Model 29 hammer/trigger ?'s

[flyfishinjunkee]

I have an 8" Model 29-3 that I purchased used about 10 years ago. I suspect the gun had been shot quite a bit before I owned it, and I've done my fair share as well. This revolver is a joy to shoot and its a real tack driver! The trigger has always been around 2.5# and DA pull is light as well. Certainly had a trigger job before I acquired it.

I had the revolver out over the weekend and it was acting funny. After cleaning/inspection I noticed that the trigger felt unusual. I yanked the side plate and continued investigating. The biggest problem I noticed is that when cocked I can push the hammer toward the gun and it will release without touching the trigger. It also takes almost no travel with the trigger to get it to disengage the hammer and its too light (around 1.5#).

Since this is not a safe condition I wont be firing this again until I resolve the issue. My assumption is that the hammer and/or trigger will need to be replaced and perhaps were worked a little too much by the previous owner during the trigger job? Any other ideas as to why this would happen?

 

[armorer951]

Well, I hope you didn't do this hammer push off check with the sideplate off. The mainspring strain screw should be loosened some, prior to removal of the sideplate, and the action should not be cycled with the plate off and the hammer under tension. This is to protect the internals, the frame and the studs that support the components. Cycling the action with the sideplate removed leaves the frame studs unsupported.

Sounds like you may be suspecting a "push off" condition. I can't see the bevel on the trigger to tell if it's ok. The single action cocking notch on the hammer looks ok, but I can't look at it with a magnifier, so no way to tell really.

If the hammer and trigger are not damaged, the first thing to check is to see if the rebound slide spring is an OEM spring with 17 coils. If the rebound spring is full length, and is factory, and you still get push off, then the integrity of the trigger is most often the suspect. The dull trigger bevel edge can usually be restored by sharpening. If the SA cocking notch on the hammer is damaged, then you will need a new hammer. The hammer and trigger have been altered, (stoned/polished) as seen in your photos, so I would suspect the rebound spring has either been cut, or a lower power aftermarket rebound spring has been substituted.

By your description of the problem, it appears you may indeed have an issue, as the factory recommended SA trigger pull is 3 pounds.

If the rebound spring is aftermarket, or has been cut to shorten the spring, you may be able to restore proper function by simply installing a new, full length, OEM rebound spring. If this does not bring the SA pull back up to factory levels, then you could have the trigger bevel sharpened by an armorer, or a local gunsmith familiar with the proper procedure. This would likely restore function, and be much less expensive than purchasing a new trigger or hammer, or both. It would certainly be worth a try. Sharpening the bevel of the trigger using the factory method is a very simple procedure.