Fanning The Hammer - By Subroto Mukerji 3756o

1

2

Fanning the Hammer ~

by Subroto Mukerji

The primary function of the hammer on any weapon, whether a revolver or a rifle (yes, even guns – and later, rifles – had hammers once), is to cock the mechanism that, released by the trigger, causes the pin to fall on the detonator of a cartridge, which then ‘fires’. The spur of the hammer, commonly referred to as the hammer itself, is the externally visible portion, sticking up at the end of the breech. It is usually milled to afford better purchase to the thumb that pulls it back to ‘cock’ the gun. In a double-action revolver, the ‘hammer’ is thumbed back to a position where it locks in place. The gun is now cocked, meaning it is ready to be discharged by means of pressure on the trigger—a separate (or ‘double’) action which releases the lock and causes the pin of the hammer to strike the cartridge’s detonator (see Rimfire and Center-fire Cartridges, Chapter Eight) and result in detonation. The single-action revolver differs from the double-shot version described above in that no separate effort to cock the hammer is necessary. The action of squeezing the trigger activates the hammer cocking mechanism and also causes the cartridge cylinder to revolve, bringing a fresh round into the breech. Continued pressure causes the lock to slip and releases the hammer, so that the firing pin falls on the detonator. In other words, after discharging a round and releasing the trigger so that it returns to its original position, there is no need to thumb the hammer back (as in a double–action) preliminary to firing another round. A sustained squeeze on the trigger causes the cylinder to automatically revolve simultaneous with the rise, locking, and fall of the hammer, meaning that the gun will fire each time the trigger is pressed and released. As the action is followed through, the hammer rises, slips, and (the pin) falls back smartly on the detonator of each successive cartridge. At first glance, this is so obviously the better of the two actions that one may well wonder why double-action handguns continue to be popular. The reason is simple: the pressure required to squeeze the trigger and initiate/conclude the firing sequence of a single action gun has a detrimental effect on steadiness of one’s grip, and accuracy suffers. Only constant practice can ensure that the handgunner can overcome this intrinsic handicap. But the single is much faster to fire, and if accuracy is not too major an issue (as in close-in shootouts/ hand-to-hand combat), it wins every time. Concomitantly, if accuracy is of paramount importance (e.g., competition shooting), and if the shooter can steady himself for a second before aiming and firing the next round, it is sensible to opt for a double-action handgun. In the bad old days of the Wild West, gun-sharps looking for even more speed in concluding the firing sequence used to file down the ratchet of the mechanism that locked the hammer. Even when pulled back to its very limit, the hammer would fail to lock. If the thumb was now allowed to

3 slip off the spur, the pin would instantly descend on the detonator and discharge the gun. The technique of ‘fanning’ the hammer, therefore, involved gripping the weapon in the right hand (assuming the gunman was right-handed) and using the edge of the palm of the left hand to rapidly—and repeatedly— draw back the spur of the hammer and release it at its extreme limit: fanning! Naturally, the fanning action also kept the cylinder turning with every ‘fan, ensuring that the firing pin detonated a fresh cartridge every time it fell. Hopefully, the gun was pointing in the general direction of the target! Such a technique enabled the gunner to loose off a fusillade of shots, the objective usually being to get as many rounds into the target area as possible within the shortest span of time. Moreover, the hail of bullets, and the resultant deafening noise of near-simultaneous detonations (only possible in the hands of an expert) had a decidedly negative – indeed, a vastly demoralizing – effect on an opponent not sufficiently experienced to cope with such a hazard. Fanning, in most cases, was a technique popular with stir-crazy cowhands eager to let off steam after downing a few hard drinks in a saloon at the end of a long, dangerous cattle drive through injun territory. In short, if the objective was to have fun by making as much noise as possible, a sixgun was a noisy something that was already at hand; fanning merely enhanced the pleasure of firing the weapon. It was the rare pistoleer, however, who achieved any degree of accuracy while ‘fanning’. In an OK Corral type of shoot-out (or any gun duel, for that matter), the man who took slow, deliberate aim before discharging his weapon was the one who always drilled his opponent, as did Wyatt Earp (famous for using the Buntline Special, a modified Colt .45 revolver with a 12” barrel that did good things for the esoteric handgun’s accuracy and range). As any target shooter knows, most handguns are inaccurate beyond ten yards, a figure comfortably divisible by five as far as a rookie is concerned. Ergo, a long barrel and low recoil are conducive to accuracy. The .22 Ruger, for example, will beat the .45 Colt almost every time in putting the bullet in the ten yard bull’s eye. I mention it because it is a personal favourite, and its low price and ease of maintenance makes it a great way to start plinking with a handgun. Let’s forget about the biggies like Smith & Wesson’s .44 magnum or the .45 Magnum Desert Eagle for the time being. Another personal favourite is the 7.65 mm Walther PPK, and not just because M forced it on a 007 reluctant to part with his .25 Beretta and its taped skeleton handgrip. A 9mm Heckler & Koch is also a constant temptation, as is the 9mm Glock. But 9mm is a prohibited bore in these h’yar parts, so let it go, pardner. Check out the Walther’s features if you don’t believe me. Though its high price tag is daunting for someone looking for an inexpensive, lowmaintenance handgun, it’s a great buy for an ardent handgunner...in fact, for any man who loves a well designed, finely crafted and eminently efficient piece of machinery. Despite all the Heckler & Kochs, SIG-Sauers

4 and Mas that have come along since the PPK was launched, I am only one of an army of gun-nuts who’d never ditch the Walther; it’s just too good to be true. Thank God some things are made just right the first time off. Some men dream of blondes; my dreams are haunted by the Walther PPK… DESCRIPTION OF A FAMOUS ‘FANNING’ SEQUENCE FROM THE MOVIES Movie: A Fistful of Dollars Actor: Clint Eastwood as The Man with No Name Producer/ Director: Sergio Leone Music: Ennio Morricone Shot in/ Location: Spain and Italy Genre: ‘Spaghetti’ western Budget: Shoestring Rake-in: Uncounted millions of fistfuls of dollars

The poncho-clad ‘Man with No Name’ is riding along, right peaceable like, across burning sands, when he comes to a shallow stream which appears to be the Rio Grande at the Texas – Mexico border. As he’s about to cross, he is confronted by four evil-looking bandit types. “Ah Haa! What have we here?! A gringo! Well, gringo, you have some dollars?” asks the Bandido Chief with exaggerated politeness. The ‘Man with No Name’ says nothing. Looks mighty bored. The bandido is annoyed, but struggles to conceal his pique. He is confident— four against one—and this makes him insolently patient with the lone stranger on a mule. Death lurks in the shadows under the brim of the battered hat, but the swarthy Mexican stick-up artists are too swayed by greed to notice. “What! A gringo with no dollars! Then what you got for us, amigo? Gold? So what about eet, gringo? Will you give us a leetle…just a handful, perhaps?” The Man with No Name holds his peace. The bandido is getting worked up now. “Why don’t you say somezing, gringo? You have silver, maybe? Yeesss! The gringo must be having lots of silver!” Still no reply from the crinkle-eyed, cheroot-chewing Man with No Name, but frost is now visible in the chilling gray eyes. (A muted drumming of hooves is getting louder by the second; the Four Riders of the Apocalypse are closing in, led by a skeletal figure holding a scythe …) “No silver! Then what you got, gringo? Eh?” probes the exasperated bandido, quite unaware that Nemesis has him squarely in her sights. The Man with No Name speaks at last. “Lead!” he grates. The rest is a blur; he throws back the poncho in a single fluid motion as a six-gun seems to leap into his hand. Fanned faster than the eye can follow, the weapon spits a long tongue of flame—accompanied by a brief roll of thunder. The four bandidos are blasted out of their saddles…

5 Cut! answer…

How was it, Calamity, honey ?! Your lone gunman awaits an

6

7