686 spring kits

[TargetTerror]

I tried a competition prepped 627 at an action match tonight, and was blown away by how light the DA trigger was. I have a bone stock 686, but was wondering what it would take to lighten the trigger pull.

The guy said that I could buy a spring kit, but that I would really need to polish and smooth everything or the gun wouldn't function properly. I think he was thinking of the lightest springs when he said that, but is there any merit to his comment? My 686 is used and well broken in, and the trigger definitely feels smooth. My issue with it is the weight of the pull in DA (SA is AMAZING).

I saw the offering from Wolff, at:

http://www.gunsprings.com/Revolver/SmithWesson_RvNF.html#S&WKLN

would I need anything else besides the Type-2 PowerRib Shooters pack?

Also, how complicated is it to install? I'm pretty good mechanically (I can easily change the brakes on my car), but I'm not a gunsmith and don't want to poke around inside my gun too much.

 

[Sheldon]

It's not hard to swap out the springs. The only tricky part is getting the rebound slide and spring in and out. I bought a special tool to use for that purpose, but a small screwdriver would work as well if you're careful. I also got a S&W trigger job DVD (the Jerry Miculek one) and it helps to explain a lot. Here is a thread with a little explanation on what is involved.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/580103904/m/5581047681?r=1601087681#1601087681

Here's another one with more elaboration on the tool for removing the rebound slide.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/580103904/m/3951096261?r=6701007261#6701007261

 

[fspitzdorf]

my 686 has a wilson combat spring kit installed... i left the stock hammer (main) spring in it and went with the lightest rebound spring that would return the trigger... all fine and good but you have to take the time to polish and radius mating surfaces of parts as well as the frame... just cleaning up the rebound slide and the contact area inside the frame will make a world of difference in getting the gritty feeling out of it.... I also clean up the hammer / rebound slide contact areas and other rough surfaces on the pawl to frame contact, hammer to trigger, etc... it's a case by case situation on that stuff... YMMV... SA on my 686 is crisp and breaks like glass at a light weight... DA is smooth as butter and not very heavy... i have never put a scale on it... IMO it was worth the hour and a half i took to do it one evening....

 

[jad0110]

Rebound slide and gritty feel

just cleaning up the rebound slide and the contact area inside the frame will make a world of difference in getting the gritty feeling out of it....

I've heard this mentioned before. So, does anyone else believe that the rebound slide and it's frame contact points are the main culprit in trigger grittiness?

My 686 has a tiny hint of grittiness at the very end of the DA pull. Not objectionable, but detectable. Then again, the gun has less than 300 rounds through it, so that could be the problem too.

 

[Old Fuff]

Most of the internals in a Smith & Wesson are made out relatively soft steel to absorb shock. They are then case hardened to make the surface very hard to resist wear.

Now comes the seeker of a smoother action, who has little or no experience, but is going to "polish" the parts inside his Smith & Wesson.

If you "polish" enough to get through that thin, hard skin and down to the softer metal you will soon have both a bad-feeling action, and subsequently a BIG repair bill.

I know because I have a box full of ruined parts that were removed from other people's revolvers.

Changing springs out isn't too bad because you can put the original ones back. But if you don't know what you're doing it is far wiser to send the gun to a professional gunsmith who does, and let them do the action work.

This is especially so if you have an older gun with the hammer nose (firing pin) located on the hammer, rather then in the frame (.22's excluded).

Because Smith & Wesson has pretty well run out of replacement parts.

 

[KONY]

IMHO, I suggest you do not mess with it yourself ... instead, send it off to Performance Center or a respected smith.

 

[TargetTerror]

Thanks for all the info. I bought gun used, quite used, so the action is VERY broken in. It is incredibly smooth. The only issue I have is with the weight of the DA pull. To me, it is just too heavy to be of much use. That is why I am going with some lighter springs. It will be used mostly for target shooting/action shooting.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems taht to replace the trigger rebound spring I remove the sideplate by unscrewing and tapping it off (rubber mallet?), push the trigger return piece up with a screw driver, and then use another screw driver or pointy tool to compress and lift the spring out?

 

[fspitzdorf]

easier to do if you remove the hammer and main spring first... do not take the pawl and torsion spring out of the trigger... getting the rebound slide and spring out is relatively, the easy part.. back in is a bit more challenging.

 

[Stainz]

The OEM hammer leaf spring is pretty stout. Changing to the Wolff standard power reduces the DA pull - and a greater reduction occurs when you go to the reduced power leaf spring. Be sure the strain screw is tight - it pre-loads said hammer leaf spring. The reduced power leaf will often marry your revolver to Federal primers - or their ammo, if you don't reload, for reliability.

You can slightly affect the DA pull with lighter trigger return springs - but at a cost. If you compete, the lighter return spring literally takes longer to return the trigger to battery, making rapid shooting problematic. Some competitors leave the stout original return springs in place, hastening said trigger return. Slicking up a S&W trigger is a marriage of springs, eased parts, and proper ammo selection. If you cannot switch to Federal primers - or Federal ammo - perhaps the lightened hammer leaf is not for you - the 'standard' Wolff unit is lighter than the stock S&W part. Remember, S&W wants your revolver to work - anytime - with anyone's ammo - and the OEM hammer spring reflects that. Thankfully, MIM parts require little breakin, due to their uniformity, and other internal parts 'break in' nicely with an extended clean/lube-dry fire-clean/lube regimine. Hope this helps.

Whatever you do, avoid the backroom 'smiths who still insist on clipping a few turns and reforming the hammer leaf - buy new parts - the set is ~ $20 delivered from Wolff, Brownell's, or Midway. You'll always have the originals 'intact' should you want to sell your revolver - or use it for personal protection.

Stainz

 

[SeanSw]

The only difficulty I had in reassembling my revolver was installing the extra power cylinder stop spring. That was a pain in the butt. The rest wasn't hard as long as you could find the springs when they go missing. Jewelry polish on a multi tool felt pad put a smoother finish on the contact areas without altering angles or removing too much material. I'm satisfied with the changes and had little to lose, someone else had already bunged up the sideplate and it was comforting to see that nothing inside had already been damaged or altered.