The Bob Job

Years ago I obtained a Smith and Wesson Model 60 revolver.  I carried it for many years, used it in a plainclothes role as a police officer, and carried it on duty after my retirement.  You can read the first chapter of its life with me at the Snubnose Files, where they asked me to write an article on my little pistol.

Everyone has seen these little pistols, the first stainless steel revolver made by Smith and Wesson.

Until today, that's what it looked like.  Classic, spur hammer revolver.

Last year, my daughter-in-law was looking for a pistol suitable for concealed carry.  She had shot her husband's model 638, and she had shot my steel Model 60.  She preferred the Model 60 for the extra few ounces of the steel frame.  She said that those few ounces moderated the recoil of self-defense ammo, and I have to agree with her.  Good, clean Model 60s are rare as hen's teeth around here, and I had recently acquired a Model 38, so I passed the Model 60 to her.  She carried it for her CCW training, and she's carried it since, but that hammer spur caused her problems while she was working.  That little spur kept working itself into her, and as she does a lot of bending and stooping at her job, she decided that she wanted the hammer bobbed.

Today, after church, the sons and I got out Kuhnhausen's manual, and did a quick read-up on the project.  My elder son is a wizard with metal, and we enlisted his help in this delicate project.  In about twenty minutes we had the hammer out of the frame, then we let him chuck the hammer in a lead-lined vise and let him work his wizardry.  For about an hour, sparks flew, and motors whined, and in short order he had removed that offending spur.

I think he did a great job.  The offending spur is gone and what's left is nicely rounded, de-horned and blends niceley wit the curves of the hammer.  Here's a closer view.

I don't  think we could have paid for better work.  It's altogether a worthy project for a Sunday afternoon, and certainly worth the meal I fed him after the job was done.    I'm very pleased.

Aw, heck, one more picture, from the very back of the pistol.

 Is that good work, or what?  My children are the greatest blessing of my life.