I own a new-generation S&W Model 40 with the lemon-squeezer grip safety. I don't know if they're all like this, but the grip safety on mine seems to have an extremely stiff spring. I have to put a high death-grip on the gun to disengage it -- it's nothing at all like the grip safety on my 1911.

I haven't pulled the side plate off the gun yet to see what's going on in there, and none of the J-frame schematics I've seen show the grip safety mechanism. I assume the grip safety has its own spring?

Can anybody suggest a solution? Is there a lighter spring I could install? Can anybody share a schematic of the the Model 40/42?

As it's set up now, it's beating up the web of my hand pretty badly -- I think the bone at the base of my thumb is bruised permanently.