Hammer face repair?

[Navy Six]

If you shoot any Colt style percussion pistol with a conversion cylinder long enough you will begin to see damage to the hammer face where it strikes the firing pin. My oldest pair of Uberti 51 Navies just had both hammers replaced as they would no longer set off primers. I've had this issue with both Piettas and Ubertis. I thought the damage would get to a point and stop but apparently not.
Does anyone have a suggestion/solution to this problem? I can't weld so that isn't an option and since replacement parts are still uncertain at this point, what are the best methods to address this?

[45 Dragoon]

I cut the hammer face back,  drill a mounting hole along with a cross pin hole (to capture the not yet made "firing plate"). Then, I make a " firing pin "  with a large front section  to at least cover the area needed to strike the pin in the conversion ring  (of either Howell or Kirst).  After fitting, I harden the new "firing plate" , polish and fire blue it (just to be fancy!!).
 
I mount it in the hammer and "capture" the cross pin (upset material on both sides of the hammer) just like I do for the hammer roll  pin .

That's how I fix that problem.

 As some folks know, mine are dedicated cartridge guns so the hammers come to rest on the frame rather than the back of the cylinder (Howell) or the conversion ring (Kirst). That allows the full force of the hammer to contact  the firing pin in either conversion and then the frame rather than beating on the conversion cyl itself.

Mike

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello Navy Six,

Not mine but I did copy it from a post somewhere.

Hope this helps, AntiqueSledMan.

[45 Dragoon]

Nice job  SledMan !!!

Mike

[Marshal Will]

That's a great fix. Thanks for the post on that.

[Zulch]

That is fantastic Mike. Thanks for posting. It's a pictorial description which really needs no further explanation.

[Navy Six]

Mike and AntiqueSledMan thanks for the replies. I figured some type of fabricated mechanical device would need to be inserted into the damaged area of the hammer face and had previously considered a cross pin to hold it in place as Mike suggests. I have five guns that sooner or later going to need attention and simply replacing hammers (which will incur the same damage)doesn't seem like the best way to proceed.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello Navy Six,

I had to go back & re-read what I had saved.
The plug was made of O1 Drill Rod, which he hardened & tempered.
The plug hole was 3/8" deep (not sure if that was before facing the hammer).
The plug was pressed in with 620 LocTite.

On both of the 1851's which I converted,
I had one of the Tool-Maker's at work weld the slot shut.
Then filed a smooth and flat surface.

Either way, the purpose is to give you a flat surface to hit the firing pin.

AntiqueSledMan.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Oops, looks like I messed this up.

I know Mike Beliveau filled an 1851 with a composite material, not sure how that would hold up.

Here's one of my 1851's which I had welded shut.
It was done with a Micro-Welder and didn't mess up the finish.

AntiqueSledMan.

[Navy Six]

AntiqueSledMan thanks again for the info. I was hoping to find someone locally to do the welded slot as shown in your picture. Whatever method I go with should eliminate the problem of a battered hammer.

[sprat]

What about harding the steel on the existing hammer because of the firing pin . Seems the steel is not properly hardened
Easier than drilling / tapping or welding

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello sprat,

These things are dead soft.
With the slot in the face, the firing pins just beat them to death.
Like I said, mine are welded, but Navy Six was looking for an alternative to welding.

Navy Six,
I forgot to mention that I have Wolf reduced pressure springs on my revolvers.

AntiqueSledMan.

[Navy Six]

AntiqueSledMan, I also have the Wolf reduced power mainsprings in those early Uberti Navies I mentioned, as well as the other conversions I own. The current Uberti percussion pistols being produced right now have a fairly light mainspring from the factory which feels almost as light as a Wolf spring.

[sprat]

Hello sprat,

These things are dead soft.
With the slot in the face, the firing pins just beat them to death.
Like I said, mine are welded, but Navy Six was looking for an alternative to welding.

Navy Six,
I forgot to mention that I have Wolf reduced pressure springs on my revolvers.

AntiqueSledMan.

then you both answered my question, without answering it. The metal is soft period, over time this would happen with percussion nipples.   

Next step would be stick hammer head in some Kasenit compound and heat treat.  Brownells sells a similar product with full instructions. can be done with a mapp torch. 

 I know how to heat treat,  its easy.   hell of lot easier that drilling in a plug or welding on the head

[Navy Six]

Thanks, Sprat. I just talked to a friend of mine and he suggested the heat treatment as well.  I had considered that and my friend also suggested heating the hammer and "moving" the displaced metal back in place and then giving it the Kasenit heat treatment. I have one extra hammer(already damaged) out of the guns so this should be easy enough to try.