I recently purchased a S&W model of 1905 in caliber 32-20, circa 1916. The more I play with it the harder the trigger pull in DA. I lubed it up with no improvement. I loosened up the strain screw with no help in SA. My next move is a 2 week soak in transoil and see where that takes me. The hammer seems really heard to pull back in SA. I'm use to a S&W with a silk action especially a gun of this vintage. Mainspring seems way to tight. Any suggestions?

Two thoughts:

Have you tried it with the cylinder open to isolate the moving parts?

Is the mainspring original? I ran into an issue with a replacement mainspring where the hooks were too long and would bind against the hammer as the action was cycled.

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SWCA #3942 / SWHF #988

I second this hypothesis. Had that exact thing happen to me.

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213th FBINA

The mainspring does look new from what I can see of it. This very idea crossed my mind. I will go into my parts stash and locate a good used one and see if it changes the dynamics. I appreciate your response, will let you know what happens.

Without a peek inside you are just guessing - on a 100+ year old gun! It would be prudent to see what is going on inside, see how dirty, gummed up and congealed the old oil is. If a proper cleaning and lube doesn't solve your issue at least you will be able to diagnose the problem. If you are not experienced in doing this, a LGS should be able to help.

Just guessing and throwing things at it won't really solve the problems. You really need to see what issues there are.

There are some good YouTube videos out there on how to dis-sassemble and re-assemble Smith & Wesson revolvers.

Here are a few pictures that may help with what to look for if the spring has been replaced. No guarantees until we get a look inside, but it's a place to start.

The first picture shows the difference between the hooks on an OE spring from an N-frame 2nd Model and a modern Wolff replacement. The second pictures shows the area of interference, the third picture shows the modified hooks after fitting the new spring.

Attached Images

	OE vs Wolff mainspring hooks.jpg (83.7 KB, 29 views)
	Unmodified Wolff hook interference.jpg (72.0 KB, 32 views)
	Modified Wolff spring hooks.jpg (162.9 KB, 31 views)

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SWCA #3942 / SWHF #988

If the strain screw is too loose the mainspring claw will contact the back of the hammer.

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Richard

I went thru my parts box and found two mainsprings. I took out the one in the gun and replaced it with one from the box and got about a 10% improvement. There was no sign of binding on or around the hook. The gun has soaked for about 4 days in transmission oil but it made little difference. It looks clean. SA is still a bit difficult, mostly stiff. Will keep working with it.