My strain screw lock

Tampaxd45

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For various reasons, I wanted the ability to adjust the strain screw on the fly if I have to, but also have it locked. Here's a cheap solution which does not require drilling & tapping the frame and only requires a sacrificial Allen wrench and a 8-32 Allen head set screw.

Set your 8-32 Allen head strain screw and cut down the Allen wrench as shown in the pics. I also hammered the Allen wrench bend to be a bit flatter.
The attached Allen wrench prevents the strain screw from moving. I've shot over 1,000 rounds on this quick & dirty proof of concept version and it works as designed.
I tapered the long end of the Allen wrench in case it snagged on on my Hogue grips during installation. It didn't snag.
I taped over the wrench to check for any rubbing during grip installation. Nothing moved.
I installed & removed the Hogue grip 10 times with no problems. If I need to adjust it during a match I'll just peel off the tape, turn the screw and re-tape the Allen wrench.
 

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Very simple! Grind down several Strain Screws to different desired lengths. TIGHTEN FULLY when used, but each different length will yield different trigger pulls. You can color code them with different markers or paint. No alteration to Revolver required. - SAVE the original as Factory length. Order some more and alter those.

Your method could work as well - just too complicated to me! All you need is to do is to buy a few screws. I'd bet you have a Dremel or files or belt sander to shorten them. Much simpler, cleaner and neater. Safer too.
 
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S&W says screw it all the way in and forget it..........I DO.......I don't monkey with my guns in the field. I just shoot them......This seems like the guy that changes choke tubes between every station at sporting clay's seeking an advantage......It ain't there........
 
S&W says screw it all the way in and forget it..........I DO.......I don't monkey with my guns in the field. I just shoot them......This seems like the guy that changes choke tubes between every station at sporting clay's seeking an advantage......It ain't there........

Mike, while I agree with you for a carry gun, that said, there are a bunch of S&W Revolvers that I only use for competition, target shooting and Range work. They are dedicated only to those purposes and hand written notes are left in the box that state the screw has been changed along with the untouched Factory original. I have shortened Strain Screws, tightened them down fully and I have never had 1 single mis-fire in 40+ years of doing this. Of course one needs to understand when light enough is enough and when too light is no good! Many Smiths, even vintage models are just overly heavy for shooting 200+ rounds a day in competition.

My method is simple, economical, safe and always works like a charm. No alterations to said Revolver, no special tools, gizmos or gadgets and only a few extra Strain Screws required (I buy them in bulk). I had gotten to the point many years ago of where I could cut a screw by feel and did not even need a trigger weight pull scale (although I always use it as a check anyway). Again, this has been done on Range guns only and I never mix them with SD / HD guns. Worst case scenario - I miss a target or screw up a match - although that never happened. Again - the need to realize when to stop shortening the screw is essential.
 
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Idk, but way back when at the S&W academy armorers class at the mothership they were pretty much adamant that that screw was one thing that was fitted once on assembly, and left ALONE…

But it's your revolver, you do you boo!

Regards, Rick Gibbs
 
Idk, but way back when at the S&W academy armorers class at the mothership they were pretty much adamant that that screw was one thing that was fitted once on assembly, and left ALONE…

But it's your revolver, you do you boo!

Regards, Rick Gibbs

Assuming it was fit properly of course, some are not!

I don't think I knew any competitive shooters who used 100% stock revolvers. As a firearms manufacturer, S&W as well as others must be very concerned about liability - liability in many instances dictate policy, I get that and for the average revolver owner I still feel that is a good policy (for safety, legality & liability). I guarantee Jerry Miculek isn't shooting an off the line revolver!

AGAIN, for a SD/HD/EDC - leave it stock!
 
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Clearly you guys don't shoot competition. I've had to adjust strain screws in ICORE, USPSA, and steel matches. I've had to do the primer cup on stock S&W strain screw trick during matches.
I've had LocTite fail on a strain screw. (It does have a shelf life)
And now I have three different brands of small pistol primers on my reloading bench which require different levels of hammer force. Years ago shooters used the Power Custom method shown below which requires drilling & tapping the frame. My method took about 15 minutes to cut an Allen wrench. Just another option.
 

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Assuming it was fit properly of course, some are not!

I don't think I knew any competitive shooters who used 100% stock revolvers. As a firearms manufacturer, S&W as well as others must be very concerned about liability - liability in many instances dictate policy, I get that and for the average revolver owner I still feel that is a good policy (for safety, legality & liability). I guarantee Jerry Miculek isn't shooting an off the line revolver!

AGAIN, for a SD/HD/EDC - leave it stock!

Hey chief no reason to try and justify it to me. Again, his revolver, his mods are all good. BUT, this post should be moved to somewhere else, possible Bubba Byline or something?
Miculek isn't the op, but it isn't him posting of a supposed fix either.

Posts like this and others have pretty much convinced me that no way would I purchase a revolver, auto etc without it being in my hot little hands for a close up inspection inside and out…. But hey that's just me.

It seems since the advent of boobtube just about anyone can claim, i are a gun fixer. Post after post on new pistols or revolvers is the statement, "I took it home, stripped it down and gave it a complete polish inside and out!"

Idk how much money I have made in the past that resulted from a firearm being bubbaized. Lots! In that time, I've only found one strain screw that was defective and not hacked on. And I still have my suspicions on that one…

So again, your pistol, revolver etc. you do you boo. No way would I ever do anything to limit something as a "range gun only!" Even our unlimited pistols will shoot factory ammo, reloads, etc.


Btw, speaking with Miculek-if he were to suggest something as a mod, I might consider it. Not something purported to be gunsmithing such as this might be…

Regards, Rick Gibbs
 
3 primers that require 3 levels force to ignite? Screwed all the way in any Smith should ignite all primers.

Agreed. Leads me to believe that some of those "mods" might have done something to the reliability factor I'm thinking.
That's waaay too much thinking to be done. What primer is in these reloads today? Where are my screws adjusted to? Say what a person will, none of my firearms identify as, "Range suitable only!" But that just me

Regards, Rick Gibbs
 
Hey Tampaxd45, don't sweat these guys. They are either firmly set in stone, or just like busting your chops for the fun of it. And I can almost guarantee that none of them ever changed out a camshaft or carburetor jet to squeeze out a little more performance either. Ford/GM/Mopar made it perfect, so no reason to mess with that black magic either. As a competitive shooter myself, I get it. Most here won't.
 
My last posting on this particular thread. Don't want to argue with people who obviously have their own opinions carved in stone - as I doubt we would change each others minds. I am not looking to anger anyone here!

I have competed in Revolver shooting for most of my shooting career including many years of PPC, Bullseye and 20+ years of S.A.S.S. matches. Like I have stated before, I don't recall ever talking with someone on my team or opposing teams we shot against who used a 100% out of the box stock revolver. Guys who go through an Armorer's class either as a hobbyist or as an Armorer for LE agency's may well understand lots about a particular type of revolver, how to diagnose them when there is a problem, and how to fix them and what the Factory specifications are. That does not necessarily make them understand competition and what most shooters do to tune a Revolver to be competitive. I am not belittling anyone's knowledge here, but as a long time competitor, I know what works and what doesn't - I don't need to attend a school to know what has worked for 45+ years with zero problems. There are many patents issued every year to people improving and modifying a product, method or improvement even though said high quality product may be as old as the hills. Smith & Wesson (and every other firearms company) frowns on anyone modifying their guns in any way shape and form mostly from a liability standpoint. That said, even their own shooting team members get their guns modified to be competitive! So what they say and what they do are two different things apparently.

And once again, I have NEVER nor would I EVER recommend that anyone do mods on a carry, home defense or self defense firearm - of any make! I have not done them on my own SD guns either and would never do so! The guns I use for competition are SOLELY used for competition and target practice. There are a few guns that I wanted for dual purposes and have actually gone and acquired second ones of the same model. I've got two M15's, 2 - M18's, multiple 1911's, multiple Colt SAA's, etc. etc. I suppose technically changing a screw might be considered a mod - but only if it were not changed back to the Factory original. When ever I have sold a firearm of any type, it is back to 100% factory spec's and parts when it gets transferred to the new owner.

Almost any automotive manufacturer would certainly void their warranty if someone went in and modified their engine, transmission or other major component - but for special purposes and for special needs it is done every day (many times by them)! Remember, gun company's are also offering their own competition packages and modifying their own gun! It is like anything else in this world - people doing anything at all to any product, better know what they are doing. I fully understand and agree with a Factory that preaches against any and all mods of their products but yet they do it themselves!

So in closing here, we are all big boys and girls here and we have to be responsible for our own actions. When I was a professional manufacturer in my own business, there were customers I had that focused in one small specific area. They knew and understood that one small specific area as well and sometimes better than I did because that is all they did. I never looked down upon them because they were not a so called professional or factory trained person. They just had a passion and were in to a small specific product every single day where as I was more broadly focused. When I owned Harley Davidson motorcycles I worked on them, tore them apart and fixed them better than the dealership trained Mechanics were able to. I am not a trained H-D Mechanic, however I would spend as much time as it required to achieve the end result I wanted. I found alternate and better methods of performing certain repairs - as told to me by official trained Mechanics after I explained it to them and they got over being the factory trained professional person.

Anyway, enough rambling on - that's my opinion and I respect the nay sayers for there's as well. Bottom line is ..... in general leave things alone. If you do any mods at all - better know what you are doing to the Nth degree!
 
Hey Tampaxd45, don't sweat these guys. They are either firmly set in stone, or just like busting your chops for the fun of it. And I can almost guarantee that none of them ever changed out a camshaft or carburetor jet to squeeze out a little more performance either. Ford/GM/Mopar made it perfect, so no reason to mess with that black magic either. As a competitive shooter myself, I get it. Most here won't.

Been there done that on motors. Cam shafts/high rise intakes/650 hollys/quadrajets and complete over hauls..........BUT I don't fix/uipgrade it unless it's broken.
 
I'm a tinkerer and have modified every one of my competition guns but non of my self defense guns.. The main modification I use is to set the gun up for Federal Primers and they only take 38 ounces of hammer fall to pop said primer. I use Loctite to secure the strain screw but I use a factory mainscrew. In my 617 the mainspring is used with the strain screw tightened all the way. I use an 11 pound rebound spring and polish the internals and that's all. It gives me a better DA pull by a couple of pounds.

When I shot competition I was one of the first Master Class shooters in ICORE. My guns were tuned by Apex Tactical and had DA pulls of 4.5 pounds on average. I'd never carry a gun like that on the street.

I totally understand the guys that refuse to modify their guns but if you shoot a match or two I'll bet you will take advantage of modern technology.
 

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