Old 5-screw question -- hammer action

[northforty40]

My 5-screw .44 Special requires an extra hard pull on the hammer right at the end of the travel to cock the piece. Was "slip-shooting" a feature of the old days or do I just have a tight action? Thank you.

 

[delcrossv]

Probably needs a cleaning and lube. None of my older "long action" S&W's are particularly hard to cock.

 

[northforty40]

Reply

May be old lube, too. Thanks for the info -- it's my first 5-screw.

 

[northforty40]

Reply

Believe it or not -- it was the strain screw. I tightened it down and the extra effort went away. Hard to believe.

 

[LLOYD17]

I'd recommend a thorough cleaning of the internals. My 357 from 1939 had a hang up at the end of the hammer throw every few shots and I came to find it was a clump of lint and grease stuck in the back of the trigger which was causing issues with the rebound slide movement.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Slip shooting is a single action thing , won't work with a double action revolver . Tape your trigger back and try it , the cylinder will not move .