Alaskan454 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I bobbed my 625 factory hammer since the spur was stabbing at my hand quite frequently. I was thinking about skeletonizing it a bit and wondered if there is a consensus on modifying the factory part or going the Apex route? Mine does not have the pinned sear and I have noticed it moving side to side quite a bit lately. That's my main interest in going the Apex route but I don't mind carving up the factory part myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waltermitty Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 If you enjoy the work and aren't striving for minimum trigger pull the factory part will keep you busy. If you're trying to get to minimum trigger pull without so much work, the Apex part geometry will allow the hammer to come further back before dropping. You won't have single action function anymore, but if you're racing it you'll want DAO anyway. You stop the side-to-side movement on both the factory and Apex hammers by using shims. Use too many and the hammer won't fall. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/598967/power-custom-hammer-sideplate-shims-s-and-w-k-l-n-frame-002-package-of-10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWP Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 If you're trying to get to minimum trigger pull without so much work, the Apex part geometry will allow the hammer to come further back before dropping.Does it have a longer throw? I know Randy has said that the Mass Driver does for the 617, but I thought it was the same for the CF guns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waltermitty Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Confirm with Randy to be sure, I have two 625's identically prepared except for the hammers. It's hard to measure, but the Apex trigger appears to have a longer double action throw. That was part of my motivation to try it; that and it took me too many man hours to get the factory MIM hammer flattened out and narrowed so I could put a .002" shim on each side to keep it centered so it wouldn't drag on one side or the other of the frame. Dragging on the frame kills hammer momentum and can give unreliable performance. With shims on both sides of the hammer you keep contact, sideways motion, and drag to a controlled minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) It's been my experience that the sideways motion is caused by the end of the sear or the top of the trigger not being perpendicular to the sides of the hammer or trigger. Usually the hammer will go to one side and back to the middle as it travels over different parts of the hammer/trigger interface. Oftentimes when this is corrected shims aren't needed. My remedy for this is to use a 1/2" square stone on a piece of steel and draw the offending part across the vertical face of the stone. Do a couple of strokes and you will easily see if the part is square or not. By moving the part rather than the stone, it doesn't wear the steel plate. I use hardened steel but mild steel will work if that's all you have. If the stone isn't exactly square or has the middle worn down from knife sharpening, I recut the stone on the surface grinder by placing it in a small precision vise with a parallel at each end. By grinding each face in turn I can make it like new (or better). Edited August 31, 2015 by Toolguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 The Apex hammer does not employ a longer hammer throw or different geometry. I know Randy has experimented with that concept(a la Colt Python), but didn't go that route with the production part. You can confirm that with a side-to-side comparison with a stock hammer. The Apex hammer is not magical, it is a very nicely finished part that is simply lighter than the stock hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 The Apex hammer does not employ a longer hammer throw or different geometry. I know Randy has experimented with that concept(a la Colt Python), but didn't go that route with the production part. You can confirm that with a side-to-side comparison with a stock hammer. The Apex hammer is not magical, it is a very nicely finished part that is simply lighter than the stock hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan454 Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thanks for the info thus far, on my gun the hammer itself has very little play with the frame and sideplate so it's the sear itself moving around in there. Every time I pull the side plate off it's in a different spot. I think I'll keep stripping down my factory hammer and maybe pick up an apex hammer in the future. Never a bad idea to have the parts on hand when starting a new project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWP Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) The Apex hammer does not employ a longer hammer throw or different geometry. I know Randy has experimented with that concept(a la Colt Python), but didn't go that route with the production part. You can confirm that with a side-to-side comparison with a stock hammer. The Apex hammer is not magical, it is a very nicely finished part that is simply lighter than the stock hammer. Exactly what Carmoney said. Extremely nice finished part. That said, you could get a S&W hammer much lighter. Edited September 1, 2015 by MWP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alecmc Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I think you could get good results with either, provided you know what you are doing. I've got apex hammers on all my competition guns. That being said... Who wants to dump money into a 625? Dremel that up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan454 Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 I think you could get good results with either, provided you know what you are doing. I've got apex hammers on all my competition guns. That being said... Who wants to dump money into a 625? Dremel that up ! That's kind of my thought, this gun is my only S&W so it's been the test mule for working on their design. I learned all of my revolver smithing on Rugers which I've since been told is the backwards approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pskys2 Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I think you could get good results with either, provided you know what you are doing. I've got apex hammers on all my competition guns. That being said... Who wants to dump money into a 625? Dremel that up ! Go to the MW ICORE Match and bring both, Mike's running a "Classic"? Event on Sunday in conjunction with the Saturday MW ICORE Regional that gives a good reason to bust out the old 6 shot! I have an Apex in my 625 and the stock hammer in my 627, pulls are the same 5 1/2 lbs +/- and reliable. And this cowboy still has his spur on the 627. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alecmc Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I think you could get good results with either, provided you know what you are doing. I've got apex hammers on all my competition guns. That being said... Who wants to dump money into a 625? Dremel that up ! Go to the MW ICORE Match and bring both, Mike's running a "Classic"? Event on Sunday in conjunction with the Saturday MW ICORE Regional that gives a good reason to bust out the old 6 shot! I have an Apex in my 625 and the stock hammer in my 627, pulls are the same 5 1/2 lbs +/- and reliable. And this cowboy still has his spur on the 627. Love to, but ... so many matches, so little money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceball Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 (edited) Removed... Edited September 3, 2015 by Spaceball Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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