Can a shrouded hammer be fired inside a pocket

The original S&W Bodyguard model, 49 and 649, was designed specifically to be fired from within a coat pocket. I, myself, don't like the ones chambered for .357, and I'd be afraid I'd fry my hand using one of those from inside a pocket (see Skidmark's cautionary notes). Mine is a 49 chambered in .38, and I love it. Had a 649 chambered in .357 and it was just too much trouble, flash, bang, and recoil for such an itty bitty gun.

Citizen said:

Thanks for the link KB. It would help if the ATF would cite the statute section or quote the language of the statute so readers can understand better.

Of course, understanding is not what ATF wants. It wants compliance with its decrees. And, besides, a pesky subject might take into his head to differ with their "interpretation" of statute language.

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What's more, ATF doesn't want people seeing that the law doesn't say what they say it does.

Here's the law:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/26/5845.shtml

The term “any other weapon” means any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or a revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition.

That's the entire legal definition of an AOW. Now, just for fun, take that definition and try to explain their claims in this 1997 newsletter to licensees, starting near the bottom of Page 5 ("Wallet Guns"):

http://www.atf.gov/publications/newsletters/ffl/ffl-newsletter-1997-08.pdf

Head spinning yet?

fire suppressor said:

Anyone with more revolver experience than I know if a shrouded hammer can be fired inside a coat pocket? I am looking at getting a S&W 649 but want to make sure the shrouded hammer could fire inside my coat pocket without the hammer getting stuck on my jacket. Looking at the picture it looks like it should be able to but would like a second option

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57912_757910_757787_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

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dude, why dont you stick it in your front pants' pocket and give it a try? sheeeeesh !!!

Operator_223 said:

dude, why dont you stick it in your front pants' pocket and give it a try? sheeeeesh !!!

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Good thinking! Because you know that if the hammer falls then it would go bang every time, right? Wrong, just because the hammer fell doesn't even mean it would have fired the 1st time (clothes could have slowed the hammer down enough not to strike the primer hard enough) and just because the pants that he was that day worked/didn't work doesn't mean that the next pair would be the exact same way.

So he was asking for experience/knowledge in this very specific situation, something that he is probably naive about. And it seems like you know less than what he does, because at least he don't want to remain ignorant.

KBCraig said:

SNIP Head spinning yet?

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No. You see, I finally figured out that government is founded on a criminal premise* and the criminality only gets worse from there. Part and parcel of criminality is evasions, distortions, camoflages, and lies. So, I know better than to try to actually process anything the government says as though it would make sense or was truthful. Thus, I hold it at a distance, turn it around, look it over, and, if anything, just proceed to trying to figure out what they're really up to. Knowing full well that 99.9% of the time it means ill for me and everyone else.


*Government proceeds from a criminal premise. Lysander Spooner pointed this out in an essay called NoTreason. I'll paraphrase.


It is criminal to extort money under threat of violence. A highwayman does it without pretending it is moral or just.

Just because Mssrs. A, B, and C select D by way of an election and depute him to do the extorting can in no way make it less criminal.

I'm not saying it isn't a necessary criminality. But, if you take a calm, level look at it, there is no avoiding it. Government proceeds from a criminal premise.

And, we wonder why government is so full of corruption, power games, etc. I can tell you why, because it starts from a criminal premise but then we "make it OK" by thinking that an election somehow legitimizes it. Well, its no wonder at all there is corruption, power games, control freaks, etc.

Citizen, when you start quoting Spooner I know we're of like mind.

"But whether the constitution be one thing, or the other, it has either given us the government we have now, or has been powerless to prevent it."

I think the key issue with firing a shrouded hammer gun (or any other type of gun) inside a pocket is the keyword: "FIRE". It isn't called "firing" a gun for nothing. All of that flame following the bullet coming out of the barrel is going to be very hot. You'll probably set your pants or jacket on fire. This is something you'd only do in the most desperate of circumstances.

Dreamer said:

Most carry-related NDs are from people carrying guns around loose in their pockets without a proper pocket holster. And a proper pocket holster would pretty much prevent you from firing from your pocket, because it completely covers the trigger.

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And how many of them were with a double action revolver carried by itself in a pocket? A pocket also covers the trigger. It is a more flexible material, but I don't see anything firing the gun through the pocket without exceptional effort.

fire suppressor said:

Thank you everyone for your input I was raised with firearms and have been shooting for 15+ years, but what I am figuring out is automatic pistol knowledge does not transfer into revolver knowledge. I have been researching revolvers for a few months now and the 649 is my front runner but want to try and cover every angle. Thanks for the help

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Don't overlook the 638 lighter, shoot with 125 gr for comfort and defense a n d YES it can be fired from inside the pocket, I'll sell you a practice jacket cheap.
dr4pat

Dreamer said:

If you are CCing, you shouldn't need to worry about firing from your pocket, because CC affords you the mystical and unassailable "Tacticool Advantage (tm)" that magically enables CCers to "get the drop" on an armed, violent assailant who already has the drop on them.

If you are ever attacked with deadly force, your CC permit will begin glowing with mystical energy, alerting you to the danger, and causing a break in the time-space continuum, which allows you, from concealment, to out-shoot someone who is already pointing a gun at you with their finger on the trigger.

Everyone knows this...

<sarcasm OFF>

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Love the sarcasm, and know exactly what you are referring to, but in all honestly what I envision when most reasonable people talk about the surprise afforded to CC vs OC, I think about this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBGvslvaqoY&feature=related

Sorry for off-topic.

I agree with many other in this thread who are saying that firing from a pocket seems risky, either you have a pocket holster and have to navigate pulling it from the holster and then firing from pocket, or just drawing it all together. I think I would just draw it from the pocket once I realized I needed it. That way I have maximum ability to point and shoot accurately and make good use of that hand, minimize failures do to your jacket getting caught in the trigger, or the small gap in the shrouding.

markand said:

I think the key issue with firing a shrouded hammer gun (or any other type of gun) inside a pocket is the keyword: "FIRE". It isn't called "firing" a gun for nothing. All of that flame following the bullet coming out of the barrel is going to be very hot. You'll probably set your pants or jacket on fire. This is something you'd only do in the most desperate of circumstances.

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That is very true, so I guess it is good to mentally prepare and perhaps do some training just in case, but otherwise expect to be able to do a full draw.