686 SSR

[SPR1]

My new SSR was sent back to Smith the other week. The accuracy stunk. The crown was lopsided and the sights needed to be cranked on to get close to POA. Needing service stinks on a new gun, but the service was excellent. It was back in my hands 9 days after it left them, counting shipping which they paid for. I had asked that if they needed to put a new barrel on it, that they install the 5" version of the SSR barrel (I do not shoot IDPA). It came back with the 5" barrel, which I love. And, when you are shooting your first group at 25 yds after this sort of complaint, it is gratifying to see the daylight lit hole through the target just get bigger with each subsequent shot. Yes, now it shoots.

Question though... the hammer is lightly hitting the frame sometimes on the side plate side, something I noticed and forgot to mention to Smith. Is that something that could be caused by the darned integrated lock parts/springs?

[revomodel10]

Sorry to hear that,

I was loaned an SSR for last years IDPA indoor nationals and it was a awesome!

[Cherryriver]

I've seen lots of other revos have hammers hitting frames, and can't recall running up against locks causing any, so I wouldn't really focus on that one item.

[SPR1]

It does seem as if the hammer is biased in the frame cut to the right.

[jasond]

You can sometimes fit a shim to one side of the hammer to take out lateral play. I don't know if it makes much difference or not, but the hammer should hit the primer a little harder if it doesn't hit the frame on the way down.

[Carmoney]

Yes, the Power hammer pivot bearings are the solution. I don't use them very often, but every now and then I run across a gun that definitely needs a little help in this area.

I agree that a hammer that rubs is wasting precious energy on something other than busting the cap. I also agree that it's unlikely the IL system is causing the problem. It's probably just a fitting issue.

[SPR1]

Thanks guys. I will try the shims.

[SPR1]

I took the side plate off and pushed down on the hammer to move it as far as possible to the left and installed one Power Custom shim. I may have room for more, but after about 100 dry fire cycles the hammer still has clearance from the side plate.

[Carmoney]

I recently did a 686SSR for a guy that required eight (8) of the Ron Power shims to take the slop out of the trigger.

I don't think the factory has anybody left that remembers how to fit a revolver. If the CNC stuff gets off track, they have no idea what to do. You guys wouldn't believe some of the stuff I see.

[SPR1]

I am not sure if it had "wobble" on the stud, or just excessive clearance. If it was wobble, my one shim may have done it. If it was a clearance problem alone, which I kind of suspect, it will walk eventually and I will need to add more shims to keep it centered.

[ben b.]

I shot my GP100 at a steel match Sunday, and had a few re4vo guys check my pull for evaluation, since I'm not a revo guy and I hear nothing but "Ruger triggers are too rough". They told me it was fine, but what was interesting is that one guy noted the trigger pull on his new SSR was terrible, and he was pretty ticked off at S&W.

[Cherryriver]

Those ingrates. Always complaining. Now it's the free gravel.

Shoot a match, patch the driveway, you get it all with these modern Smiths.

[Forrest Halley]

Could the problem be that the people building these guns are not in fact revolver shooters? Before I shot in competition with a revolver and practiced extensively I too thought that a factory trigger was good enough. It was only after immersion into shooting the design and feeling the triggers that others had that I knew what was missing. I will also say that my 20 to 30 year old guns have better triggers than some of the new production. Finally I have heard of Perfomance Center guns going for a trigger job straight off the first firing line. Does anyone see something wrong there?

[SPR1]

Yup. I was also outraged by the pattern my SSR shot.

[Forrest Halley]

SSR= Spread Shootin Revolver?

[AzShooter]

It takes a lot of effort to get that SSR to shoot to it's ability. Load development may mean weaks at the bench testing loads of + or - .10 of a grain, changing powders, OAL and bullets until you find what your gun likes.

I've been shooting my cast bullets for a while with grat accuracy. I found a few thousant moly coated bullets and was too lazy to cast so I loaded up the molys with the same loads and OAL as my lead. They grouped ok from the bench, about 2" at 25 yards, but of hand were near impossible to keep on the targer.

I switched back to my bullets and groups improved.

Now I'm playing with a Model 29 and going through the same process. I've tried four different bullets, three different powders and settled on Unique. Big surprise but it was clean burning, had better consistency then Red Dot or Trail Boss and I can keep them all in the X at 25 yards now when I do my part.

Don't give up but take your time to find the right combination

[SPR1]

Oh, mine easily shoots multiple loads well now..... After Smith changed the barrel. I was commenting on "as received initially".