Smith 60 - heavy trigger

[Waveski]

I have owned a Smith & Wesson 36 Chief's Special .38 , a 60-4 Lady Smith .38, and a 60-9 in .357 for some time. I have become very comfortable with the triggers on these three revolvers ; smooth and very manageable.

I just acquired a model 60 no dash ; wanted that one all along. I was quite surprised at the heavy trigger. I naturally expected a trigger of similar function to that of the 36 and the other two 60s , but no - much heavier and seemingly longer in the stroke.

Anyone with similar experience , and any advice as to how to improve the trigger on the no dash?

Thanks , 'Ski.

 

[200Apples]

Why not have a look under the side plate? Perhaps attempts at too much lubrication, then age, combine to produce a sluggish action...

I'm not a gunsmith, but I have improved the DA trigger on one of my J-frames with the simple swap of the hammer spring with a lighter-pull-weight Wolff spring.

https://www.gunsprings.com/SMITH & WESSON/J FRAME/cID3/mID58/dID263

 

[P5 Guy]

My 60 no dash has a noticeably heavier trigger pull, both DA and SA over my 60-4. The only difference is the 60-4 has the wide target trigger and target hammer.
Does the target trigger and hammer have different geometry?

 

[edmo01]

My model 60 no dash had to go back to the mothership to have the hammer pin replaced. You can see the new pin just below the cylinder release.

The action is now much smoother...

Edmo

 

[J-Bar]

I carry a 60 no dash, my missus carries a 36. They both feel the same to me in DA and SA modes.

Unless you are experienced in working on these, I urge a trip to a knowledgable gunsmith. It may be as simple as replacing the hammer spring. Both of mine went that route.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Unfortunately it seems those revolvers do have a heavy trigger. There is a fix though. Apex Tactical sells a drop in spring kit and is very easy to install and makes a big difference in the trigger without compromising reliability. I have used them before and they work well. It comes with a new firing pin too. The videos on the page linked to below show you how easy it is to install.
https://store.apextactical.com/WebDirect/Products/Details/192058

*Edit*
I mistakenly posted that kit not remembering the OP's M60 has a hammer mounted firing pin. I'm leaving the link in case someone else can use it.

 

[Jim Watson]

If one J frame has a heavier DA trigger pull than the next, it might be that there is some source of friction or a contact patch is a little off in shape or angle.
That is why they put strong springs in such guns, so that the tight and rough ones will go Bang as reliably as the smooth ones.
"Spring engineering" should be approached with caution, you might put a limber spring in a naturally hard gun.
I have one each way. One is smooth and light, fires CCI primers with a soft mainspring, the other is pretty smooth but will not tolerate a reduced mainspring.

 

[J-Bar]

Unfortunately it seems those revolvers do have a heavy trigger. There is a fix though. Apex Tactical sells a drop in spring kit and is very easy to install and makes a big difference in the trigger without compromising reliability. I have used them before and they work well. It comes with a new firing pin too. The videos on the page linked to below show you how easy it is to install.
https://store.apextactical.com/WebDirect/Products/Details/192058

A 60 no dash has an exposed hammer with a floating firing pin, so the firing pin in that kit unfortunately won't fit. Perhaps the springs can be ordered separately.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Sorry, I didn't remember the firing pin was on the hammer.

 

[grouselips1]

Looking through the S&W factory parts list shows the identical main spring, rebound spring and strain screw for both the 60 and 60-4. I think it is important to remember that even though these should all be the same, there are manufacturing tolerances and you could simply have a stiffer spring. Having said that, I am in agreement with the earlier post that indicated a thorough cleaning and proper lubrication before condemning anything mechanical. If the pull is not then to your satisfaction, gunsmith time. The non MIM parts of a no dash will respond extremely well to light polishing and may get the trigger weight you desire, with factory springs. If not, there are many options for aftermarket springs to lighten things up further. Just my two cents!

 

[Waveski]

Saw my local gunsmith today. My 36 Chief and 60-4 have very similar triggers , 3.1# in single action , 11.1 in double action. The no dash came in at 5.3 in SA , and off the chart in DA. I forget what the limit of the digital trigger scale was , but the DA trigger of the 60 no dash exceeded it. He will look for any rough surfaces before I make any spring decisions...

 

[Red Cent]

The Model 60 trigger pull can be brought down significantly. If you use reloads and Federal primers, you can go really low. You need a reduced power hammer spring and a reduced power trigger rebound spring. Unless you can beat Jerry Miculek. you can reduce the rebound spring quite a bit. Some will complain and state that you will get killed because you cannot pull the trigger fast enough.
If you can remove the rebound slide and springs, this will allow you to polish the bottom of the slide and the shelf it rides on. The sides of the slide get little, if any, friction. The lube you place on the shelf and slide is important. I would suggest an auto synthetic very light weight. Never use grease in a place like this. The only place I use grease is on a double barrel shotgun hinge pin. Does wonders for the double barrel.
You will be surprised and pleased with the trigger job.

 

[Waveski]

Follow-Up ---

I now have the 60 no dash that I wanted. I got the Wolff "Shooters Pack" and went to work. The first trial was with the 8# hammer spring and 13# rebound spring. With this combination the trigger rebound did not feel satisfactory. The 14# rebound spring yielded excellent trigger function and significantly lighter trigger pull than the stock springs. Prior the the spring swap I had a SA trigger of 5.3# pounds , and DA of 13+# ,(beyond the limit of the digital scale used...) , (Note : my other two J frames averaged 3.1# in single action , 11.1 in double action.) The 60 no dash now has a SA pull of 3.25# , and DA of 9.6#. My primary goal was to achieve a manageable DA trigger , and 9.6# feels wonderful compared to the original. I find it very easy to stage the trigger and put rounds on target , and rapid fire is also quite manageable. Could not hit a pie plate at 10 yards in DA prior , now I can't seem to miss. Two range sessions have yielded excellent results with zero failures.

In will continue to test the 60 with all available ammunition before putting it into my carry rotation , but I feel pretty confident the mission has been accomplished. End of report.