Help me out: TRR8 Performance Center or 627 Pro + tuning

[matteekay]

Howdy folks, terrible ICORE/USPSA Revo shooter here looking to move to an 8-shot. These are the two I'm focused on - I like the 929 too but it seems too unreliable and I'd like to stay in the .38/.357 family.

My options would be to pick up the TRR8 and basically just drop some springs in it -or- get a 627 and use the cost difference for an action job and springs. I've done a lot of reading on both but haven't been able to find many comparison threads at all. It seems like the TRR8 might have a better action from the factory but I'm not sure that it makes up the $400+ difference...

 

[S&WIowegan]

I am a long-time competitive revolver shooter(USPSA, ICORE, IDPA, Steel) and recommend you go 627 period! It's best to get a 5" barrel model which means buying a used gun unless S&W has made some more 5". I won't go into details about TRR 8s and other lightweight revolvers except I own many and they have a number of problems for competitive shooters.

 

[matteekay]

That's exactly the kind of insight I was looking for. Thank you!

 

[gman51]

All I can speak from is my owning a 627-5 pro .357. I wasn't that happy with the OEM trigger. I thought it was to heavy. I used light oil on the trigger action and internal parts and backed off the tension spring screw. Then I dry fired it a bunch as well as hot fired. I really like this trigger now and have had no light strikes either.
Out of all my revolvers I shoot best with this gun.

 

[Neumann]

I have a TRR8 5" and a 627 PRO with a 4" barrel. The 627 PC comes with a 5" barrel and has the full PC trigger treatment.

The TRR8 is very nice shooting, and is 7 oz lighter than than the 627 PRO. The trigger is better too, breaking at 10.5 lbs in DA and 3.5 lbs SA, compared to 12.5 lbs DA in the 627. The two-piece barrel is very accurate, but will may to be re-torqued periodically. Both cylinders are cut for moon clips, but can be used with or without.

I have a 686 PC, but the trigger pull is higher, 13 lbs DA. SA is 3.5# though. The DA trigger pull is very smooth on my PC and PRO revolvers compared to standard models, with no roughness or staging. Standard SA runs 4.5 lbs to over 6.

I would judge the all-steel 627 better for high round count competition, but I really like shooting the TRR8.

 

[colt_saa]

The price difference has a lot more going for it than just an action job. The Scandium alloy is a more expensive material to make a firearm out of. Performance Center revolvers are built on Performance Center CNCs with different code than what builds a production or Pro series revolver. Tooling is changed more frequently to keep tolerances tighter. Performance Center barrels are air gauged match barrels. All this adds to the cost.

I have no idea if any of those things make a difference to you, but they do to me

The TRR8 with it's tensioned barrel is extremely accurate and it swings very nice. Mine is one of the pintos and I really like it even though I no longer shoot competition.

The 5" Performance Center 627 is a great revolver and does a fantastic job of dampening the recoil of 357 Magnum ammunition. However I bet you will not be shooting full magnums

Also if you want to shoot 9MM, you could buy a second cylinder for any 8 shot 27/327/627 revolvers that leave the factory chambered for 357 Magnum and have it rechambered.

My pinto 627 has a second cylinder chambered for 9x23 Winchester. Since a revolver firing a rimless cartridge headspaces on the moon clip instead of the case mouth, this allows the second cylinder to chamber and shoot 9x23 Winchester, 38 Super, 38 ACP, 356TSW, 9x21, 9MM Luger, 380 ACP and others that do not come to mind at the moment.

As too a trigger job, before you shell out the money take a month and continuously dry fire the revolver every night during the news. Loaded with Saf-T-Trainers or snap caps of course. If after that it is not smooth enough for you, then spend the money on a gunsmith job.

If you were in South Florida, I would offer to let you try some of them. Perhaps a Forum member closer to you will offer to meet you at the range

 

[Florida J Frame]

The TRR8 is by far the best shooting revolver I have ever owned. It doesn't need springs or any other changes. Give one a try. By the way Buds had them in stock new as of yesterday.

 

[matteekay]

Thank you, everyone. My brain says the 627 is the more practical choice... but my heart wants the big black gun. I like that it only exists as a PC gun, too.

How is it on recoil? I imagine the frame is a lot lighter than the 627.

 

[matteekay]

Well... went with neither.

So far it only has a Wilson spring kit and Apex firing pin but I really like it already. I may actually even stick with the grips!

 

[Jebus35745]

I had the 627 PC with the 5" bbl. it was an accurate gun considering it had 8 holes drilled in the cyl. Looks like you got the Pro series, nice gun. The only negative thing is loading the moon clips in the gun. I used to alternate Rem reloads with other brands to keep the rounds not too loose but not too tight. Feeding them into the gun is not as smooth as dropping a loaded moon clip in a 625. I needed to jiggle it a little before it slid in. I shot a modefied IDPA match with it, I was the only revolver shooter. You needed to go thru the course fast but only competed with yourself. It was a fun match held 6 times a year. Enjoy your gun and let us know how you like it after using it in competition, Larry

 

[Neumann]

The TRR8 weighs 36 oz (dry), and the recoil is well inside my comfort limit with factory .357 loads.

Moon clips load smoothly with Hornady HP bullets or lead RNFP and a rolled crimp. Semi-wadcutters tend to hang up on the step, as do cartridges with a swaged "factory" crimp.

 

[matteekay]

This one is the PC. We determined from some testing at ICORE that Revolver Supply Co. moons with Federal brass work the best. That was fortunate, because I have 1300+ spent cases of Federal 38 Sp., lol.

I had it out for the first time Sunday with just a Wilson Combat mainspring and 12# rebound spring. It was a blast, my hands just need to learn what to do with the larger frame.

 

[dwever]

I bought a PC 627 in the 5" around 2008, I also have two in the 2.625", and I just got the TRR8 and M&P R8 this year. I fully agree with Post #7, "The TRR8 is by far the best shooting revolver I have ever owned."

The question for some is whether or not the Scandium frame is going to stand up to 20,000 rounds over the years if you compete regularly. From what I've read the answer to that is yes; and with competition ammo such as Federal White Box at 190 Ft. LB. it seems certain. I am not aware of S&W doing any torture tests on their alloy frames, but Kimber did, and after 20,000 rounds Kimber reported that they wore the same as their steel frames.

 

[matteekay]

I forgot about this thread!

The PC had to go back to Smith. They over-chamfered the face of the ejector so much that it didn't line up with the cylinder charge holes, creating a lip that cartridges hang up on when trying to reload with moon clips. It's more than a little bit of a problem on a competition gun.

The hammer has also lost most of its finish on the left from dragging on the frame in two or three places. Hopefully they check that out as well.

I know it's a common sentiment, but I'm really not impressed with the Performance Center's work. If the Pro came in 5" I would have bought that. Hell, I could have bought that and still had the money to re-barrel it.

Sent from my STV100-1 using Tapatalk

 

[BLUEDOT37]

They over-chamfered the face of the ejector so much that it didn't line up with the cylinder charge holes...

I don't know why they chamfer the ejectors (all of mine are). I thought I read they're just supposed to chamfer the charge holes/chamber mouth only, & leave the ejector with an unchanged edge so you get proper extraction?

.

 

[Barrie]

I have been trying to save up for a 627 for several years now and still don't have enough to buy one yet. I think it is one of the nicest revolvers ever made by any maker ever. I want the 5" barrel myself in the nickel plated model.

 

[matteekay]

I don't know why they chamfer the ejectors (all of mine are). I thought I read they're just supposed to chamfer the charge holes/chamber mouth only, & leave the ejector with an unchanged edge so you get proper extraction?

.

The chamfering wouldn't help with insertion, then, since the rounds have to pass by the ejector. It makes sense, mine just wasn't done right.

 

[CT627PC]

Don't think they offer a Nickel plated model...I shoot the 627 pc for competition...have a TK Customs trigger job 6.5# double action, about 2# single action...smooooooth...love this gun

 

[S&WIowegan]

I have been trying to save up for a 627 for several years now and still don't have enough to buy one yet. I think it is one of the nicest revolvers ever made by any maker ever. I want the 5" barrel myself in the nickel plated model.

This is ridiculous....S&W never nickel plated a 627 nor will they ever. No one else does either.

 

[Barrie]

They did and may still do produce a model under the 627 part no. that has a silver Nickel plated like finish on it. I may well be wrong on what material they used to get the shiny silver finish but the gun has been made looking like it was nickel plated. Thats the one model that I love the most. It might even be stainless that has been polished to a very bright Nickel like finish.