IMO you do not need a Gunsmith. Buy a few extra strain screws (never cut the original). Use a file, Dremel, sandpaper, or similar to slightly shorten the strain screw just a tad. It shouldn't take much to drop pull weight. Go a little at a time - you can always take more off but can't put it back. Never leave the screw loose, always shorten to work tight. Save the original, put it in the box and label it so you can always restore the revolver to factory spec's. Always test with a variety of ammo. If ANY ammo exhibits FTF, you have gone too light and I would use a slightly longer screw. Never rely on a particular brand of ammo to shoot in said revolver - it should work 100% with ANY brand in the proper caliber!
I’d rather not mess with it, it’s really in nice condition if it was a beater I would give it a shot
Yes, changing the rebound spring will help as well, not disagreeing at all - I almost always do that as well. I was trying to help out a fellow who obviously does not have the experience and understanding to start taking the side plate and action apart. All he'd have to do is remove the grips and take the strain screw out while keeping light pressure with a piece of tape or rubber band to keep the main spring in place. Bt keeping a little tension on the main spring, most times it will reman in place. Worst case scenario it can be put back without removing the side plate which I felt he is not comfortable in doing. To you and I that would take a couple of minutes and is something we could do in our sleep. That said, I completely disagree that shortening the screw a slight amount would have no effect at all. I have 50 years experience behind that statement and have done so many times with great results. I am certainly not advocating shortening the screw enough to cause light strikes but in most S&W revolvers the main spring factory tension is a bit on the high side and there is leeway for what I have suggested. If he were to also swap out the rebound slide spring, 12 - 13 pounds would give even a better result and in the majority of the cases still provide more than enough spring pressure for good trigger return action. I have also suggested in my post above to test the results with multiple brands of ammo and if ANY fail to fire reliably then you have taken too much off - another reason to by more than one extra strain screw. I have gotten several factory new S&W revolver with exceptionally heavy pulls and there was so much extra tension shooting the revolver was downright horrible. While 3 3/4 lb SA pull is not horrible it is slightly on the heavy side if precision accuracy is your main concern. A flat 3 lbs. is about where I like it for accuracy.
I suppose one can get used to and quite good with just about any trigger weight if at it for a while. Kinda like Sgt. Alvin York did. I know it is a hard concept to put into writing here, however when I tweak a revolver's action it is a good improvement over factory and still way within proper and more than adequate "hit" to reliably and consistently set off any and all primers. I would not have any revolver that was marginal! All my hits are good, solid deep primer hits but my triggers have been improved over factory.
The other half dozen revolvers I regularly shoot all have had trigger work and all are a pound or more less in single action. I definitely feel it and it definitely affects my shooting, I rarely shoot double action if ever, I hunt squirrels and rabbits with .22s and deer and hogs with .44’s. I usually shoot from a rest the trigger really isn’t “bad” it’s just different and doesn’t break when (it should) for me so yes it “messes” me up. I am getting very good accuracy but I’m looking for more consistency compared to my other guns, That one lb feels like I’m dragging a brick when single action shooting from a rest.
I concurI suppose one can get used to and quite good with just about any trigger weight if at it for a while. Kinda like Sgt. Alvin York did. I know it is a hard concept to put into writing here, however when I tweak a revolver's action it is a good improvement over factory and still way within proper and more than adequate "hit" to reliably and consistently set off any and all primers. I would not have any revolver that was marginal! All my hits are good, solid deep primer hits but my triggers have been improved over factory.
As far as the one pound goes, I would tend to agree with you but as a precision target shooter myself, having a 2.75 - 3 lb pull over a 3.75 pull is just so much nicer to let off accurate shots with. I know many shooters aren't fussy and just get used to their factory triggers as they are. Me..... I like what I like. It's not easy being me - LOL!!
