I have had my 642-1 for around 20 years now. It has spent most of that time as a safe queen. Very little use, probably under 500 rounds fired.
Not a real easy gun to learn. I know as a fact. At least for me.
I've pulled it out of the safe, spent a good bit of time with it at the range and have decided to make it my pocket carry. I've gotten pretty good with it but still trying to get better.
I see where some say they have done a trigger upgrade to help improve accuracy. And, several sites that offer springs and kits to reduce trigger weight from 10lbs down to 71/2 lps +-. Aplex Tactical upgrade kit, rebound spring, main spring and firing pin for$30.
I also see where some say it does not help at all. That the factory springs are optimal for the gun.
So, just wondering. Has anyone done a upgrade on a j frame? Is it worth the effort?

I changed the springs on 3 J frames using Wolff springs, and they did make a difference. Mainspring, rebound slide spring.

I have been happy with the revolver kits from Wilson combat

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M*CARBO also has springs for J Frames. I've used their CZ spring kits with great success.

I HAVE USED THE APEX KITS A LOT. OR THERE ARE OTHER KITS AVAILABLE FROM BROWNELLS. JP

The Apex kit will help smooth out your trigger. I've used them on several J's and they are dependable and work as advertised. I've also used the Wolff and they work fine but I think the Apex are just a bit smoother.

I have a 1962 vintage Sock Drawer Special model 36. As purchased it was quite evident that it had never been fired and the only defect was some tiny rust spots due to all those years spent under a pile of socks. Trigger pulll can only be estimated as I don't have a trigger gauge that goes to 20 lbs. but it was very heavy, probably in the range of 15 lbs. It also featured razor sharp serrations that left me bleeding after 3 cylinders fired.

Got home after that outing and got on the Brownell's web site where I ordered a Wolff Mainspring and a12 lbs. rebound spring. After installation the trigger pull checked in at 9 lbs. 4 ounces per my Lyman Digital. I also pulled the trigger and spent some time smoothing down those serrations on the trigger. Finally the original tiny grips are now stored in the box for the big ugly Hogue rubber grips now mounted to the gun.

Guess I get to be the contrarian, again. I am not a fan of reduced power springs in a firearm that is intended for the critical use of self-defense. This in not where you want a light trigger pull that a prosecutor might use against you in a court room nor do you want to be in a defensive situation only to pull the trigger and all you get is "click".

Since you said this revolver has been a safe queen for 20 or so years, it should be thoroughly cleaned to remove old, gummy lubricant and then given a proper lubrication. That alone might improve the trigger. Beyond that, dry firing and live firing will smooth out the trigger pull.

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Contrarian is good. Please point me in the direction of one self defense case that was decided based on the concept of "too light of a trigger pull".

One other aspect of changing to a lighter spring set is having a strong enough rebound spring to return the trigger for a fast second shot. The Apex kit has been dead solid reliable for me. What ever the OP decides to do, it is very important that he put a few hundred rounds through the gun to make sure everything is working before carrying it.

I'm not an attorney nor a spokesperson for an attorney, so I cannot cite a case, but we currently live in a brave, new world.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

And therein lies the rub. This kind of idea comes up on the interweb and gets repeated and repeated and after a while, becomes a fact that controls how people go about their business. When in reality, it's really just wives tales. The same thing goes for using reloads or hollow point ammo or whatever else you can think of. The bottom line if you get into a shooting will be, were you justified in using deadly force? If you were, it won't matter. If you were not, it won't matter. What kind of springs you had in your gun or what kind of ammo you use is not going to change weather or not your application of force is justified.

Thanks Guys. I appreciate all replies. Including the "Contrarians". Someone once said "Contrarians" make the world go around. Or was it, "Contrarians" make the world wobble?
I still haven't decided if I will do the upgrade. If I do, I will post the results here.
I do see where S&W says any non-gunsmith adjustments to the gun will void the lifetime warranty.

A change is not necessarily an upgrade. Everything considered, I'm not not sure that anyone upgrades a Smith & Wesson revolver, although perhaps Austin Behlert came close (would have come closer if he had left the hammer block in).

I have seen some changes that were not upgrades, and heard of more.

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Formerly Model520Fan

What kind of 'gunsmith?' The majority of 'gunsmiths' today probably couldn't find the grip screw.

Many who call themselves 'gunsmiths' are assemblers. They consider that putting together the various parts of an AR 15 entitles them to call themselves a 'gunsmith.'

I worked on my S&W M49 50 years ago to smooth the action and reduce the apparent trigger pull. It's still working today. Smoother than any new S&W.

Learn to do your own gun work. It's not difficult and with patience, study, and proper tools there's very little you can't do yourself.

Otherwise find an established gunsmith whose CV qualifies them to make that legitimate claim. There are few out there who qualify.

Good luck.

Couldn't agree more! ESPECIALLY on a SD / EDC / CCW gun. I am no stranger to tweaking a Range or competition revolver but my M60-7 which was my EDC for 42 years (prior to replacing that with a Sig P365, 4 years ago) remained Factory. If ever needed to save my or someone else's life ,I always wanted 100% certainty it would work. Not to even mention what a prosecuting Lawyer would have to say about it. Just my opinion - YMMV

If a lighter trigger pull allows you to make more accurate shots more quickly while maintaininf reliability without making the gun unsafe then I do not see an issue with it.

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Not that it's just, but a prosecutor would use that against you to "show" you made your gun an easier tool to kill with. Yes, I know it is stupid - but that is precisely what they do now days.

The other thing that no one mentioned here is this..... A small framed gun always is harder to fire smoothly than a larger framed gun with the same trigger pull weight - at least to me. So even if a J Frame trigger pull isn't appreciably heavier than a K Frame it certainly might give the impression of being so. Not only that but I'd also think that the lighter and smaller J Frame Hammer would need a little bit more force to reliably set off a primer. In order to lighten up a small J Frame that might be sacrificed.

If the self-defense action meets the 5 elements of a justified action, trigger pull won't matter.

If the self-defense action fails to meet the 5 elements of a justified action, it still won't matter.

Too many shooters haven't a clue about what constitutes a justified claim of self-defense.

It's easy to learn, but many shooters will not take the time to study and actually know which leads to many myths and misconceptions.

You could be correct - I am not a Lawyer and can't say for certain. I can only base my opinion on what I read and see on the news. Today's court proceedings and rulings seem to be bases as much on propaganda by the MSM and such as they are by the facts. Who is in power at the time has much to do with the results as well. Today, public opinion sometimes means more than what is right or wrong. I think we have all realized what they call an assault weapon does not and never has fit the criteria of what it really is by definition. Does that matter to a jury or a judge?

To to OP:

Yes & yes, to almost all my S&W & Taurus revolvers.

Do it yourself. You will learn a lot. You will learn not to fear the revolver and its guts.

1. Buy a good gunsmith screwdriver kit (or the old Smith & Wesson driver & bit package from Brownells...but get the bigger kit so you can work on other guns).

2. There are PLENTY of videos on yootoob showing how to install spring kits and hone surfaces s m o o t h. Midway USA, Miculek, ohters. (If you want to do the latter, amazon has super-cheap stoning kits).

3. Don't be afraid to start light (spring-wise), test for function, and repeat until your revolver lights off the ammo you want it to light off. Test/feel for good rebound, too.

I have always used Wolff spring kits to dial in what I want, but others have sucess with competing kits.

Good luck.

I hated the feel of the spring kit, and have stuck with stock since then (on 5 different J’s). But I know other people like them, they’re cheap, and reversible. Don’t hurt to give it a try.

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If you know what you're doing you can polish the action in the right spots and never need to change the springs.

Very often, people complain about the trigger pull weight when it's actually the smoothness that's lacking.

Making it smoother makes the trigger pull feel less heavy.

Yes, I'm on the carefully polish bandwagon and then shoot another 500 rounds - or dryfire. You will be surprised one day to wake up and think "Hey, this feels great!"

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

Proper polishing can work wonders for a double action revolver and when done properly, does not affect function nor safety.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I would consider polishing. But, I have not found a gunsmith anywhere near me and I expect the cost would be high if I did manage to find one.

If you're willing to learn,and have the simplest tools, it's an easy job. You take your time, polish, refit, and test.

A simple polish job is within anyone's capability with the right attitude.

Plus, there's a dearth of 'gunsmiths' who actually know how to do simple jobs. The guy at the LGS who claims to be a 'gunsmith' because he can change grips on a revolver is not to be trusted.

Polishing the double action surfaces is fairly easy to do, it's the single action engagement surfaces that usually get people into trouble.

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I don't think I'm going to do a polish job. I was thinking of using a little dab of Flitz "Non-abrasive" on contact surfaces when I go in to clean and oil. . I used Flitz on a Taurus g3c that just could not get a round into the chamber. Since over a 1000 rounds without a single fail.

Smoothing the sliding surfaces is an easy job, and won't hurt ANYTHING. The main place to avoid polishing or smoothing is the sear and hammer surfaces where they mate up. That requires expertise that most of us simply do not have.

I use a medium Norton India stone to simply take off any high spots from the hammer sides and rebound slide sides and bottom.

Smooth the high spots on the flat side of the hammer shown facing you in the photo, and on the flat side opposite.

Smith & Wesson J-Frame Hammer, Enclosed: MGW

Smooth the sides and the bottom of the rebound side as well.

Rebound Slide Assembly, J Frame, Mis-Machined | Gun Parts Corp.

I decided to take a look inside to see if everything was in good working order or it needed a good cleaning.
I pulled the cylinder and found the shaft it rides on was a little grungy. Not bad, but could use a cleaning. A little ballistol on a pad cleaned it up nice. Lubed it up with some ewg and put it back. Took the side plate off to check out the trigger works. To my surprise it was pretty dang clean. At least for a 23 year old gun. Still had plenty of oil where it needed to be. All those years and there was still factory oil in there. And, it looked clear and clean.
Everything looked real good so I just soaked up some of the old oil on a pad and cleaned around the edges. A few drops of Hopp's Elite oil " probably a little too much" and put the side plate back on.
Sitting there dry firing a few minutes I decided I'm not going to do a trigger job. I actually liked the feel just the way it is.

I have never heard of this being used in a case. Can you post a link to a case where this happened? I would like to read about it.

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What cases are you referring to?

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My model 642's trigger was not pleasant...I installed the Apex kit and, although I can't tell you the actual trigger pull as I don't have a way to measure, I have been very satisfied with it. Going into it I was apprehensive about reliability as this was going to be, and is, a carry gun. Now I have close to 800 rounds through the revolver and there hasn't been a single time I've pulled the trigger and it didn't go boom.

If you install any spring kits or do any trigger modifications put some rounds through it, put a lot of rounds through it!

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Life Member GOA and NRA

As long as you don't change the gun frame itself, there's no reason why s&w wouldn't warranty it. I have to remove any non factory upgrades from my sent in revolvers. Stuff like aftermarket springs can get replaced while they have it as it doesn't meet factory specs with a six pound trigger pull.

I believe Mas Ayoob wrote an article on this topic awhile ago, although at my age the memory ain’t what it used to be. That said I don’t modify any carry gun beyond changing the grips to accommodate my big hands. To each their own . . .

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

The 642 (Airweight) has an outstanding and smooth trigger pull right out of the box. It is heavy however. Two items that will make a big difference (and kept me from selling mine) are as follows:
1. Get a new set of Hogue grips. Yeah they are bigger however they cover the back strap with a slight space that makes the rubber "give" a bit and takes all the sting and snappiness away. The grip also positions your trigger finger on the trigger better and gives the feeling of a lighter pull.
2. Most of the blame for the heavier trigger pull goes to the trigger return spring. I believe it is 19# from the factory. I replaced mine with a 14# spring and "wow" what a difference. Trigger pull is now 9.5# average and since I did not replace the hammer spring, I have no worries about light primer strikes.
I also almost sold the pistol because I could only get through half a box of standard .38 Special (approx. 25 rounds) before the web of my hand hurt so much I was done for the day. With the Hogue grip I can shoot the pistol all day, any .38 Special. The 9.5# trigger pull helped with double action shooting with respect to accuracy.

Yes the rebound spring can make a big difference. Doing this without reducing the mainspring will lower the trigger pull without compromising the primer ignition. The trick is getting a smooth reliable rebound with the lighter springs. There was a thread on the Brian Enos forum about polishing the rebound spring housing and the mating part on the hammer. It has worked well for me but like anything else so it at your own risk. On the below link check out the post by "toolguy".
Miculek trigger rebound - Revolver Forum - Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

I've had many J-frame .38s over more than fifty years. I've learned to shoot these guns as they come from the box, unmolested including the factory stocks. All have been 100% reliable. If you shoot them enough to improve your shooting skills (that's a lot of shooting for many of us) you become accustomed to them as is, or at least that has been my experience.

You'll find these guns shoot surprisingly well, even at twenty-five yards, but it takes practice and a spring change won't make you a good shooter. "Upgrades" as someone already mentioned aren't necessarily improvements, they are often changes only and may really be "downgrades". Shoot the J-frames as they are, at least at first. When you see an improvement in shooting skills, ask yourself if you need that spring "upgrade". You'll likely decide against it.

As for the Internet quasi-lawyers and gunfighting theorists and their cautious outlook on springs, etc., they need something to obsess over to feel normal. Accept these folks as they are; they're harmless, but I'm not sure about their advice.

I usually order these for .38/.357 (.22's use a different kit):

Wolff Shooter's Spring Pack S&W J-Frame Reduced Power from MidwayUSA

You get an 8 lb. Hammer Spring (Factory is 8.5 lbs. per Wolff) Although my early 80's model 60 seemed heavier than an 8.5 lb.

And a 13, 14, 15 lb. rebound Spring (Factory is 18 lbs. per Wolff)

I usually use the 14 lb. rebound and 8 lb. hammer. I than verify my gun works reliably with whatever ammo I'm going to be using.

You can also stone out some of the rough edges of the action if you have the skill set.

This should lighten and smooth the action out without losing reliability. But all guns can be different (why you need to test your ammo for reliability).

I don't know if it was already posted, but here's Jerry's Video on the subject you can also order from MidwayUSA.

Gun Video "Trigger Job: Complete Action Tuning for S&W Revolvers with Jerry Miculek" DVD

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