Model 59 Decocker Problem

[user name taken]

When activated, the decocker does not drop the hammer. Any idea what needs to be replaced, adjusted, fixed, etc?

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[JohnHL]

Sear release lever.

John

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello new guy with no user name, and welcome. Had a 39-2 years ago with the same problem. Not saying the following will cure the problem, but a place to start. Remove sear release lever, clean and check spring. Also clean the de-cocker lever. The above cured my problem.

 

[JohnHL]

When activated, the decocker does not drop the hammer. Any idea what needs to be replaced, adjusted, fixed, etc?

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

Sear release lever.

John

Welcome to the Forum, unt!

When the safety/decocker in the slide is activated, it pushes down on the sear release lever in the frame, which pivots and pushes the sear out of engagement with the hammer, allowing it to fall.

Over time, as wear accumulates on the slide rails in the frame, the clearance between the slide and the frame increases, requiring more movement of the sear release lever to release the hammer.

This can be tested by pressing the rear of the slide down tight against the frame.

The safety/decocker will then usually decock the hammer.

The fitting of a new sear release lever (which is an oversized/fitted part) will compensate for the additional clearance caused by wear and will return the pistol to proper operation.

Note: This is a very common problem.

On rare occasions, someone will remove the sear release lever to create a pistol that can be "cocked and locked", but I'd be willing to bet a dozen glazed doughnuts that a removed lever is NOT the problem, but a worn frame and a new sear release lever will fix it.

John

 

[user name taken]

Thank you for the advice. This is what makes gun groups great. Attached is an obligatory photo.

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[Sevens]

Wow, in that condition... I would not suspect "wear."

 

[JohnHL]

Wow, in that condition... I would not suspect "wear."

"Wear" is a relative term, oh my brother from another Mother...

The S&W design is well suited to a manufacturing and assembly environment wherein production tolerances can be generous and yet have a minimal effect on performance.

Unfortunately, the fitting of the sear release lever belies this engineering advantage as the limits between early and late decocking are just a few light file strokes.

Compounding this problem is the fact that 1st gens (models 39/59) lack the redundancy of the firing pin safety and the factory assembler may have been instructed to err on the side of caution and taken a couple of extra file strokes to help insure against early decocking (which would certainly result in an accidental discharge on these models), therefore inadvertently creating a situation wherein a minimal amount of slide rail wear, combined with a "stack-up" of production tolerances, produced a pistol that "prematurely" manifested a "no decock" condition.

Does that help explain why a pistol with seemingly little "wear" can exhibit this condition?

John

 

[paulj84003]

Possible the lower leg of the SRL is short, try correctiong this by peening the lower leg to streach it slightly. this was done in the factory.

 

[Imissedagain]

Curious if this problem happens sooner by not riding the hammer down with your thumb when using the decocker?
I was told to do this when I bought a new M59 around '80.

Thx
RT