Reputable gunsmith (revolver) near Cody or Powell Wyoming?
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coltle6920
Member
Try asking at your local LGS.I did a sample online search for "gunsmith near Cody Wyoming" and several examples popped up on a map.
If they have a webpage they might list services,prices or even what they might be factory authorized to work on.
If they have a webpage they might list services,prices or even what they might be factory authorized to work on.
My LGS closed down a year ago. I did search the Internet, but found rifle smiths & custom rifle builders. I did not find any that advertised their services for pistols or revolvers.
I know we have a handful of members from Wyoming who are familiar with my little corner of the state. I'm hoping they will chime in.
I know we have a handful of members from Wyoming who are familiar with my little corner of the state. I'm hoping they will chime in.
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I do not live anywhere near Wyoming however a few years back I visited the Cody Firearms Museum there. I would ask their Curator or Director who they use, who they recommend and would find it hard to believe if they did not know the best local guys around you. I'd think that would be a good start at least.
A local referred me to Wyoming Tactical, so I called them. The guy says that they don't work on revolvers. Asked him for a referral, his answer was to send it back to S&W. Says the only guy that he would trust on a revolver is over a year out. Also told me that the majority of guys around here that claim to me gunsmiths are hacks. Nice.
I think I'll see if I can find anybody in Billings Montana. Hmmmm....
I think I'll see if I can find anybody in Billings Montana. Hmmmm....
GatorFarmer
Member
Downrange Gunsmithing here in Sheridan works on handguns. He fixed up a 1911 for me. You could ask about his revolver work, I know he had shop manuals and the like for Smith and Wesson revolvers.
flintsghost
Member
What model of S&W is it? That makes a difference even to S&W. They may not have the necessary parts. It's going to take either a good trigger or a hammer with a good single action notch or possibly both to repair it. The single action notch on the hammer is very fragile and weak anyway. The single action sear portion of the trigger can be overworked by people tuning up guns and when it becomes overly sharp, the single action pull is lighter but it can be damaged just by trying to see if it has push off. Pushing on hammers to check for "push off," is not something that S&W teaches in their armorers courses and for good reason. It is relatively easy to damage the notch and/or break the sear portion of the trigger if you push with enough force. That so called test is abusive to the guts of the gun. A little like flipping the cylinder shut "hollywood style" abuses the crane. Technically, you shouldn't really know it's got push off, unless somebody has been abusing it by trying to check and see if they could push it off. The hammer having a tenuous single action cocking and being able to be jarred off or having too light a pull is the indicator that the same thing is wrong.
If you are capable of replacing internal parts, find the two I mentioned and sit down and install them. Sometimes due to tolerance differences when you replace the trigger you will develop carry up problems but normally that doesn't happen. Sometimes the DA sear on the hammer will need to be fit properly but usually you can use the old one if the tolerances are close. If the single action pull on your revolver is still within spec of 4-5lbs, and cocks solidly, you may not need anything more than to quit trying to push it off and it will probably last you a long time.
If you are capable of replacing internal parts, find the two I mentioned and sit down and install them. Sometimes due to tolerance differences when you replace the trigger you will develop carry up problems but normally that doesn't happen. Sometimes the DA sear on the hammer will need to be fit properly but usually you can use the old one if the tolerances are close. If the single action pull on your revolver is still within spec of 4-5lbs, and cocks solidly, you may not need anything more than to quit trying to push it off and it will probably last you a long time.
It's a 4" model 657 no dash. With the hammer cocked in single action, any touch of the hammer will drop the hammer. I'm not trying to push on it, all you have to do is touch the hammer & it will fall. Not safe at all.
I have read the faq's on this forum, and am comfortable with taking on this repair myself. But from my reading here, it's also possible that whoever attempted this "trigger job" may have ruined the hammer spur and/or sear.
The seller offered to pay for the revolver repair if I take it to a reputable gunsmith. So I'm trying to find one.
I have read the faq's on this forum, and am comfortable with taking on this repair myself. But from my reading here, it's also possible that whoever attempted this "trigger job" may have ruined the hammer spur and/or sear.
The seller offered to pay for the revolver repair if I take it to a reputable gunsmith. So I'm trying to find one.
Randy, my previous post explains the problem with my 657. If you could post a recommendation in this thread, I would appreciate it. Might help others in this area too.
I spoke to a guy at Montana Firearms today in Laurel. He said he has a gunsmith that he uses, who could fix it for me. He wouldn't share any info about who the guy is, or his credentials. Only that he did a trigger job on a 686, and the customer was very happy with it. The conversation didn't give me a good impression.
flintsghost
Member
This 657 may have a target style wide hammer and trigger that are flash chromed. These can be found but are usually very expensive (.500 wide). If it has the narrow stainless hammer and standard trigger you are in for a tough search (.400 wide). There weren't a lot of this type made and used to start with and S&W no longer has them and while they can be found once in a blue moon, I would rate them as very rare. The standard triggers in stainless can be readily found as K, L, and N are all the same. You would be better off if both need replacement, to use color cased parts. I looked for a mint stainless narrow hammer for nearly 3 years and finally found one on Ebay this last December. Until I could find it I installed a Color Cased hammer and trigger in my 629-1 3". You may end up doing the same.
When I contacted Numrich, they showed the stainless 400 wide hammer or rather a hammer FOR the stainless but I ended up sending them back when they arrived as they were color cased parts not the flash chromed which is what they should have been. Color cased N frame parts are a relatively easy find. Getting them in near new or new condition is not always easy but it is possible. On the other hand people advertise the .500 wide target style hammers and triggers that are flash chromed on GB, Ebay and lots of other places including this forum. They are usually at unreasonably high prices. Start with an Ebay search for S&W stainless hammer and another for S&W stainless trigger. Keep in mind K, L, and N triggers are the same. You should be able to come up with a standard trigger for $25-35. Target versions can be up to double and sometimes triple that. On hammers the target versions can be $100 or more. Many of the 657, 629 no dash guns had the .500 wide triggers and hammers.
If you can find someone who has a good Bridgeport mill and knows what they are doing, it is possible to recut the hammer notch if it hasn't gone too far or been polished away. However, based on what you said, it sounds as though someone worked on the hammer notch and polished the trigger sear down to too fine an edge so that both got shortened to the point that they will not hold. First things to check before getting into the repair are the mainspring and the strain screw. Make sure you have a full strength S&W mainspring and not some after market or that the original has been thinned down by grinding or polishing or bent which is common in home grown jobs. Then make sure the strain screw is full length and not ground off so it doesn't put sufficient pressure on the mainspring. Those two parts can be had, new, from Brownells most of the time. Too light a pressure on the mainspring can result in the same problem you have described. However, it is more likely that some home gunsmith fibered the hammer and/or trigger trying to so a action job. But check the other items first. If you have a good High definition camera (not a phone) take a picture of the revolver with the side plate off in the cocked position and send it to me by email. Then if you are comfortable with doing it, take the hammer out and get me a good sharp focus picture of the hammer notches from the side and from the bottom and from the front. If the pictures are sharp, I can probably give you an idea of what your options might be and what parts you need.
What you probably should be looking for is a certified S&W revolver armorer. It's been a long time since LE Dept's carried revolvers so it may be a hard find. Call an descent size LE Dept and ask to speak to their armorer. Ask him if he knows of a revolver armorer. Those of us that were in that business usually know all the others in the surrounding areas because we help each other out all the time. There may not be one as there aren't any departments of any size in the area you are looking. You might have to go to Denver or go to Salt Lake City to find one.
To be honest with you, your best and cheapest way to go is to return the revolver for a full refund and then look for and buy one that is in good shape without the bubba action job, if that's what happened to it. 657 no dash guns are not that hard to find, although sometimes sellers think they are made of Platinum not stainless.
Thank you for the detailed post. I'll pull the stocks off to check the strain screw & main spring tomorrow. I wasn't aware that could cause this problem. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Here's a couple of phone pics of what I'm working with.
Here's a couple of phone pics of what I'm working with.
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flintsghost
Member
Based on the picture you are looking for a .500 wide hammer and a wide smooth faced trigger. The earliest stainless N target triggers were serrated face. These parts are available in the secondary market but would be doubtful from S&W. They will be expensive however, unless you get lucky and find someone who is reasonable. But at least you aren't looking for the .400 wide hammer which is virtually non existent.
Thanks a ton Randy. I dropped off my 657 with Dave this afternoon. My Alaska phone number threw him off a bit, and we ended up shooting the bull for over half an hour. Anyways, thank you.
Isn't he a classic example of "Old School" Gunsmithing? A walking talking encyclopedia of gun knowledge......Doesn't matter if he cannot find the part...he just makes one.
Randy
And without the help from members of this forum, I'd still be trying to find somebody.
Sadly, as time goes by, more of these guys get older & retire. The ratio of gunsmiths vs "bubbas" gets worse every year. Dave mentioned retiring in 3 years.
Sadly, as time goes by, more of these guys get older & retire. The ratio of gunsmiths vs "bubbas" gets worse every year. Dave mentioned retiring in 3 years.
