Wolf Spring Kit for Model 617

[RGPM1A]

Anyone out there ever use the Wolf reduced power spring kit (type 2 mainspring) in their 617? If so which rebound spring did you use (13, 14 or 15#) w/o trigger reset issues and did you have any issues with misfires due to light hits?

Also its been a long time since I removed the side plate on an S&W revolver (pre lock). Any tricks/issues with respect to the lock mechanism or any other changes made since the late eighties/early nineties?

 

[MakeMyNight]

Anyone out there ever use the Wolf reduced power spring kit (type 2 mainspring) in their 617? If so which rebound spring did you use (13, 14 or 15#) w/o trigger reset issues and did you have any issues with misfires due to light hits?

Also its been a long time since I removed the side plate on an S&W revolver (pre lock). Any tricks/issues with respect to the lock mechanism or any other changes made since the late eighties/early nineties?

I actually use Wilson Combat's #12 trigger return spring in most of My S&W revolvers.

I doubt that a lighter trigger return spring would cause a misfire, and the reduced power springs from Wolff and Wilson Combat are excellent products, IMHO.

Pre-lock revolvers: remove the screws fastening the side-plate with a proper sized bit, then holding the piece solidly by the barrel near the frame, strike the grip frame with a small plastic tipper hammer a few times.

About the only part that with move out of place is the hammer block safety.
The rest of the revolver will stay put until disassembled. Most pre-lock Smiths are near identical except for the floating hand on the L-frames.

 

[alphabrace]

I have a model 617 but it is stock (springs). Does the lighter spring result in a lighter trigger pull?

 

[MakeMyNight]

I have a model 617 but it is stock (springs). Does the lighter spring result in a lighter trigger pull?

Just changing out the trigger return spring significantly lightens and smooths the trigger pull on the revolver.
Even the 14 pound spring is very noticeable.
Add the reduced power hammer spring, and the revolver almost feels tuned.

 

[bountyhunter]

The rebound slide spring does have an effect on trigger pull weight. Using the lightest rebound spring with a stock mainspring will give you a reluctant trigger return.

 

[surfdog76]

I cracked open my 617 and installed the Wolff performance pack. I'll admit it was a bit intimidating
for a first-timer, but luckily I had a knowledgeable friend showing me the ropes. The results were fantastic
and WELL worth the effort! Had I not had someone knowledgeable helping me, I would have ordered
Jerry Miculek's DVD:

Gun Video "Trigger Job: Complete Action Tuning for Smith and Wesson Revolvers with Jerry Miculek" DVD - MidwayUSA

I was feeling lucky, so I opted for the 13lb. Rebound Spring. It's tricky to get that little spring into that housing
just right to tighten it down! I'm sure there's a more elegant trick to get it in there, but I got the job done on my
3rd attempt. I then decided to roll the dice and install the Wolff Type 2 Reduced Power Mainspring as well.
My friend was an apprentice to a master gunsmith, so I let him stone ever so slightly where we detected
a bit of grittiness in the DA pull… Smoooooooth. And it felt even better after 2K dry fires w/ snap caps.

My heart sank when I finally got her to the range. I experienced 40-70% FTF with the mainspring screw tightened
completely down with several different brands of ammo. I figured I would need to swap out the Wolff Mainspring
for the original until I found this very informative post with pics: Got a new S&W Model 617 Revolver... (with pics) - THR The screw from Home Depot proved to be a winner, and I'm now getting 100% reliability.

If I were to do it over again, I think I would opt for Wolff's Type 1 Mainspring, and not the Type 2 (reduced-power) mainspring, but overall.... Highly recommended!

 

[RGPM1A]

Surfdog +1. That link was just what I needed - good point on the set screw. Works great. Only issue was there was a a small pin that popped out when I removed the rebound slide/spring. I eventually figured out that it was an over travel stop that goes inside the rebound spring- flat side out toward the rebound spring/slide stop pin. This must be new because all my old (20-30 years) revolvers don't have this. Or at least I don't remember seeing one when I did the older guns 20 about years ago. Also good thing I still had my home made rebound spring compressor tool. Made the job much easier.

 

[bountyhunter]

Surfdog +1. That link was just what I needed - good point on the set screw. Works great. Only issue was there was a a small pin that popped out when I removed the rebound slide/spring. I eventually figured out that it was an over travel stop that goes inside the rebound spring- flat side out toward the rebound spring/slide stop pin. This must be new because all my old (20-30 years) revolvers don't have this. Or at least I don't remember seeing one when I did the older guns 20 about years ago.

It's weird because some models have the stop rod and some don't. BTW: they do very little if anything, hence why I think many models don't use them.

 

[bountyhunter]

My heart sank when I finally got her to the range. I experienced 40-70% FTF with the mainspring screw tightened
completely down with several different brands of ammo. I figured I would need to swap out the Wolff Mainspring

A new strain screw would probably fix it. The tips wear down with age.

 

[scooter123]

Frankly, I don't understand the logic of installing a reduced power mainspring and then putting in more preload with a longer strain screw. IMO using a digital trigger pull gage will probably show the same result as using the factory spring and filing down the strain screw about 0.008 to 0.010 inch.

BTW, I have a 617 no dash with a 14 lbs. rebound spring and a 0.010 inch handmade shim under the head of the strain screw using the factory mainspring. With this setup, ignition has been 100% as long as the cylinder is clean. As I found out when I first got my 617, a fouled cylinder will make it difficult to properly seat the rounds in the cylinder and misfires become a real issue. I've also tried a 12 lbs. rebound spring and didn't like the sub 2 lbs. SA trigger pull that resulted, with the 14 lbs. rebound spring the SA break is 2 lbs. 4 ounces, a bit lighter than I would like and I'll have to stone the trigger at some point to correct that. As for the DA trigger, it's 9 lbs. 2 ounces, which IMO is probably as light as you can go with the 617 and be assured of good ignition unless you lighten the hammer by bobbing it.

 

[tdan]

A few years ago, I came across a 617 no dash in the local gun store that was set up with a 2-6X scope and a very light trigger. Since the gun's timing was tight and the price was super right, I took that one home with me. The action job on this gun was somewhat old school.........the rebound spring had clipped coils and it had the Wolff reduced power mainspring. As this gun had the wide target trigger, the reset was a bit mushy. I suspect the previous owner had set this gun up to shoot SA only.........the perfect squirrel sniper revolver. SA pull was 2.25 lbs. with a DA pull of barely 7lbs. Still, this gun never misfired in SA with only an occasional failure in DA and was so smooth! This is where the allen head set-screw solution is a winner. I could dial in just a bit more tension on that Wolff mainspring to get 100% DA reliability. Those set-screws actually fit into the rib of that Wolff mainspring better than the stock S&W screw. This barely made a measurable difference in either SA or DA pull weight. I know some naysayers will advise against that light a trigger pull, but this gun is not a carry gun.

 

[stantheman86]

Keep in mind a lighter mainspring results in slower lock time....if you shoot a lot in SA you want to keep the stock mainspring.

In fact many serious bullseye shooters try to get MORE power in the mainspring, to make the hammer drop faster in SA shooting.

A full power mainspring with a light rebound spring may result in a non-returning trigger.....ask me how I know, I had my "project grade" 10-5 set up with a stock mainspring and a 12 lb. rebound spring, got it all together, assembled it, dry fired with a snap cap, and the trigger stayed back and did not return until I pushed it forward with my finger I had to put it all back to stock, but it works great now. A lot of well used S&W's like PD trade-ins have strain screws with peened tips, in some of mine it's hard to tell if they've been filed or just flattened from 1,000's of cycles.....I don't worry about it, the little "nub" on the end seems to wear down and then stop, no doubt 10's of thousands of S&W's were and are in service with peened strain screws and work just fine.

A Wilson Combat "curved" mainspring and the 12 lb. rebound spring that came with it work great in my 10-14 with an extended firing pin. If I didn't know any better, and someone handed me that gun I would think it had a good action job, instead of popping in $30 worth of springs.

My next project will be to tune my 617-7 6" with a Wolff "stock weight" spring and a 12 lb. return spring, since I shoot this gun pretty much all of the time in DA.

Trigger stops are pure "Range gadgets", I put a rebound slide trigger stop into my 10-14 just to do it, it makes the trigger feel more "solid" in SA but I doubt it makes enough difference to matter in my groups. If they are not perfectly fitted the can ruin the SA sear if too long, or allow too much trigger overtravel if too short and thus be useless. I have mine fitted to allow just a tiny hair of overtravel in SA.They have no use in a "service" revolver, or anything used for HD or CC. The odds are low it may "bind" the trigger but I see no point in adding a point of failure in a defense gun for no usable advantage. Almost all PD's that issued 66's, 19's, 67's and 15's with the screw type trigger stop had them removed by armorers.

 

[snubbiefan]

That trigger-stop pin is one I don't mind losing. I have guns in the same family and some do and some don't have them. Either left out at the factory, lost by some previous owner, or thrown away on purpose. I certainly never doubt another persons word, but I have never had a lazy trigger (one that would not return at all) with the lighter rebound spring.

I tried as hard as humanly possible to make the Taurus revolvers work. The older ones are pretty good shooters, but most of the new ones need work right out of the box. This is where I learned a very important thing. DON'T overlook possible trigger, hammer, or rebound slide rubs, especially in a new or little fired gun. I rarely purchase a new gun anymore. When I do, the first thing I usually do is gut it and start polishing-out rubs. It's not something common only to a Taurus. Before a spring change....dry fire (or shoot it a bit) and then crack it open and look for the trails. Polish it up, then re-spring it. Craftsmanship simply is not what it use to be.

 

[slickracer]

I've used 13lb rebound springs with Wolff standard power mainsprings will great results in my 17-9 and 17-6. No misfires after several hundred rounds. Trigger return is just fine.

 

[*chris*]

I am 50/50 on the wolff reduced power mainspring in 617s. My first 617 well worn 6" model worked perfectly with the reduced power mainspring and the 13 pound rebound spring. My near NIB 617 no dash is having 30% FTF with the same box of ammo and same spring kit. I am going to try the set screw trick soon.

Chris

 

[dentkimterry]

There is an excellent comment on this subject by member stainz in this thread. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...rk-gunsmith-recommendation.html#post136421181
I did this to my 617 and it is absolutely excellent with no failures to fire.

 

[SweetMK]

If light strikes, slow lock time, etc,,,,,,,, are a concern with the 617, why has no one mentioned the "fix" that is used on the Ruger MKII hammer?

Simply lighten the hammer.

Anyone have an EDM machine??