442 re-assembly issue :(

[Jankomatic]

Took my 442 apart to replace the springs in it. When I took the hand off the trigger(maybe I shouldn't have) there was tension holding it towards the cylinder area. Now there is not, I didn't drop anything on the table or lose anything that I am aware of. I included a pic, the hand attaches to the blue circle area, but it is loose back in forth in the red shaded area, where as I believe it should be tight against the green area. Can anyone tell me what I have done wrong? Thanks in advance.




Wes

[ogilvyspecial]

Wes, in the trigger there is a spring that you have to push back prior to reinserting the hand, which has 2 pins. One is the "retaining pin" & the other is the one that the spring pushes on.

This can be kind of tricky because you essentially have to get the 2 pins started in the side of the trigger, but still leave clearance to depress the spring back prior to seating the hand, making sure the pin that the spring pushes against is in front (towards you) of the spring wire.

I don't know what others use to depress the spring but I use an allen wrench that just fits down in the slot so it doesn't want to slip on past the spring.

At first I had a little trouble but after a few times I can pop those babies right in now.

The one thing I always watch is that I don't inadvertantly push on the pins while depressing the spring. I could easily see myself messing up that smaller pin if I put pressure on that instead of the spring.

Just take your time and you should do just fine.

P.S. I forgot to add that the spring in the trigger is captured so it should be in there if you look. It's thin & usually black so it can be hard to see it down in that slot.

[Double-O-Dave]

Yep, Ogilvy beat me to the punch - couldn't have said it better myself. By the way, I use a small punch to manipulate the spring - don't use a screwdriver unless you want an exercise in patience.

Best of luck,

Dave

[ogilvyspecial]

Originally Posted by Double-O-Dave

By the way, I use a small punch to manipulate the spring - don't use a screwdriver unless you want an exercise in patience.

A screwdriver was the first tool I tried using and totally agree that patience, or a certain skill, is required to make that method work. If I thought I was going to be doing this on a regular basis I would take a small screwdriver and cut a shallow, narrow, slot in the middle of the blade, which should do the trick.

[Jankomatic]

First off let me say thanks a lot for the explanation, I never would have known the spring was in there. I was able to get it all put back together again and it seems to be working fine. I will know for sure at the range. I do have another question though. Looking at my picture above, could you put the hand back in place and manipulate the spring the way it is with everything installed the way the picture shows. I could not even see the spring in the trigger when it was looking like the picture. I had to take the hammer, trigger and rebound block all out, so I could see the spring, then manipulate it to get it behind the pin. If I ever need to do this again, I will leave the hand in place attached to the trigger.

I must be having a bad gun karma day because I was putting a new trigger spring in a Ruger single six at the same time and the pawl plunger spring fired out into oblivion on the garage somewhere.

Again thanks very much for the help.

Wes

PS. I did use a screwdriver.

[ogilvyspecial]

If you used a screwdriver Wes then you are a better man than I!
See I told you that you would do just fine!!

If I understand your question, you're asking if you can work the action with the sideplate off after everything else is as it should be?

If so, the answer is yes.

Just keep in mind that the hammer & trigger studs (frame mounted), the studs that those parts ride on, are also supported by the sideplate so you really have to hold things in place so as not to possibly "tweak/bend" the frame mounted pins / studs.

[Ralph G. Briscoe]

I'm dealing with the same issue on my 632. My question is what holds the spring in place? I can't find a hold or anything to anchor the short end. Without that there's no way it will exert pressure on the hand just floating around in there. I've consulted Kuhnhausen to no avail. I've been cussing this thing all afternoon.

[ogilvyspecial]

Originally Posted by Ralph G. Briscoe

I'm dealing with the same issue on my 632. My question is what holds the spring in place? I can't find a hold or anything to anchor the short end. Without that there's no way it will exert pressure on the hand just floating around in there. I've consulted Kuhnhausen to no avail. I've been cussing this thing all afternoon.

To be honest I don't know what holds the spring in the trigger since I've never had one out before.

I'm not sure if I understand your question but can say that the hand, once the spring is pushed back and the hand is reinserted in front of it (the spring), is what keeps the spring under tension. That how the hand works.

Edited to add: Ralph, here's another thread that probably won't help much but I'll provide the link anyway. The thread below was started right around the same time as this one.

340PD Cylinder Not Spinning!

[dugo]

Brand new, here. Joined just to say thanks to the forum, and to all posters on this thread.

I was replacing the springs in a S&W pd (.32 H+R airweight j-frame), trying to get the pull weight down a little for my wife's benefit, and had this same issue. Not much of a tech guy (ok, I'm learning) and removed the hand unnecessarily.

I put it back together, and found I had a gun where the trigger would turn the cylinder only if you pointed down. (Gravity.) I had visions of having to shoot a burgler only in the foot, or giving them that line from the old Westerns, "Let's see if you can dance, greenhorn ... "

Had no idea what was going on, and fumbled around at first. Then I found this thread. Had to take out the trigger, etc., to re-set the hand spring, but it went fine.

The j-frame's pull is much improved (I dry fired maybe 500 times before changing springs, too). I like it, and I think my wife will be happy, too -- we're probably going to share. Hope to take it for a tryout at the range this week; meanwhile, I have that warm and fuzzy feeling back, thanks to all of you.

Much appreciate it!

[kf5nd]

Yup, I pulled the "hand" out of the trigger. I don't have the skills, so gunsmith time. He's seen lots of these cases.