How to reduce amount of trigger pull?

[WHelena01]

For Christmas I bought my wife a 632 Pro Series .327 magnum and after shooting it a bit, she would like the amount of pull for the trigger to be less. The action is smooth, just too much pull. It's a hammerless DA, what is the best way to reduce the pull? Is this something I can do myself or should I take to a gunsmith?
Thank you, Jerry

 

[H Richard]

There is a limit to how much a trigger pull can be decreased. A trigger job will smooth up the internal parts and possibly some springs will be replaced. Unless you are intimately familiar with the inside of a S&W, you need to have a Professional handle this. If this is your wife's defense gun, it must first and foremost be "reliable". Too light a trigger pull is often not reliable.

 

[WHelena01]

There is a limit to how much a trigger pull can be decreased. A trigger job will smooth up the internal parts and possibly some springs will be replaced. Unless you are intimately familiar with the inside of a S&W, you need to have a Professional handle this. If this is your wife's defense gun, it must first and foremost be "reliable". Too light a trigger pull is often not reliable.

Not familiar at all. I'm here in San Antonio, I called Alex Hamilton a Ten Ring Precision, he's a little backed up, but I want it done right. Thanks for the info. Jerry

 

[handgunner356]

That is one of the downsides to the J-framed Smiths, it's not easy to lighten the pull without affecting relieability. Dryfiring will help smooth the action and help build trigger finger strength.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

That is one of the downsides to the J-framed Smiths, it's not easy to lighten the pull without affecting relieability. Dryfiring will help smooth the action and help build trigger finger strength.

The reliablity issue is especially true on the enclosed hammer models,
like the M632-2, which also happens to be my wife's daily carry gun.

On other models, the hammer has a wider arc of travel, which helps with inertia,
i.e. the hammer has more distance to "pick up speed" before hitting the firing pin.

That may not be the best way to explain it,
but physics isn't one of my strong points.

 

[chief38]

All my "Range Guns" have had trigger lightening jobs done by me, but my carry guns just get de-burred (only if needed) cleaned and lubed. I like to keep the Factory trigger pull for maximum reliability. Can't remember ever having a FTF on the Range Guns, but there's always a first time (don't really care if it's at the Range) but DON'T want that EVER on a carry piece.

 

[Wee Hooker]

For Christmas I bought my wife a 632 Pro Series .327 magnum and after shooting it a bit, she would like the amount of pull for the trigger to be less. The action is smooth, just too much pull. It's a hammerless DA, what is the best way to reduce the pull? Is this something I can do myself or should I take to a gunsmith?
Thank you, Jerry

My 2 cents:
If intending to lighten the trigger pull, be sure to test fire it regularly with carry ammo to assure reliability. That said, some ammo brands have primers that will tolerate a lighter strike better than others. This is a well known fact in the action shooting world where severely lightened actions are the norm. Last I checked, i believe Federal brand had the softest primers and was "best" for light striking guns.
hth

p.s. If your of average mechanical skills, it not hard to pull the grips and replace the mainspring (only) as an interim measure until you can get it to a smith for a complete tune. The main spring change and 1000 cycles of dry fire will get you 75% of the way there.

 

[tomcatt51]

The reliablity issue is especially true on the enclosed hammer models,

On other models, the hammer has a wider arc of travel, which helps with inertia

You're kidding, right?

The centennials have the same hammer arc as any other when fired DA. The only "wider arc" is if fired SA, which you obviously can't do with a centenial.

 

[tomcatt51]

she would like the amount of pull for the trigger to be less. Is this something I can do myself or should I take to a gunsmith?

Apex Tactical makes a "duty" spring kit for J frames. https://apextactical.com/store/product-info.php?pid49.html
Pretty easy to install. While you have it apart smooth the two sides the rebound slide that rest against the frame. Use a stone, you only have to remove the high spots.

 

[chief63]

The Apex kit has been 100% reliable in my experience.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

You're kidding, right?

The centennials have the same hammer arc as any other when fired DA. The only "wider arc" is if fired SA, which you obviously can't do with a centenial.

But are the smaller, shorter, hammers of the 642,
when compared to let's say the Model 36, lighter?

When it was explained to me, by a local gunsmith who's been at it for years,
he took both types of hammers and held them side by side. He pointed
to the taller hammer, which has to have more weight out on the
end / top and explained how that extra weight & height helps with
primer iginition. It had to do with the overall inertia, which is
why I mentioned that aspect, not just the arc of travel.

 

[tomcatt51]

When it was explained to me, by a local gunsmith who's been at it for years, he took both types of hammers and held them side by side. He pointed to the taller hammer, which has to have more weight out on the end / top and explained how that extra weight & height helps with primer iginition. It had to do with the overall inertia, which is why I mentioned that aspect, not just the arc of travel.

Unfortunately your gunsmith has it all wrong. Primers want/need a high velocity hit for ignition. Lighter hammers are easier to accelerate, and the lighter the hammer the less mainspring is required to accelerate it.

N frames commonly get hammers trimmed to 50% of their original weight on competition guns. They do look weird but that's how we get light DA pulls because it takes less mainspring to accelerate the lighter hammer. Then with a lighter mainspring you can run a lighter rebound spring. I haven't weighed the J frame hammers they just get cut to suit, from a "traditional" bob to "all I can cut off" on a pre-lock centennial.

The centennials are nice in that you can cut on the hammer to lighten it without concerns about the cosmetics. Pre-lock guns can have more of the hammer cut away than guns with functioning locks.

I have a friends older 38 special J frame running a 6lb DA pull for PPC "BUG" matches. Probably could have gone lighter but we went and shot it and he (and everyone else who tried it) just grinned ear to ear and figured that was good enough. My "carry" 342 has a 7 1/4 lb DA pull that reliabley fires CCI primers. It does normally get Federal primers for a greater safety margin.

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Unfortunately your gunsmith has it all wrong. Primers want/need a high velocity hit for ignition. Lighter hammers are easier to accelerate, and the lighter the hammer the less mainspring is required to accelerate it.

N frames commonly get hammers trimmed to 50% of their original weight on competition guns. They do look weird but that's how we get light DA pulls because it takes less mainspring to accelerate the lighter hammer. Then with a lighter mainspring you can run a lighter rebound spring. I haven't weighed the J frame hammers they just get cut to suit, from a "traditional" bob to "all I can cut off" on a pre-lock centennial.

The centennials are nice in that you can cut on the hammer to lighten it without concerns about the cosmetics. Pre-lock guns can have more of the hammer cut away than guns with functioning locks.

I have a friends older 38 special J frame running a 6lb DA pull for PPC "BUG" matches. Probably could have gone lighter but we went and shot it and he (and everyone else who tried it) just grinned ear to ear and figured that was good enough. My "carry" 342 has a 7 1/4 lb DA pull that reliabley fires CCI primers. It does normally get Federal primers for a greater safety margin.

That makes sense, thanks for explaining it further.