I was curious how (or if) I can realign the hammer on an old JUKAR .45 cal percussion handgun. The hammer needs to come closer to the gun, when I shoot, the cap gets very deformed and stuck in the hammer. Watch Your Top Knot, rushcc.
How do I realign the hammer on a percussion handgun?
- Thread starter RushCC
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rafterob
62 Cal.
You can bend the hammer, but if it is shooting OK I wouldn't mess with it. It is common for caps to get stuck in the hammer, especially CVA products. You can file a deep inverted V in the front of the hammer collar which allows the cap to expand in that direction. This usually helps to get the cap out easier.
Generally speaking, if the gun shoots reliably it is best to leave it alone.
As was mentioned, bending the hammer is always an option but there is a risk of breaking the hammer or the hardened steel tumbler it is attached to.
As for filing the notch, a small triangular file will cut a nice inverted V thru the wall that is around the hammer face.
This V notch should be located on the front of the hammer so the flying cap fragments that are blown thru it when the gun fires will be blown forward, away from the shooter.
As was mentioned, bending the hammer is always an option but there is a risk of breaking the hammer or the hardened steel tumbler it is attached to.
As for filing the notch, a small triangular file will cut a nice inverted V thru the wall that is around the hammer face.
This V notch should be located on the front of the hammer so the flying cap fragments that are blown thru it when the gun fires will be blown forward, away from the shooter.
RushCC said:
It doesn't sound like it is off much. The way the lock is inlet has a big affect on hammer alignment. I would try some minor adjustments to that before I would try to bend the hammer. My experience is hammers and other lock parts are brittle.
If the hammer needs to move sideways, away from or toward the barrel "messing with the inleting" isn't difficult to do.
The thing to keep in mind is that a very small change to the depth of the locating faces down in the mortice will make a rather large change to the sideways position of the hammer.
If the hammer is too far out, away from the barrel, using a small knife to scrape the upper lock locating face surface (away from the hammer) will often remove some of the stock finish on that surface.
Doing this will allow the upper edge of the lockplate to move closer to the barrel.
As it does so, the hammer will move towards the barrel. That is often enough to fix the problem.
If the hammer is too close to the barrel, scraping the lower (towards the trigger)lock locating face will allow the lower part of the lockplate to move inward towards the center of the stock. The lockplate will pivot about the upper locating surface which will move the hammer outward, away from the barrel.
The thing to keep in mind is that a very small change to the depth of the locating faces down in the mortice will make a rather large change to the sideways position of the hammer.
If the hammer is too far out, away from the barrel, using a small knife to scrape the upper lock locating face surface (away from the hammer) will often remove some of the stock finish on that surface.
Doing this will allow the upper edge of the lockplate to move closer to the barrel.
As it does so, the hammer will move towards the barrel. That is often enough to fix the problem.
If the hammer is too close to the barrel, scraping the lower (towards the trigger)lock locating face will allow the lower part of the lockplate to move inward towards the center of the stock. The lockplate will pivot about the upper locating surface which will move the hammer outward, away from the barrel.
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