Improving 617 trigger
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scooter123
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What vintage 617? If it's a later MIM version it probably won't need any stoning, installing a 13 or 14 lbs rebound spring will most likely result in a SA trigger pull in the 3 lbs. range. It will also reduce the DA trigger pull by a small amount, probably take it down to about 10 lbs. Beyond that, shoot the snot out of it. The 22LR is dirt cheap so there isn't any excuse for not shooting lots of it and it will help in smoothing out the trigger.
Wee Hooker
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Buy the lightened trigger and main spring set from brownells. Then find a good "how to" on how to disassemble and reassemble a K frame. I think there are some free vids on YouTube but a gunsmithing /trigger job DVD is a good investment.
Lightening the main (only) is the easiets approach but will only give you marginal results (and may impact reliability.) You can't expect miricals without polishing and replacement of the trigger return spring.
As mentioned shooting the snot out of it (as you shouldn't dry fire a rimfire) will go a ling way .
Lightening the main (only) is the easiets approach but will only give you marginal results (and may impact reliability.) You can't expect miricals without polishing and replacement of the trigger return spring.
As mentioned shooting the snot out of it (as you shouldn't dry fire a rimfire) will go a ling way .
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This post has everything you need to know:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/167266-wolf-spring-kit-model-617-a.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/167266-wolf-spring-kit-model-617-a.html
OP
gr7070
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So reading the other posts it looks like I need one, two, or three items.
I could go with a wolf full power Wolff mainspring and a rebound spring (probably 13 lbs?).
Or use my original mainspring and just do the rebound spring.
Or go with the rebound spring and a new reduced power mainspring plus the longer strain screw.
I'm not sure if a new mainspring will do much though. It appears that all three above options end up with the same amount of mainspring tension. Thoughts???
I could go with a wolf full power Wolff mainspring and a rebound spring (probably 13 lbs?).
Or use my original mainspring and just do the rebound spring.
Or go with the rebound spring and a new reduced power mainspring plus the longer strain screw.
I'm not sure if a new mainspring will do much though. It appears that all three above options end up with the same amount of mainspring tension. Thoughts???
SW357Addict
Member
Here is what I did to my 617:
1. Replaced mainspring with Wolff full power mainspring.
2. Replace trigger return spring with Wolff 15 lb trigger spring.
3. Polished the outside and inside of rebound slide starting with 400, 600, 800, 1000, 2000 grit sand paper to a mirror finish.
4. Stoned inside of frame where rebound slide is.
5. Installed a wide, smooth trigger to lessen felt trigger pull.
1. Replaced mainspring with Wolff full power mainspring.
2. Replace trigger return spring with Wolff 15 lb trigger spring.
3. Polished the outside and inside of rebound slide starting with 400, 600, 800, 1000, 2000 grit sand paper to a mirror finish.
4. Stoned inside of frame where rebound slide is.
5. Installed a wide, smooth trigger to lessen felt trigger pull.
ol timer
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The Wolff spring kit is a good deal, but with a M617, don't go with the reduced power main spring. Unlike center fire cartridges, a rimfire's accuracy (power) can vary greatly when you reduce the force on the primer.
SW357Addict has good advice. I also polish the bearing surface on the yoke axle and mating surface in the cylinder and the trigger and hammer bosses of the frame and side plate.
SW357Addict has good advice. I also polish the bearing surface on the yoke axle and mating surface in the cylinder and the trigger and hammer bosses of the frame and side plate.
cjcutter1
Member
Shoot it alot.
stevieboy
Member
I tried a reduced power mainspring in my 617 and the result was a lot of light strikes, about one per every 6-7 rounds I fired. Went back to the full power spring and "lightened" the trigger by firing a few thousand rounds through the gun. I now have a very smooth trigger and no light strikes whatsoever.
robctwo
Member
I installed the full power Wolff mainspring and the 14 pound rebound spring in my 617. I stoned and polished the rebound slide and the areas around it. Also slicked up the trigger and hammer where appropriate.
My buddy tries to get it from me at the range.
My buddy tries to get it from me at the range.
scooter123
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I purchased my 617 used and it had been worked over for precision shooting on the Single Action side of the lockwork. Basically the trigger had the SA sear stoned to lighten the SA trigger pull. Something that I do NOT approve of and something that I plan on correcting at some point because with a 14 lbs. rebound spring the SA break is only 2 lbs. 2 ounces when it should be around 3 lbs. even. If I don't address that, at some point it could develop into pushoff and hammers for the 617 can be very difficult to find, especially the target hammers.
On the Double Action side of the lockwork nothing had been touched. That is something that I have now addressed. My 617 has the forged internals and because of this it required a bit more work that one with MIM internals would require. BTW, the MIM parts are so consistent for size that they require almost no work at all for an action tuning, just shooting them will smooth them out quite nicely. On mine the rebound slide has been fitted and smoothed using a 1200 grit Diamond lap and the bore for the rebound spring polished using Diamond lapping compound. The frame recess in the area of the rebound slide has been smoothed with 1200 grit wet sandpaper. The DA sear surface on the trigger has been lightly smoothed with a 1200 grit Diamond lap as has the corresponding DA sear flipper on the hammer. Finally, I've shimmed the strain screw out by 0.010 inch using a hand made shim that fits in the recess for the strain screw head. I prefer to adjust mainspring tension using shims so that I can reverse any changes by just removing that shim. Note, I have a set of diamond burrs for my Dremel that makes producing these shims rather easy if a bit tedious. I'll also note that I don't have some fetish for diamond tools and compounds, just a history of having to work on Carbide tooling from time to time.
The final result is that the DA trigger pull averages 9 lbs. 3 ounces per my Lyman Digital trigger gage. It's also smooth as "butta", although I used Lubriplate to grease the rebound slide, hammer, and trigger pivots. If I were planning on shooting in sub zero conditions I'd clean out the lubriplate and replace it with either oil or graphite.
I also took the 617 out last weekend to check an see if lightening the DA trigger had any effect on accuracy and my 617 will still shoot an aggragate 24 round 2 inch group at 35 yards, just as it did before I reduced the mainspring power. Previous testing had already shown that ignition was 100% reliable with the lightened trigger.
Now, I might be able to squeeze another 1/2 lbs. out of the DA trigger and maybe as much as a full lbs. However, I suspect that accuracy might start to fall off due to inconsistent ignition so I'm calling it good right where it is. With the wide target trigger it's very easy to shoot well with in double action however it is smooth enough that staging the trigger is NOT easy. Since I don't like to stage a DA trigger I think it's perfect, those who stage their triggers would probably hate it.
On the Double Action side of the lockwork nothing had been touched. That is something that I have now addressed. My 617 has the forged internals and because of this it required a bit more work that one with MIM internals would require. BTW, the MIM parts are so consistent for size that they require almost no work at all for an action tuning, just shooting them will smooth them out quite nicely. On mine the rebound slide has been fitted and smoothed using a 1200 grit Diamond lap and the bore for the rebound spring polished using Diamond lapping compound. The frame recess in the area of the rebound slide has been smoothed with 1200 grit wet sandpaper. The DA sear surface on the trigger has been lightly smoothed with a 1200 grit Diamond lap as has the corresponding DA sear flipper on the hammer. Finally, I've shimmed the strain screw out by 0.010 inch using a hand made shim that fits in the recess for the strain screw head. I prefer to adjust mainspring tension using shims so that I can reverse any changes by just removing that shim. Note, I have a set of diamond burrs for my Dremel that makes producing these shims rather easy if a bit tedious. I'll also note that I don't have some fetish for diamond tools and compounds, just a history of having to work on Carbide tooling from time to time.
The final result is that the DA trigger pull averages 9 lbs. 3 ounces per my Lyman Digital trigger gage. It's also smooth as "butta", although I used Lubriplate to grease the rebound slide, hammer, and trigger pivots. If I were planning on shooting in sub zero conditions I'd clean out the lubriplate and replace it with either oil or graphite.
I also took the 617 out last weekend to check an see if lightening the DA trigger had any effect on accuracy and my 617 will still shoot an aggragate 24 round 2 inch group at 35 yards, just as it did before I reduced the mainspring power. Previous testing had already shown that ignition was 100% reliable with the lightened trigger.
Now, I might be able to squeeze another 1/2 lbs. out of the DA trigger and maybe as much as a full lbs. However, I suspect that accuracy might start to fall off due to inconsistent ignition so I'm calling it good right where it is. With the wide target trigger it's very easy to shoot well with in double action however it is smooth enough that staging the trigger is NOT easy. Since I don't like to stage a DA trigger I think it's perfect, those who stage their triggers would probably hate it.
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