Double Action Issue

[NavySCPO]

A friend has a Rossi Model 68 (at least I think it’s a 68) 38 Special Revolver that will not cock the hammer in double action.

Works just fine in single action, but when you pull the trigger for double the hammer appears to rock forward ever so slightly, and the sear/hook do not engage. With the side plate off, and hammer spring removed, it will function in double. Or...if when pulling the trigger, I put slight backwards pressure on the hammer with my thumb, it will engage and function normally.

Odd question I guess, but I couldn’t find a picture online of one with the side plate off...is the lower raised area on the hammer supposed to be sitting in the notch of the rebound slide? (See attached picture with red circle).

I ordered a new sear spring and installed it, thinking it might be weak and not keeping the sear in position, but that didn’t work.

I’m not much of a gunsmith, so I sure would appreciate any ideas.

Thanks folks!

[WR Moore]

It's kinda hard to tell, but at least to me, it appears the double action sear (spring loaded bar in the front of the hammer) has too much clearance and the trigger won't engage it to start the hammer back. Appears like whoever assembled it didn't fit the DA sear properly.

Your friend needs to find out if there's a US Rossi Service Center.

[shamuscull]

Or the spring in the double action sear is not working properly. Better pics may help.

[NavySCPO]

Originally Posted by WR Moore

It's kinda hard to tell, but at least to me, it appears the double action sear (spring loaded bar in the front of the hammer) has too much clearance and the trigger won't engage it to start the hammer back. Appears like whoever assembled it didn't fit the DA sear properly.

I think you may be right, I’ve looked at several pictures of others, and the gap from the lower end of the sear seems wide. Not sure if it’s worn down or as you said fitted incorrectly.

Not an expensive part, but hard to locate, seems no one has them in stock. The model 36 sear looks almost identical, might waste $12 bucks to see if it works.

[dsf]

Since Taurus owns Rossi you might try to get a part from them. Although "sorry, we don't give those parts to mortals" might apply.

There are two stages to the DA cycle on the Rossi, similar to S&W and Ruger. That upper lifter on the top of the trigger engages the DA sear however at some point the lifting is passed off to the lower rear edge of that "backwards C" on the back edge of the trigger - it meshes with the lower part of the hammer just below the SA sear. If the timing is off you'll get a distinctly different feel and hesitation to the DA pull.

I would first check to ensure there's no gunk in the channel on the hammer in which the DA sear rides.

Notice the tip of that DA sear isn't flat, it has a tip to it. Getting that point moved forward a bit so that it stays forward on the lifter and doesn't slip back should solve it. That it works when you thumb back the hammer a bit pretty much validates this.

If the DA sear can be pivoted forward it should allow the trigger to engage and carry through. This is just a SWAG but my bet is that dressing down the rear edge of the DA sear will accomplish that. Or, filing the tip of the DA sear, the flat to the left, would move that point forward. Or a combination.

Whether that will cause an issue with the 2nd stage of lifting - beats me. It takes only a bit to move that DA sear forward. And only a bit to take off too much. May be best to send this back to the company.

[NavySCPO]

Originally Posted by dsf

I would first check to ensure there's no gunk in the channel on the hammer in which the DA sear rides.

Notice the tip of that DA sear isn't flat, it has a tip to it. Getting that point moved forward a bit so that it stays forward on the lifter and doesn't slip back should solve it. That it works when you thumb back the hammer a bit pretty much validates this.

If the DA sear can be pivoted forward it should allow the trigger to engage and carry through. This is just a SWAG but my bet is that dressing down the rear edge of the DA sear will accomplish that. Or, filing the tip of the DA sear, the flat to the left, would move that point forward. Or a combination.

Cleaned out the sear channel, and used a fine India stone to smooth out the rear of the sear. The sear seems to be functioning normally, has a new spring installed, and is very smooth, in single action and double action (as described below).

This is odd, but with the main spring removed, the double action works perfectly (obviously the hammer cannot fall in DA with the main spring removed, but it engages).

It’s almost as though the tension on the rear of the hammer by the main spring and rod keeps the hammer from traveling back enough to engage the sear.

The photo attached shows me very slightly depressing the trigger with the main spring removed, as you can see, the sear/trigger engaged perfectly.

This sounds stupid even as I type it, but how could that spring have too much tension? Springs weaken with time and wear, they don’t get stiffer, right? Maybe someone before me changed it out? That may explain what I noted earlier, when depressing the trigger for DA with the main spring installed, the hammer moves slightly forward, causing the lower part of the hammer to pivot back and away from the trigger hook.

Or am I seeing a symptom caused by something else?