Revolver 'Carry Trigger'

[straightshooterjake]

Weak mainspring tension is certainly the most common cause of misfires in double action revolvers, but there are a range of mechanical issues that can also cause light strikes. These mechanical issues include, but are not limited to: poor firing pin protrusion, excessive end shake, excessive headspace, off center primer strikes, and friction on the hammer.

If any of these mechanical areas are just a bit out of spec, then they can be overcome by increased mainspring tension. If it takes a double action pull in excess of 12 lbs to get reliable ignition, then I would suspect that some mechanical areas are out of spec.

 

[MrBorland]

my first attempt at a trigger job actually produced the kind of trigger I was hoping for on a carry revolver. It's quite heavy- I'm guessing 12-14 lbs. DA- but super smooth with no staging. It requires a very deliberate pull but once the trigger starts moving it's smooth and fast, and very easy to fire rapidly and accurately.

It's kind of hard to describe- you pull and it feels like the trigger isn't going to move at all, then suddenly SNAP-BANG!

I don't understand why this trigger would be preferable on a carry revolver. A good DA trigger is consistent from start to finish. Suggesting a hard start is beneficial on a carry revolver seems to suggest that it's a little extra insurance against a poor trigger discipline and an ND.

 

[DPris]

I'm still not seeing the desirability.
Quite the opposite.
Denis

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

I'm still not seeing the desirability.
Quite the opposite.
Denis

Yes Denis, I think we all got that since you mentioned it in all your posts. Since I already agreed it ought to be fixed it's a little redundant at this point.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

I don't understand why this trigger would be preferable on a carry revolver. A good DA trigger is consistent from start to finish. Suggesting a hard start is beneficial on a carry revolver seems to suggest that it's a little extra insurance against a poor trigger discipline and an ND.

It's insurance against poor trigger discipline and an ND. Since those things have never actually been a problem for me I'm not sure it is beneficial at all. It's a different way of doing things that has worked very well on the range and I thought it was interesting, and wondered what other people thought. I think that can be properly summed up as, 'Eww- why?'

Over the course of this thread I've reached the conclusion that while it is interesting it addresses a non-existent issue and is really just a novelty. I'll enjoy shooting this gun more with a lighter, more conventional trigger so I am going to fix it.
.

 

[DPris]

Now you know, and there you go.
Denis

 

[GRIZ22]

Smooth is much more important than light. The proof is in your target. Very acceptable accuracy for a smaller SD revolver.

I don't see any issue here.

 

[badkarmamib]

Smooth is much more important than light. The proof is in your target. Very acceptable accuracy for a smaller SD revolver.

I don't see any issue here.

Yep! Sounds to me like you got good results from a polishing job, have a gun that shoots well, and learned more about your abilities. Playing with springs can result in a lighter trigger pull, if desired, and more learning can be achieved. You never technically have to be "done" working on a firearm, until you no longer own it. Seems to me that the "Tinker" part of your name is getting some good use

As an aside, I will admit to not being much of a revolver guy myself, but those grips look comfortable, and seem to complement the Rossi well.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Weak mainspring tension is certainly the most common cause of misfires in double action revolvers, but there are a range of mechanical issues that can also cause light strikes. These mechanical issues include, but are not limited to: poor firing pin protrusion, excessive end shake, excessive headspace, off center primer strikes, and friction on the hammer.

If any of these mechanical areas are just a bit out of spec, then they can be overcome by increased mainspring tension. If it takes a double action pull in excess of 12 lbs to get reliable ignition, then I would suspect that some mechanical areas are out of spec.

Thank you for the list! Initially this gun had a very worn firing pin bushing; apparently the previous owner had dry-fired it about a zillion times and primer strikes were hitting all over the place. I fabricated a replacement and installed it which solved that problem. I replaced the firing pin with a S&W model 60 firing pin, and the strikes are nice and deep. There's no end-shake and the headspace is good. Friction on the hammer is something that I need to look into. I'll check for signs of rubbing on the frame or a worn axis-pin. Anything else I've missed?

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Yep! Sounds to me like you got good results from a polishing job, have a gun that shoots well, and learned more about your abilities. Playing with springs can result in a lighter trigger pull, if desired, and more learning can be achieved. You never technically have to be "done" working on a firearm, until you no longer own it. Seems to me that the "Tinker" part of your name is getting some good use

As an aside, I will admit to not being much of a revolver guy myself, but those grips look comfortable, and seem to complement the Rossi well.

The trigger pull now measures 12.5 pounds- I clipped half of the helper spring and tested it. Still got good ignition so that's a start. I'm still a novice at grip-making, but this grip works very well in my hand and is only 1/2" longer than the stock grip. It's a bit flatter than the stock grip also, and with the right holster the gun is quite easy to conceal.

 

[straightshooterjake]

I wrote a long article about working with springs and trigger pull in Smith & Wesson revolvers. I believe the Rossi is pretty much a copy of a Smith & Wesson internally.

It is hard to list all the possible causes of heavy trigger pull in double action revolvers, but the list I gave includes all the most common issues. One more possible issue is interference between the bottom of the hammer and the rebound slide. When the hammer strikes forward, the bottom of the hammer should not touch the rebound slide. If the bottom of the hammer hits the rebound slide before the face of the hammer hits the frame, that interference can absorb some of the striking force.

The article is here:

Improving the trigger on Smith & Wesson Revolvers

The article is also discussed in this thread:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...wesson-revolver-triggers-please-review.817407

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Thanks Jake- bookmarked!