A female friend showed me her new (to her) 638-3, which she bought in a pawn shop. She is a non-shooter, and recoil averse. I know, poor choice for a home defense gun. Too late to fix that now. I just put some Pachmyer grips on for her, which will help a bit with recoil. I think the more serious problem is the springs. The hammer is so tough to move in the SA mode, that it takes me both hands to cock it. In DA mode, I would have to estimate over 15 pounds to operate. I have given the gun a thorough cleaning, and taken off the side plate (carefully) just to see if there was an obvious burr or other obstruction. Nothing noted.

BTW, I've now dry-fired at least 200 times, in a effort to loosen it up. Some improvement, but slight.

Should I buy a Wolff springs package and replace all the springs? Should I send it in to S&W for an evaluation? Perhaps a local smith? If I buy the Wolff package, what kind of a job am I signing up for? I an OK with tools, but do not call myself a gunsmith by any means.

I'm taking it to the range this weekend to see if it shoots. Really don't want to return her gun in a box full of parts, so I'd rather not start a job I can't finish. Opinions appreciated.