Colt SAA with black powder frame

[Jake MacReedy]

St. G.,

I learned a LONG time ago that you can cut a board three times and it will still be too short!  I am working very slowly, with hand tools only, and will take my sweet time getting that original taper and flare of which you speak.  They have really great-looking grain in them...classed as fancy walnut.  They will look great when completed, I'm sure.

Jake

[Montana Slim]

I asked Colt why they don't color case harden the hammer, their reply was that it made the hammer brittle. It seems odd that their older guns had a cch hammer, and I don't believe those were brittle.

What do you fellas think about that?

Jared

Well, I can say it depends heavily on the type of steel used in the current hammer design. The (old) original hammers were of low carbon steel (as were many parts on the revolver) and case-hardening was the best method of hardening them.

If the modern hammers are an alloy steel, case hardening may result in a nearly brittle surface hardness. Careful & proper tempering can help alleviate, but there is still risk that the hammer's material properties are diminished.

I'm not a metallurgist, but have "pretended" to be one at work 


Regards,
Slim

[Will Sellit]

First I want to thank St. George and the others for this great forum.

I do have a couple questions concerning the brittleness when case hardning the hammers on Colts.
If this causes a problem on the hammers wouldn't the same problem be on the frames that are case hardened? Is it because there is more impact with the hammers?
I know some have mentioned that they have had their hammers case hardened by other sources and I wonder if they ran into brittleness problems.
Other manufactures do case harden the hammers, real or chemically, and I have not heard of this problem of brittleness. I am sure Montana Slim is correct concerning the type of steel used but I am surprised Colts is that much different than, let's say USFA.
I may be off on this thinking but I also wish my Colts had case hardned hammers.

[St. George]

De Nada...

Now - understand, this is my take on it and nothing more - and someone far more knowledgeable in modern metallurgy might chime in.

I think Colt doesn't case-harden hammers for a couple of reasons:

A 'signature' of the 'modern' Colt Single Action Army is the polished hammer flat - and they seem to like that, plus, the polished flats are easier and cheaper to finish.

Casehardening is just another step in the process, but one that would require more handling and more cost - and Colts are already expensive, so they're trying to stay competitive - and Colt still forges the frame and backstrap and triggerguard, and 'that' is an expensive process, when other clone makers aren't.

Casehardening is 'microns' deep - no brittleness should occur with modern metals - 'but' could occur with older ones, way back when, and causing warpage and replacement - meaning a loss to the bottom line.

Your best option is to find someone who'll do the work - as I did - and fortunately, there are some folks stepping forward to do the work reasonably.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Jed Cooper]

Sent mine to Nutmeg sports. Jim does beautiful work. He did action job, sight in, bevel cyl., and took care of end play, case hardened the hammer, and one piece ivory grips. Looks, and shoots great now.    Jed

[Fox Creek Kid]

...A 'signature' of the 'modern' Colt Single Action Army is the polished hammer flat - and they seem to like that, plus, the polished flats are easier and cheaper to finish...

This. 

[sargemarlin]

St. George,

A little off topic, but I wanted to let you know that I shot the new to me 44 special.  I'm no expert, but I may have found my new favorite.  I can't miss!  It seems be a natural fit for me.  Thanks for the heads up and let me know when you find another, it's lonely.

SM

[St. George]

Sarge,

Glad you like it - it needed a good holster to fill.

Had it been in .44-40 or .45 Colt - it'd be filling one of mine...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!