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Smith & Wesson Competitive Shooting All aspects of competitive shooting using Smith and Wesson Firearms. Including: IPSC, IDPA, Silhouette, Bullseye.


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  #1  
Old 10-28-2016, 11:34 PM
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AzShooter AzShooter is offline
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Default Setting up a 617 for competition

This weekend I plan on working on my S&W 617 and set it up for Steel Challenge matches. I intend to do the trigger and to ream out the cylinders. Right now some ammo is so dirty that it's almost impossible to extract the empties after shooting.

I bought an APEX hammer because I can get a light trigger with it. I am going to use the lightest spring that comes with the hammer. I have no problems with trigger reset.

How light can I set the trigger hammer fall to insure all my brands of .22s will fire? I know how many ounces it takes for my 9 mm s, About 36 oz. But .22s require more force.

Right now I'm at 8 lbs double action. I want to see how light I can get it and still be 100 per cent reliable.
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Old 10-29-2016, 02:40 AM
Big Cholla Big Cholla is offline
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A very interesting project. Please keep us informed of the ups and down of your modifications. Are you going to modify the forcing cone and the barrel/cylinder gap? Are you going to stay with the original trigger width or go with a wider trigger? ........... I really want to hear and see about that hammer substitution. ........
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Old 10-30-2016, 07:21 PM
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Got it finished except for the new sight. I am going to mount a C-More with a 14 minute dot when it comes in.

Forcing cone does not need cutting. It's already set at 11 degrees from previous work. I did recrown the barrel and saw an improvement in my groups. Cut them down about 1/4 of what they were. The gun, off a bench prints about 3/4 inch at 25 yards. I can get better on some ammo but that's the average.

I did most of the stoning on my last trigger job. I also replaced the rebound spring with an 11 lb spring. I was able to go from a 14 lb double action 8 lbs with reliable ignition from all the .22s I've tried.

Just adding the Apex hammer I was able to get the trigger pull down to just under 6 lbs with the same amount of force to pop the cartridges. With the Apex hammer I lose single action but that's o.k. I never use it anyway. Groups are now more rounded and fewer small fliers from a the old trigger. I used the same trigger that comes stock.

Pics will follow when the new sight is mounted.
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Old 11-03-2016, 09:52 AM
tomcatt51 tomcatt51 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AzShooter View Post
I did most of the stoning on my last trigger job. I also replaced the rebound spring with an 11 lb spring. I was able to go from a 14 lb double action 8 lbs with reliable ignition from all the .22s I've tried.

Just adding the Apex hammer I was able to get the trigger pull down to just under 6 lbs with the same amount of force to pop the cartridges.
Mine need an ~7 lb DA pull for reliable ignition. By reliable I mean being able to shoot a Steel Challenge or Rimfire Challenge match with 1 or less misfires.

Mine is an "old style" 617-1 that's had a 10 shot cylinder (stainless) fitted and has a full stock forged .375 hammer. Old style forged hammers are heavier than the new style MIM hammers.

I use an 11 lb rebound spring with about 3 coils clipped. To get a 7 lb pull required really working on trigger return to allow a light rebound spring to offset the heavy (compared to what the centerfires need) hammer fall necessary for reliable bangs.

The problem with the rimfire is getting it to go bang reliably. I stop at 5 1/4 lbs on my centerfires just so they're not too different than my 617s.

At 7 lbs my 617 isn't ammo fussy.
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Old 11-14-2016, 05:53 PM
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Yeah, I had to up the poundage to 6.5 lbs to insure proper ignitions. The APEX hammer is a little bit heavier than the stock hammer but is radically shaped compared to a stock hammer. I'll post pics next week. Just got an E-mail that my C-More is on the way.

At 5.5 lbs I was getting one misfire in almost every cylinder so I put my 11 lb rebound spring back in and then balanced the mainspring and rebound spring for reliable trigger reset. I'll test for reliability this Friday.

I do like the way it groups now.
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Old 11-14-2016, 09:03 PM
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Following with interest.
How will you be mounting the optic?
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Old 11-14-2016, 09:23 PM
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I don't use a 617 for Steel Challenge, I have been quite pleased and have done very well with my Dad's unmodified K-22 from 1956.

TOTAL reliability with ANY ammo I feed it. No need for any springs or action work.... doesn't need it.

Accuracy is always the legendary S&W," OUTSTANDING" Then again it IS a K-22. Glass smooth in all regards.

Best wishes on you project....

Randy
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Old 11-15-2016, 03:17 AM
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Following with interest.
How will you be mounting the optic?
ALLCHIN mount. Keeps the scope low and is very durable.
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Old 11-18-2016, 03:36 PM
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Finally finished. 617 with C-More Red Dot Sight.
Cylinders polished, muzzle crowned, Apex hammer for 6 lb double action trigger.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 617 W C-More.jpg (102.9 KB, 103 views)
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Old 11-18-2016, 06:06 PM
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Well done, looks great!
Waiting for the first range report..
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Old 01-25-2017, 12:40 PM
MajorD MajorD is offline
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When I used my revolvers for steel challenge ( old school 6 shooters so only the chance to
Make up
For one miss)
I set them up by taking them out of the case and shooting them.
Same for my autos. I currently use a stock unmodified smith 422 and my scores compare pretty close to the guys and girls who spend thousands of dollars tricking out guns. Also my experience is the closer to stock the guns are the more reliable they are. If tinkering is your thing by all means proceed but make sure any work on the gun sighting equipment and so on is carefully analyzed and that it offers a true advantage.
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Old 01-25-2017, 02:59 PM
tomcatt51 tomcatt51 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AzShooter View Post
ALLCHIN mount. Keeps the scope low and is very durable.
Allchin also has a 90 degree adapter to use with his mount. It puts the C-mores window right down on the mount. It's not on his website yet, you need to call.
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