Improvised hammer block installation tool

[pocketgun]

Here are the pics, descriptions to follow:

OK, everyone seems to thing installing the hammer block on a P-3x is some sort of second circumcision. In an effort to ease the pain, I think I have come up with an improvised tool to make the process easier.

Materials = a fat drinking straw from Arby's, cellophane tape, a few stick matches or soldering iron.

Get a fat drinking straw from a restaurant - the one I had was a spare I picked up when my girlfriend got a craving for a Jamocha shake at Arby's a few days ago (no, I don't eat there.) Outer diameter was about 5/16". Cut a piece off about 2" long. Melt a hole on each side with the iron/hot match large enough to allow the hammer block pin to slide through with a little resistance. Make the holes near the edge of the straw as shown - 1/16" - 1/32" is about right. Trim away the thin piece on one side. This will face the non-spring end of the block.


Put the hammer block and spring together as they would be in the grip. Slide the piece with the holes over the block and one coil of the spring to hold them together.


Cut a 2 1/2" piece of straw and feed it up through the grip as shown. Back it off a little so it doesn't stick up so high as in this pic. It should be about 1/4" below where the hammer block will be when reinstalled.


Bend the excess over the grip and tape it in place to hold it for you. As you can see, the measurement isn't exactly critical here.


Feed a punch through from the right side of the grip, and the hammer block pin in from the left side. Don't push them in so far as to protrude into the interior of the grip. I used a 1/8" punch here - the same one I used for disassembly.


Lower the block/spring/short straw into the grip, and guide the long leg of the spring into the straw taped into the grip. The spring will slide around against the straw much better than it will the grip. That is the whole purpose of the long straw. Now push down on the block until its hole aligns with the punch on the right side. Wiggle the punch down into the hole in the block. In the pic, I didn't have the punch and pin in position - pretend they are there like in the previous pic. Keep in mind I was using one hand to take pics of this process, so not all the photos came out very well.


Now, manipulate the spring and push the hammer block pin into the hole in the middle of the coils. Push the pin and punch back and forth a bit until they line up inside the respective parts, then push the block pin all the way through the spring and into the hole in the hammer block.


Keep pushing the pin until it goes into the right side of the grip and pops the punch out. Tap in if necessary until it is flush. Finger pressure alone worked on mine. Grooves on the pin keep it from coming loose once in place.


Now take a small scissors or razor knife and snip the thin piece of the short straw between the spring and block. Much easier without the camera.



MORE...

[pocketgun]

Peel the tape away and pull the long straw out the bottom of the grip.


Now make sure no little bits of plastic are caught in the spring, and reassemble as normal. Easy enough!

[pocketgun]

I just took out/replaced my hammer block three more times for fun. My best time was about 2:50 seconds + a minute or so to cut the straws to size.

Just using the long straw, I got the whole thing in place in 3:20. If I can get someone to videotape it, I will post it.

[pocketgun]

I just did it again in under two minutes using just the long straw, needlenose pliers, and the punch.

[TucsonMTB]

Nice! I hope you keep this somewhere I can find it when I need it.

[pocketgun]

It is easy. Maybe I can create a vid an upload it to YouTube?

[mr surveyor]

that is a really great idea! I could have used that a couple of months ago when I (ignorantly) removed the hammer block from my (former original) PF9 when attempting to reseat the trigger spring. After looking at 2PP's pictures, and Zeke's pictures, I realized it required some special tools to do in a timely fasion. I ended up just using a short piece of plastic stem from a q-tip as a slave pin to get the block and spring started...your idea is a much more professional approach.

It needs to go in a special place as a sticky for all to have handy.

surv

[Dillypwacker]

Would i be right to assume this will work on all the KT pistols?

[pocketgun]

Thanks surv - I will have to think if there is a better place to put it. In the mean time I will sticky it.

Dilly, it will work for the P-3AT/P-32 and PF-9.

[Dillypwacker]

great ive never taken my down past the slide and barrel so maybe if there arent going to be any burglars one day i might do that