I just got back from the gun show and saw way too many I'd love to have had. I had never held a 3 inch 686 before and I couldn't believe what a SA trigger it has. Talk about a hair trigger! I know it couldn't have been more than 2-3 pounds at best. Just the slightest pressure on it wold cause the hammer to fall. Thinking that may be a fluke, I picked up a 325 NG and it was the same. Do all 686's have this light trigger pull? DA mode was great but, SA was a bit too light...almost scary. Maybe I'm use to the trigger pull on Glocks and 3rd Gen Smiths.

I have to say the 3 inch felt superb in my hand at any rate-more so than the 4 inch. There was a Model 60 in three inch but it was only a 5-shot unfortunately but, it felt great as well.

Someone has likely altered that SA pull... probably by cutting some coils from the trigger rebound spring or replacing it with a lighter aftermarket spring. Typically manufacturers go with a 5-6 lb. or heavier pull to avoid the ambulance chasing liability lawyers.

I have earlier "no dash" versions, two 586's and one 686 and their SA pull by no means can be called "light".

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Nope-both of these were new guns with the box and papers. I tried two or three 686's from different tables and they had the very light SA pull.

My 686-4 has a trigger just as you described. I have no way of knowing if the previous owner had it worked on or not, but I like to think that it came from the factory this way. Very little pressure from my finger makes it go off; and it's as crisp as they come.

Single action pull is VERY light compared to double action.

It supposed to be that way...

The typical SA pull on a new SW revo is probably about 4# but feels a lot less compared to the typical 12 - 14# pull of the DA action. The very short SA pull scares some people because it gives no "feel" of where it breaks like an auto does.

the pull on both my -6 6" and no dash 2-1/2" are great. I don't know what the actual weight is, but the only thing I've done is back off on the mainspring strain screw a little...(actually to the point that it was backed off as far as it would go and still give reliable ignition).

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"I'm your huckleberry."

S&W revolvers have a lockwork that is VERY easy to work on and "tune". In addition the single action trigger on a typical S&W revolver is nothing short of superb.

I've actually measured the sear creep in single action on several of my S&W revolvers and it ranges between 0.015 inch and 0.017 inch. That's an amount of movement that is undetectable to "feel" for most of us, you have to resort to some pretty accurate measuring equipment to actually find that there is some level of creep in the single action trigger. Basically, in single action the typical S&W trigger breaks like the proverbial glass rod.

As for weight, almost every S&W that I purchased new had a SA break right at 4 lbs. While it's just a bit heavy for precision shooting, it's not an impediment to getting good results.

In terms of the SA trigger, the rebound spring has the greatest influence on the pull weight. I've done a bit of experimenting with a rebound spring kit from Brownells with weights ranging between 11 and 15 lbs. Note, the factory rebound spring has been widely reported as being a 16 lbs. spring. What I have found is the a 12 lbs. rebound spring will yield a SA pull of a bit under 2 lbs. Go to a 13 lbs. rebound spring and the SA pull will break at 2.5 lbs. Next up is the 14 lbs. rebound spring that yields a break just a tick over 3 lbs. I haven't tried a 11 or 15 lbs. rebound spring but the trend I observed indicates that the 11 lbs. spring will produce a SA break around 1.4 lbs. and the 15 lbs. spring will yield a 3.5 lbs. break. Personally, I prefer a SA trigger that breaks at 3 lbs., any lighter and I get a bit nervous.

With the DA trigger, both the mainspring and the rebound spring influence the weight. However the effect of the rebound spring is not as readily apparent as it is with the SA trigger. From the factory both my 620 and 610 had a DA pull of about 10 lbs. Installing a 14 lbs. rebound spring took the DA trigger down to about 8.5 lbs. With a 12 lbs. rebound spring the pull only dropped another 1/2 lbs., it's not a linear progression.

I've just started my experimenting with the strain screw and this has a distinct an immediate effect on the DA pull weight. Last night I made up some shims that fit under the head of the strain screw using 0.010 inch shim stock. I first tried shimming the strain screw out by 0.020 inch on my 620 and the DA trigger weight dropped into the 6 lbs. range. However, it also yielded a hammer strike that was distinctly weak and I doubt that it would prove at all reliable. Currently the 610 and 620 have 0.010 shims under the strain screw and tomorrow I plan on testing for reliable ignition with CCI/Blazer ammunition. Word on the net is the CCI's primers are the hardest to ignite, so if they prove to be reliable with CCI ammunition, they should be good for anything. DA weight is about 7.8 lbs.

Now, one additional observation. That is that with the 0.020 shim installed under the strain screw on the 620 there was almost no observable effect on the SA trigger weight. While this may seem somewhat conflicting, the coefficient of friction of steel on lubricated steel is quite low, basically it equals the sine of 7 degrees. What this means is that the increase in friction in the sear is equal to the change in pressure multiplied by the sine of 7 degrees. Quite simply, the SA pull is determined by the spring pressure on the rebound slide and mainspring pressure has very little effect.

PS, at some point I'll actually break down and get a digital trigger gage, the current fish scale I've been using is not very accurate, difficult to read, and the weights posted probably have at least 1/2 lbs. of error factor in them. However, that fish scale has been helpful in permitting to observe the effect of trying different things.

Well and even scarier thing is unless things have changed is that the more you shoot a S&W revolver the smoother the trigger gets. Not necessarily lighter but they do usually get smoother. My 686 no dash was that way when I first bought it and I wasn't to happy with the trigger. But several hundred rounds later it got smoother and smoother until it was just great.

Other's experience may vary but that's mine with a 686.

All I can verify is that several I picked up and dry fired in SA were extremely sensitive. I've had 1911's with a Videki trigger and set screw that didn't break that easily. It's superb for target shooting I imagine but a little to light for me, although DA mode was great.

A simple rule to follow with any S&W when it's cocked is to NOT place your finger on the trigger until it's aimed at your target. If your not wearing gloves and the pull is set to 3 lbs. or more, you can then touch the trigger without a great concern for throwing a flyer. However, if the SA break is 2 lbs. or less, you may want to take up sanding your finger tip to make it more sensitive to touch. When I had a 12 lbs. rebound spring in my 617, I had two big flyers because I wasn't quite careful enough when I brought my finger to the trigger. Now it has a 14 lbs. spring in it and I'm not a bit concerned about throwing a flyer.

Point is, if you follow the rules, the SA trigger is completely safe to use. Yeah, it is very sensitive, but once you spend some time using it, you'll learn what you can do and what you cannot do.

My 686 was unbelievable right out of the box and i finally realized i had a CS 1. That explained why the action was so great right from the beginning.
Ned

3 to 4# is normal for the SA trigger on a S&W, based on measuring dozens of triggers with a very accurate trigger scale.
That's why we don't let students in a class cock the hammer on a revolver: DA firing only! Save the SA for hunting, bullseye, or those long IDPA shots.

Try a 3 oz set trigger on a blackpowder target rifle if you want to feel a hair trigger!

Some great info Scooter! Just FYI, on the Wolff Gunsprings website, they list the stock rebound spring as having an 18 pound rate.

My new S&W 686 Talo Custom 7" Barrel .357 must have been made on Friday at 5 PM when everyone was ready to go home because it DOES NOT have an easy pull SA and I have measured it at more than 5.5 pounds. IT is nowhere near as crisp in SA or DA as my .44Mag Ruger Super Redhawk and I am considering taking it back to the gun store to have it checked out or sent back to S&W. I have posted my shooting results in this forum and while it is better than it was when I first got it a month ago it is nowhere near good.

I purchased a slightly used 686 in 1984, and it had a wonderful trigger pull. I didn't have a scale back then so I just recollect it broke clean and light. I didn't think it was too light, but I have my Anschutz match rifle trigger set a 10 oz. (which some think is heavy). The more you use a S&W revolver the smoother and seemingly lighter it feels. If you are used to Glock triggers and other DA semi auto triggers a S&W trigger will feel much lighter than it is. Welcome to S&W quality and the reason we all like them so much.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Sorry, but quality doesn't equate to a dangerously light trigger pull regardless of who makes it. I've had my share of S&W's since 1974 and none were as light as what I've seen in the specimens today. My current M29-3 is nothing compared to the 686 pulls I described from the beginning. They were just too light to be considered safe. I don't know about what everyone else has but those I handled were dangerous...period.

I agree ColColt - but I am not expecting a hair trigger, just something that does not require a jerk to make it release. My understanding is that all S&W triggers are set to around 5 pounds to keep the legal chasers at bay. I only target shoot with all my handguns and rifles and there is not a one of them that is less than 2 pounds and most of my lever rifles are around 4. I have no problem with that but going on 6 pounds is a bit much. Now some people have suggested my problem is more than the trigger and most probably a problem in the barrel, forcing cone, or crown. I am having a gunsmith take a good look inside but will not make any alterations as I will not void the warranty on this gun.

GB45

With respect to nedclampet's remarks regarding the CS-1- Is there something different to the pull on that specific model? I only ask as I'm REALLY trying hard to find a good one. A little education please, Thanks

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Tim

My experience with L frame revolvers is this. I bought my 6" 686 no dash new in Sept 1985. It has never been worked on, SA is 2 lb 10 oz and DA is 8 lb 0 oz. My 6" 617 was bought new in March 1990 and never been worked on. Its SA is 3 lb 7 oz and DA is 10 lb 14 oz. About a year and a half ago, I bought a 4" 586 no dash from Oct 1985, which I cannot verify if it has had any work or not. Its SA is 3 lb 6 oz and the DA is 9 lb 0 oz. Since it is right in between the others, I would guess that it too has not been worked on and that is where the early ones were. The DA pulls are all very smooth and easy to control. These SA pulls are no lighter than my S&W 52, Hi Standard, and a 2 of my 70 Series Colts. My self defence 45's all have triggers in the 4 to 4 1/2 lb range. Treat them all the same, do not put finger in trigger guard until the target has been identified, the sights are on it, and there is a reason to shoot it.

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USPSA A5651
IDPA A47232

The NUMBER ONE BASIC RULE of SAFE GUN HANDLING . . . .

GB45

recently purchased a 686 Talo. Beautiful piece. S/A trigger pull is very very light. I am use to light trigger (3.5 lbs) pulls but this is the lightest I've ever seen. I wonder is this normal?

I too am wondering what's going on with the guns you handled. I believe JM recommends 7.5# DA for his spring kits but that is for competition only, not CC or home defense.