686+ disappointment

[iPac]

Really? Come on you guys... an 8 lb. DA trigger will set off any primer out there if everything else is mechanically as it should be. All my S&W revos (more than 2 dozen) are totally reliable at 6 - 6.5 lb. with Federal primers. This does not count the rimfires, they require a heavier hammer fall. A 7 lb. trigger should be 100% with Federal and Winchester.

The OP may have some endshake or a short firing pin or something else. No way to tell without seeing that particular gun.

I was just thinking the same thing, and was astonished how many people are completely comfortable with 12#+ DA trigger pulls. That is just absurd to me.

Is that the norm with S&W actions? I only have 2 Smiths, a 17-4 and a 629-2E. The rest are Colts and don't even come close to 9#.

My 629 had what I would estimate almost 14# DA pull. I say that because my Lyman only goes to 12# and it maxed out well before it could break. I went and installed an 11# rebound spring and modded the strain screw to lighten the mainspring enough that the trigger would rebound, which brought it down to a 9# pull. It shoots flawlessly and fires any primer in it.

Like above, it could even be lower to 6#-7# and should fire reliably. Something else is at play here most likely.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Ok, now that you've got it running reliably, it's not hard to reduce the trigger pull down by a couple of pounds without fear of light strikes. This is done by replacing the factory trigger return spring with a 13 or 14# unit (but leaving the main/hammer spring bone stock).
While your in there, a little polishing of the rebound slide might gain you another 1/2 #.
It's not hard, requires no special tools and costs less than $10 .

 

[rbmorse]

If I'm not mistaken, do not dry fire with the extended firing pin installed without using snap caps. They should state in their instructions if this is still so.

Doc, why is this?

Not arguing...I've heeded the warning and use snap caps since I installed a long firing pin in my 986, but I'd appreciate it if someone could explain why they're needed.

 

[DocGlock]

Doc, why is this?

Not arguing...I've heeded the warning and use snap caps since I installed a long firing pin in my 986, but I'd appreciate it if someone could explain why they're needed.

I don't know if it's maybe more brittle from the hardening process, or what it's made of, or something else. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of this will chime in.

 

[RevUp_Action]

Sometimes the extended firing pins have the flat on the FP cut too far back. This allows the FP to go too far forward. This in turn can damage the FP return spring or sometimes cause the FP to break.

 

[BUFF]

I can't see it would make any difference. The firing pin of a centerfire revolver doesn't hit anything when the chambers are empty.

 

[rwsmith]

Smith and Wesson.....

Doc, why is this?

Not arguing...I've heeded the warning and use snap caps since I installed a long firing pin in my 986, but I'd appreciate it if someone could explain why they're needed.

Smith and Wesson states that all of their revolvers can be dry fired and therefore need no snap caps. Now, modified guns I can't speak for.

 

[rwsmith]

You got it. Practice.

I

I can also see clearly the need to practice more as the bullets seem to take on an independent sense of direction past 15 yards or so. Still shooting left a bit. I adjusted the sights a tad, but I think I'm just not shooting DA all that well. The trigger pull at 12# doesn't seem too bad now, after shooting it today. I guess I'd like to see it tuned a bit, but will wait until I've shot it some more.

It's not unusual at all to need more practice shooting DA. Practice dry firing in the house and make sure the gun doesn't move throughout the trigger pull. Make your trigger finger work independently of any other part of your hand. This is fast and cheap, can be done anytime and is one of the best drills for steadying up a DA gun.

 

[rbmorse]

^^^ this.

If you're like me you will need to do this a lot!