Bisley hammer next to the new Flat Top

First step is obviously to take the Ruger apart and remove the hammer.

Here you can see the differences in the lower portions as well as how the two spurs compare.

You can either cut the slot in the gripframe bigger to allow the Bisley hammer to fit, or trim down the hammer to fit the frame. I chose the latter, because I've heard of folk unimpressed with a bigger slot in the gripframe. Plus, this way it matches the radius of the ears of the gripframe better.

A little Dykem and a scribed mark for grinding.

Let the sparks fly! I bet i had less than five minutes with teh grinding wheel and flapper disk to trim it down to size.

Left it a little proud. Gave it a try and it was barely too much, so I took a hair off of it and it fit just fine. A few minutes of cleanup and some Scotch Brite to come close to factory finish.

The two hammers; post grinding.

Then, reassemble and check it out..

That's it! I must say this one went faster than the other one, using my bench grinder. It's been a few years back on that one, but i remeber it being kind of a pain! For those sharp eyed readers who noticed I've only got one ruger emblem in my grips, that's my not quite finished attempt at making a set of grips. The left one is about finished and the right has yet to be started. I need to hit the grocery store, otherwise I'd be out there working on that right now!

I'd definately reccomend giving the Bisley hammer a try to anyone who likes the idea of a lower hammer. I think it was about $30 from Brownells, so if you don't like it, you're not out much!

Doug K