The parameters for the question is so "wide open" it's basically impossible to say "the trigger pull is . . . on this revolver . . . especially on a mass produced revolver. Do folks really believe the trigger pulls are "set" to a certain poundage at the factory?! For under a $1000.00 ?!!! That's why you go to the "establishment near you" and check it out for yourself!! If I say it's . . . 3 lbs. , you get one because of what I said and it's 1 1/2 lbs, then suddenly I'm a liar !!! What affects trigger pull?
Howdy
I agree completely. Trigger pull is governed by a bunch of things. How smooth the interface between the sear and the full cock notch is, how far the trigger has to travel for the hammer to fall, and how strong the trigger spring and hammer spring are. With a mass produced firearm such as an Italian single action revolver, you are just going to get what you get. Nobody is custom tuning the trigger at the factory.
How do you know how many pounds the trigger pull is? With one of these:
But before you run out and buy one, you need to understand that a single action revolver trigger is just a simple lever. Like any lever, how much force it takes to move it depends on how far from the pivot point the force is exerted. Pull the trigger near its lower tip, and it will require less force and more travel to trip it, pull it closer to its pivot and it will require more force and less travel to trip it.
Generally speaking, the springs on imported revolvers are pretty strong, to overcome the internal friction of the parts. If you just change springs, the internal friction of the parts may prevent the hammer from falling hard enough to reliably set off a primer. A real trigger job consists of more than just changing springs, it involves polishing the appropriate surfaces of the parts so that internal friction is reduced. Then lighter springs can be installed and primer ignition will still be reliable. Then there are those of us who like to use Federal primers, because they are softer and will go off with a relatively light hammer fall that might fail to ignite other brands of primers. Yes, I know all about not setting up a revolver so only one brand of primers is reliable, spare me the lecture.
What a lot of shooters don't realize is that not just the strength of the trigger spring, but also how stiff the hammer spring is will have an effect on trigger pull. The stronger the hammer spring, the more it makes the cocking notch bear down on the sear (the tip of the trigger). Lighten the hammer spring a bit and that will slightly effect how much force is required to slide the sear out of the full cock notch. Also, a a slight positive angle on the notch is important. That's why trigger work should always be done by a gunsmith with the proper stones and fixtures, not by Joe Sixpack with a Dremel tool.
OK, I have had my Colts professionally tuned. Their trigger pull is right around 2 1/2 pounds, which is what I like.
P.S. I was a little bit too young to understand it at the time, but the trigger pull on Paldin's revolver in Have Gun Will Travel was supposedly set at one ounce. Many years later I realized that was baloney.
