Recommend a trigger gauge for Revolver

[Mcfoto]

Hi all,

 

As the title says, I need some advice. After a couple months of flawless operation, I got a couple "clickers" at the match this last weekend. Afterward, I pulled the grip and sure enough, the set screw had backed out. I thought the trigger was getting lighter but told myself the pistol was "working in." Guess it's part of be a revolver guy that I'm going to need to monitor the trigger pull. I have no desire to become a gunsmith so in all probability it'll be a once a month check before match weekend. Hoping there's something economical out there that can handle the 8 lb. + of DA revolver.

 

Thanks in advance.

[alecmc]

Buy a bottle or loctite instead.

 

 

[Toolguy]

Yep. Get Blue Loctite. Clean the internal (frame) and external threads (screw) with a solvent, let it evaporate, then put on a drop or 2 in the frame threads and on the screw threads. Wind in the screw, wipe off all excess. Then install the spring and set the hammer tension. Wipe down again if needed. The screw will stay wherever you put it, but will be easily adjustable at any time. I use an RCBS trigger pull gage to check hammer tension.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Toolguy

[MikeBurgess]

You can borrow my RCBS gauge if you want. 

 

But Locktite is your friend, a properly tightened bottomed out strain screw also works pretty well.

 

 

 

[swordfish]

Drill and tap a hole in the bottom of the grip that leads to the strain screw hole. Put a piece of brass, then follow it up with a set screw that you can tighten down. It won't ever come loose, unlike loctite.

[BHBret]

I use the Lyman digital gauge (and Loctite, too).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pskys2]

For the Revolver I have a 3 to 10 lb fishing gauge I use.  Anything under 3 lbs is a Lyman Spring Gauge.

For me it's more about the smoothness of the action than the actual weight.  So I don't worry about ounces.

[Mcfoto]

3 minutes ago, pskys2 said:

For the Revolver I have a 3 to 10 lb fishing gauge I use.  Anything under 3 lbs is a Lyman Spring Gauge.

For me it's more about the smoothness of the action than the actual weight.  So I don't worry about ounces.

 

Ha! was considering that since that's what Amazon suggests when you search "trigger pull scales" there.

 

Not so much concerned about getting to a weight but knowing at what weight I get reliable ignition so I know if I go below that, it needs attention.

[AzShooter]

Quote

 

Using the Lyman spring gauge will give you more of a benefit to see if your primers will go off than just testing the pull of the trigger.  I have been able to shoot with 4.5  pound triggers with 100% reliability Hammer drop should ( for me) be around 40 oz.  Under that and I get light strikes.

 

My triggers all have stock mainsprings in them and are balanced so that they reset properly.  I then Loctite the Strain Screw and don't worry about it.  I recently sold my 92 with the 4.5 # trigger and the new owner says he can only get reliable ignition with a 6.5 # trigger pull.  Seating primers properly is a big help.  

[Gregg K]

Better yet cut a screw down to the right length and don't mess with any set screws or glue or Loctite. It's not hard to figure out. The screw is 32 tpi., divide 1000 by 32, and the result is 31.25 so that's how many thousandths of an inch to shorten the screw for each revolution of the screw. If the gun is perfect with the screw backed out 2 rounds, shorten the screw .0625 and just torque it down properly. If you depend on gluing it in place you will eventually be screwed by Murphy and it will be at the worst possible time. I have seen people at major matches have this happen and trash the whole trip and swore that they have never had a problem before. The screw is like maybe $3, splurge a little.

[Prange]

I use the Official NRA trigger weights.

[Gomar83]

What exactly are the NRA trigger weights, and their intended reason for it?

[Prange]

3 hours ago, Gomar83 said:

What exactly are the NRA trigger weights, and their intended reason for it?

They are actual steel weights like the ones used on measuring scales.

 

They're used to measure the amount of force it takes to get the hammer to drop.

 

For example,my .45's will pick up 3.5 lbs. but not 4 lbs.

 

 

 

[IHAVEGAS]

I use the cheapest trigger gauge I could find at the time.

 

Accuracy would be nice, and would be needed if you were doing work for others, but it adds cost. Repeatability and half arsed accuracy is all you really need and you can get that cheap.

[pskys2]

On 4/23/2019 at 1:33 PM, Mcfoto said:

 

Ha! was considering that since that's what Amazon suggests when you search "trigger pull scales" there.

 

Not so much concerned about getting to a weight but knowing at what weight I get reliable ignition so I know if I go below that, it needs attention.

Now that's another issue.  I use the Lyman Spring Gauge reads up to 72 ounces to measure the weight of the Hammer Fall.  That is a reading I want with more accuracy.  Federal Primers seem to reliable, for me, at 36 ounces.  Other Primers need over 48 ounces, I usually go with 56 ounces to be safe.

I hook the leg of the gauge on the forward face of the hammer at full cock, pull back and pull trigger (of unloaded gun of course) and then read the number it takes to hold the hammer at the mid stroke of the hammer fall.

Then I adjust the rebound spring to give me a positive and smooth return of the trigger with no hesitation.

After that I use the fishing gauge, which goes up to 8 lbs, for competition with Federal Primers if it's under 6 lbs I'm happy.  For my EDC I want under 8 lbs.

Edited April 24, 2019 by pskys2

[swordfish]

On 4/23/2019 at 7:10 PM, Gregg K said:

Better yet cut a screw down to the right length and don't mess with any set screws or glue or Loctite. It's not hard to figure out. The screw is 32 tpi., divide 1000 by 32, and the result is 31.25 so that's how many thousandths of an inch to shorten the screw for each revolution of the screw. If the gun is perfect with the screw backed out 2 rounds, shorten the screw .0625 and just torque it down properly. If you depend on gluing it in place you will eventually be screwed by Murphy and it will be at the worst possible time. I have seen people at major matches have this happen and trash the whole trip and swore that they have never had a problem before. The screw is like maybe $3, splurge a little.

Doesn't matter if you cut it to length, it will still back out. Also if you cut it to length, you have zero adjustment if your main spring decides to lose its elasticity or your supply of Federal primers.

[eggman]

I use a Loctite threadlocker 290 it is a medium wicking grade and will "wick" into the threads . Like if you have the strain screw or whatever screw "just right" and don't want to back it out to apply blue Loctite you can use the 290 . If you do apply too much and a screwdriver won't back the screw out again a little heat applied will get it turning . It's good stuff .

[RePete]

On 4/22/2019 at 6:19 PM, swordfish said:

Drill and tap a hole in the bottom of the grip that leads to the strain screw hole. Put a piece of brass, then follow it up with a set screw that you can tighten down. It won't ever come loose, unlike loctite.

The strain screw was always meant to be bottomed out.

 

@Swordfish.  I have never had one back out that was torqued down.

 

This is the picture of described above.

 

https://i.imgur.com/Bm4fuoz.jpg[/img]

Edited April 26, 2019 by RePete

[swordfish]

3 hours ago, RePete said:

The strain screw was always meant to be bottomed out.

 

@Swordfish.  I have never had one back out that was torqued down.

 

This is the picture of described above.

 

https://i.imgur.com/Bm4fuoz.jpg[/img]

I have personally, and have also seen others that have. Takes a while, but when it happens in the middle of a match and you bomb a stage, it sucks. I like not having to worry about it.

[RePete]

I've never seen it in over 35 years of competing but that's not to say it hasn't happened.

 

Some of the revolvers I have seen have the mod pictured and described.

[Gregg K]

After I get done torqueing it down with a properly fitting ground screwdriver, it's not coming loose. I have seen them come loose when someone uses a crappy screwdriver that should not make it out of the kitchen drawer.  Also in a factory gun plus there is nothing performance from the Performance Center. Torque it good with a ground screwdriver and check the job S&W did when they sent it out. 

[swordfish]

It's all good right up until the point where it isn't. My 929 shakes itself apart and every single screw backs out, including the ejector rod, which is super freaking annoying, so I use loctite on it. Right now my rear sight adjustment screws are loose but I keep forgetting to tighten them down. All of my screws have corresponding marks on the frame so I can visually check during a match if something is backing out or not. Think what you want.