Any data (or personal experience) on how much the face of an AR hammer can be smoothed and polished? I have been searching but cannot find verifiable info as to the hardness of the hammer and if this proceedure would be an issue.
Thanks
Stop and ask yourself: “why?”
I see nothing gained doing this…
Then, on the other hand, one could ask - why not?
I would ask for you to really think what you’re going to gain by polishing the face of the rifle’s trigger. Could you name three advantageous reasons to do such a thing? I cannot.
I’ve messed around doing it before just for fun, and I cannot find a single benefit.
It gives you practice with stoning, it kinda looks cool, and you might get .001 % less friction as the bolt passes over it. Does that count? 
Trigger components are surface hardened. Grinding, polishing or sanding them is usually a bad idea because without the hardened surface they will fail.
And as the other members have said, you will gain nothing by doing so.
Gee, in a world where it is common practice to improve function in semi autos by polishing hammers, bolts, slides etc. my original question seems reasonable - to me anyway. I was hoping for (expecting) something other than rhetorical questions in response. Oh well.
If the trigger group parts are not to be touched because of the hardened surfaces then why is the sear surface of the trigger ground sharp in two areas?
Honestly man, I have polished triggers … not.much is really gained. Not to change the thread but if you want a better trigger get an ALG if you want a really good one get a ssa. Don’t dick around with this shit … risk is not worth the gain. Not for 65$ anyways…
Polishing the face of the hammer and cocking ramp on the bolt carrier will smooth the action out. It’s a recreational mod you will see on race guns. JP has been polishing hammers for years with no ill affects. The case hardening is deeper than the small amount of material removed during polishing. The only drawback is the potential for rust with the Parkerizing removed.
Match guns for Distinguished Masters sometimes get this treatment when they want to squeeze out every possible X. You need to be pretty good to see the difference, but at that level it may be worth it.
You also get the prize for reading comprehension for actually addressing the original question!
You are talking to mostly spray and pray enthusiasts. Judicious polishing of various high load parts like the hammer/carrier changes a mass produced hay bailer into a smooth riding Cadillac. Tool marks on bearing surfaces robs cycling power the same way excessive dirt or low powered ammo does. So ignore those that pooh pooh such efforts that cost nothing, the benefits will extend the life and reduce malfunctions…O.L.
If you think that M4 is “spray and pray” I would kindly ask you to spend some more time reading.
Typos brought to you via Tapatalk and autocorrect.
Not the M4, they are WAY more capable than many give them credit for, was referring to the way some use it and dismiss that capability. I used the term “mostly” as an opinion from range experience…O.L.
I don’t think there would be any advantage to polishing the face of the hammer. If you polish or stone other parts of the fire control group, you really have to know what you are doing.
If you are looking for a smoother or lighter trigger, you might consider purchasing a drop in fire control group. If you don’t have the money to spend on a match trigger, just lube up your rifle and shoot the daylights out of it. The trigger will smooth out after a few thousand dry fire cycles and fired rounds.
If you are looking for superior performance, buy a superior product: meaning an aftermarket trigger/hammer set.
…
Doesn’t the bolt carrier polish the hammer face every time you shoot your rifle? I think it might. I also think it would be easier just to let my rifle polish that part for me. Just sayin’.
It doesn’t polish the bolt face so much as “hammer smooth” (for want of a better explanation)
If you strike a hardened piece of metal with another piece of metal two things will occur. The surface of the smaller/lighter mass piece will begin to conform to the larger.
And… it will get harder over time. (work hardening)
This process is a natural outcome of the weapon functioning. Not some hobbyist and his dremel.
The liability issues surround removing/polishing material from a mil spec trigger is incredible… and one of the reasons most smart gunsmiths won’t do it.