DA 22 with worst trigger

[kayak-man]

Hey guys,

I’m trying to get the hang of the double action revolver, but after years of Glocks and 1911s, it’s not going super great. I’m trying to do a lot of dry fire but I want something I can actually shoot without breaking the bank, and that after putting a lot of rounds through, my S&W and LCR won’t seem so hard to shoot. I’m looking for a DA 22LR, preferably not too pricey, and with a really heavy and bad trigger. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

 

[J-Bar]

An old abused H&R should be crappy enough; I bought one new and it remained crappy as long as I owned it. I question your premise (training on a bad gun will help you improve) but it's your money.

 

[JohnKSa]

The SP101s out of the box have a pretty stiff trigger, and not very smooth. My .22LR SP101 DA pull was upwards of 15lbs--maybe as high as 17lbs when I first got it. After some work, it's now a smooth 13lbs. It's shootable now and I like it. It eats anything, is cheap to shoot and is good practice for trigger technique.

 

[Oninotaki]

Diamondback’s Sidekick in .22lr/.22 wmr has like a 16lbs trigger. They regularly sell for under $300 and are easily gotten online, but a bit hard to find in person.

https://diamondbackfirearms.com/sidekick/

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Agreed, the H&Rs had terrible DA triggers. RGs too.

 

[Riomouse911]

Maybe look for a used Taurus 94 in .22 LR or a 941 in .22 WMR. I have one of each and both DA triggers are… stiff.

Stay safe.

 

[kayak-man]

Thanks for the input, and so quickly, I’ll be on the lookout for those guns.

Since JohnKSa brought up the SP101, how does the trigger on that model compare to the GP100? I would guess they are pretty much the same, but I’ve never come across an SP101 in the wild before

 

[chicharrones]

Another vote for an H&R double action trigger being very stiff.

Might as well get something offered by these folks. https://prohands.net/

I have one of these.

 

[SterlingBullet]

H&R DA revolvers can be pretty stiff. Actually, most revolvers triggers have a heavy pull in DA.

I work at a gun store. In the last six months the new Smith&Wesson and Taurus 38spl and 357 revolvers have been coming in with very light DA triggers.

I notice because I have psoriatic arthritis, and my trigger finger has reduced strength and range of movement.
I have sold several semi-autos where I could no longer pull their triggers.

Note that we have not been able to get in any 22LR Smith or Taurus revolvers. Hopefully, they have lighter triggers too.

 

[JohnKSa]

Since JohnKSa brought up the SP101, how does the trigger on that model compare to the GP100? I would guess they are pretty much the same, but I’ve never come across an SP101 in the wild before

The SP101 trigger is significantly heavier than the GP100 trigger. The smaller gun means less leverage on any of the moving parts and that means the user does more work. Also, the rimfire SP101s have a heavier hammer spring than the standard SP101s to make sure that they will provide the additional oomph required for rimfire ignition. Finally, the GP100 cylinder turns on ball bearings, the SP101 has a friction bearing.

I have a couple of GP100s and the DA pull on both of them (after some work) is around 10lbs. The SP101, with a lot more work is still 13lbs and was 3-4lbs heavier than that when I bought it.

 

[Riomouse911]

I took a picture for the 8-shot revolver thread, so I pulled these out from the bottom shelf of the safe.

9-shot Taurus 94 .22 LR:



And an 8-shot 941 .22 WMR:





Stay safe.

 

[P89DCSS]

My LCRx in 22lr has a very stiff trigger.

 

[CajunBass]

Get yourself a set of laser cartridges in whatever caliber you need. I use them with semi-auto's, but they make them for revolver cartridges too. I use one for a semi, but I suppose you'd need five or six for a revolver (or more I suppose). They sell on amazon for about $20 bucks or so each. Still cheaper than another gun, and you're using your actual gun. Run on hearing aid batteries which last a LONG time. They load into the chamber, and project a burst of laser light when you "fire" them. There are fancy targets that read/score your hits, but I just use a door knob across the room. I know a hit from a miss. Not only will you learn trigger control, you'll also really see what sight alignment is all about. Best training aid I've ever used. All that's missing is recoil.

 

[Tallball]

I had a small-frame Taurus 22 like @Riomouse911 , and the trigger was terribly stiff. I didn't know enough to even change the springs on it back then. I traded it towards something.

My CA Pathfinder has a pretty good trigger.

I think I'd go for the Taurus over the H&R's, NEF, Iver Johnson, etc. because those triggers are just BAD in ways that a decent revolver can never be. The Taurus is just a cheaply made small-framed Smith with an excessively heavy trigger. I can see how that could be good training. Interesting idea.

The LCRx in 22 had a really stiff trigger. I got rid of it after one or two range trips. Again, I wish I'd just changed the springs. My LCR has an outstanding trigger, so you'd think there might have been hope for it.

And yeah, SP101's don't work for me. They work for some people, but not me. I finally found a used 9mm version with an only sort of bad trigger, and replaced the springs and grip. Now I can shoot it decently. My LCR and Model 36 and so forth feel like target revolvers after practicing with that beast. I can only imagine what the 22 is like.

If you get something you like overall, but the trigger is just stiff, you can always rehabilitate it later if you don't need a stiff-trigger practice piece anymore.

 

[GEM]

Had a SW 317LS - horrific, heavy trigger.

 

[jstert]

for myself, i have concluded that a 22lr handgun is best served in a single-action revolver or semiautomatic pistol…after much trial, error and expense. and if i had to pick one maker it would be ruger. ymmv.

 

[tubeshooter]

According to the Internet, the DA .22 revolver with the worst and heaviest trigger pull is easily my newer-style 8-shot Ruger SP101. No doubt about it.

Also according to this same Internet, my pre-model 17 is so buttery smooth that it almost shoots itself - and even factors the wind in for you!


I have a Smith model 317, and the gun is just simply light, jumpy and hard to shoot period. You could probably pay to have the trigger improved, but the gun costs so much to begin with...

 

[gobsauce]

Rohm RG-10. Absolutely the worst firearm made. I paid $20 for mine.

 

[SteadyD]

It’s been my experience that all 22 revolvers have worse DA triggers than their centerfire counterparts. Pick any one you like and enjoy the stiff trigger!

 

[TTv2]

It’s been my experience that all 22 revolvers have worse DA triggers than their centerfire counterparts. Pick any one you like and enjoy the stiff trigger!

Which is why I avoid the premium brands for DA .22 revolvers. Were it not for the availability, popularity, and light weight of the LCR, I wouldn't have bothered getting it. That said, go below it in price and your options are Charter Arms (very bad quality currently), Diamondback (possibly a good deal for the price, but it is a Zamak framed revolver), and Taurus (New production not available at all, used older models only).

Those are all pretty value priced makes and are not going to have better triggers than the premium brands, but I can't say the premium brands are worth the extra in price.

The one outlier is the Alfa Proj that Armscor is importing. I thought about buying that one, but it's still fairly new here in the US and after the Charter Professional I don't like being a beta tester. It's also heavy and for a .22 I'd rather they be lighter, so I passed.

Really not a lot of options, you have to decide what it is you're looking for in a DA .22 and expect regardless of what you buy the trigger will be bad.

 

[Dain Bramage]

Don't waste money on a Smith & Wesson Model 17. Mine has a fine DA trigger. Almost as nice as its centerfire K-frame brethren.

(Wait, what kind of endorsement is that?)

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I have a High Standard R-101 with a pretty atrocious DA trigger.

However, IMHO you'd be better off with a S&W K-Frame in .38 Special with a good trigger and proper coaching. While it's true that if you can master shooting a gun with a bad trigger you'll have an easier time on a gun with a good trigger, shooting the gun with the bad trigger will make it harder to master the fundamentals and avoid bad habits like jerking the trigger.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Nothing beats history when it comes to learning what not to do.

The 1895 Russian Nagant gas seal and the Swisss M1882 Ordnance revolver both have DA triggers from hell. While not the ideal, both will shoot .32 S&W Long reasonably well.



I got my two Russkie wheelguns back when they sold for under $100 apiece, but they go for considerably more now. Simpsons carries both on a regular basis, and they have excellent resale value provided you don't break them.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Which is why I avoid the premium brands for DA .22 revolvers. Were it not for the availability, popularity, and light weight of the LCR, I wouldn't have bothered getting it. That said, go below it in price and your options are Charter Arms (very bad quality currently), Diamondback (possibly a good deal for the price, but it is a Zamak framed revolver), and Taurus (New production not available at all, used older models only).

Those are all pretty value priced makes and are not going to have better triggers than the premium brands, but I can't say the premium brands are worth the extra in price.

The one outlier is the Alfa Proj that Armscor is importing. I thought about buying that one, but it's still fairly new here in the US and after the Charter Professional I don't like being a beta tester. It's also heavy and for a .22 I'd rather they be lighter, so I passed.

Really not a lot of options, you have to decide what it is you're looking for in a DA .22 and expect regardless of what you buy the trigger will be bad.

The Alfa IS intriguing....but Ive yet to see one in the flesh and the price doesn't really undercut a clean, vintage M17 or Colt by much (if at all), and I have a hard time believing they are actually qualitatively better in any way. For $4-500 I might bite on a used one.

 

[SeanSw]

An old abused H&R should be crappy enough; I bought one new and it remained crappy as long as I owned it. I question your premise (training on a bad gun will help you improve) but it's your money.[/QUOC

An old abused H&R should be crappy enough; I bought one new and it remained crappy as long as I owned it. I question your premise (training on a bad gun will help you improve) but it's your money.

Came here to say this. My H&R sidekick not only has a bad trigger, I had to add an outer coil spring to make it fire reliably, so it's even worse than usual. Of course, this is not an ACTUAL reccomendation....

My real reccomendation is to take the .22 revolver seriously on it's own merits and purchase something like a S&W 617. Mine has a great trigger and DA practice carries over just fine to full sized revolvers. They aren't cheap but they will become one of your absolute favorite firearms in time. They are endearing.