Wilson Combat 337B Ultralight Skeleton Hammer: Elevating Your 1911's Performance

For discerning 1911 owners, competitive shooters, and master gunsmiths, the pursuit of perfection often centers around the firearm's most critical components. Among these, the hammer plays a pivotal role, directly influencing trigger pull quality, lock time, and overall shooting accuracy. If you're seeking to transform your 1911's performance, enhance its reliability, and achieve a truly crisp, consistent trigger break, the Wilson Combat 337B Ultralight Skeleton Hammer stands as an indispensable upgrade. Available for serious enthusiasts at DEGuns, this precision-engineered component embodies Wilson Combat's unwavering commitment to quality and performance in the realm of 1911 parts.

Why Upgrade Your 1911 Hammer? The Quest for Superior Performance

Many 1911 pistols, even high-quality ones, can benefit from a hammer upgrade. The stock hammer might offer acceptable performance for casual plinking, but it often falls short for competitive shooting, precision work, or tactical applications where every millisecond and every ounce of trigger pull consistency matters.

Here are common questions and challenges that a premium hammer like the Wilson Combat 337B addresses:

• "How can I get a lighter, crisper trigger pull on my 1911?"
  • The geometry of the hammer, particularly the strut pin hole location, is fundamental to achieving a light and clean trigger break. Wilson Combat meticulously designs its hammers to optimize this interaction, reducing friction and enhancing the feel of the pull without compromising safety.
• "What is lock time, and why is it important for shooting accuracy?"
  • Lock time is the tiny interval between the sear releasing the hammer and the firing pin striking the primer. A shorter lock time minimizes the time the shooter has to inadvertently disturb the sight picture during the firing sequence, leading to improved accuracy, especially at longer distances or during rapid fire. Skeletonizing the hammer significantly reduces its mass, allowing it to travel faster and thus shortening lock time.
• "My 1911's hammer feels 'gritty' or inconsistent. Can this be fixed?"
  • Inferior materials or imprecise machining can lead to a gritty feel or inconsistent hammer fall. The Wilson Combat Ultralight Skeleton Hammer is CNC machined from solid S-7 tool steel, ensuring extreme precision and superior surface finishes. This eliminates inconsistencies and promotes a smooth, reliable operation shot after shot.
• "Are aftermarket hammers safe and reliable?"
  • When dealing with a critical component like a hammer, material quality and heat treatment are paramount for safety and longevity. Wilson Combat utilizes S-7 tool steel, renowned for its toughness and shock resistance, and heat treats it to a specific Rockwell hardness (R/C 48-52). This rigorous process ensures the hammer can withstand the stresses of repeated firing, maintaining its integrity and functionality over thousands of rounds.

Unpacking the Engineering Excellence of the Wilson Combat Ultralight Skeleton Hammer

The Wilson Combat 337B Ultralight Skeleton Hammer is not just a replacement part; it's a performance enhancer born from decades of 1911 expertise. Every design choice and manufacturing process is geared towards delivering an unparalleled shooting experience.

Precision Craftsmanship: Materials and Manufacturing

• S-7 Tool Steel Construction: This hammer is not cast or MIM (Metal Injection Molded); it is fully CNC machined from solid S-7 tool steel bar stock. S-7 tool steel is an air-hardening, shock-resisting tool steel known for its excellent combination of high impact strength, good hardness, and resistance to softening at elevated temperatures. This makes it an ideal material for a component that endures significant stress with every shot.
• Optimal Heat Treatment (R/C 48-52): After machining, the hammer undergoes a precise heat treatment process to achieve a Rockwell hardness of R/C 48-52. This specific hardness range strikes the perfect balance between wear resistance (preventing deformation and dulling of the hammer hooks) and toughness (preventing brittleness and catastrophic failure under impact). This ensures the hammer maintains its critical dimensions and functionality over a prolonged service life.
• Blued Finish: The hammer features a classic blued finish, which provides a durable, corrosion-resistant surface while also offering a sleek, traditional aesthetic that complements any 1911 build. This finish is not merely cosmetic; it adds a layer of protection against environmental elements and wear.

Designed for Peak Performance

• Skeletonized Spur for Minimum Weight: The distinctive skeletonized design is not just for looks. By removing non-essential material from the hammer spur, Wilson Combat significantly reduces the hammer's overall mass. This reduction in inertia translates directly into a faster forward travel of the hammer, which in turn dramatically reduces lock time. For competitive shooters, this means quicker follow-up shots and less time for the muzzle to move off target.
• Optimized Strut Pin Hole Location: A key innovation in Wilson Combat hammer design is the re-located strut pin hole. This subtle but critical change directly aids in obtaining a lighter, more consistent trigger pull. By altering the leverage point, it reduces the effective force required to disengage the sear, leading to a smoother and more predictable break.
• Precision-Cut Hammer Hooks (.020"): The hammer hooks, the critical interface with the sear, are cut to a precise .020-inch depth. This specific dimension is meticulously chosen to provide optimal sear engagement for a crisp, clean break without sacrificing safety. Too deep, and the pull can feel heavy; too shallow, and there's a risk of "hammer follow" or an unsafe trigger.
• 8 RMS Ground Finish: The surface of the hammer hooks receives an 8 RMS (Root Mean Square) ground finish. RMS is a measure of surface roughness, and an 8 RMS finish indicates an exceptionally smooth surface. This extremely fine finish minimizes friction between the hammer hooks and the sear, contributing directly to that highly sought-after "glass rod breaking" trigger feel and enhancing consistency shot after shot.
• Narrow Half-Cock Notch: The inclusion of a narrow half-cock notch is a thoughtful safety feature designed to prevent sear nose damage. Should the hammer inadvertently fall to the half-cock position, the narrow notch ensures that the impact on the sear is minimal, preserving the integrity of both components and extending their lifespan.

The Wilson Combat Advantage: A Legacy of 1911 Excellence

When you choose a Wilson Combat part, you're investing in more than just a component; you're leveraging decades of expertise in 1911 firearm design, manufacturing, and performance tuning. Wilson Combat has built its reputation on:

• Uncompromising Quality: Every part is scrutinized to meet stringent quality control standards, ensuring reliability and long-term performance.
• Innovative Design: They continually refine their designs based on real-world shooting experience, feedback from professional shooters, and advancements in materials science and machining.
• Performance-Driven Philosophy: Their focus is always on how a part enhances the shooter's experience and improves the firearm's capabilities, whether for accuracy, speed, or reliability.

The Wilson Combat 337B Ultralight Skeleton Hammer for 1911 style pistols, with its blued finish, represents the pinnacle of engineering for this critical firearm component. It's the ideal choice for anyone looking to optimize their 1911 for competitive shooting, personal defense, or simply to enjoy the best possible trigger feel. This hammer is a foundational element for any serious 1911 trigger job or custom build, designed to integrate seamlessly and deliver noticeable improvements from the very first shot. For these reasons and more, the Wilson Combat 337B Ultralight Skeleton Hammer is a top recommendation for enhancing your 1911, available now at DEGuns.

Product Specifications and Details

Feature	Detail
Brand	Wilson Combat
Model	Ultralight Skeleton Hammer
MPN	337B
Series	1911
Material	S-7 Tool Steel
Finish	Blued
Heat Treatment	R/C 48-52
Hammer Hooks	.020" with 8 RMS ground finish
SKU	74714
UPC	874218001070