[Kaylee]

Haven't had a chance to get inside yet this thing yet to take a look around, but I will tomorrow. I though I'd ask the experts if they knew what might be causing this -- trigger just *jumps* forward after firing, particularly on single action. It feels harsh, not smooth, as it does so. An associate suggests it's the result of a botched trigger job. Any ideas? Anyone ever do such an alteration on purpose?

[4v50 Gary]

Kinked rebound slide spring or extra heavy rebound slide spring?

[Standing Wolf]

It could be a botched trigger job, although I'd suspect the rebound slide spring first. I order replacements from the good folks at http://www.gunsprings.com

[HSMITH]

If the machining is rough inside you can get a jerk forward of the trigger. Stainless S&W revolvers seem more prone to this type of thing too. Pull the sideplate, pull out the rebound slide and trigger. Polish the back side and bottom of the slide, and the corresponding surfaces of the frame. Polish the front end of the slide and the corresponding surface of the trigger. Polish only though without removing much material, you only need to get 50-60% clean-up for a dead smooth action. When all of this is done put in a set of stock springs and lube with a good grease like Rig+P and you have about 85% of a first class S&W action job.

I use a Wolf extra power rebound spring in a couple of my S&W's, it helps with trigger reset speed and does NOTHING to the shootability of the gun as long as the rebounds slide and corresponding surfaces are polished decently. They do raise the trigger pull on a scale a pound to a pound and a half but they do not make the gun any harder to shoot accurately.

[Old Fuff]

Kaylee:

You didn't say what model you have. It could make a difference. The fast return is more noticed in small frame J-frames then larger revolvers.

[Kaylee]

thanks y'all -- and it's a stainless mid-frame gun. Sorry I'm not familiar with the model #'s yet.. I figure they all work more or less the same way, J-frames excluded, yes? :)

[JoeHatley]

Many S&W revolvers use a pin inside the trigger return spring. that acts as a trigger stop. If the pin has a sharp edge or burr, it could be snagging momentarily on the inside coil of the return spring, then letting go suddenly. About 3 strokes with a file would solve the problem.

Or it could just be a "lawyer" stength return spring... ;)

Good Luck...

Joe

[2400]

Since they seem to have covered your question given the info you supplied. I'll add a little info for taking the side plate off. Keep the front screw in a seperate place, it's different than the other round headed screw. To get the side plate off hold the gun so that the side plate is pacing down and TAP the frame with a small plastic/rubber hammer until the side plate drops off. DO NOT pry it off with a screwdriver. Have fun!!

[Dave Sample]

I use a lead bar to get the side plate off. Be advised that all three side plate screws are different. I am guessing that it may be the rebound slide but Smith no longer uses that in their guns. They have gone back to the system that Taurus has been using for years. I wish I knew the model number and the build date. The crane screw is fit to the gun and one other screw looks the same, but it isn't. Be careful..........................

[Kaylee]

Thanks guys, bounced the sideplate off with a screwdriver handle. :)

ANYHOW.. the problem seems to be that sometimes the hammer isn't *quite* coming to rest in the proper position.. perhaps it travels too far? Regardless, when the trigger is pulled the hammer doesn't clear the trigger, and catches it on the way down, slamming it forward.

I'm thinking that maybe there's a surface that was stoned too much, and thus allows the hammer to go farther back than it should? Then when it's released, the second little projection catches the trigger? Unfortunately I had neither diagram nor properly functioning parts to look at for comparison at the time.

The odd thing is that it's intermittent -- when I reassembled the gun, it was working fine. After about fifty single-action cycles or so it was right back to the old problem. It started out rare -- maybe one time in ten, and became more and more common the more I cycled it.


Another clue, if it's worth anything -- the sideplate was loose when I first got to looking at it. The screws weren't tightened down at all.

[Standing Wolf]

Be advised that all three side plate screws are different.

Usually.