Ideal trigger pull weight for J frame

[Cal44]

A while back I purchased a trigger pull gauge.

So I've been testing all my J frames.

What do you shooters here consider the ideal trigger pull weight for a J frame?

I'm talking DA trigger pull.

For those of you who get trigger jobs, what do you shoot for?

 

[GaBoy45]

Anything 8-10 lbs as long as it’s smooth. A smooth heavier trigger is better, to me, than a light, gritty trigger.


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[ContinentalOp]

9.753lbs.



For the most part, I agree with GaBoy45. I don't really have a specific weight in mind, but smooth is the most important part. I prefer trigger jobs where the action is smoothed but the factory springs are retained for reliability. When I've had trigger jobs done on DA revolvers, I didn't specify a pull weight, but every time it felt lighter.

I will add that once you start going below 8lbs, reliability starts becoming iffy. I remember reading an article about a gunsmith who would polish up the action, but would install an extra-power mainspring to ensure reliablity. IIRC, that combo resulted in a 9lb pull.

 

[Farmer17]

Since a J-frame has a coil mainspring instead of a leaf spring like on all the other Smith revolvers, it needs a very smooth action and something under 9 lbs. The larger Smith revolvers I can shoot well even if they have a heavier trigger pull just because the action feels so nice.

 

[chief38]

I would say about 10 pounds but what ever your final weight is..... MAKE SURE it is 100% reliable with any and all ammo. I tend to leave the pull weight a bit heavier on a carry gun than I do on a dedicated Range gun. If a Range only gun ever misfires, all that happens is I might loose a match or miss a shot, although that has not occurred yet. I will assume for the moment most who are carrying J Frames do so for self defense and that's not a scenario you ever want!

 

[Pisgah]

I'll join the chorus in saying that a smooth action is much more important than pull weight. In a J-frame there is not really much room for spring-lightening -- take it a hair too far and reliability goes right down the drain. But if there's any hint of drag or grittiness in the action finding the source and polishing it can make a world of difference in shootability.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I'll echo the others. Smooth and 100% reliable!

I shoot double action, even if the J-frame has an exposed hammer. I don't bother worrying about pull weight.

I attempt to find the most accurate ammo for each revolver so point of impact matches point of aim. Whether It's my 43C, 640-1 Pro, 940, 60-10, or any of the scores of Chiefs, each one likes a different ammo, and I try to find the right stuff for each one -- takes the guess work out of the equation in the heat of the moment.

 

[scruffy]

I don't own a trigger gauge capable of measuring D/A pull. However the action on my Performance Center 642-1 is close to perfect for me. Noticeably smoother and slightly lighter than my 442 or M60. Combined with a rounded polished chrome trigger face, I can deliver 5 rounds quickly and more accurately than with any of my other J-frames.

 

[Cal44]

I don't own a trigger gauge capable of measuring D/A pull. However the action on my Performaince Center 642-1 is close to perfect for me. Noticeably smoother and slightly lighter than my 442 or M60. Combined with a rounded polished chrome trigger face, I can deliver 5 rounds quickly and more accurately than with any of my other J-frames.

I have a 642-1 similar to yours, but regular not PC.

It has a trigger so heavy I've never been able to hit anything with it. When I got my trigger pull gauge I measured it at 16 lbs.

It lives in the back of the safe and never gets used.

 

[ContinentalOp]

It has a trigger so heavy I've never been able to hit anything with it. When I got my trigger pull gauge I measured it at 16 lbs.

16lbs seems way too heavy. I think it might even be outside factory specs. I want to say the factory sets a maximum pull weight of 12-14lbs.

If I were in your place, I'd probably want to have a local gunsmith verify the pull weight to make sure I'm not doing something wrong while measuring it and then maybe contact S&W customer service. Or just have a gunsmith do a trigger job on it, especially if you bought it used and it's not covered under warranty.

Just my thoughts.

 

[hotshot357]

I have a 640 Pro Series & my wife has a 638. I had Denny Reichard perform a deluxe action job on both. They retain the factory springs, have 10 lb. trigger pulls and are super smooth.