The Model 38 that I just got has one of those nasty grooved triggers as do my 29 and 25.

I was thinking of using emery cloth and crocus cloth to smooth them out.

Anyone else do this? Any suggestions of a better way to accomplish my goal?

i have done several target triggers, i use a dremel tool with a sanding drum to remove the serations and then hand finish with finer sandpaper and then buff on a wheel with compound till very smooth and use cold blueing. i also narrow the target triggers some, it makes them much more friendly.

suggest you protect the rest of the gun adequately before beginning surgery.

I figured that I would remove the trigger first.

The triggers are surface hardened (case hardened) so you'll be cutting through that to remove the grooves.
You'll use up alot of emery cloth trying to get though it but it can be done.
Easier and quicker to use a Dremel as already posted. Carefully remove the grooves with either a sanding drum or a grinding wheel. Maintain control of the machine and take light cuts.
Put the part in a vise. Avoid doing the work 'free-hand' if you can help it. That usually leads to the wheel skipping around the end of the area and damaging the original finish somewhere where you didn't mean to.

You can also cut through the casehardening and remove the grooves with oil stones. Slow work, but still faster than just using straight emery paper. Much safer to do if you don't trust yourself with the whizzing Dremel in hand.

About the time the grooves are gone you'll be through the hardening and into the softer steel on the trigger face. Then you can clean it up easily with narrow strips of emery in a shoe shine type of polishing technique removing the grinding marks.
Polish it up as bright as you wish from there and leave the face bright or cold blue it to dull it back a little to blend w/ the remaining original case hardening finish better.

>>No problems in removing the case hardening from the trigger face only. It won't weaken the part. Just don't remove the hard surface from the engagement areas while spiffing up the parts.

Hadn't thought about the case hardening. Will there be a problem with that being removed?

In my experience, I've found the best trigger to use for smoothing the face, for use in double action shooting, is the standard size trigger. The three common sizes are the standard, the combat and the target. The combat style is generally the same width as the trigger guard and is already smooth, but still needs a little help. The target trigger is just too wide and not well suited for the purpose. Though, as I said, my preference was always for the standard trigger with grooves removed and edges rounded. No problem with removing the case hardening. It can be left polished or darkened with some cold blue.

Larry Potterfield from Midway has a video "how to" on this very job.
I have seen it on YouTube and it's also on Midway's video library on their website.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I took the triggers out of a couple older USED Service S&W'S.

Held them in a vise.

I Smoothed the serrations and rounded the triggers with a Dremel Tool and the small sanding drums.

I then used the Dremel polishing setup to polish.

Cold Blue.

Works best for DOUBLE ACTION shooting.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Once done you can always send it out to someone like Turnbull for CCH if desired. I have done a few that way.

OR, here's a novel thought...

It would be a lot less effort to just buy the trigger you want, and just swap them out.

After you consider effort, and refinishing cost if you go that route, it's way more expensive to do what some are proposing rather than just buy the proper part, you can then re-sell your old trigger and possibly just about break even.

Just a thought.

that harry potter can fix anything! and has the video to prove it too

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!