I have a pre-model 10 (a five-screw from 1947) that I bought just to see how it differs from modern guns (apart from the fact that it is a really nice lightly used 5-incher). When I took it apart today, I got more than I bargained for.

When I removed the trigger to clean it up a bit, the hand came right off and I saw that there is no torsion spring, but rather a small coiled spring that I think was held in place in the trigger by friction. I cannot figure out how the coiled spring fit into the trigger to hold the hand in place.

The trigger worked just fine without the torsion spring and the gun shot just fine. It didn't feel any different from any other Smith I have. Also, it is clear that someone has taken the gun apart at some point before me, as the rebound spring has been cut.

Did these old guns use a coiled spring rather than a torsion spring to hold the hand in place? Or was this just some old seat-of-the-pants way of putting the gun back together by someone without a torsion spring? Will a modern model 10 torsion spring work in this pre-model 10 trigger?

Thanks in advance for any guidance that anyone can provide.

That period revolvers had a lever inside the trigger that was loaded by the small coil spring you see. Unless one of the pins is missing the lever is probably there.

Thanks gentlemen!

ALK: Just before reading your response, I LOST the coil spring! One moment I had it and the next it was gone! I don't know what I did but I've spent the last hour or so on my hands and knees. I just can't believe that I was so hamfisted!

How hard are these springs to obtain? Do you know whether S&W still stocks them? I didn't see them on Numrich on-line or Brownells.

Try oldwestgunsmith.com

get a BIG magnet and go over the area with it. Comes in handy for those that go "ting".,



Charlie

I found the spring!! Just after I gave up and ordered one (actually two!) from Jack First (to whom I was referred by the nice people at S&W), I saw it gleaming in a far (really far!) recess in my work table -- after all that time on my hands and knees! (Thank you to everyone for your advice so far.)

But now that I have the spring, what do I do with it?

It looks like I should place one end of the spring onto the swinging lever where I see a small "extrusion" that would keep the spring in place. And position the other end of the spring down into the trigger assembly. Then it looks like the other end of the swinging lever should be positioned on top of (or in the middle of?) the two prongs of the inserted hand.

I don't know that this is correct, but it makes some sense to me. What doesn't make sense to me is how I get all this in place with only two hands and a small screwdriver.

The Jerry Kuhnhausen shop manual does not deal with the installation of this coil spring -- just the torsion spring that replaced it.

No one has any advice on how to reinstall this pesky hand lever spring?

Jeffrey,

There is a hole inside the trigger that the spring goes into. The small "tit" on the front of the lever goes into the spring. After this it is exactly like the later triggers. Use a pin punch that will just fit into the slot in the trigger. Insert the punch fron the bottom and push the end of the lever so it is above the curved slot in the rt. side of the trigger and, while holding it there, simply insert the hand into the trigger. Then release the lever and it loads the top pin of the hand. Insert the trigger/hand into the frame as an assembly, it won't work any other way.

Alk: your instructions are perfect! I can't thank you enough. Because I didn't know that there was a hole in the trigger for the spring, I didn't look for it and, when I did, well, there it was. Once you told me how to put my trigger back together, it took all of five minutes (at most).

Thanks again for your help. You are what makes this forum the best!

i have used a clear plastic bag to disassemble in. the first time for sure. never know about little springs.
the bags com from wallymart. cheap 30 gallon size.

Thanks Santa Bob. I sometimes use clear bags myself to keep those pesky springs from flying away. The problem here was that I did not know that the spring came out so easily from the old pre-model 10 trigger assembly, so it never occurred to me to take that precaution. It's not like the modern torsion spring which stays in place unless you put a bit of effort into removing it.