Guitarmageddon

I've been doing the set screw thing in on my r8 main spring after doing trigger work. However, I'd like to try out getting a few stock strain screws and filing to perfect fit for Desired spring tension. I bought one from Midway but after receiving it and actually reading the packaging of what I ordered, it was too short. Which main spring screw is needed for the 327 r8? Is it a standard length for all n frames?

Ive got mine at 6lb 3oz to 6lb 8oz at the moment so we shall see how it goes. Did you run an extended pin? Assuming so since it came with the apex kit.

What gun did you put the apex in? What is your trigger pull down to now? Range was closed today for some improvements so I'll have to wait to test out my improvements until Saturday after our bullseye match.

Yes I did some blue loctite when I changed out the strain screw for the set screw, but I've done so much fiddling with it that i definitely need to generously coat it once I finalize my setup. Yea I'm still feeling this one out. I go to one then revert back to a lighter spring, then the next day go heavier haha. I just need to commit to one for a few weeks so I really know how it behaves.

Wow 185 grain is pretty heavy for 38. I have settled on 147 blue bullets RN over federal primers with 4.4gr n32c. Love this load. So now I think im fiddling with what rebound spring suits me, and I dont know what I dont know.... so far after stock, Ive gone to the 14lb wolf, to the 13lb wolf, i tried a 12lb wolf tonight but that was no dice (massive short stroking), and now Im feeling out the included apex "competition" hammer. I may actually go back to the 14lb wolf. Im not sure what weight the included apex competition rebound is. What metric do you guys use to judge your liking of a rebound spring? Is it merely if you tend to short stroke or not? So far Ive tweaked it back to 7lbs but Im loading 100 rounds tomorrow for my usual "thursday night steel" and will see how low she goes. Then once I find a good spot, I will loctite my set screw. Possibly after that, I may file down my extra factory strain screw to an exacting length for the required pull and put that one in,

Interesting. how did you hit that bottom edge without removing it? I have a few thin stones of varying grit but they wouldn't be able to fit in there.

Yep pin went in no issues at all. easy day

I think I felt it hitch a time or two, but maybe thats just me? I think its pretty damn smooth, partly complementing the action thats already got about 7000 rounds in it, so this hammer is the new kid of the bunch. I was thinking of giving a few passes on the stone for good measure. or should I not? It seems to cycle fully and fine though.

First of all, big thanks to @Toolguy and @pskys2 for all of the helpful input and setting me on the right path in my "wolf main spring" thread from last week. I have received the apex hammer and I've dropped it in the gun. Ive also dropped in the extended firing pin (.508 in length, a bit longer than the stock which was about .498) It actually seems to fit pretty darn good out of the box. A couple questions on potentially fitting it though. I *think* a time or two I induced a very minor hitch out of it, but cant quite tell for sure. Fitting one of these and testing is pretty new to me still. However, when it comes to removing the pin, which side do I pound in from? Would I pound DOWN/IN from this perspective, or would I be tapping it from the other side TOWARDS the camera/sideplate? And just to be very clear in the face that I would stone, it would be ONLY the one with the arrow? The other face can just take some flitz polish and be good to go, right? I tried my 1/16th punch from both sides but didnt get too aggressive with it. I wasn't sure if I had to compress the spring in or let it extend out when driving out the pin as well. Thanks to everyone for chiming in and offering assistance, appreciate all your help big time! Uncharted waters for me, but Ive wanted to do this tuneup ever since I bought the gun close to 10 years ago! Man she looks mean now

Thanks! Appreciate everyone's input. I think I am armed with the knowledge and now the physical tools to make this happen. In addition to some flitz and a polishing wheel, the stones that I have available range from 320 to 1200. Which do you suggest I start with on the bottom of the sear should I need fitting?

Thanks for the input. I may be reaching back out when I have it sitting in front of me. So does the hammer block go into the parts bin with the apex hammer then? Also, just been assessing the picture of the apex hammer....you kept the sharp edges on the DA sear , and kept the same angles, but you just ground each face down a bit. Correct?

Any input on which parts of the DA sear might require some attention? I currently dont have a stone, but every grit of sandpaper known to man. Will that suffice for the minor fitting the sear may take? Edit: just sprung for this one on Amazon. For the minor tasks I'll ever need to file things on my guns I figure it should do the trick rather than makeshifting with sandpaper. Wheeler Engineering Professional Gunsmithing File Set , Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B3NW53M/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_B93HXYHDMMRS5HQBXMA7 Got a couple stones and honing oil coming too

I may consider the apex tactical hammer. That should be a drop in right? https://www.apextactical.com/k-l-frame-hammer-kit-1 edit: I suppose this would mean yes?

Hmm not entirely sure what style sear this one has then, I never looked too closely. Its an R8 made i think around 2011 or so.

Does a bobbed Hammer increase the reliability of setting off the primer? I was just thinking about possibly doing a bobbed hammer actually but I'm not sure if that would complicate my setup at all? Any recommendations? Are they pretty much just a drop in modification?

Yea i think so too. However, I do want to see if the extended pin helps things any more? Cant hurt right? Also want to make sure that the set screw I changed out for the original strain screw stays put, with the help of the loctite I put on. So from this point on, I have a few questions.... 1) should there be any difference in reliability of primer strike between use of moon clips vs no clips? Assuming of course the moon clips are straight and not mangled 2) If I make it a few hundred rounds and only then get a FTF on a given spring tension, could you assume maybe I slipped up and didnt seat a primer fully, or would that be cause for your to check trigger weight, ensure things are still the same, and maybe tighten up a tad?

Ok everyone, just a quick update.... Damn I need to hoard some federal primers because that made all the difference. WOW So I got one FTF out off 100 rnds fired today of federal #100s, because I got a little too greedy and went sub 6.5 lbs. I settled on a trigger weight of 7-7.5lbs and a hammer fall of 30-35oz depending on how/where I measure it. I think I may crank it up jusssst a tad for extra assurance, and also will likely still do the extended firing pin. I am reading writeups of other people that achieved 7.5lbs on all factory ammo and I just dont see how. However, with federal on this gun, that was the ticket. I really liked the 4.4gr off N32C under 147gr blue bullets RN today. Very accurate load, chrono around 780fps, super pleasant to shoot.

Ok everyone. Loaded up my first batch of federal primers under some n32c and 147gr blue bullets RN. heading to the range to get some Chrono data of a new load recipe and God willing report back good reliability at sub 8lbs. However, if it doesn't, next step I plan is the firing pin. Will report my findings.

Shot my first steel challenge ever at a major match with the r8. It was after that match I realized a stock gun wouldn't cut it haha.

Interesting. So even just in terms of strength/longevity, the aftermarket options like power custom are more brittle?

To answer the few that asked, at about 9lbs trigger and 50-55oz hammer, it would not set off FACTORY Winchester white box. But seemed to be on factory geco and federal "range and training. For my reloads, I did have issue on tula primers and CCI primers..more so with CCI. I have yet to reload with federal, I have both types of their SPP currently. I may whip some up this weekend paying special mind to a good seat. This gun has had virtually zero light strikes in the years I've owned it, with one or two on tula primers when I first learned to reload but that was it. So maybe the factory hammer was a little more forgiving to primers a minute bit higher than a "deep seat". I believe the factory trigger was around 10.5-11lbs but I was still learning the trigger scale at the time, until I got the method Down. Any recommendations for an extended firing pin? I will likely tear the gun apart this weekend and see where the stock measures at, then report back. I appreciate everyone's input. This has been a job Ive wanted to take on for years but have been too apprehensive about. No turning back now!

Yea this was kind of what I was thinking. I think I may leave the trigger as is at around 50oz at the hammer and 8.5-9lbs at pull, and then slowly dial back with some federal reloads. On a related note, I see some referencing very specific primer seating depths for federal. This is not something I have ever considered or fussed over with CCI/tula up to this point (factory hammers of course) How would I best accommodate for this on my Dillon 550? Just get the feel for a good squish and make sure it's seated .00x inches past the head?

See I'm not too caught up on polishing everything at the moment because this is a well worn gun that is already a performance center. Gun..thousands of rounds through it by now. I've owned since 2013 and it's been my main shooter for white a long time. It's pretty damn smooth. Could I polish stuff? Yes probably. As far as the ammo I tested it was factory Winchester factory geco and factory federal, plus CCI spp reloads and tula spp reloads. No federal reloads yet. So maybe I go one step up on the rebound spring? I get that yes, there are many interweaving aspects of a "trigger job" but what I seek here is taking that already smooth hitch-free factory trigger and just going a few pounds lighter. But a hammer fall over 50oz and trigger weight at almost 9lbs didn't get me there with factory stuff which I found odd.

Ok so forgive me if I'm seeming dense, just trying to get my head wrapped around the concepts. Just got back from some range testing. I got as far as I could but was interrupted by a storm. So I tested factory geco, Winchester white box, federal, plus reloads with tula primers and cci primers. I had FTF on the tula and the Winchester several times. I had it weighing the hammer fall at over 50 oz, something like 52 consistently. Then the trigger weight itself was around 9 lbs. This seems odd to me that I would still get ftf. Im confused when you say "don't worry about weighing the pull, just crank it til it goes off 100%" Then how do I lighten the trigger? Objectively, if I go heavier from here, it feels no lighter than the stock operation. where I'm getting confused, is that I'm unclear if the return spring affects my trigger squeeze weight (i.e. what we would call the weight of the trigger) or is it ONLY the speed/strength of the snap back after the trigger is fully depressed. I have the 13lb in there right now, the lightest of the kit so Id have to buy more options if thats the case. To be honest, if I have to go much heavier from here Ill just either a)load up federal and make this a federal only gun or b) just throw the stock spring back in and call it a day. Or should I be consulting other brands besides wolf?

Thanks! I think I'm overcomplicating this a bit ... A couple more questions. I have both regular Federal primers as well as gold medal match small pistol primers. I was trying to tune the spring to give me good reliability with my various factory ammo and other brands of primers before I started down the "super light Federal" route. When they make the reference about Federal primers being soft do they mean all of them in general or specifically the gold medal match? And second whether I am trying to get below 7 lb or not when is it imperative that I have the extended firing pin? Is it in general just good insurance to have by installing one no matter what?