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Hämmerli 208 Safety
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:16 pm
by pcmacd
I came across this pistol recently from the estate of the guy who taught me to shoot. I presume it is either a 208, 211 or 215; two stage trigger and a grip that is moderately adjustable. The frame is marked only "Hämmerli International", SN is G2917x; x>= 1
It had an optical sight mounted on it, so the safety support housing and all of those components were removed -- see image attached. I din't realize this when I took it home (duh. I guess I was a bit excited?); I went back and was able to scrounge most rear sight parts (the expensive ones, at any rate.)
What is troubling me is the safety. I see no accommodation in the usual places on the pistol for a safety. I see only what is likely an indicator at the rear of the breech, with no indicator present ("F" and "S" engraved into the rear of breech.)
The Hämmerli manual shows part 1 201 670 (see attachments) as "safety", but it appears to be a part of the trigger guard? I cannot either find a reference to what is likely the safety indicator in the prints.
I have attached a highly edited Hämmerli manual, plus a JPG that is lots easier to read (it has no part number explanations, just pictures and numbers, but it is the best I have found -- I use both at the same time.)
I'll post the full manual later on Mediafire when they get back online.
I would appreciate insights into the safety & indicator mystery.
(I am unable to load the 190 KB jpg image of the breech, even on EDIT, but I would guess that 'YALL know what THAT looks like...) But you may find it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/fu3dfwg7h ... AG0426.jpg
The unedited manual is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/5182ahgne ... chable.pdf
mac
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:07 am
by Shooting Kiwi
You can't find a "safety", and the manual doesn't show one, because there ain't one! It's a European target pistol, after all...
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:47 am
by Tycho
Not true. There were earlier "International" models with a safety on the left side, behind the trigger guard, like on a SIG 210 or so. You can see that when you google the 212 model, many of those had the safety. And then there was a later, very limited series of pistols, made for the US, with a safety built in at the rear of the slide, with a turning knob. I have only seen that once so far (and that pistol is in my safe), but apparently there were some more, but Hammerli insiders say that there never was a real serial production of it. Your description sounds as if your pistol (or at least the rear sight mount) came from that series. Trying to find those parts nowadays would be as difficult as getting an FAA licence for the Millenium Falcon, though...
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 6:59 am
by pilkguns
Safeties were required for all pistols imported to the US after the 1968 Gun Control Act. So all the incoming US target pistols had safeties hung on them in various ways.
Most shooters removed them once in their possession, so its not at all unusual not to have it.
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 12:57 pm
by pcmacd
Tycho wrote:Not true. There were earlier "International" models with a safety on the left side, behind the trigger guard, like on a SIG 210 or so. You can see that when you google the 212 model, many of those had the safety. And then there was a later, very limited series of pistols, made for the US, with a safety built in at the rear of the slide, with a turning knob. I have only seen that once so far (and that pistol is in my safe), but apparently there were some more, but Hammerli insiders say that there never was a real serial production of it. Your description sounds as if your pistol (or at least the rear sight mount) came from that series. Trying to find those parts nowadays would be as difficult as getting an FAA licence for the Millenium Falcon, though...
Eureka! That seems to be what mine is! Can you provide a picture of the breech end where the safety control is?
I would dearly LOVE to know what parts are missing; none of the blowups I have seen show anything here, and they show the safety in what appears to be a part of the trigger guard spring / ball system.
Mine photo is here (the board won't accept it):
http://www.mediafire.com/view/fu3dfwg7h ... AG0426.jpg
HEY! I made it 90K instead of 190K an the board took the photo! See attached!
Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 4:39 pm
by Shooting Kiwi
Oh, my apologies. I should have read the question more carefully. You can always learn interesting things here...
208 features
Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 6:28 pm
by pcmacd
Tycho wrote:Not true. There were earlier "International" models with a safety on the left side, behind the trigger guard, like on a SIG 210 or so. You can see that when you google the 212 model, many of those had the safety. And then there was a later, very limited series of pistols, made for the US, with a safety built in at the rear of the slide, with a turning knob. I have only seen that once so far (and that pistol is in my safe), but apparently there were some more, but Hammerli insiders say that there never was a real serial production of it. Your description sounds as if your pistol (or at least the rear sight mount) came from that series. Trying to find those parts nowadays would be as difficult as getting an FAA licence for the Millenium Falcon, though...
Tycho:
Does your 208:
-- have a squared trigger guard?
-- say "Sigarms" or something similar on it?
Larry's guns have identified mine as a 208s from the image I have posted here of the breech, but mine has a single stage trigger, a rounded trigger guard, and does not have "sigarms" engraved on it.
Also, the 208s I have seen for sale have stuff behind the trigger that does not appear on my model, have "sigarms" on them, and have a squared front trigger guard.
Would it be possible to have some close up shots of the safety of yours, from the rear and sides, in and out of battery?
tanks
mac
Hammerli safety
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:36 pm
by Nick Y
This is what I have. My gun is an older model 215. When you push down on the lever it blocks the hammer. The lever won't stay down. The lever just springs back up when you let go. I don't know if it's supposed to stay down or if there are other parts missing.
Hammerli safety
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 2:24 pm
by Nick Y
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 5:28 pm
by pcmacd
Thanks for your photos.
I believe there is a knob that fits over that lever out the back of your 215; see image below I found on a new 208s for sale.
Mine is missing both the knob and lever.
I am fairly certain mine is a 208 due to the s/n range, rounded trigger guard, and single stage trigger. Don't know why it has this crazy safety slot in the breech unless somebody put a different slide on it?