A couple two or three weeks ago, I acquired a long coveted item; A S&W 327 M&P R8. It’s a neat gun overall, but the action is insufferable. Already polished the DA sear areas and a couple friction surfaces (I really don’t even care about the single action) installed a 12 trigger return spring, installed a Power Custom extended firing pin, tried to see if I could shorten the strain screw, and found out the answer was no…the gun would not fire if it was backed out so much as ¼ of a turn.

I’ve had it on three outings now, none of which the gun has jibed with me, and the action has not come around for me. Something significantneeds to happen, so…

I’m debating the aftermarket custom parts. TK Custom, Apex Tactical, and of course, the Rev Up action kit. To be clear on my objectives, I’m using it in steel challenge, but I am not by any measure a top level competitor. This revolver is a tool, first and foremost and I want it to fire most any primer I happen to stuff into the cylinder. (We'll name CCI, for the sake of brevity) If the DA trigger pull never leaves the double digits, that’s okay. As long as it’s smooth and in the lower double digits. I’m lacking the experience of y’all, so I was hoping I could partake of your thoughts and knowledge in the matter.

The Rev-Up kit is exciting. It’s the only kit that shows an actual change in geometry, and the fifteen second videos speak for themselves. Warren has been very transparent, honest, and plain spoken regarding various questions and expectations. Of all these considerations, he’s the only one I’ve personally been able to communicate with….and that’s cool. I like the idea of likely being the only kid in Alaska with one installed. I really do see it as a change in revolver technology that may expand in the future. I think that’s a neat thought. Downside is that it’s almost $100 more than the other contenders, and it’s comparatively new technology. Yes…the new technology is both an asset and a liability to me. Really, this is the option I’m liking the most. With the different way it operates, I am however concerned with regards to whether it’s going to become a completely foreign action when compared to all my other revolvers.

Apex Tactical and TK Custom have both been around since God was a kid playing in the dirt. They’ve both got a tried and true reputation using time proven methods. Excellent metallurgy, precise fit, and excellent polish. My concern is that I am having a tough time wrapping my mind around them doing anything significantly different than the existing hammer, if I were to have it bobbed. Remember, I’m just a common dude…Not a top tier competitor or an Connoisseur of triggers. The Apex just looks very, very nice and is well reviewed. TK Custom looks nice too, and I like that I can easily add a trigger, rebound slide, cylinder stop, etc. Though I do realize that if it were to hit that level, I might as well just send the gun in.

As previously stated, I am most attracted to the Rev-Up package, but I really wanna take a long, hard look before I part with that much hard earned money. Afterall, that’s nearly 3K bullets for improving myself…
If y’all would care to share your thoughts and considerations with regards to where I should throw my hard earned few dollars, I would sure appreciate it!

I’m not a DIY guy where triggers are involved.

Instead of buying a bunch of parts, hoping they’ll actually work, I’d locate a good gunsmith and let him fix the trigger. Discuss what you want to accomplish, how he’d approach the job and the parameters of the job including cost and time to completion.

You’ll enjoy working with a gunsmith on your project.

It’s tough to know what you’re capable of without knowing you have capable equipment. I like the idea of getting the best equipment I can get, usually by seeing what others are using who are doing well, and then go from there knowing whatever is left is me, not the gun or gear.

It's been a week or so since I've posted this thread. There have been some developments since. I don't think anyone is currently tracking this, but some day, somebody will have the same issues as me, and perhaps something useful can pop up on the search feature for them.

So...I spent a fair bit of time on the Youtubes and learning more. Definitely some hacksaw commandos out there, but some really good stuff too. I cracked into it, and polished the double action up to 8K grit, rounded some sharp edges, and got it MUCH smoother than it had been.

I also learned details about hammers. I'm a heavy is good kinda person. If shooting a moose, heavy bullets are my friend. If splitting logs, a heavy bit is my friend. However...in relation to a revolver hammer, heavy is not my friend. Heavier means slower acceleration with the same spring within a very short distance of travel. In my own redneck analogy, I consider whether a V8 motor is trying to move a 3/4 ton pick up, or a sports car...

So, I felt brave and bobbed my factory hammer. This MIM stuff is inneresting. It polished up pretty decently on the back, where I had removed the hammer spur, but the sides would not clean up for nuthin'. Additionally, you can clearly see the seams where two parts were molded into one. Not super attractive, but...the surface is smooth, and somewhere in the process the trigger pull got lighter, and significantly smoother.

Now, I can see where the TK Custom and Apex hammers have their advantage...They are much lighter, requiring less energy/ spring tension to accelerate. Initially, the hammer could ignite Remington and Winchester primers, but the strain screw needed to be in all the way.

After bobbing the hammer, I primed 100 cases with CCI primers and played with the strain screw. I was able to unscrew it 3/4 of a turn and still reliably ignite CCI primed cases that were fed into the gun without a moon clip. This being a working gun at the end of the day, I screwed it all the way back in to account for the coldest of days and generally bad luck, but it is very confidence inspiring so far.

I still have other revolvers with better actions, but I have gotten this one to the level of "pretty darn good" with my own ten thumbs. If I shoot poorly in my next event, I will know the problem is not necessarily in the action, but the nut behind the trigger.

Still gunna get the premium parts in it some time but my budget is limited. That currently needs to go towards 2K or so bullets instead. Unfortunately, the fanciest revolver out there is a paperweight if I ain't got nuthin' to put in it.

As I post this, I just came in from putting 150 rounds or so through it. It was a balmy 20 degrees or so, but the 25-35 MPH winds that hurt my fingers, blew out my heater, and kept knocking the target hangers down kinda sucked alot of fun out of a range trip, but....

Smoother action, 5" bbl. Came together to produce a practical accuracy that had not been previously attainable. At 17 yards it clearly (finally!) out shot my shorter barreled 627 and a Model 65 revolver that has been a workhorse for a good while.

It's taken some doing, but the 327 and I are finally on really good terms.