Home grown trigger job questions.

[steelslaver]

Before you mess with the sear surfaces, check and smooth all of the stud bosses (both on the frame and on the side plate) the studs themselves, the rebound slide and its wear surfaces, make sure the hammer and trigger are not dragging on the frame or side plate (fix with shims). All of those can effect the trigger pull more than the sear surfaces which are usually very good to start with. A few thousand trigger pulls will make any high spots show up as shiny lines on side of hammer and trigger and small bright spots on bosses. Look at the top area of the recoil shield and make sure it is burr free. Make sure you have at least .001-.002 end shake and the end of the yoke tube is square and smooth. Prussian blue is your friend finding high spots. A lighter return spring helps. but don't go to far as you want quick reliable trigger return, same thing with hammer spring it must be reliable. Smooth thumps light. At one time I really got into looking for the perfect trigger pull, then I figured out I was better off working to become the perfect trigger puller. The more I practiced the more the trigger took care of itself. Rifles or handguns. Unless the trigger is truly poor the guy pulling it has more to do with accuracy than the trigger.

A man with a real good trigger pull and a decent trigger will always beat the man with the perfect trigger, but poor trigger control.

 

[stu1ritter]

A friend of mine has the Power Custom stoning fixture (he does a lot of pistols but few revolvers) and has offered it to me anytime I want to use it. He has the S&W jigging for it. I've refined the DA trigger on perhaps 50 various S&W's and never had a need for the fixture. The single action contact areas of the hammer and trigger are not touched, they are too thin for any home gunsmithing and the SA is usually just fine. As you work with the lock work and see how things relate to each other you will develop your own ideas about what should be polished. Makes an interesting challenge. I use 2000 and 2500 grit wet/dry paper lightly glued to thick glass plates for a true flat surface.

Stu

 

[AzShooter]

Winter in Arizona?

 

[ontargetagain]

Another suggestion, trigger jobs need not be $175. I understand Gary Reeder to do excellent work but a trigger job is more a basic job for many other gunsmiths who perhaps don't carry the name that Gary does. There is a very competent gunsmith in my area by the name of Andy Horvath, his trigger jobs are far less than that.

Perhaps a little poking around will give you a better value and perhaps another gunsmith may offer you a bit of break on doing multiple guns.
As mentioned, there is much more to a trigger job than the Power Custom jig, I owned one and by the time you buy the jig, the adapters and the stones you will have over $200 invested and you still need to know more to realize what in the S&W will give you what you want in SA and DA results.

The Jerry Miculek video will enlighten you on these areas but honestly that video is a bit short on image quality and needs to be updated. A good trigger job is not 'guess work'.

Of the S&W revolvers I have had in L and N frame, none sucked. However a lighter DA pull was appreciated and easily accomplished and a lighter SA release was an improvement but really didn't have creep to deal with.

I think that springs and some polishing of non-sear-hammer areas can easily be a big improvement without a gunsmith as well as proper interior lubing of surfaces.
Which ever route you go I wish you success!
Karl

 

[Wee Hooker]

I just ordered Jerry's dvd. Above all, I want reliable ignition and zero light primer strikes. Thanks for all the good advice!

The surest way to keep reliability is to leave the main spring alone (as it is the one that powers the hammer.) You can get great results with just polishing of the internals and a rebound spring change.

FWIW, I have only a few competition tuned revolvers with lightened mainsprings and those pretty much require I use federal ammo/primers for 100% ignition.

 

[Az Dave]

Good advice guys! I've decided not to mess with the sear surfaces or the main springs because reliability is number one to me. I will watch Jerry's video and then proceed. AZShooter, I live in N.E. Az. at 5245' elevation and it gets cold and windy here! I love to go to gun shows in PHX in the dead of winter and see all you guys bundled up in heavy coats when I'm in a t-shirt... ar ar ar.

 

[jim46ok]

"On my S&W triggers that need smoothing out I use a new sheet of 1200 grit wet & dry laid flat/smooth on a piece of glass. Then lightly polish the trigger's contact surface keeping careful angle alignment. Go slow, do a little at a time, then retest. You can also use this method to polish a rebound slide's sliding surfaces too."

A flat mirror is my trigger job's most important tool! And yes, go a LITTLE at a time. With patience, almost any trigger can be helped.....good luck.