Two loud clicks when pulling trigger

[singlestack9]

In this article--Revolver checkout: how to tell if a particular specimen is any good--I followed Jim March's instructions to checkout my revolver. After finishing, I tested a few dry fires. I heard two new noises--metal clicks--each time of the pulling of the trigger.

I noticed that these clicks were caused by a small button located under the cylinder. As the cylinder rotated, the small button rose up and locked into the small catches of the cylinder. I do not recall ever before hearing these two loud clicks when pulling the trigger.

The handgun is a Smith & Wesson 686P.

 

[Jim March]

That "button" freezes the cylinder at the right point for firing. Quite normal. Clicking at that point is...well normal, but not generally very loud and often not audible at all.

Put a drop of oil on it, see if that changes anything. Anybody with more S&W-specific info know anything?

If the trigger pull felt good and the gun otherwise checked out, I'd personally go ahead and buy.

 

[WheelMan]

I'm no expert but that sounds like the cylinder bolt unlocking and then locking again on the next chamber index. It's normal, in fact if it doesn't lock up before you get the trigger all the way back you're in trouble.

 

[singlestack9]

Well I own the gun currently, so whether to buy is not an issue.

It doesn't feel right to me. The two clicks are loud.

 

[Blueduck]

As said the two clicks are normal (and a good thing, one click is bad...). Kind of hard to decribe a sound over the net, but I've never heard of a problem from a cylinder bolt ocking in too well. Have noticed that newer guns often are a bit louder about this than well used older guns.

If everthing else checks out fine and trigger feels ok sure does not sound (pun intended ) like anything I'd lose sleep over..

 

[singlestack9]

I just wouldn't want to reveal my location before pulling the trigger. Both clicks seem loud to me. I'll try putting oil on it. Any other suggestions?

 

[uglygun]

Might be that the spring for the cylinder stop is a little heavier weight/strength than that of the typical clyinder stop spring, that could account for it being a little more loud than the typical sounds made by a revolver.

But what you are hearing is normal, the first "click" you hear should be it being released from it's engagement with the trigger and coming into contact with the cylinder. The second click will be the cylinder stop dropping into it's recess in the cylinder for proper alingment of the chamber with the barrel.


There isn't much you can do to reduce the sound of the "click" as it is a pretty consistent part of normal operation of these revolvers, rather it needs to be consistent because if it isn't it might point towards potential problems.



It's a sound that should be present both in a double action pull of the trigger as well as cocking the hammer back for a single action pull.

If you are making a shot in double action those sounds are going to come only a fraction of a second before the shot is fired and it will make little difference, especially if you are adept at firing your gun in double action which it is advisable to put effort towards.


If you are cocking for a single action pull, that may not be advisable as it may relate to your concerns about having your location identified before pulling the trigger. First steps should be identifying your target and depending on location in the country, possibly identifying yourself while issuing demands to stop. Otherwise some claims of laying in ambush or some other garbage might be levied upon you by the DA, hey I hate stupid hypotheticals as well but it isn't outside the realm of crazy possibilities.


Sorry if this was unsolicited opinion but I don't think that the double action pull of an S&W is a handicap or that using the gun in single action is preferable in a defensive shoot.

 

[Blueduck]

On the lighter side think of it like this Dirty Harry would just not have been the same without that "click-click" before the speech....

 

[bountyhunter]

I just wouldn't want to reveal my location before pulling the trigger. Both clicks seem loud to me. I'll try putting oil on it. Any other suggestions?

This is why I always put on hearing protection before working on a revolver.... that, and I don't want to hear my wife's complaining about the smell of gun cleaner!

SERIOUSLY:

The trigger pulls the stop bolt below the frame to allow the cylinder to turn. The first click is when the trigger nose releases the bolt and it snaps back up against the cylinder as it continues to turn. There is another click when it snaps into the locking slot in the cylinder. New springs will make the bolt's action a little more enthusiastic than on an older gun.

BTW: that little bolt should "snap to" and get up against the cyliner after the cylinder has turned about 2/3 of the way to the next locking slot. It does put a wear ring on the cylinder because of that, but that is how the SW is supposed to be timed. The worst thing is a gun where the bolt drops in late or just barely in time to catch the cylinder because it can allow the cylinder to overshoot and miss the bolt on a fast trigger pull.

 

[BigG]

Heck, the movie guns always click click click every time the guy comes on camera swings the gun, draws, etc. Must be normal. Even Glocks do it in the movies.

 

[BluesBear]

I just wouldn't want to reveal my location before pulling the trigger.

If those two tiny clicks are going to make a difference you are possibly too close to the threat and you are pulling the trigger WAY too slow.

Seriously though, why would you want to fire on a threat that wasn't aware you were there?