Many buyers wonder why the darn manufacturers put such heavy springs in their guns. Obviously they could use the same kind aftermarket makers’ offer. The answer is because they want to be sure that in an emergency the gun will fire, regardless of environmental conditions (dirt or lint in the lockwork, etc.) or what primer may be in the cartridge (hard, soft, or whatever). They also know that revolvers sometimes develop a condition called “cylinder end play†that can in effect reduce the impact of the firing pin on the primer. And after looking at all of this they then add some additional spring strength for insurance.
Some believe the answer is to reduce the trigger return spring (called a “rebound spring†in a S&W) to lighten the action while not reducing the tension or strength of the hammer spring. This works to a point, but if the trigger’s return is slowed the user may try to pull the trigger again too soon and hang up or jam the action. Not too good if your life is on the line.
There are times and uses where lightning the action may be justified. What you are really doing is taking out the manufacturer’s extra safety margin while not reducing the guns reliability AS LONG AS IT IS USED UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS. Having perfect conditions is a risk the manufacturer won’t take. You may be willing to do so depending on your own situation. However before you do so you’d better understand ALL of the possible ramifications.
