We are now taking pre-orders for RevUp Action(TM) hammers

[pskys2]

4 hours ago, Carmoney said:

My RevUp hammer kit has been here for a week or so.  I went ahead and ordered a new 627 PC as a test bed.  I can use another 627 anyway, since Sam has one of mine out in Colorado and my 27-7 is over at Mojo Joe's getting a new trigger stud installed. 

 

This will be interesting.  It's been something like 10 years since I did action work on a revolver.  Wonder if I can find all my tools and stuff down in the dungeon?

Mike you're letting Sam practice!  You may have doomed us all!

[shoots100]

12 hours ago, Toolguy said:

Thanks for the report, shoots100! Looking forward to the update, too.

 

 

Dialed it down to 6-3/4 lb for reliable fed primer ignition, meaning I shot 10 moons consecutively without a FTF or any other mechanical issues.

Nice primer strikes too.

7 lb ignited the CCI + Win primed rounds without issue.

With this kit, It only took me 45 minutes to get a reliable 6-3/4 lb trigger pull with fed primers.

By far the best DIY revolver trigger enhancement kit I've ever used.

Now it's time to Loctite the strain screw and see if it'll walk the walk.

 

[Toolguy]

Great news.

 

Measure and record the present hammer (not trigger) pull weight before you start so you can dial it back exactly the same after you take out the strain screw. That's why there's a hole in the top of the hammer. It makes an easy, repeatable way to weigh the mainspring pressure independent of the rest of the action.

 

When you do the LocTite, take the screw out, clean it and the hole with solvent, dry it or let it evaporate, then coat the screw with LocTite and put a bit in the hole. Some people say put one drop, but that isn't enough. The idea is to get it in all the voids between the male and female threads, so use enough, and wipe off the excess. There is nothing else it can get on and jam up in that area of the gun. Use a rag and Q tips for clean up. You can still easily adjust the strain screw with no heat after the LocTite sets up. Any time you get a misfire, tweak it up a little. At some point you won't have any more. Record that hammer pull setting for future reference.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Toolguy

[matteekay]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:05 AM, MWP said:

Matt, how are your splits with this hammer?

 

I wanted to follow up on this now that I've had some time to live with the hammer setup. 

 

I think split time is going to depend on how you currently run the trigger. The RevUp trigger pull is entirely front-loaded; once it starts moving, it accelerates into the break, so you're clearing the wall up front. The pull feels shorter end-to-end, too. So, if you slap (or semi-slap) the trigger, I'd fully expect the RevUp to decrease split times.

 

It's probably going to be less of a benefit if you shoot with more of a "rolling" pull or partially stage your shots. I'm finding it difficult to trap the trigger midway as it wants to keep moving once the hammer is in motion.

 

I hope that helps. I'm not good enough to have the right vocabulary to explain the difference but I'm happy to answer any questions. 

[matteekay]

Update on my setup – I did what I said I wouldn't and took it apart again to install a trimmed 11lb rebound spring. The hammer is currently set to 44.5 oz and the pull is an average of 7lbs (plus or minus an ounce and a half). The trigger return isn't notably slower than it was with the untrimmed spring.

 

I'm going to take it to the range tomorrow for one last function check before this weekend's matches. The real trial by fire is the end of next week – I'll be running this gun at the CO state championship. 11 stages and 250+ rounds in one day.  

[pskys2]

8 minutes ago, matteekay said:

 

I wanted to follow up on this now that I've had some time to live with the hammer setup. 

 

I think split time is going to depend on how you currently run the trigger. The RevUp trigger pull is entirely front-loaded; once it starts moving, it accelerates into the break, so you're clearing the wall up front. The pull feels shorter end-to-end, too. So, if you slap (or semi-slap) the trigger, I'd fully expect the RevUp to decrease split times.

 

It's probably going to be less of a benefit if you shoot with more of a "rolling" pull or partially stage your shots. I'm finding it difficult to trap the trigger midway as it wants to keep moving once the hammer is in motion.

 

I hope that helps. I'm not good enough to have the right vocabulary to explain the difference but I'm happy to answer any questions. 

Momentum keeping it rolling may well be a good thing.

 

Good luck at the CO state champs!  Will be a good test, anxious to hear the results.

[Toolguy]

1 minute ago, pskys2 said:

Momentum keeping it rolling may well be a good thing.

 

Good luck at the CO state champs!  Will be a good test, anxious to hear the results.

 

Yes, please let us know how it works out. 

[Carmoney]

On 4/10/2022 at 12:05 PM, matteekay said:

 

I'd love to hear how it performs in a totally stock test mule. Keep us posted!

 

OK, I took a fresh 627 out of the box just now.  The DA on this gun was the typical 25-pound ratchety-ass sandbox that we often see on "Performance Center" S&Ws.  Absolutely terrible.  Then I installed the RevUp kit and adjusted the strain screw until I figured I would get 100% ignition, and did absolutely nothing else to the gun.  As expected, the action immediately improved ten thousand percent. 

 

Then I shot the gun out back, and experienced an issue.  On the fourth shot, the trigger didn't return.  Had to nudge it with my fingertip until it snapped back forward.  Put in another moonclip and tried it again--same thing, on one (but only one) chamber, the trigger stuck.  NOW--this is definitely not the fault of the action kit.  I haven't gone back inside to look, but I can tell you right now the problem is a piss-poor fit between the hand and one (but only one) lug on the ratchet.  I'm sure S&W left it that way, since they employ no actual fitting process whatsoever these days, and the problem was disguised by the heavy factory rebound spring.  (A few hundred dry-cycles would probably fix it.) 

 

When I have more time, I will finish tuning the rest of the gun, and I think I'm really going to like it.  I'm also going to fit a proper-length strain screw so I can bottom that sucker out.  You guys already know how I feel about playing "Loctite Roulette" with a match gun!  

 

Don't ask me how much the hammer tension weight measures.  I don't even know where my trigger pull gauge is at the moment.  Probably buried under that big dusty pile of crap on my bench.  I can tell you that on this gun, the 11-pound rebound spring felt okay, but that could change once I get the other stuff done.  

 

My impression is that on a gun with decent fitting between the hand and ratchet lugs, and a cylinder that spins smoothly on a properly-aligned yoke barrel, the RevUp kit should be pretty much a drop-in competition action job as advertised.  I anticipate some of you will probably see me shooting this gun at matches this season.  

  

 

 

[Toolguy]

Thanks for the review, Mike. We're be looking forward to seeing how this all ends up.

 

Mike brings up a couple of good points. One is that the hammer kit can't fix all the problems a gun might have. If you have excess endshake, ratchets not fitted, barrel problems, late timing, etc., those will have to be dealt with separately, the same as always.

 

Also, you can use the setscrew to easily find the right hammer fall tension, then make a regular strain screw that duplicates it. That's way better than making a dozen original strain screws in itty bitty increments to figure it out.

[pskys2]

So Mike, are you going to get it set up and use it at matches?  Free State where we have 16, and I'm working on a couple more, Revolver Dudes showing up?

[Carmoney]

10 hours ago, pskys2 said:

So Mike, are you going to get it set up and use it at matches?  Free State where we have 16, and I'm working on a couple more, Revolver Dudes showing up?

 

Probably.  It won't take me long to do the rest of the work on the gun, having done hundreds of them over the years.  The only problem will be finding all my tools and parts.  I think I saw my cylinder chamfering stuff not long ago....I might even have some cutting oil down there.  If not, I know where I can borrow some.  

 

Wonder if I have another NOS Millett rear sight?  Hmmm.......not really sure.

 

I haven't done a real action job in like 10 years. 

[pskys2]

12 hours ago, Carmoney said:

 

Probably.  It won't take me long to do the rest of the work on the gun, having done hundreds of them over the years.  The only problem will be finding all my tools and parts.  I think I saw my cylinder chamfering stuff not long ago....I might even have some cutting oil down there.  If not, I know where I can borrow some.  

 

Wonder if I have another NOS Millett rear sight?  Hmmm.......not really sure.

 

I haven't done a real action job in like 10 years. 

I've switched to .196 S&W factory blade, I like the deeper notch.  Actually have a couple I'd be willing to part with, for the right price.  You know how valuable premium out of production items can be!

[Toolguy]

Mike - I have a couple of Millett sights I was going to give you when you were here, then I was going to send them with the hammer kit. Both times, I got sidetracked and forgot. I'll never use them, so I'll get them out to you this week. It's hard to believe that 10 years have gone by since you were doing actions. Where did the time go?

Edited April 17, 2022 by Toolguy

[cbrussell]

“Toolguy,” are there plans to make your hammer for the older K, L & N frame revolvers with the firing pin attached to the hammer. I would love to retrofit a bunch of my older revolvers.

[Toolguy]

If these hammers get going, we will evaluate the possibility of doing hammer nose hammers in the future. Those guns would greatly benefit as well as the newer ones. The hammer nose hammers are different geometry from the plain hammers, so there would be some development work to do them, plus there are 3 different hammer nose ones, as opposed to 2 plain nose ones.

[thock]

I'd like to share the contents of our latest newsletter.

 

Pre-orders are still open! We have some great news!  We have been able to manufacture enough of the out-of-stock parts to fulfill all the currently outstanding N-frame hammer orders! These went out today. Now we can resume working on finalizing K- and L-frame hammers, so we hope those will follow soon. There are still some pre-orders left open. Once these have all been claimed, prices will be going up, so please pass the word so that your friends can get in on the current pricing. If you have already pre-ordered, please accept our sincere thanks! We know you've been waiting anxiously for your kits, and we're excited that we have been able to fulfill N-frame orders and that we will soon be able to fill K- and L-frame orders. Thanks for your patience!

[revoman]

Received today and now a revolver to find to put it in. Maybe my original Lew Horton 6 1/2” 627 ✌

[Toolguy]

Great! Let us know how it works out.

[BadShot]

I got my kit today, nice quality stuff.  I have a 627 that was tuned and running reliably at 6.0 lbs(Federals only). I took out all the parts that will be replaced by the kit.  I then installed everything, 11 rebound spring and hammer set at 32 ounces at lift off.  It gave me a 6lb 7oz trigger pull.  I took it to the range and shot 10 moon clips thru it.  No misfires of any sort.  While it is a bit heavier, it feels much smoother.  It's hard to describe to the way the trigger feels.  But, I like it a bunch.  Good job..

[Toolguy]

Yay! Another happy customer! Thanks, BadShot.  All the Best.

[gargoil66]

Got my Rev Up Action hammer today.  As well as a new 627 Pro model I picked up this morning and shot before the mail delivered the hammer.  The standard 627 trigger was about eight pounds and went from resistance to smooth to resistance.  Sluggish too.  It shot but I had to struggle with the trigger.  Went to my 627 PC with the TK trigger and hammer and some work done and was damn near dangerous for the first five or ten shots. 

 

Got home to find the hammer delivered so installed it with a much better trigger than that beast Smith and Wesson put in.  Put in the 12 pound return spring and was absolutely amazed that everything fit together and functioned flawlessly.  I thought the pull was way too easy when I measured the hammer fall, so set it at a little over five pounds where I dry fired it and found everything to feel like it was in tune and would set off the Fed 100's.

 

It certainly does get easier through the pull range.  And it is smoother than my other revolvers with TK and APEX triggers and hammers.  Dry fired it with a dot sight to see movement during rapid fire and it holds a lot better than anything else I have.

 

This thing is way smoother than anything I have ever used.  And not one bit of fitting needed.  Absolutely gobsmacked.

 

Will give it a work out on Monday or Tues but so far this is leap ahead.

 

GG

 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by gargoil66

[Toolguy]

Hi, gargoil66. Thanks for the report! We're glad you like it. We can't test every gun, so customer feedback helps us be sure the product works in as many guns as possible.

[gargoil66]

Shot my new 627 Pro series with the RevUp Action hammer and a S&W Performance Center trigger.  I used the 12 pound return spring.  I also compared split times with my 627 PC with a TK Custom Hammer and Trigger.  Return spring is 14 pounds on that one.

 

Took about fifty rounds to adjust the strain screw so I did not have any light primer strikes.  Once adjusted, I shot another fifty rounds out of it without any light strikes.  Put my Lyman trigger pull gauge on it at home and best I can tell, the initial stage of the trigger is around 6 pounds.  The 627 PC seems to be consistently in there at about 5 1/2 pounds.

 

The 627 with the RevUp hammer does as advertised.  It may take a bit more to get the trigger going but it gets easier through the pull and it goes so fast you really don't realize it before the shot is gone.  Its lightness at the end does steady it down enough to notice.  I got to say again, this thing is smooth.  I would say that it was actually smoother than the 627 PC with the TK components.  

 

Draw times with first round hit on a eight inch plate at ten yards are close but since the Pro model with the RU hammer has a four inch barrel and a set of those S&W rubber grips and my PC with the TK parts has a five inch barrel and Hogue grips that fit me better, I give an edge to the PC with the TK parts but I can not attribute it to the speed of the trigger.  I believe it is primarily the grips that made the difference.  

 

The 627 PC with the TK trigger and hammer plus the grips that fit me were about .01 - .02 seconds faster for splits.  Again, the grips made the difference in my opinion.  The rubber S&W grips are a bit thin and not quite right in design for me to have a comfortable draw and get a decent grip every time.  

 

Bottom line is I would compete with the 627 and the RU hammer.  It is extremely smooth throughout its pull and based on my experience today, you really can't tell the difference in trigger pulls other than the conventional design has a consistent pull throughout and the RU hammer speeds up the pull throughout.

 

Got to say the most unique thing about it is I got a fantastic and well tuned action with the RU hammer and that Smith PC trigger that did not require one iota of fitting to work flawlessly.  Gobsmacked at this time.

 

GG

 

 

 

 

[Toolguy]

Did you try the 11 pound return spring yet? If not, you might like it better.

[gargoil66]

Just now, Toolguy said:

Did you try the 11 pound return spring yet? If not, you might like it better.

Warrren:

 

Not yet.  Will put it in and give it a try next week but I got to say that I am still in shock that this thing performed as well as it did. 

 

GG