629 trigger help.

erickg

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I need some suggestions on my latest’s 629’s trigger. To be blunt it awful, completely unsat. My first move as with all my Smith’s was to install a set of Wolff springs. I went with type 2 mainspring and a 14 lb return. Double action pull is fine but not great. The issue lies in my single action pull which is how the revolver will be fired 99% of the time. There is what can only describe as a “catch” in the pull, squeeze the trigger come to a stop in the trigger and then resume the pull, it’s heavy, gritty and jerky. It sounds and feels different than any other Smith I’ve handled or own. Now here’s where I need help, not being a gunsmith I’m not ready to dive into buying a fixture and doing my own stoning, maybe I should? Looking for drop in options (if there are any)replace the hammer and trigger with oem parts? Or same from Power Custom? I’d prefer not to send the gun back or off to a gunsmith, I’m handy enough to do the work if that is the best route, I’m just looking for easy ideas first.
 

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Never seen a “fixture” for a s&w. You mention replacing the H & T with OEM parts? What do you have now other than Wilson springs? What was wrong with the factory springs? Any high pins in the H or T? Is the surface under the rebound smooth? Is your mainspring screw tight? Is the hand dragging? Lots to look at before installing aftermarket into a proven system.
 
Those must be some tough squirrels to need a 44 Magnum! Good shooting!

Open the cylinder and pull back the thumblatch and see how the trigger feels. If it's OK like that, then probably the hand is too wide and getting pinched between the right side of the hand window and the ratchets.

The cure for that is to get a fine grit diamond file and file the left side of the hand nose where it contacts the ratchet, to thin it down a thou. or two. Measure the starting width and check your progress often as you are filing. A lot of the new guns of all calibers are coming out with this problem now.
 
Never seen a “fixture” for a s&w. You mention replacing the H & T with OEM parts? What do you have now other than Wilson springs? What was wrong with the factory springs? Any high pins in the H or T? Is the surface under the rebound smooth? Is your mainspring screw tight? Is the hand dragging? Lots to look at before installing aftermarket into a proven system.

Maybe “fixture” was the wrong word, how bout jig? Holds triggers and hammers at the correct angle for stoning?
Nothing was wrong with the factory springs other than the heavier than preferred trigger pull they provided.
I’ll check the surface under the rebound and the hand.
 
Those must be some tough squirrels to need a 44 Magnum! Good shooting!

Open the cylinder and pull back the thumblatch and see how the trigger feels. If it's OK like that, then probably the hand is too wide and getting pinched between the right side of the hand window and the ratchets.

The cure for that is to get a fine grit diamond file and file the left side of the hand nose where it contacts the ratchet, to thin it down a thou. or two. Measure the starting width and check your progress often as you are filing. A lot of the new guns of all calibers are coming out with this problem now.

When I spend the summer shooting squirrels I find deer come fall to be easy targets 😉
Gave the open cylinder trick a try and the single action drag is still there.
 
If its a small catch I have had success smoothing triggers out by adding tension to the hammer fall with your hand and slowly working the trigger. Repeat a bunch of times. I had a 66 with a small catch in the single action and I did this over a night and now the single action is very crisp

Id also throw some oil at it in case it has not had any in awhile

If you replace the trigger theres a chance you might have to fit a new hand for correct timing. Atleast in my case for the one smith Ive replaced the trigger on
 
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I can't vouch for the practice, and it's not presented as a remedy for all issues, but a long gone armorer who had attended the S&W class in Springfield recommended first coating the trigger, hammer, rebound slide, etc. with a very mild abrasive metal polish and then working the action before taking a stone, file, etc. to anything.
 
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BOY, I am getting old,,,,,,,
THIRTY years ago ( ~1995 ) I took an evening gunsmithing class at the local high school.
(Actually, it was three semesters, )

We had about a dozen "students",, and a very skilled gunsmith teacher/instructor.

The first gun that a I tinkered with was a 4" 629,,
The instructor knew S&W's inside and out,,

He carefully showed us the parts to "correct" (mostly sorta deburr and smooth) and what to stay AWAY from.

The second gun was a Ruger MIKII,, THEN, another 4" 629,, the same treatment as the first,,

Both turned out great,, I gave one to my brother,,
He comes to "visit" when he has shot up all the reloads,, so he can use my Dillon,,

Both 629's still run fine,,
I think I could do another, if the need arose,,

Anyways,, after all that,,
I think a 629 is pretty easy to make it run great,,
You just need to learn how,,
There must be YouTube videos showing the steps??

It is worth the effort,, you will be more than satisfied if you go through the effort to learn,,

Our instructor pushed us to try things,, parts were cheap then, if we screwed something up, simply replace the part.

Watch a few videos,, open that puppy up, and find out what is wrong,,
 
Power customs makes great parts I would suggest watching some of Ron powers videos. I’m surprised the trigger is that bad almost think someone went in there and goofed it up. I also bought that S&W gunsmithing book can’t recall the name at the moment I’ll get that for you when I get home. It’s a very easy action to work on and you should be able to make it much nicer do you have any pics of the interior or parts ?
 
I’d find a non-stainless trigger and hammer on eBay.

They will probably just drop in, will clean up that nasty feel, and look awesome as well.

That’s what I did on my Boston PD Model 64-3.
 

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