Flexmoney Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Show me! For those that know...how about a step-by-step guide to working the tirggers on the S&W guns. Pictures and Links would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twix Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 ? the Linkmeister is asking the peasants for links? I'm almost embarrassed to offer this: www.smith-wessonforum.com has a smithing forum and it's a nice place to visit too. Jerry Miculek sells his own video on S&W triggers. Probably have to do a search for it under Jerry Miculek, I can't remember but it seems like it has a "bang" in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twix Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Try this one. http://www.smith-wessonforum.com/ubb/forum...tml/000377.html Idon't do links well but I'm looking forward to reading this thread. Flex, can you put one of those popcorn things up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George D Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Twix, The link format is case sensitive. I think you'll find this one works: http://www.smith-wessonforum.com/ubb/Forum...TML/000377.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George D Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Flex, I've done some searching on the web but no joy on finding a comprehensive guide. The Kuhnhausen"s shop manual is a commonly used aid and has pictures. At the risk of copping a bagging from Patrick Sweeney, I'll briefly describe the process used by most amatuers: Remove the grips and the sideplate screws. Tap the handle with a piece of wood and the sideplate will come loose. Remove it and the hammer block bar and operate the trigger double action observing where the trigger and hammer sears contact. Remove the mainspring screw. Then remove the mainspring and the hammer. Now gently prise up the rebound sping cover while keeping your thumb over the end where the spring emerges because the spring will fly out when the rebound case clears the frame. Deburr the inside of the rebound spring casing and polish (fine grade wet and dry) the under surface and the frame where it slides. Also round the front and rear casing edges. Remove the trigger. Now polish, with very fine (800) grade sandpaper, the contact surfaces on the sears. Replace the trigger and change the rebound spring for one in a kit made by Wilson, Wolff or Miceluk. Getting the casing and rebound spring back in can prove a fingernail mangling exercise, but persistance will prevail in the end. Replace the hammer. Install the main spring from the kit, replace and tighten the mainspring screw, replace the hammer block bar and the side plate, screws and grip. Test the double action trigger. Try different rebound springs (usually kits come with 3) if necessary or just to experiment. That's about it. I'll rely on other members to pick up on what I've missed or if I've used an alternative name for a part. If you observe where all the parts are at each step of the process (making notes helps) then you won't go to far astray. Refrain from using a file or a stone of any description until you become an expert as you can remove the case hardening on the sears by removing metal. They will smooth out with use and an initial light polish is all that is needed. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Flex, Here's the method I used on my model 10. Place revolver in strong hand. Wrap weak hand around grip just like you would do when shooting. Then pull trigger. Repeat around 10,000 times. Then if trigger is not light enough, replace the rebound spring. Of course you could send the gun to a gunsmith but then you would lose all that dryfire time. Bill Nesbitt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 I could add something: I don't recommend (actually, Kuhnhausen doesn't recommend and I follow his advice)polishing the sear faces, as firing does that sufficiently and you won't risk going through the case hardening. Polishing the rebound slide surfaces and the frame surfaces it rides on to mirror smoothness is about 99% of the job towards getting an "oil on glass" smooth pull. Also, load up the works with Slide Glide when assembling for a smooth pull. I found a good tool for polishing the frame surface is a popsicle stick with the end cut square. Cut a strip of sandpaper the width of the stick and wrap it around the square end. Works good for polishing the frame surfaces and keeping them flat. For polishing the rebound slide, I just lay sandpaper on a piece of flat wood and rub the slide across it in the F-R motion. Check the sides of the hammer and trigger where it rides on the boss pins in the frame. If they are not smooth, polish lightly with oil and fine paper just enough to get the sides near the holes smooth. If the gun is for competition only (never protection or service) you will likely want to lighten the pull as well. I would never recommend changing springs on a defense weapon as it can lead to a light strike misfire. An easy start is to get the Wolff reduced power mainspring and rebound spring set and install them. If you like to fiddle with guns, you can achieve the same thing by backing out the strain screw on the stock spring. You must use blue loctite on the strain screw if you do this so it won't wander out on it's own. I have found for most stock SW's, you can back the strain screw out around 3/4 to 1 full turn from tight with the stock mainspring and still get reliable ignition with decent ammo. If you run into stiff primers, you may need to turn it in a bit. You may want to experiment with this. Shoot the gun at the range (firing DA because that pushes the hammer back less distance) to see how far you can back out the screw before getting a light strike and note the screw position. Turn it in far enough from there to increase the hammer force about 30% and that's probably the lightest you'd want to go. The stock rebound spring is very strong and probably contributes most of the trigger pull weight. Even in a stock gun, that spring can be cut by about 3 coils and still function correctly. Understand the rebound spring kicks the trigger back and must push back against the mainstpring. So, when you lighten the mainspring, you can further lighten the rebound spring. Trigger return feel is subjective, I tune mine by clipping the RB spring length gradually until I get the feel I want with minium spring force. You have to re-asssemble and check after each cut, so go slow. If you do clip the RB spring, alway clip on the same end. After a cut, use a flat file to smooth the end and put that end INWARD into the slide so the factory formed end rides against the frame post. You always want the formed end out. The RB springs only cost a couple of bucks and I keep a bag of them in case I want to go back to the stock setup. You should buy the SW rebound spring installer tool from Brownells. Costs about $13, a real bargain for the grief it saves. BTW: the lowest I've gotten a SW comp trigger down to is about 5.6# DA on an older 686 and about 6.4# on a newer one with the frame mounted firing pin. The newer guns require a bit more mainspring force to overcome the FP spring. Be advised, lightening the RB spring significantly reduces the SA trigger pull. On my comp guns it runs about 2#. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 On an S&W action job, I polish the DA sear contact surfaces But Never Touch the SA sear surfaces. I used to go with lighter rebound springs, but found with much practice Jerry is right. Lighter slows you down, as you're waiting for the trigger to catch up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 OK, so suppose I decide to just pay a gunsmith to do my action job. My old smith (Ron Power) no longer provides that service. So, how about a recommendation for a good reliable action job that doesn't cost a fortune, or am I throwing money away by not doing it myself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Patrick brought up a good point: optimum spring settings depends on what you are shooting. For bullseye or relatively slow fire (like having at least a half second between shots) the lightest possible pull is probably best for overall accuracy. But, if maximum speed is the goal, you would want to keep the RB spring stiff enough that the trigger will be coming back as fast as your finger moves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Patrick, what kind of springs are you using now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 (Please, don't ask me to scan this in and post this, but, just to taunt you'all) - I have a copy of the actual S&W armorers manual. I copied it from Frank Glenn YEARS ago... I consider it one of my most valuable books... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSC CHIK1 Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 for S&W revo work i like Nelson Ford of The Gunsmith shop in Phoenix SharonAnne L2387 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phara Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 What worked for me was to purchase Jerry's trigger job video. I watched it and then purchased the necessary tools. Then I brought a tv and vcr out to the work bench. I would listen and watch Jerry do one thing such as remove the side plate. Then I'd pause the video and do it. Then I'd start the video again and do the next thing. He is very easy to understand and thorough and he tells you when to be careful. The video was a great investment for me and I ended up with a decent trigger job! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm iprod Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 Cylinder and Slide do wonderful work on S&W's. All else fails send to Miculek at Clarks Custom Guns!!!!!! If you do decide to do the work yourself, I'm with Pat Sweeney stay away from the SA sear. I have two 686's, one done properly, the other less than brilliant. I don't shoot that one on SA anymore. It is uneven, way to light and I am more accurate double action with it at 50Yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Mainus Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Pinnacle High Performance does all of my S&W work and I have been very pleased. Very smooth and reliable action job. Would recommend him to anyone. www.pinnacle-guns.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted January 2, 2003 Author Share Posted January 2, 2003 Just so the thread doesn't drift into a "my favorite smith thread"... The idea here is to provide information to the do-it-yourself types. (though a "favorite smith" thread would be fine, if somebody wants to start one) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 I use factory rebound springs. I spent a lot of time working on single action sears for S&W. It seems that the Michigan "Safety Inspection" process was actually being taken literally by a particular Sergeant at Detroit PD. He was doing the "pushoff" test but using both thumbs. I had to send him a copy of the S&W Armorers manual (with the notes in the margins the guy I got it from had made) to prove he was pushing too hard. And repair the SA sear surfaces he'd knarfed. The simple DA action job is to polish the bearing surfaces of the moving parts that matter: rebound slide, DA sear, cylinder lock, remove the endplay, and dry fire it a thousand times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Thanks Patrick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawker Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Teddy Jacobson of Sugarland, Texas. http://www.actionsbyt.com . He's the Master of action/trigger work. I have a Performance Center 625 there right now. It's getting ready for the spring USPSA Rev. Div. Matches. Hawker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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