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Old 09-08-2018, 10:11 AM
notsofast notsofast is offline
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Default Lighten k-frame trigger pull

I have a DAO k-frame with too heavy of a trigger pull. If it was single & double action it would be ok. What is the right way to have less lb. pull on this trigger? Thanks
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Old 09-08-2018, 11:03 AM
Wee Hooker Wee Hooker is offline
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Search " trigger job" here and on U tube. There are many discussions and tutorials on how to get there ( with any K/L frame) by swapping alternate trigger return springs and internal polishing. If your not comfortable with doing it yourself a gunsmith should do it for $50-$100.
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Old 09-08-2018, 12:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyj View Post
start clipping 2 or 2 1/2 coils of the trigger return spring.
(it would be a good idea to have an extra trigger return spring on hand)
Oh No..!! do it the right way, buy some reduced power rebound springs, 13lb. or 14lb. should help..

Last edited by bigggbbruce; 09-08-2018 at 01:06 PM.
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Old 09-08-2018, 12:47 PM
Shark Bait Shark Bait is offline
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I replaced my mainspring with a standard power Wolf spring and replaced the rebound spring with a 14lb Wolf spring. This brought my DA pull down from 10+ lbs to about 8 lbs, and my SA pull from 4.5 lbs to 3 lbs. Big difference. Be sure to keep the strain screw fully tightened.
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Old 09-08-2018, 01:15 PM
Protocall_Design Protocall_Design is offline
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I would get a standard power Wolff mainspring and 11 or 12 lb. rebound.

Last edited by Protocall_Design; 09-08-2018 at 04:06 PM. Reason: Added the word mainspring
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Old 09-08-2018, 02:12 PM
WR Moore WR Moore is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toolguy View Post
I would get a standard power Wolff mainspring and 11 or 12 lb. rebound.
Fixed it for you. With a full power mainspring, a 11/12 lb rebound spring might not give a positive trigger return without some work on the internals.
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Old 09-08-2018, 04:10 PM
Protocall_Design Protocall_Design is offline
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Good catch. Thanks! It depends on how much tension you put on the mainspring, how much it takes to rebound the hammer, what primers you're shooting and other variables. You don't always have to stay with the factory settings.
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Old 09-08-2018, 06:29 PM
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Two basic factors affect pull weight on DA mode: the mainspring which powers the hammer fall and the trigger return spring. Years ago gunsmiths specialized in modifying either or both. Now you can purchase replacement springs specifically made to provide desired results.

Before doing anything else I would recommend these things:

1. Complete disassembly and thorough cleaning of all internals.
2. Careful polishing of all bearing surfaces, making sure that no changes are made to critical dimensions or angles of engagement. A hard Arkansas stone can work wonders when carefully used to remove surface imperfections and tooling marks.
3. When reassembling the lockwork a very light application of high grade lubricant will help everything function at the highest level. I like pure white lithium grease (available from any auto parts store, practically no melting point or freezing point for this type application, essentially inert).

If these steps do not result in satisfactory results I would be looking for replacement spring sets, such as the Wolfe brand.
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Old 09-08-2018, 07:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by notsofast View Post
I have a DAO k-frame with too heavy of a trigger pull. If it was single & double action it would be ok. What is the right way to have less lb. pull on this trigger? Thanks

Much depends on you and your confidence level and willingness to invest in some tools.
It actually is pretty simple, just some trying.
I'm not a gunsmith, but I worked on my 1 model 14. The results were amazing.

I started by getting bushings from Power Custom, also the cutters for these bushings.
They are hammer and trigger bushings.

Next is examining the the action for scratches.
Identifying them and where they rub. Then smoothing the frame and sideplate in those areas. I used 2 tools. A dremal and 220 grit disc, then a hard Arkansas stone. Cracked the stone smaller to fit. Using plenty of honing oil, smoothed it out.
Pay particular attention to where the rebound slide rides. Mine had many ridges there in the frame from the factory matching. The stoning made it smoother than a greased pig.

Then fitting the bushings for the hammer and trigger.
The other thing I was advised to do was to take the mainspring and drag it across a fine Arkansas stone about 200 times each side. With a lot of oil to.

Do all that stuff before changing any springs. Any drag on moving parts will defeat any spring change.
I think it's less than a hundred bucks for the bushing cutters and the rebound spring tool.
For me, I thought it was a cheap investment.

After doing it, the benefit was huge.
Heres a few pics.
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Old 09-08-2018, 10:46 PM
notsofast notsofast is offline
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Thanks, good info
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Old 09-08-2018, 11:39 PM
lefty_jake lefty_jake is offline
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If you want to polish the internals of a S&W revolver to improve the double action trigger, then I strongly recommend that you get Jerry Miculek's "Trigger Job" video. This video provides a good introduction to smoothing up the internals. It covers how to polish, where to polish, and also things that should not be touched. That last part is quite important.

Jerry Miculek also made a video on assembly and disassembly of revolvers, but those areas are sufficiently covered in the Trigger Job video, so I do not think the disassembly video is necessary. You can find the Trigger Job video at Midway as well as other vendors.

I periodically review gunsmithing videos on YouTube. Every video I have seen on smoothing up S&W revolvers has major omissions or just flat out wrong info. I have not seen any free videos that were correct enough for me to recommend them. Buying Jerry's video is much cheaper than making mistakes on your revolver.

I should also mention that Jerry's video does not give much coverage on spring tuning. But you can get the info you need about springs here. It can take some fiddling to get the springs right, but as long as you put your original springs aside, and swap in new ones, you are unlikely to break anything.

Last edited by lefty_jake; 09-09-2018 at 01:15 AM.
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Old 09-10-2018, 11:45 AM
RMFnLA RMFnLA is offline
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If you have the stock grooved .265" trigger you might consider trying a smooth combat-style trigger; makes a huge difference.
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