Trigger not so smooth, what to do???

[mattz357]

After turning my Ladysmith into a Mansmith, I installed a Wilson Combat reduced power spring kit (because Brownells was out of the Wolff). I put in a reduced power mainspring, and a 14# trigger return spring. The trigger was pretty smooth, but heavier than I preferred before I changed the springs... now it is less smooth, and only slightly lighter (if at all). Could simply changing the springs cause this, or is it all in my head??? Thanks in advance for any advice!!!

 

[S_O_Laban]

Tagged. Watching this one closely, as I've been giving thought to installing a Wolf kit in one of mine......

 

[JohnKSa]

Here is my advice. Ignore it at your own risk!

The ONLY possible solution is to trade it off to someone who doesn't care and then repeatedly savage the gun, brand, manufacturer, and anyone who owns a gun made by this manufacturer on gun forums.

Nothing else will work, trust me.

By the way, this is the solution for ANY minor problem experienced with a firearm.

It's also the approach to be used should a person happen to dislike a gun for any reason.

If you don't believe me, just read these forums for awhile and you will see that my approach is widely embraced.

 

[HSMITH]

I would polish the rebound slide surfaces where it contacts the frame, and polish the corresponding surfaces of the frame. This will generally take care of most if not all of the gritty feeling in a Smith. I grease the rebound slide before it goes back in too, and a little grease on the pivot pins etc.

I tried a Wilson kit in a M19 that was dead smooth, trigger pull went from 11 pounds to 8.5 pounds DA but trigger reset was notably slower so I took it back out after one shooting session. YMMV.

 

[mattz357]

John, I have no idea what you're talking about. HSMITH, I was really trying to avoid polishing anything inside, but it looks like it might be inevitable. My confidence really isn't there yet, and I don't have any stoning tools to polish with. It sort of feels like the part that is "catching," or not pulling smooth, is where the trigger and cylinder stop break free of each other at the beginning of the trigger pull. Does that help at all with the diagnosis? Thanks!

 

[Majic]

If you aren't confident about doing work on the action then take it to a gunsmith. You may have raised a burr in the action somewhere. Even drop in parts sometimes require a little gunsmithing. Buy yourself a gunsmithing manual and see exactly what needs to be done.
If first it was fine and now there's a problem it's all speculation without someone actually inspecting the revolver.

 

[mainmech48]

The way I see it, there are at least two good solutions: Take off the sideplate, clean everything thoroughly, lube judiciously, put the original springs back in it, and shoot a few hundred rounds through it.

If that doesn't do it for you, have a skilled professional look at it. IMO, a lot of action jobs aren't really needed if folks would just take the time to break the mechanism in by using it.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Could simply changing the springs cause this, or is it all in my head???

Changing springs can solve and/or cause any number of problems.

I've been using Wolff's springs for years with good success, although some actions require the attention of a skilled gunsmith—period.

 

[Coltdriver]

I have done the following with great success on three revolvers now.

Take the sideplate off, remove all the parts and treat them with moly lube. Read the directions, heat the parts up with a hair dryer or heat gun, take your time and do it right. Its a full evenings pleasant work.

You will slick up the action very nicely with this stuff and it will cost you about $20.

Then lube it with the moly lube and shoot it a lot.

I have changed the trigger return springs in each of my revolvers to a slightly lighter spring but that is it. I never changed the mainspring because I feared getting it too light and having mis fires.

I would not attempt to polish or stone anything. So many of the parts on the newer pistols are mim and it is real easy to get through the surface hardening on those parts. The very outside I would go to if you feel compelled to polish is a cloth and flitz.

 

[Sprout]

I've had modest improvements from putting toothpase in the action, dryfiring a bunch, and then cleaning and lubing thoroughly. I also am too chicken to start polishing things with stones or other harsh abrasives. YMMV

 

[braindoc]

Mattz357,

Unless the gritty points are polished out, changing to lighter springs will tend to make it more apparent. I really think you should buy and watch the Jerry Miculek DVD on Trigger jobs. It really shows you where the right places to polish are. After I studied the DVD I was able to successfully smooth out 5 of my S&W's, I used a Spyderco knife sharpening kit (medium and fine ceramic stones).
Another site I found helpful is http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=43

braindoc

 

[JohnKSa]

John, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Sorry--that's what happens when you have a very strange sense of humor and post very late at night... It wasn't directed at you, it just sort of popped out.

 

[Old Fuff]

mattz357:

Point of order: Are we discussing a J-frame or K-frame revolver? It could make a world of difference.

 

[mattz357]

This is a 65LS (K frame). I'm going to shoot it this weekend and see how things go. If it doesn't smooth out after a little while, I'll take it inside and change the springs back to stock. I've lubed the guts and dry fired it about a thousand times since I changed the springs too.

As I type this, I got the gun out and dry fired it some more. My original diagnosis of "not smooth" isn't entirely accurate. It isn't that the pull is not smooth, it just feels like there is a bit of a catch at the beginning of the pull as the trigger breaks free of the cylinder stop. Everything except that is smooth. Maybe that info will help. Thanks for all the info so far!

 

[Old Fuff]

Remove and look at the end of the mainspring strain screw and see if its been shortened. If so, and you substituted a weaker spring the action/trigger pull woud feel different then expected.

Edited to add: You could also have a kinked or mis-assembled cylinder stop spring.

 

[HankB]

I second the suggestions about getting the Jerry Miculek "Trigger Job" video - it's aimed primarily at K, L, and N frame revolvers, but some of the advice carries over to J-frames as well.

The only tools you need are a properly fitting screwdriver and a honing stones - if you have a hard Arkansas stone or something like a Lansky knife sharpening kit you should be good to go. In a few cases a Dremel tool is useful . . . but these ought to be used with caution. (I've seen a LOT of guns buggered up by improperly used Dremels.)

it just feels like there is a bit of a catch at the beginning of the pull as the trigger breaks free of the cylinder stop

Hmmm . . . sounds like a bit of a timing issue, as if the stop isn't coming down out of the locking notch and releasing the cylinder when it should, but I'm certainly not enough of a 'smith to say for sure. Are you sure you got all the springs back in place properly?

 

[MICHAEL T]

I would put it back the way it came from factory and Quit tinkering. I belive more good guns are messed up by their owners ,than anything else. Just my .02

 

[Walt Sherrill]

There's one heckuvalot I don't understand about revolvers but, that said, I don't understand how changing springs would affect SMOOTHNESS. (Unless the new spring is, somehow, defective...)

 

[patentmike]

There's one heckuvalot I don't understand about revolvers but, that said, I don't understand how changing springs would affect SMOOTHNESS. (Unless the new spring is, somehow, defective...)

First let me say that I'm not a gunsmith.
I think lighter springs can make lack of smoothness more obvious. If the parts that are supposed to slide off of each other are a bit rough, you might not notice it so much with a heavier pull. Lighten up the springs and you can feel the coarseness. I think a lot of people drop in spring kits expecting Performance Center results. Smooth the surfaces first, or have a gunsmith do it, then see if you need to change springs.

 

[rockstar.esq]

Let me say I feel for the guy that posted this thread! I have seen two direct contradictions by members! One guy says that the stiffer springs will make grittyness more apparent another says that a lighter spring will do the same. One guy says it needs lube, another says it needs grinding. It sounds to me that the only path that seems reasonable is to take it to a smith and let the whole thing be done right!

 

[mattz357]

Sorry I haven't posted back to all of those that have tried to help, I honestly forgot I had posted this. I dry fired a couple hundred more times, disassembled and relubed and everything is good to go. It may have been an issue of perception, or maybe I had some grit of some sort in there, but in any case it's smooth as butter now. I also performed the same spring swap on my dad's 686 and the results were amazing. Thanks for all the help!!!

 

[Atticus]

After turning my Ladysmith into a Mansmith

I can't get past that....what did you do to the poor gal?

 

[mattz357]

Atticus, read this thread.

 

[Atticus]

Oh yeah...I like it. Nice work!

 

[The Rabbi]

1) Get the Miculek video. Best money you will ever spend for the best gunsmithing video ever. But beware, he does make some things look easy. Watch out for the devilish rebound spring re-insert.
2) Believe anything Old Fuff has to say on the subject of gunsmithing. Few people know it but he is Samuel Colt's illegitmate son.
3) Make sure the spring tension screw (thats the one on the front of the grip) is tight. I know on my Model 1917 I left it loose to provide a lighter pull and it knuckled or something and the pull was terrible until I tightened it again.