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S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present All NON-PINNED Barrels, the L-Frames, and the New Era Revolvers


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Old 09-16-2015, 10:28 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Default My first Smith, trigger problem. Need advice. 10/23 Problem solved.

Guys, I got a new in box 2.5” 686 plus that I’ve been obsessing over for the last couple of months, and I’m really happy with the revolver, but I have a serious problem with the trigger. I need to pick your brains again.

When I pull the trigger, after about ¼” of pull, the trigger stacks up, and hard. It stacks up to at least 15 pounds, maybe more. It stacks so hard, and so early in the pull, that when I finally break through it, there’s enough force to spin that cylinder way, way too fast, and I finish the entire trigger pull with no control whatsoever. It’s as if I was trying to shoot the darn thing as fast as humanly possible. The cylinder spins so fast that the whole revolver twists in my hands a little bit. I know that’s bad for the revolver, and will wear out the cylinder stop hand and its slot on the cylinder.

Tonight I compared the trigger pull to 2 other Smiths at my uncles house; an old pinned 2.5” 66, and an old no-lock 4” 66, and with both of those, I can perfectly control how fast the cylinder spins, from really, really slow, to smooth medium, to combat fast (not as fast as possible, but a controlled fast keeping sights on target, if that makes any sense.) The pull on those 2 66s has no stacking throughout the entire trigger. It’s smooth from start to finish. That’s what I was expecting.

A year or two ago, I handled my uncle’s 2.5” 66 for the first time. I owned several Rugers, and I liked them. But when I tried the trigger pull on that 66, I was shocked at how smooth that thing was. My uncle and I discussed it, and he told me “that’s why you pay so much more for Smith and Wesson. The trigger is that good right from the factory, no screwing around required. Can’t get a pull like that from a Ruger without work.” That’s what first planted the thought of getting a Smith in my head. Up to that point, I knew that Smiths were great, but I couldn’t justify spending more on one when Ruger makes such an upstanding product for less money. But after feeling that 66, I decided I needed a Smith in my future. Fast forward to today, and I now have my first one, the aforementioned 2.5” 686 plus. My expectations were pretty high, and my new 686 doesn’t meet them.

The trigger is also noticeably heavier, but I’m not even complaining about that. I’ve heard that the triggers will get better after shooting them a bit, but how much better? How many shots?

I really don’t think I’ll be able to get good accuracy out of this thing with the trigger the way it is now. I know that sometimes, even with companies with a great reputation, like S&W, you can come across a bad apple every once in a while. Is this a case of that? Or do they all start out this way and need firing? Should I send this to someone, or send it back to Smith? Have you heard these symptoms before? Will adjusting the hammer spring tension alleviate this? Please advise.

Thanks guys.

Last edited by ccjcc81; 10-23-2015 at 02:13 PM.
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Old 09-16-2015, 10:41 PM
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That is not something I have experienced in any of my five 686's. None of them stack as you describe.

Is this a new revolver? If so, I would call S&W and have it sent back under warranty.
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Old 09-16-2015, 10:43 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Originally Posted by Pef View Post
That is not something I have experienced in any of my five 686's. None of them stack as you describe.

Is this a new revolver? If so, I would call S&W and have it sent back under warranty.
Yeah, it's new in box. Will S&W send me a prepaid shipping label you think?

Last edited by ccjcc81; 09-16-2015 at 10:44 PM.
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Old 09-16-2015, 11:00 PM
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Yeah, it's new in box. Will S&W send me a prepaid shipping label you think?
Yes. Given them a call and they will even e-mail one to you.

Bummer, but it happens. Smith will make it right.
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Old 09-16-2015, 11:31 PM
Luke Duke Luke Duke is offline
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If your mechanically inclined search You Tube for trigger jobs. S&W triggers are not overly complicated. If sent it back you probably won't see it back for months. I've done my own trigger work on all my Smiths and their perfect. You can get spring kits anywhere.
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Old 09-17-2015, 12:04 AM
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Before doing anything else check the strain screw, it must be tight. If too loose it will cause exactly what you describe. If this isn't it then call S&W for a "Call Tag" and send it back. If it is, wouldn't you feel silly sending the gun back under warrantee for a loose screw?
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Old 09-17-2015, 12:17 AM
foytfoyt foytfoyt is offline
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Make sure there is nothing under the ejector, keeping it from fully seating forward and flush against the cylinder.

On a used gun, this is usually un-burned powder.

However, the new 617 I just bought had a tiny metal chip under the ejector, that managed to keep itself in place until I tooth brushed it out.

I've also had copper plating come off bullets, and get stuck near the forcing cone, partially jamming the cylinder (although I believe you said yours is unfired). In any case, you can hold the revolver against a light and watch the cylinder to barrel gap as you dry fire to confirm no rub there.

You may have a more serious problem, but I thought I'd throw a couple easy ones out there.

I don't think you want to open a new gun, but I caused the condition you describe in my 629 when I mis-installed the tiny spring at the bottom of the hand, such that one leg was out of position. It appears this caused the pushrod going towards the rebound block to be slightly out of position, and thereby bind or rub as it traveled.

Last edited by foytfoyt; 09-17-2015 at 12:55 AM.
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Old 09-17-2015, 11:05 AM
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Is there any possibility someone has put a lightened mainspring in that is interfering with the grip screw? A particular brand of mainsprings has a raised rib , and it can sometimes come in contact with the grip screw. This usually only happens with aftermarket grips. So, pull the grips and see. Or, it may be the double action sear has never been fit.
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Old 09-17-2015, 11:13 AM
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I agree with ALK8944. I've done this when reassembling a revolver and forgetting to tighten it down all the way. Feels like you describe. Worth a quick shot.
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Old 09-17-2015, 01:56 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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I checked the mainspring tension screw, and it was tightened down all the way. I loosened it a little bit, and it lightened the trigger pull pretty quickly. Didn’t take much screw travel to lighten it considerably. I didn’t go very far with it. It seems to have lessened the problem. Now I can almost get a smooth pull every once and a while. The trigger pull weight seems about like the 2 66s I tried last night. But it still has the stacking at the front of the pull. However, because the pull is lighter, the effects are different. Now, it stacks, and the cylinder stops until I gradually force through it, and when it does force through, the cylinder will spin quickly straight to lock up, but I have enough control to no let the hammer fall. It’s still not completely gradual, like with those 66s, but at least it’s not banging the cylinder into lock really hard every time now, and the gun isn’t twisting in my hands. I could probably shoot it with some accuracy now.

Will shooting it help? I was planning to put about 250 rounds through it on Tuesday, 100 rounds of 125gr .357 magnum and 150 rounds of 158gr .38 spc, do you think I should do that and see if it smooths anything out, or just send it to Smith as soon as they give me a shipping label? I’m inclined to go shoot it first.

I checked some of the other things you guys suggested; there’s nothing under the ejector star. It seems to sit perfectly flush with the rest of the cylinder. I sincerely doubt that it has an aftermarket light mainspring. It should be brand new. If it’s not, I’ve been lied to. I bought it from a local brick and mortar gun shop.

I don’t want to open it up and attempt a trigger job on it. I’ve polished up parts in Rugers before, but I would only consider doing something like that myself if the goal was just to smooth it up. I don’t want to attempt to solve any problems, I’ll leave that to the pros. I was tempted to tear it open and look around last night, but resisted the temptation.

If I send it in, will it really take a couple of months to get it back? I busted my hump trying to find this thing. I’d be sorely tempted to just sell it and buy another GP100, as I don’t have a 3” yet, and Ruger just started making the compact grips for the GP100 again…

You guys deserve serious commendation for sharing your knowledge with people less knowledgeable. You have my utmost gratitude.
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Old 09-17-2015, 07:01 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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I just sat down and fiddled with this thing again today, and i think the loosening the tension screw may have solved the problem. The stacking is much less pronounced, and if I concentrate, I can rotate that cylinder pretty smoothly. Maybe the sky isn't falling. I'll go shoot it Tuesday and see if the trigger smooths up after 250 rounds or so. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks again.
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Old 09-17-2015, 07:44 PM
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If you open the cylinder pull back the bolt and then pull the trigger, how does it feel?

I'd guess real good.

I've had many with burrs in the extractor pockets that ground the trigger pull to a stop.

Polishing stone and some careful clean up, turned them into my guns with the best trigger pulls.
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Old 09-17-2015, 08:15 PM
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If you call them S&W will give you an estimate of turn around time. I would send it back.
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Old 09-17-2015, 08:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
I just sat down and fiddled with this thing again today, and i think the loosening the tension screw may have solved the problem. The stacking is much less pronounced, and if I concentrate, I can rotate that cylinder pretty smoothly. Maybe the sky isn't falling. I'll go shoot it Tuesday and see if the trigger smooths up after 250 rounds or so. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks again.
Just make sure you do not have light strikes now. Loosening the strain screw lessens the hammer force.

Again, I've never had this problem with a 686, and I have had 5 (still have four of them).
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Old 09-17-2015, 08:36 PM
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It might be something stupid like the tip of the mainspring not engaged the stirrup properly. If you are confident about taking the side plate off, it might be worth cycling the trigger a few times to see if you can spot the problem. But then it still ends up going back so unless you are sure you can do it without marking it... just get the tag.
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Old 09-17-2015, 09:18 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigggbbruce View Post
If you open the cylinder pull back the bolt and then pull the trigger, how does it feel?

I'd guess real good.

I've had many with burrs in the extractor pockets that ground the trigger pull to a stop.

Polishing stone and some careful clean up, turned them into my guns with the best trigger pulls.
I did what you tried, and that's not what's causing the problem. It still exists even with the cylinder open. But your suggestion has led to another clue, probably a very important one, but I don't know what to do with it.

When I pull the trigger with the cylinder open, I can see the cylinder stop hand go down immediately, and after about 1/4" of trigger travel, the trigger hangs a little. It's right before the cylinder stop hand pops back up. So something about the cylinder stop hand, or whatever releases it to pop back up, is causing a stoppage. When I feel the trigger stack up, and force through it, once the cylinder stop hand springs back up, the resistance disappears, and the trigger pulls right through without a problem. So, what can I do to alleviate that? If I open the gun up, will it void the warranty? I've completely detail stripped a Ruger, including the entire trigger and the cylinder release latch, and I've stripped several 1911s, so I'm confident about being able to put it back together, but If I'm going to void the warranty by opening this up and polishing or deburring a part, I'm not going to do it.
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Old 09-17-2015, 10:00 PM
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I think something is wrong internally with this gun. Chances are it will be simple to fix, but there is no way in heck I would take the sideplate off a brand new gun to find out. Send it home. I understand they turn warranty work around pretty quickly.
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Old 09-17-2015, 10:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
When I pull the trigger with the cylinder open, I can see the cylinder stop hand go down immediately, and after about 1/4" of trigger travel, the trigger hangs a little. It's right before the cylinder stop hand pops back up. So something about the cylinder stop hand, or whatever releases it to pop back up, is causing a stoppage...
No way of knowing without seeing it myself, so it could be, but my guess is you are seeing two effects, not a cause and an effect. (BTW, this is not the "hand," which is actually the part that goes from the rear of the trigger up to turn the cylinder.)

"Correlation does not imply causation," as the old saying goes.

I make this guess, because you will find that this part of the clockwork is very simple. The trigger pushes it down, until it slips past and pops back up. I guess it is possible there is debris or a burr there, which would probably be easy to find. You can see how it works below, forward of the trigger.

Also visible is why a tiny change in the strain screw position dramatically effects the mainspring preload, for better or worse. It's a pretty sensitive design. Personally, I am not a fan of anything other than a tight strain screw, although you can modify its length, or install a set screw.

The little stirrup that flagman1776 mentioned is visible at the top/forward end of the mainspring. The mainspring just hooks around the stirrup, which in turn hooks the hammer.

The similar problem I created in mis-assembling my revolver was related to the internal interfacing parts not visible below between the trigger and the rebound block behind it.


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Old 09-18-2015, 12:15 AM
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With the cylinder open you should be able to press on the cylinder stop and push it down and let it up.

Does it move freely and easily ?
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Old 09-18-2015, 12:26 AM
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Default This is strange....

686s are known for having great triggers. I don't want a trigger job on mine because I'm afraid it would mess it up. I've never heard of a strain screw being THAT tight, usually they are loose because people back them out to do a 'trigger job' which causes problems with light strikes, as pointed out before. If the trigger isn't almost perfect when you've done what you can, somebody with experience needs to look at it. It's just plain wrong for a 686 to have that lousy of a trigger.
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Old 09-18-2015, 01:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Jimmyjones View Post
With the cylinder open you should be able to press on the cylinder stop and push it down and let it up.

Does it move freely and easily ?
Yes, I can push it down, and it pops back up. Don't feel any resistance other than the spring.
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Old 09-18-2015, 01:33 AM
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686s are known for having great triggers. I don't want a trigger job on mine because I'm afraid it would mess it up. I've never heard of a strain screw being THAT tight, usually they are loose because people back them out to do a 'trigger job' which causes problems with light strikes, as pointed out before. If the trigger isn't almost perfect when you've done what you can, somebody with experience needs to look at it. It's just plain wrong for a 686 to have that lousy of a trigger.
That's what I thought. I'll be sending it back. I'm going to shoot it first Tuesday, then it's going in the box as soon as S&W sends me the label. I contacted them yesterday.
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Old 09-18-2015, 07:38 AM
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Sending it back is a smart move. I was having trouble with one of my NM66 Combat Magnums where the trigger was "knuckling", or stacking, right at the end of the trigger pull before the hammer breaks forward. Unbelievable... I had it back in under 2 weeks from the time I shipped it, and S&W did a perfect job, even touching up a couple birth marks I noted on the glass beading finish! I couldn't be more pleased.

FWIW, on both my NM 66 Combats, I installed the Wilson Combat spring kit, along with the 13# trigger return spring in the rebound slide. It's a very simple procedure that I can now do in maybe 15 minutes. I got that little revolver tool for the rebound slide, which makes removal/installation of the trigger return spring quick and easy. With no other polishing or monkeying around with the internals, I can't tell you how much that simple $20 spring change investment made for a completely different gun. If you live anywhere nearby and ever wanted to try it, I'd be more than happy to show you how.

Best of luck, if your experience with S&W is anything like mine recently was, you'll be pleased with the results.
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Old 09-18-2015, 11:39 AM
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I'm betting (since this is a new gun) there is a small piece of grit from machining somewhere in there causing a drag, or a burr on some moving part. S&W will take care of it.
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Old 09-21-2015, 11:03 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Went and shot 200 rounds today. Had one light primer strike due to my fiddling with the strain spring to lessen the stacking in the trigger. Trigger was not nice. It was a tactical shooting session with multiple targets, like IDPA but without all the barriers. Double action trigger pull wasn't satisfactory. I'm still waiting for S&W to answer the e-mail I sent them Wednesday. Guess I'll have to call them. I was kind of hoping that shooting it would break off or wear away whatever burr is causing this. No luck. I'll keep you posted.
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Old 09-21-2015, 11:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke Duke View Post
If your mechanically inclined search You Tube for trigger jobs. S&W triggers are not overly complicated. If sent it back you probably won't see it back for months. I've done my own trigger work on all my Smiths and their perfect. You can get spring kits anywhere.
This is not good advice in my opinion. S&W can refuse warranty or lifetime service on modified firearms. Better to have them look at it beforehand even if you have to wait.

Spring kits are another thing, however, and can be removed and replaced with original parts.

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Smith & Wesson will not be responsible for:
• Defects or malfunctions resulting from careless handling,
unauthorized adjustments or modifications made or
attempted by anyone other than a qualified gunsmith following Smith & Wesson authorized procedures, or disassembly beyond the Field Stripping instructions in this manual
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Old 09-22-2015, 09:58 AM
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Default Loosening the strain screw......

Loosening the strain screw might help the feel of the trigger, but unless it was overly tight (doubtful if would be THAT tight) I THINK THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND LOOSENING THE STRAIN SCREW HIDES the real reason for the trigger problems. Like I said, 686s are known for great triggers and that sounds like something's wrong
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Old 09-22-2015, 10:28 AM
HarrishMasher HarrishMasher is offline
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Just call S&W, they will email you a return label instantly and you will have your gun back in 3 weeks or less. Totally standard warranty work. I have done it 4 or 5 times with new S&W guns. They come back perfect in 3 weeks or less.
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Old 09-22-2015, 10:56 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Spoke to S&W today. Customer service was polite and efficient. Sent the gun back this evening.

This is the part where I whine and moan about having to send a new gun back blah blah I hate waiting blah blah. You know the drill.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll let you know how it turns out in 3 weeks.
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Old 09-23-2015, 02:17 PM
HarrishMasher HarrishMasher is offline
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Spoke to S&W today. Customer service was polite and efficient. Sent the gun back this evening.

This is the part where I whine and moan about having to send a new gun back blah blah I hate waiting blah blah. You know the drill.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll let you know how it turns out in 3 weeks.
My prediction, you will be very happy in 3 weeks. One thing for sure, S&W takes customer service very seriously.
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Old 09-23-2015, 04:24 PM
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My prediction, you will be very happy in 3 weeks. One thing for sure, S&W takes customer service very seriously.
Warranty work has about a 3-5 work day turn around as soon as received. My guess is less than 2 weeks including shipping time.

But I've had to send guns back more than once to resolve issues.

Hope they can feel the problem as you describe and first time may be a charm.
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Old 10-06-2015, 03:16 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Well, I got it back. Not fixed. I'm pissed. I'm not a patient person, and I don't have time for this malarkey. I admit, my expectations were high after so many fellow shooters telling me how much better their S&W triggers were than my Ruger's.

This is what I sent them:
Quote:
I’m having serious trigger pull problems. When I pull the trigger, after between ¼” and ½” of pull, the trigger stacks up, and hard. It stacks so hard, and so early in the pull, that when I finally break through it, there’s enough force to spin that cylinder way, way too fast, and I finish the entire trigger pull with no control whatsoever. It’s as if I was trying to shoot the darn thing as fast as humanly possible.

When I pull the trigger with the cylinder open, I can see the cylinder stop drop at the beginning of the trigger pull. The hang-up seems to be right before the cylinder stop pops back up through its hole. When that stop pops back up, the trigger lightens and pulls normally the rest of the way through.

I just shot it yesterday hoping it would work the problem out, but it didn’t. The problem is just a little less noticeable now, but it’s still bad.
They responded "replaced hand."

So what should I do? Should I violate common human decency and sell this expensive defective gun to someone else, cut my losses, and go back to Rugers? Maybe the next guy won't notice the trigger hang up. Should I open this thing up and try to fix it myself? I really don't want to send it back to S&W and wait another 2 weeks to find that they still haven't repaired the problem.

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Old 10-06-2015, 04:30 PM
Mike_Fontenot Mike_Fontenot is offline
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So what should I do?
Call, and get permission to send it back again. Shouldn't have to, but that's still the best thing to do, I think. Sounds like Kimber customer service, not S&W customer service.
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Old 10-06-2015, 05:13 PM
Hapworth Hapworth is offline
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Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
...So what should I do? Should I violate common human decency and sell this expensive defective gun to someone else, cut my losses, and go back to Rugers? Maybe the next guy won't notice the trigger hang up. Should I open this thing up and try to fix it myself? I really don't want to send it back to S&W and wait another 2 weeks to find that they still haven't repaired the problem.
Why would you have to "violate common human decency" -- you can sell with full disclosure.

I know S&W lockwork so I'd open it up and see if I could locate the cause. If that's out of your comfort zone, hunt around and see if there's a qualified revolversmith in your area and have him take a look.

Otherwise, yes, another trip to the mother ship; I sympathize with your frustration, usually they do get it right, and in the land of firearms repair two weeks is a ridiculously fast turnaround.
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Old 10-06-2015, 06:30 PM
kaaskop49 kaaskop49 is offline
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Default "Replaced hand."

My 360 Sc went back 2X, and each time, it returned with the repair chit saying "Replaced hand." Other posters sending items back to S&W have reported the same "solution." IMO, this is the standard knee-jerk initial response. Almost like the initial "dehydration" diagnosis in the ER.

If you like the gun, take it to a local 'smith and have it done correctly.

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Old 10-06-2015, 06:38 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Do the 66 and the 686 use the same hand spring, the coil spring inside the trigger that puts tension on the hand? I lost mine.

I decided to open it up. Probably the wrong decision, but I thought I'd give it a stoning before sending it back again. That smoothed 99% of the trigger pull up, but made the hitch stick out like a sore thumb. Now it's like there's a 1911 trigger break in the middle of the trigger pull. If I could just get that out of there, This trigger would be like butter. I'm going to keep looking at it. I learned that it's not the interaction between the trigger and the cylinder stop. With the rest of the guts out of it, the trigger moves the cylinder stop without a hitch, especially after some gentle stoning. It must have simply been a coincidence that the hitch happens at the same time that the trigger releases the cylinder stop. I'm stumped.

I just ordered a new hand spring, but I'd like to test out what I've done so far, so can I pull the hand spring out of a 66 and try it in my 686?

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Why would you have to "violate common human decency" -- you can sell with full disclosure.
I'd loose a ton of money if I did that. As soon as I finally found this gun in stock I paid full retail for it. $759 + tax. I'm not a good enough salesperson to tell a buyer that I bought this gun, don't want it now because it's defective and the manufacturer can't fix it, and still recoup my money on it.

Last edited by ccjcc81; 10-06-2015 at 06:42 PM.
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Old 10-06-2015, 06:42 PM
regalsc regalsc is offline
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I sent one back came back partially fixed. Called them they paid again to ship it & now it is fixed. I just sent a used gun I bought they paid both ways put in new ejector rod new extractor new center pin & new locking bolt all free. Don't give up & it will be fixed right. S&W CS has always been great with me & fast. I do have patience with them on the phone though.
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Old 10-06-2015, 06:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
Do the 66 and the 686 use the same hand spring, the coil spring inside the trigger that puts tension on the hand? I lost mine.

I decided to open it up. Probably the wrong decision, but I thought I'd give it a stoning before sending it back again. That smoothed 99% of the trigger pull up, but made the hitch stick out like a sore thumb. Now it's like there's a 1911 trigger break in the middle of the trigger pull. If I could just get that out of there, This trigger would be like butter. I'm going to keep looking at it. I learned that it's not the interaction between the trigger and the cylinder stop. With the rest of the guts out of it, the trigger moves the cylinder stop without a hitch, especially after some gentle stoning. It must have simply been a coincidence that the hitch happens at the same time that the trigger releases the cylinder stop. I'm stumped.

I just ordered a new hand spring, but I'd like to test out what I've done so far, so can I pull the hand spring out of a 66 and try it in my 686?



I'd loose a ton of money if I did that. As soon as I finally found this gun in stock I paid full retail for it. $759 + tax. I'm not a good enough salesperson to tell a buyer that I bought this gun, don't want it now because it's defective and the manufacturer can't fix it, and still recoup my money on it.
Try not to actuate the trigger too much without the sideplate on, especially if you have the leaf spring on the hammer. Without the side plate you will place a lot of shear stress on the trigger pivot pin, hammer pivot pin and rebound slide pin.

You really ought to send it back to Smith and have them do a round II. If you keep stoning and tinkering, you may end up breaking something and voiding your warranty.

Frustrating, but it happens. I've had to send guns back to Remington and Henry in addition to S&W, so this is not a S&W only problem.

Good luck.
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Old 10-06-2015, 07:08 PM
shawn mccarver shawn mccarver is offline
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The fact is that none of us really know what is wrong, if anything, without feeling the trigger stroke.

This is what I know: loosening the mainspring strain screw is never a solution, and usually leads to all sorts of other problems.

Apart from that, a gunsmith experienced in the S&W action should look it over.

Here is a suggestion: send it to Mr. Smith down in Texas and see how it comes back from him.

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Old 10-06-2015, 07:18 PM
hoc9sw hoc9sw is offline
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If you send it back (again), and don't fire / modify it, you can honestly say it had been sent back while you had it, and you think it is fixed. My LGS has a policy on used / consignment - you must agree to buy it back if you did not disclose a known problem that causes issues for the next buyer.

I put any return paperwork (with id details blocked out) with anything I consign.

I don't push "buyer beware" too far. Firearms can get you into a world of hurt.
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Old 10-06-2015, 07:52 PM
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It might be helpful if you posted where in the world you are located. Because there is a pretty darned good knowledge base on this forum and you might get directed to a gunsmith in your area that really knows his stuff. It would also be really really helpful to post what model you are having problems with.

BTW, my suspicion would be either an improperly fitted DA sear or a Hand/Extractor Pawl interference issue. However, if you have an N frame such as the 629 or a High End 686 Performance Center model your issue could be as simple as a trigger stop pin that was installed backwards. Point is different models can have minor internal variations and without knowing what model you have it's difficult to help you sort things out completely.

Finally, as it's a new firearm under warranty I don't think you should fool with it a bit. As you have seen the turnaround on warranty repairs is pretty quick. I think that you should contact S&W again and send it in again. Yeah, it's a PITA. However, keep in mind that shipping a firearm is an expensive thing to do and every trip back to the warranty center costs S&W something in excess of 80 dollars. Somewhere around trip number 6 back to the warranty center it gets to the point where it would have been cheaper for S&W to replace your revolver instead of trying to fix it. Point that out to Customer Service and perhaps they will tell the Repair Dept. to get it right this time.

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Old 10-06-2015, 08:01 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Well, I FUBARed the trigger. So now I guess my warranty's void, right? Great. I shouldn't have. But I shouldn't have had to. I wish I was a more patient person, and could be satisfied with S&W's obvious "replace hand the first time for no reason" warranty repair system, and sent it back in for round 2. This is rediculous. This problem should have been caught by QC. Then it should have been fixed when I sent it in.

So, aside from "you shouldn't have messed with it," and "you should have sent it back again," what advice can you guys provide for me? Will triggers drop in, or do they require fitment?

I'm going to call S&W in the morning and let them know that they didn't fix the problem, and that I FUBARed my trigger trying to fix it myself.

Last edited by ccjcc81; 10-06-2015 at 08:15 PM.
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Old 10-06-2015, 08:25 PM
Daniel71 Daniel71 is offline
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I think something is wrong internally with this gun. Chances are it will be simple to fix, but there is no way in heck I would take the sideplate off a brand new gun to find out. Send it home. I understand they turn warranty work around pretty quickly.
Last month I had to send a revolver back to S&W for warrant work, and the total turn-around time was about 2 weeks.
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Old 10-06-2015, 09:19 PM
JohnRyan JohnRyan is offline
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I feel your pain. My 686+ 4" was purchased in August, just got it back from warranty repair and still has the same problem. I'll be shipping it back soon. Good luck.
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Old 10-06-2015, 09:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
Well, I FUBARed the trigger. So now I guess my warranty's void, right? Great. I shouldn't have. But I shouldn't have had to. I wish I was a more patient person, and could be satisfied with S&W's obvious "replace hand the first time for no reason" warranty repair system, and sent it back in for round 2. This is rediculous. This problem should have been caught by QC. Then it should have been fixed when I sent it in.

So, aside from "you shouldn't have messed with it," and "you should have sent it back again," what advice can you guys provide for me? Will triggers drop in, or do they require fitment?

I'm going to call S&W in the morning and let them know that they didn't fix the problem, and that I FUBARed my trigger trying to fix it myself.
You jumped from saying you smoothed the action up nicely but the original hitch is still there to saying you FUBARed the trigger -- did I miss something?

You've gotten a wide variety of excellent advice thus far, what more do you want? MIM triggers generally drop in, but you'll still have the hitch.

Call S&W, or LSG Mfg, or a good local revolversmith, or make it a learning gun, or sell it honestly and take your lumps.
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Old 10-06-2015, 10:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
Well, I FUBARed the trigger. So now I guess my warranty's void, right? Great. I shouldn't have. But I shouldn't have had to. I wish I was a more patient person, and could be satisfied with S&W's obvious "replace hand the first time for no reason" warranty repair system, and sent it back in for round 2. This is rediculous. This problem should have been caught by QC. Then it should have been fixed when I sent it in.

So, aside from "you shouldn't have messed with it," and "you should have sent it back again," what advice can you guys provide for me? Will triggers drop in, or do they require fitment?

I'm going to call S&W in the morning and let them know that they didn't fix the problem, and that I FUBARed my trigger trying to fix it myself.
Well, that's a bummer. Some of us are tinkerers at heart, but the trick to tinkering is knowing the difference between tinkering and breaking.

If I were you.....I'd just send it back to Smith and give them my CC number and politely say "You messed up by letting it go and then not fixing it the first time, and I messed up by thinking I could do what you would not.... so work with me here if it's no longer under warranty and maybe cut me a break. We both have egg on our face."

Last edited by Pef; 10-06-2015 at 10:11 PM.
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Old 10-06-2015, 10:14 PM
ccjcc81 ccjcc81 is offline
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Originally Posted by Hapworth View Post
You jumped from saying you smoothed the action up nicely but the original hitch is still there to saying you FUBARed the trigger -- did I miss something?

You've gotten a wide variety of excellent advice thus far, what more do you want? MIM triggers generally drop in, but you'll still have the hitch.

Call S&W, or LSG Mfg, or a good local revolversmith, or make it a learning gun, or sell it honestly and take your lumps.
I smoothed the action with a basic stoning. It didn't fix the problem, so I looked for the problem area. I thought I found it on the trigger, and tried to reshape the surface, and screwed up the double action sear surface. Now the double action pull is ruined. I was hoping I could buy a new trigger and then send it in and see if S&W would overlook my attempt. If not, then I guess I'm going to have to start saving money to get this thing back in working order, and call it a lesson learned. Then I'm going to think about selling it honestly. And then I'll take some time to decide if buying S&W in the future is worth the money, time, and inconvenience. I had my sights set on a 629, but I don't want to go through this again.

Last edited by ccjcc81; 10-06-2015 at 10:16 PM.
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  #48  
Old 10-06-2015, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by ccjcc81 View Post
I smoothed the action with a basic stoning. It didn't fix the problem, so I looked for the problem area. I thought I found it on the trigger, and tried to reshape the surface, and screwed up the double action sear surface. Now the double action pull is ruined. I was hoping I could buy a new trigger and then send it in and see if S&W would overlook my attempt. If not, then I guess I'm going to have to start saving money to get this thing back in working order, and call it a lesson learned. Then I'm going to think about selling it honestly. And then I'll take some time to decide if buying S&W in the future is worth the money, time, and inconvenience. I had my sights set on a 629, but I don't want to go through this again.

Getting into the sear in sear-ious stuff. (Hey, a pun!)
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Old 10-06-2015, 10:52 PM
Bahamaroot Bahamaroot is offline
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Did you buy this online? You can usually inspect the gun and check the trigger and such before accepting it from a local LGS.
I would give S&W CS another chance. They may just overlook your mishap because of the gun being relatively new. I had a 6 month old Beretta that had a kaboom due to out of spec ammo from my brother. This is not covered under warranty because it was reloads. I sent it to Beretta for repair with full intentions of paying for the repair. They fixed the gun and didn't charge me for it even though I was responsible for it. Give S&W the same chance.

I have a 2013 686-6 and it has the sweetest trigger pull I've ever felt on a firearm.
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Old 10-06-2015, 11:15 PM
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Hey, all is not lost. Send it back to S&W, and tell them it wasn't fixed, so you tried to fix it and couldn't. They've seen it all before. And they can fix it -- they have the parts -- and parts are cheap for them. They may charge you, probably will, but it won't break the bank. Don't give up on them and eat a major loss here.

(However, if you have a good S&W revolver 'smith nearby, you could give him a try. But, barring that, send it back. S&W is about fixing the gun, not affixing blame. I guarantee most of us on the forum have done one or two things worse to a gun once or twice. I know a guy who dropped a 642 on his garage floor while cleaning it, and gave the cylinder a road rash... S&W replaced it for a very modest price).

The important thing is that you want to have a very good S&W revolver when you are done. Then you can enjoy it, or sell it for its true value if you decide you don't want it.
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