The Trigger Rebound Spring, How Many Coils

[Rule 303]

When I went through S&W Armorer Revolver School back in the mid 70s, the folks from S&W told us that we could cut coils of the trigger rebound spring as long as 13 or 14 coils were left. Now according to S&W, this is verbotten. No coils can be removed from the trigger rebound spring.

What's up is this truly a problem or is this a Internal Lock Lawyer thing?

Rule 303

 

[blueknight7]

Good question Rule 303, as when I went through their school in the early 70's, they said it was proper to cut two coils, and dress down the cut. Don't know why they just didn't supply a spring with less coils.

Maybe they wised up, and put in springs with less coils, but, I do remember S&W revolvers being alot smoother, back then, and a whole lot easier to really clean up, than they are now. I am sure some of that has to do with MIM parts.

 

[HeloMt]

You can cut a 17 coil spring to 15 coils without a problem. Deburr the cut end with a file or stone. When I do this I insert the cut end into the rebound slide. Yep, I learned this at the armorers course, too. They used to make a 15 coil factory spring for use in the single action only version of the K-38. The "savvy" armorers would order those for action jobs. The cut springs work just as well.

Randy

 

[dfariswheel]

S&W used to recommend no more than 15 coils maximum off the spring, but not that many off a police service gun. For a service gun they recommended 1 1/2 coils max.
You can go lower, but you slow the action down and risk trigger return failures.

S&W no longer recommends spring shortening because of liability.
In the bad old Bangor Punta days, S&W was still telling police armorers that they could shorten the spring.

Then, a department got involved in a law suit over a supposedly accidental shooting of a suspect. The lawyers claimed that because the gun had been altered to have a lighter trigger pull, the officer accidental shot the suspect.
The department called on S&W to confirm that shortening the spring was not a hazard and was a factory recommended alteration.
The Bangor Punta lawyers simply lied by telling the court that they never told the department that shortening the spring was acceptable.
Of course there was nothing in writing, just S&W gunsmiths telling the department armorers that it was okay.

This made some really hard feelings with S&W when word got out to other law enforcement agencies.
After that, S&W no longer told anyone the spring could be shortened.

 

[Bullseye Smith]

It was Two but three is better , and it is a lawyer thing. I have put in a wolff before that was a 9# with three off it ( readers don't do this because you will screw it up, there is more to it ) and I don't kiss and tell. I alway stick the cut in first so I don't have to dress it so much.

 

[Bert Man]

You can cut a 17 coil spring to 15 coils without a problem. Deburr the cut end with a file or stone. When I do this I insert the cut end into the rebound slide. Yep, I learned this at the armorers course, too. They used to make a 15 coil factory spring for use in the single action only version of the K-38. The "savvy" armorers would order those for action jobs. The cut springs work just as well.

Randy

Correct. The stock rebound spring has 17 coils and in the 70's the S&W Armorer School told us up to 2 coils could be cut and cut end dressed and inserted first. The old #5387 S-A rebound spring works great and is full-length having a slightly lighter spring weight. Greatly improved double-action pull and smooth trigger return. Be advised that it also usually lightens S-A pull slightly. I always keep a few on hand just in case.