problem-reassymble s-w 5946

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haycreek

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After assembly, the trigger pull fails to cock and fire the pistol. If I manually partial cock the hammer, the trigger will complete the hammer cock and fire.
The trigger bar is failing to catch the hammer. Your help is appreciated. I'm not a novice, but this has me stumped.
 
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The DAO guns operate a little different, and there are some distinct parts differences between the older 3rd gen DAO's (machined parts) and the "TSW era" DAO's (MIM).

When you say "reassemble", do you mean you disassembled the frame? Not just a normal field-strip?

The tip about checking the proper placement of the sear tail (in front/forward of the sear spring) is a good first question. ;)

If your 5946 came with the older machined parts, are you still using the original older machined DAO parts? No substitutions of trigger, sear or hammer with newer MIM parts? Not trying to mix older machined & MIM parts? (That will NOT work.)

The DAO hammer can't be "located" (staged, partially cocked) by the sear nose if you've mixed machined and MIM parts. They have different designs.

Did the disconnector get installed right? In the DAO guns it must be installed before the drawbar is installed and connected to the trigger, which is opposite of the TDA models.

Just a couple quick thoughts. Don't have time to stick around. Sorry.
 
one of the older version 5946, the disconnector is installed correctly, reassymbly is with the original parts. [I replaced the trigger return spring}
The sear tail is in front of the sear spring. When the trigger is pulled, it fails to catch and cock the hammer.
Sorry that I left a day or two, and was slow to answer.
Thank you both.
 
Just to double check the obvious ... (I apologize for not thinking to confirm it before my previous post) ...

But before you tried to pull the trigger and dry-fire the empty 3rd gen DAO, you did manually cycle the slide (retract & release to go forward) in order to "locate" the sear nose under the hammer, right? That's how the DAO guns are designed to function.

The slide has to be manually cycled, like happens when chambering the gun, before the mechanism of the DAO trigger/hammer will be staged and ready to "fire" with a DAO trigger press.

You're not just trying to pull the trigger in an "uncocked" DAO, right?

Did the gun function normally before you disassembled it? (Had to ask, instead of assuming.)

Did you acquire the gun used? If so, are the DAO parts all machined, and not MIM? (Meaning hammer, sear and trigger.)

Even if the trigger is machined carbon steel, if the gun was picked up used, does the trigger have that unique "D" shape on the back of it that's particular to the DAO guns?

The 3rd gen machined (flash-chromed) DAO trigger is marked (with ink) DA in this pic. It's between a pair of regular TDA triggers. See the rounded shape on the back of the trigger of the DAO trigger, compared to the pointed shape of the TDA triggers?
 
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Funny, the DAO hammer not being pre-staged by the slide was the first thing I thought of. (Operator unfamiliarity?)

But it could not have been that simple, could it?

John
 
JohnHL said:
Funny, the DAO hammer not being pre-staged by the slide was the first thing I thought of. (Operator unfamiliarity?)

But it could not have been that simple, could it?

John
Click to expand...

Me too. Might be. Dunno. Thought I'd at least ask.

I've had people bring me guns with other simple unknowing owner-induced "problems". That's why I'd mention it.

It's not surprising that some folks wouldn't know how the S&W DAO functions.

When the DAO gun is charged (slide cycled), the DAO hammer is "located" to the rear by the sear, and the sear nose engages the hammer's "location notch". This rotates the hammer's "throw notch" forward so it be engaged by the drawbar's corresponding notch at the tail. Then, when the trigger is pulled (pulling the drawbar forward), the drawbar completes the rearward rotation of the DAO hammer until the hammer cams off the drawbar's tail and is then free to fall forward. The cycling of the slide (in the recoil cycle) sets up the sear, hammer & drawbar to be ready for another, subsequent DAO trigger pull to fire the gun again, if desired.
 
I appreciate your help Fastbolt, and others, I've been away from my workbeach and apologize for being slow to respond. I'll double check the slide movement and report back. Thank you.
 
Regarding the 5946, I purchased it a few years ago from CDNN, it and a S-W 4053 were both NEW issued. Really proud of both.
 
haycreek said:
Regarding the 5946, I purchased it a few years ago from CDNN, it and a S-W 4053 were both NEW issued. Really proud of both.
Click to expand...

If you suspect either a owner/error in assembly, or an actual mechanical problem with the gun, why not give Frank a call at LSG, in Comanche TX? I think his shop is only about an hour and a half from you?

I don't know the gentleman, personally, but he operated a factory authorized warranty station for S&W for many years and has always enjoyed a good reputation among forum members.

LSG, Mfg|Gun Parts|Warranty|Gunsmithing
 
Frank is a friend of mine, he has kidney failure, and a short time remaining.he is trying to catch up his backlog on custom rifles, with the help of another gunsmith friend. He is a fine person and excellent gunsmith. I visited him not long ago.
The pistol's only problem is that I am missing seeing something. It's been a couple weeks since I looked at the pistol, I believe that I operated the slide, but maybe not, that will be the next thing I check, thanks again.
 
haycreek said:
Frank is a friend of mine, he has kidney failure, and a short time remaining.he is trying to catch up his backlog on custom rifles, with the help of another gunsmith friend. He is a fine person and excellent gunsmith. I visited him not long ago.
The pistol's only problem is that I am missing seeing something. It's been a couple weeks since I looked at the pistol, I believe that I operated the slide, but maybe not, that will be the next thing I check, thanks again.
Click to expand...

Damn. I'm very sad to hear that, even though I never had the pleasure to meet him. We're experiencing the passing of a generation of such folks.

Perhaps it's partly due to the fact that one of my longtime friends recently passed of complications from a long running illness, at what ought to have been a relatively young 76 years of age.

He originally hired me as a firearms instructor and later sent me to my first armorer class (for the 3rd gen Smith's, as a matter of fact), and then mentored me for many years as a younger armorer. I miss him damned near everyday, and think of him virtually every time I stand out at my bench. (I was given a lot of his tools, gun parts and leather working materials by his widow, which probably helps continue the association when I walk out to my bench.) Every time I visit the range where we worked together I can't help but remember him, too.
 
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