2nd gen SAA Hammer Variations

[Roscoe Coles]

Second gen Colt SAAs started out with fixed foreign pins and later went to floating foreign pins.  This change occurred after a few years of production and some later (some times much later) guns were delivered from the factory with fixed firing pins.

I have a 1956 SAA that came with a fixed pin and the floating pins were not in production in 1956.  The hammer on this gun is buggered and I am having it engraved.  I want a good 2nd gen hammer with a fixed pin, but have not found one.  I have found several excellent 2nd gen hammers with floating pins. 

Is there an actual difference between the fixed and floating 2nd gen hammers, or is it just a different firing pin assembly installed in the same hammer?  If it is the latter, I can buy a hammer with s floating pin and replace it with a fixed. 

I have fooled with the floating pins in 3rd gens and have a number of 1st gen and later 3rd gen guns that don't have floating pins, but this is the only 2nd gen SAA I have.

[Kent Shootwell]

Reading " The Colt S.A.A. Revolver" by J Kuhnhausen on page 84 states, hammer assembly for 1st 2nd and 3rd are mechanically interchangeable. Of coarse the early conical fireing pin wouldn't work in a frame for the concave style pin.
That's from the book but if you have a pistol with a 3rd gen hammer why not try it out for fit.
And please report back for all of us to learn.

[Coffinmaker]

There are a couple of considerations.  Kent Shootwell is correct and the Kuhnhausen book is "the" reference.  The hammers are mechanically interchangeable.  Here's the Caveats.  Solid Conical firing pin won't work in a frame intended for the pointy concave floating firing pin.  While the floating concave firing pin "may" be used in a Conical bored frame, the diameter of the concave firing pin will leave too much of the firing pin hole and the result will be primer cup flowing back into the hole and causing a rough action or actual jamming.
I don't remember if the Fix'd firing pins will retro-fit into the floating pin hammer but I suspect they will.

Coffinmaker

PS:  Have you contacted Peacemaker Specialists ??

[Roscoe Coles]

No, I have not called Eddy, but it's a good idea. I want to stay with the proper 2nd gen fixed pin.  If I can simply replace the floating pin with a fixed pin, that would be an easy fix.  If push came to shove, I could make a fixed pin to fit a floating pin hammer (if they are actually different).  But that is a ways down the line. 

[Roscoe Coles]

I gave eddy a call and the fixed and floating hammers are quite different.  So, I will need to find a fixed one or fix the one I have.