Hammer pull weight older S&W M 28

[mikeAZ]

What's the lowest reliable / ignition trigger pull weight I can expect from an 1970's S&W  N frame revolver?.. I have the Powers extended nose firing pin installed. 71/2 #'s seems to be about it with Fed. 100 primers.

[AzShooter]

You can get as low as 4 pounds if you know what you are doing and install an Apex Tactical hammer and springs.

 

Most people find that too low.  A good 6.5 pound trigger can be had that will reliably ignite most primers.  If you go to 7 pounds your ignition will be even better with a variety of ammo including factory.

 

There are a few other shooters that will probably chime in with their experience.  I was lucky and had Randy Lee from Apex do my trigger job on my 627 years ago.  It was 4.5 pounds and I never had a misfire using Federal primers.

[MWP]

40 minutes ago, mike NM said:

What's the lowest reliable / ignition trigger pull weight I can expect from an 1970's S&W  N frame revolver?.. I have the Powers extended nose firing pin installed. 71/2 #'s seems to be about it with Fed. 100 primers.

Mike if you’re talking about the physical limit of what the gun can do a lot of that depends on how well it was machined how straight everything is.
 

If you’re looking for a shooter, you could easily expect to get a full hammered gun into the 5s and 6s if you wanted it. My shooting partner, a top 10 uspsa shooter, shot for years with a full hammer on the gun, with his own garage action work at 6lbs. It wasn’t until I sold him on the lack of sight disturbance that he even considered a lighter hammer. Obviously unless you want to cut that hammer going lighter isn’t really an option for you. I personally don’t think it’s needed unless you can’t shoot a gun with a hammer on it. 
 

I will caution, when focusing on trigger weight most times a lot of that weight reduction comes out of the return spring. The first gun I had built by Apex was just as I requested it, the lightest trigger they could make. Gun was just over 4lbs. Completely unshootable. I had to get new springs from them to make the gun work. Today when I put a gun together or TK does one for me, we use the stock springs and adjust them. 

[Bill Sahlberg]

My older PPC guns (1970s S&W model 10, 14, 27, and 65) are all worked on smoothed out but factory springs had a very reliable trigger pulls with the firing pin on hammers was #8 lbs using Federal primers.

 

My new 627s and 629s with the factory firing pins & springs were set at #14 lbs+ from S&W.  I bought the +.00015 longer firing pin from Brownells that allows them to shoot them closer to #6 lbs but for reliability and feel, I have them set closer to #8 lbs.

 

I will guarantee you that every #4-6 lb trigger pull gun will turn into a "Click n Boomer"

[mikeAZ]

Yup, click and boom., light hit...I've experimented with cut 11#, uncut 11# rebound springs as well as re-curved, stock S&W, Wolff light  & heavy hammer springs, old Vic Picket "Black Magic" kit, etc.  Internals are polished, all new Starline 38 Super brass, using Fed 100 primers..... Next is a lightened "N" frame hammer. The hammer weighed 1.4 oz. before lightening, after a lot of work, it's 1.1 oz.. I don't see getting it much lighter, maybe a waste of time? ... I have the Power's longer nose hammer pin and  think if it was a bit longer all would be well? (Wishful thinking?).  Hammer protrusion is close to a "dime" (.0520). The revo is pictured in this forum under my original post as to who built it. Mike

[pskys2]

Have a M29-3 4" cut for moon clips and an action job by Jim Clark Jr.  Came back at 7.5#, pretty much ignited everything I put in it through several thousand rounds.  With the Hammer Spur.

 

Since I can't leave anything alone, I've got it down to 6 1/4# with a chopped hammer.  Never failed on Fed primers with probably about 600+ rounds through it.  Don't think I've tried it with anything but Fed Primers though.

 

In all honesty I do think it's more about the feel and reliablility than the lightness.  I've shot my 325 with a 7 1/2# action job, set up for EDC, in IDPA and really couldn't see a lot of difference in my performance vs my 4 3/4# action on my 627's or the 5# on my 625.  My mood, focus or health seem to make more of a difference in how I shoot.

 

BUT I'm definitely not at the level of MWP!  Heck I'd pass out in that rarified air.

[ysrracer]

When the timer goes off, my trigger might as well be 15lbs. I'm yanking and cranking

[AzShooter]

4 minutes ago, ysrracer said:

When the timer goes off, my trigger might as well be 15lbs. I'm yanking and cranking

Yep, that's the ticket.

 

Any pull weight can be good if you practice enough with it.  Light or heavy, dry fire 1000 times and your finger will get use to the trigger.

[PatJones]

My 625 model of 1989 has the old hammer mounted firing pin. It's all worked over factory parts except for the lighter return spring. With the hammer spur still on, it's running reliably with federals at 6.5 lbs. Maybe I just got a good one.

[Sinister4]

4" smith highway patrolman, stock hammer, 6.5 pounds when done, 100% ignition with fed or win primers.....at 7.5 it lights small rifle primers zero failures.  I've done a lot of them like that, and really 7 pounds is light enough for anything you need to shoot, long as its super smooth