it doesn't move at all. Well, not till I Pull the trigger.