Any one try the Cammer Hammer

Looks like it would be good for Wad Guns. I ordered one. 

https://www.cammertechnologies.com/

Please write a report on it when you've had time to wring it out.

The price looks competitive. If it's anything like a Cylinder and Slide "ignition system" it is a winner!

Old school hammer style for the 38 spls of the day. It does help some but now we have a variety of mainsprings/ recoil springs we can use

For one, especially with Ball, you want that hard opening to keep the gun shut longer hence the square firing pin stop.

bruce martindale wrote:For one, especially with Ball, you want that hard opening to keep the gun shut longer hence the square firing pin stop.

Does anyone still shoot true “Hardball” anymore?

Save your money and recoil control. Cock the hammer, then rack the slide.

I would only use one on extremely light loads. I’m using a EGW lightened hammer on my 13 twist frame mount. It’s pretty tight fit barrel and can run down to 2.8 gr BE 180/200. Was just gifted a cammer hammer and will try going lighter.
I’ve never needed one to get a pistol running reliably; 38 or 45.
Like mentioned previously, heavier recoiling loads are better off without one. Squared firing pin stop and mainspring weight helps tame the beast quite a lot.
Jon

Thanks for the input my thinking was the EGW pitstop is wonderful except it’s just a little too much with 11 pound main spring in this gun shooting 4.0 vn 310.

As I needed a hammer anyway with this Pistol as I never happy with one I have I figured I would give it a try.

Rich,
All my new gun builds get the EGW firing pin stop. 10# recoil spring, 19# mainspring and 4.0 BE test loads function perfectly. These are snug built pistols that snap out of battery. On 38 specials I barely break the squared corner with the same springs listed above and 2.8 gr BE.
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:Rich,
All my new gun builds get the EGW firing pin stop. 10# recoil spring, 19# mainspring and 4.0 BE test loads function perfectly. These are snug built pistols that snap out of battery. On 38 specials I barely break the squared corner with the same springs listed above and 2.8 gr BE.
Jon

 I can verify this. Jon made a wadgun out of my colt and it is snug built!

bruce martindale wrote:For one, especially with Ball, you want that hard opening to keep the gun shut longer hence the square firing pin stop.

I got it to offset the square stop , maybe a bad decision but I needed a hammer anyway. But I figure since I went down the rabbit hole, if I can run a #12 spring and 4.0 gn of VN210 over a 185gn bullet and have is cycle with the square stop then it might be a good project.

Foundryratjim wrote:

Jon Eulette wrote:Rich,
All my new gun builds get the EGW firing pin stop. 10# recoil spring, 19# mainspring and 4.0 BE test loads function perfectly. These are snug built pistols that snap out of battery. On 38 specials I barely break the squared corner with the same springs listed above and 2.8 gr BE.
Jon

 I can verify this. Jon made a wadgun out of my colt and it is snug built!

I think the problem was my scale was off, I re calibrated my scale and I was loading 3.7 VN 310. Practicing sustained fire tonight about I shot around 490/500. I had a couple of FTF with both stops. The cartridges were dribbling out with #11 recoil spring and standard stop and #10 and square stop. I figure if that hammer works , 4.0 and the square stop and #12 spring could be really cool to shoot.

Theoretically would a A-/B+ fit gun group better with
- a heavier spring with beveled fps and or camed hammer or
- a lighter spring with square parts?

Boxturtle wrote:Please write a report on it when you've had time to wring it out.

Ok the parts came in the other day. I generally order my stuff from Thunder Mountain Custom, they are great and have a good selection of Extreme Engineering and EGW parts. 

The hammer is made by EGW as is the sear. I ordered a strut, wilson type sear spring, EGW Ball Disco, and a pin. I was surprised they sent me a polished main spring cap plunger and a #17 spring. The hammer has an interesting shape. The EGW sear was supposedly matched to the hammer and was pre cut. The parts were good but far from prepped so I prepped the hammer and with a white stone then polished with 2000 grit sandpaper.

I assembled the gun with the new parts and I did not like the disco, I had a match disco tried that and it function ok in my wad gun. assembled with the gun and trigger was #4 with a long roll. There is not a lot of clearance in the Spring Armory Beaver tail but the gun functioned and passed safety checks. 

Well it did not solve the problem, the wad gun was still not going into battery with the square firing pin stop. I started with a #11 spring, tried a #10 and the problem was worse even with 4.0 VN 310. So a tried a #12 spring and the gun was flawless with 3.8 and 4.0 powder charges. My impressions are its a very good hammer but not a great hammer. But running a #12 spring with a slide mount scope has its advantages. 

I will take it to the range again and see if how it shoots after a better trigger job.

Rich , what is the pistol you are using this in again?
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:Rich , what is the pistol you are using this in again?
Jon

Spring Range Officer, Kart Barrel, Rock River Scope Rail, This was the one you worked on. Shoots good, I had a Harrison Design Hammer on it but it started to double, the sear spring was ancient (maybe 10 years old) and changing fixed the doubling. When I looked the hammer under a loop, it looked like one of the hooks had chip (under 8x magnification). I prepped the hammer again and it looks good , and shoots good but I figured why not get a new hammer the gun is 4 years old and has about 10K rounds on it and the trigger job. I was never in love with the harrison hammer it had really short hooks to start.  

In the mean time I went down the rabbit hole with the square firing pin stop. So I ordered the cammer hammer to try something new and now I am deciding whether to recut the sear or just post it for sale as is. The trigger is nice but not for me, I like a short roll ; feeling all of the movement is distracting to me. It's OK, we will have to see. I might change the sear I have a back up extreme engineering sear in my box. 


I like the extreme engineering ultra light sears , I cut them using the radius jig but sometimes they are perfect right out of the box all they need is a little polishing. 


The gun was an absolute hammer with the square slide stop. I shot about +48/50 reliable with a #11 Spring but scored in 490s/500 in rapid fire with the Harrison set up. I posted the pic on Facebook. 


The cammer did not function any better with the #11 spring, however with a #12 spring it was very good and shot 20 3.8 VN210 under 185gn LSWC and 20 4.0 under 185 LSWC. Accuracy was hard to tell, I was tired and caffeinated. I was all over the place and then settled in to some good shooting. The Cammer could be good but I did not notice any improvement in recoil over the square stop with the Harrison Hammer. 

I have a KC setup in another RO I have with a new sear, I just put a square stop in that one if it functions I just might swap the triggers. The trigger on that one is flawless, but its an iron sight gun.

Tripscape wrote:Save your money and recoil control. Cock the hammer, then rack the slide.

Not for racking the slide I put myself down a rabbit hole. Tried a square EGW pin stop the gun shot amazing but not entirely reliable. The Sear spring went on my old trigger and may have goobered up the hammer and I never loved the hammer on that gun. 

The Cammer is a fine hammer and sear set and maybe very good for a beginner that does not know a good smith but,,,,,,,, I have done enough roll triggers to bang out for me what is the perfect short roll trigger in about an hour with extreme engineering hammers and sears. 

I just bought a RO form KC and did a trigger on that gun and it is amazing and plan to use it as a ball gun. So far I changed the bushing and did a EGW oversized slide stop on that gun and its start to come along. I installed a square stop on that one too but that one is ejecting brass into the next county with a #19 main spring so I think its going to be ok with a square stop.