Can someone please explain what exactly a floating hand is, and is having a floating hand problematic to handgun reliability? I have a 686-3 and I am curious to find out if this model has the floating hand. Now everyone does realize the floating hand is the revolver part, not the fact that my hand does float on target, wish I could fix that.
Floating Hand
- Thread starter Bodyguard
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The floating hand is a hand that is not solidly attached to the pin that inserts into the trigger, sometimes you can remove the hand from the pin. It is meant to wiggle a little, apparently to fit in the hand slot in the frame better. I have found them in guns made in the late '80's and early '90s'. Every gun I have had or handled, works has a better double action with the regular hand than the floating hand. If you shoot only single action, or rarely double action, it probably will make no difference. The 686-3 may fit in the time frame of the floating hand.
Instead of a solid pin in the hand that goes into the trigger, it is 'riveted' into the trigger and the pivot is in the hand.
…...........Floating…….................................................….Regular…...........
Hmm. I don't know. The 686-3 is the same time frame and has the other engineering changes that the Model 19-6/66-3 had but, there is no mention of a floating hand. Not having one I can pull apart and check, I don't know. Maybe the L-frames didn't have floating hands. The N-frames did so why wouldn't the L's?
Practice, practice, practice.
I missed that one. 1986 - radius stud, floating hand.
I wonder if it got replaced with a standard hand for the -2 or if the floating hands made it until they changed the extractor in 1993 (-4) like the other models.
I wonder if it got replaced with a standard hand for the -2 or if the floating hands made it until they changed the extractor in 1993 (-4) like the other models.
Thanks for the help everyone, but I was wrong. My 686 is a CS-1 that I purchased a few months ago from a fellow member. Being a CS-1 it is either a no dash or dash 1. What prompted the question was when I was looking for information on these pistols, and did a search, I read that a fellow that owned one sold it off ASAP because of the floating hand. However I don't think this was a reason for alarm, because the price of CS-1's is going up everyday. Thanks again, if their are any other opinions please let me know.
New hands are pretty cheap, and replacing a floating hand is not difficult as long as you have the right size. Selling a gun just because it has a floating hand seems, well, impulsive.
Acrobat
Member
Replacing a floating hand
I just picked up a 25-3 Model of 1989 that has the floating hand. This confused me at first since I’d never seen one before and it looked like a bad repair from kitchen table gun smith -- but it is exactly like snw19_357’s pictures.
The lock-up is great but the trigger stacks as the cylinder locks up like a Colt making the double action unsatisfactory for competition.
To eliminate the floating hand, do I need to buy a new trigger and a new hand? The “bushing in the trigger looks like a common roll pin but I’m wondering if it’s diameter is the same as a standard hand – it looks bigger.
I’d appreciate a little help from anyone who has done this conversion.
I just picked up a 25-3 Model of 1989 that has the floating hand. This confused me at first since I’d never seen one before and it looked like a bad repair from kitchen table gun smith -- but it is exactly like snw19_357’s pictures.
The lock-up is great but the trigger stacks as the cylinder locks up like a Colt making the double action unsatisfactory for competition.
To eliminate the floating hand, do I need to buy a new trigger and a new hand? The “bushing in the trigger looks like a common roll pin but I’m wondering if it’s diameter is the same as a standard hand – it looks bigger.
I’d appreciate a little help from anyone who has done this conversion.
You would need a new trigger and hand.
The "bushing" is a rivet that goes through the hand and into the trigger, almost like the hammer nose.
Every floating hand I have replaced just be driving out the stud and replacing with the regular hand. Never needed to replace the trigger. The trick is getting the right size hand. Generally you can use the same size as the floating hand. It depends on how well the floating hand timed!
Thanks! I didn't know that.
Acrobat
Member
Night Owl,
Does that mean that the replacement hand will fit into the bushing or that you need to remove the bushing?
The floating hand times perfectly. My only comnplaint is the stacking at the end of the DA trigger pull.
So, I can just measure the hand and order one from S&W?
Does that mean that the replacement hand will fit into the bushing or that you need to remove the bushing?
The floating hand times perfectly. My only comnplaint is the stacking at the end of the DA trigger pull.
So, I can just measure the hand and order one from S&W?
Last edited:
flintsghost
Member
Some of the CS1's do have a floating hand. The floating hand is also part of the -3 engineering change in 66's and in the 625's. I have all three. They all have it. It's not a big deal and you can change out the floating hand easily if it bothers you. All you need is an oversized hand a thousands or two larger than the floating version. Either you punch out the rivet for the floating hand and install the normal hand or get another trigger and install the standard hand on the replacement trigger. I have done it both ways.
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