S&W 642 Trigger - How Much 'Better' Does it Get?

[D-Man]

I've been looking at the 642 for awhile, and the only thing that is really bothering me is the trigger pull. Sure, I want it to be long and somewhat heavy, but it seems like the last few models I tried were very heavy.

I believe S&W lists the stock pull to be 12 lbs. Is that correct? After use, does this tend to get lower a little? Or is it just the smoothness that improves?

I compared the 642 trigger to a P3AT, and the P3AT was hands down smoother and easier to pull (but still a good heavier weight for a DA gun).

I don't want to mess with the internals at all (or have gunsmith do it). I just want to know how much nicer the trigger will get as I own it.

Thanks!

 

[fiVe]

I don't know the "poundage" of mine and have no way to measure it. I can say it is much smoother than it was, yet retaining the acceptable stiffness you want for DAO. All I did was dryfire, dryfire, dryfire....

 

[Jim K]

You can't compare trigger pulls on two totally different guns.

In general, it is not a great idea to mess with the trigger pull on those small guns. To set off a primer, a certain momentum of the hammer is needed. That means that the lighter the hammer, the stronger the spring, to ensure setting off the primer. The factories all build into their guns a margin to be sure the gun will fire under adverse conditions - cold, wet, dirt, etc. While most gun owners will sneer and say they would never allow their guns to be in bad conditions, that is exactly where a carry gun might be. It could get frozen, dropped in the mud or snow, rained on, etc., and yet it MUST fire when needed or it is worse than useless.

My point is that it is better to practice until you can use the gun than it is to alter the gun and possibly make it less reliable.

Incidentally, much has been written about MIM parts in S&W revolvers, but it is now unnecessary to smooth up the trigger. With the old method, the machine that cut the trigger left small striations that showed up in roughness of the trigger pull until they were stoned out. The MIM parts are smooth as is, with no stoning needed.

Jim

 

[JoeHatley]

After use, does this tend to get lower a little?

Yes. After about 500 rounds the trigger pull on my wife's 642-2 has gotten much smoother and a bit liighter.

Joe

 

[JMag]

With the +P recoil, you never even notice the trigger...

 

[jad0110]

My trigger pull seems to have gotten lighter. Of course, my trigger finger could have gotten stronger too .

 

[Doggieman]

I'd say it doesn't get a whole lot lighter but it does smooth out.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

I can tell you what I have found in my own experience....

The newer S&W's have horrible trigger pulls.
The last 2 S&W revolvers I purchased both had trigger pulls that would measure between 12.4 lbs. and mostly "off-the-scale" on my digital trigger pull guage (it goes to 14 lbs.). The trigger pull was not consistent and felt "gritty" too.

I took a can of Gunscrubber and hosed out the inside of the revolver thru the hammer and trigger openings (after taking off the grips, of course), then blew it dry with my air compresser, then I hosed it down again with Breakfree, and blew it out once again with the air compressor.
After doing that, the trigger pull became a pretty consistent 12.2 lbs and would no longer go "off-the-scale".

So... pretty much what I'm saying is that you should first properly clean your gun, and then once all that grit and other crap is out of the action, start dry-firing it a lots and lots and lots and you will definitely see an improvement.

Of course, I ended up taking all of my S&W's apart and doing trigger jobs on them, so now my DA pull is about 7 pounds on my L and N frames, and around 8 pounds on my J frame.

I don't know why you would not want to take the sideplate off and at least just polish the sliding surfaces (like the rebound slide) with a hone stone and some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper - it's easy to do.
You do not have to replace any of the springs, just keep the factory stock ones in there - the polishing alone will make a noticable difference.

But, I understand that it would be your firearm to do with as you please - I'm not trying to talk you into anything; I, myself, believe that in today's world of mass-produced goods that something such as a revolver could use just a little bit of "hand-fitting" to provide just a little bit more improved functionality.

 

[aguyindallas]

I have a Wolff kit in mine and I can tell you that the pull, and just how smooth it is now is VERY different than when I bought it. Dry firing does help quite a bit.

My gun has 200 or less rounds through it, but its got probably 1000 dry fire clicks.

 

[symr00]

I polished the trigger contact surfaces and added a Wolff reduced 8.5lb mainspring. According to Wolff, 9lb is stock. The trigger is very smooth now but still somewhat heavy but nowhere as smooth as my Ruger SP101.

 

[SnWnMe]

If you are able, you should do the Aardvark method. It really works. IMO, you shouldn't replace springs. Wear the stock ones out.