Joe Sacco
Member
What weight of double action trigger pull can be gotten in a tuned K frame and J frame Smith revolver? What are the stock factory norms?
Thanks, Joe
Thanks, Joe
S&W trigger pulls
- Thread starter Joe Sacco
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Most of my K frames came with 9 --> 11+# double action trigger pulls. A simple spring swap will drop it to 7 --> 9#. Expert polishing can knock another 1 --> 2# off that.
J frames are a bit more tricky. They start out in the same 9 --> 11# range. Polishing can reduce that by 2#, sometimes. Spring swaps on a J frame often lead to misfires, so I don't go there.
Joe
J frames are a bit more tricky. They start out in the same 9 --> 11# range. Polishing can reduce that by 2#, sometimes. Spring swaps on a J frame often lead to misfires, so I don't go there.
Joe
ChristopherG
Member
Joe's got it.
My preferred method is to switch springs (may limit ammo choices--I reload, not a problem for me) and dry fire several thousand times. This'll usually smooth it out pretty good, and build you a stronger trigger finger to boot.
My preferred method is to switch springs (may limit ammo choices--I reload, not a problem for me) and dry fire several thousand times. This'll usually smooth it out pretty good, and build you a stronger trigger finger to boot.
While it is true you can reduce the weight of a revolver’s double-action trigger pull by changing out the hammer and trigger springs for lighter ones, the practice can lead to unexpected problems. The factory springs are balanced against each other and deliberately made heavy enough to insure the gun will work reliably under the worst circumstances. Using a light mainspring can lead to misfires and hang-fires. A lighter trigger spring may fail to rebound the hammer and/or reset the cylinder stop. Either event will tie up the gun.
If the gun in question is going to be used exclusively in contexts other then a weapon, playing with the springs may not matter that much, but if that isn’t the case fooling with the springs is unwise.
Smith and Wesson’s lockwork is made from a relatively soft type of steel and then case hardened. If one accidentally cuts through the hard skin to the softer metal underneath the parts will wear, and quickly. I have a box filled with hammers and triggers that I replaced in various S&W revolvers after the owner (or someone) decided to polish the inside parts. All of these individuals discovered that amateur “polishing” can prove to be very expensive.
I suppose I shouldn’t condemn the practice, as it has served to put money in my pocket on occasion. Fortunately some people never learn.
If the gun in question is going to be used exclusively in contexts other then a weapon, playing with the springs may not matter that much, but if that isn’t the case fooling with the springs is unwise.
Smith and Wesson’s lockwork is made from a relatively soft type of steel and then case hardened. If one accidentally cuts through the hard skin to the softer metal underneath the parts will wear, and quickly. I have a box filled with hammers and triggers that I replaced in various S&W revolvers after the owner (or someone) decided to polish the inside parts. All of these individuals discovered that amateur “polishing” can prove to be very expensive.
I suppose I shouldn’t condemn the practice, as it has served to put money in my pocket on occasion. Fortunately some people never learn.
MNgoldenbear
Member
Good point. I had a good 'smith lighten the DA on a 686, and the thing wouldn't light up more than 2 or 3 rounds in a cylinder (CCI primers!). I basically had the option to go to Federal primers and hope, or go back to something closer to stock on the springs. I chose the latter, and it still groups great when I've practiced -- better than the 2-1/2 lb trigger in my custom 1911 in rapid fire inside of 25 yards. The weight itself is not such an issue. It needs to be smooth, clean, and consistent.
Bit more on that last term. I keep hearing/seeing people stating that you should be "surprised" by your trigger breaking. That statement is simply UNTRUE. You should know when your trigger will "let off". If you don't, you either haven't fired the weapon more than a few rounds, have a mechanically inconsistent trigger, or have no real feel for trigger pressure to begin with. The point is not to "surprise" yourself with the shot, but rather to remain focused on your sight picture and not shift focus to the trigger, abandoning sight alignment before the shot is actually away. Great target shooters can nearly always "call" their shots. THey can tell where the hole should be before they check their spotting scopes because they knew exactly what the sights looked like the instant the shot was fired. They also only add pressure when their sight picture is satisfactory, not at some random moment. Anyway, a good clean, consistent trigger beats a light but "creepy" inconsistent trigger any day!
Bit more on that last term. I keep hearing/seeing people stating that you should be "surprised" by your trigger breaking. That statement is simply UNTRUE. You should know when your trigger will "let off". If you don't, you either haven't fired the weapon more than a few rounds, have a mechanically inconsistent trigger, or have no real feel for trigger pressure to begin with. The point is not to "surprise" yourself with the shot, but rather to remain focused on your sight picture and not shift focus to the trigger, abandoning sight alignment before the shot is actually away. Great target shooters can nearly always "call" their shots. THey can tell where the hole should be before they check their spotting scopes because they knew exactly what the sights looked like the instant the shot was fired. They also only add pressure when their sight picture is satisfactory, not at some random moment. Anyway, a good clean, consistent trigger beats a light but "creepy" inconsistent trigger any day!
jacobtowne
Member
To add an historical perspective to Old Fuff's fine advice (which I'd follow, by the way):
Two of the last century's best pistoleros, Bill Jordan (No Second Place Winner) and Ed McGivern Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting) never touched the springs on their DA revolvers.
In Jordan's case, it is understandable, since he was a border patrolman. McGivern, on the other hand, was an exhibition shooter whose record for speed has never been equaled, even by Jerry Miculek.
JT
Two of the last century's best pistoleros, Bill Jordan (No Second Place Winner) and Ed McGivern Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting) never touched the springs on their DA revolvers.
In Jordan's case, it is understandable, since he was a border patrolman. McGivern, on the other hand, was an exhibition shooter whose record for speed has never been equaled, even by Jerry Miculek.
JT
While I never met Ed. McGivern, I did know Bill Jordan. We had some interesting discussions concerning the merits of different guns. If you ever saw his hands you understand why spring tension in his case was a moot point. 
He did experiment with springs in some of the revolvers he used strictly for giving exhibitions, but not on anything he carried. He found that using lighter springs was counter-productive because as a result he could actually tie up the gun while shooting fast double-action.
And he was fast ...
He did experiment with springs in some of the revolvers he used strictly for giving exhibitions, but not on anything he carried. He found that using lighter springs was counter-productive because as a result he could actually tie up the gun while shooting fast double-action.
And he was fast ...
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