Tips on smoothing DAO

[Scooter1942]

Hey ya'll,

I know this isn't specific to the forum, but I recently bought a Rossi M720 and a Rossi M720 DAO.

The regular M720 with hammer has the sweetest trigger action and a super smooth double action.

However, the DAO model is "sticky". If I pull the trigger ever so slightly, I can get past the sticky part and then its smooth. However, the initial trigger pull takes a bunch to get going and feels like metal grinding metal.

Can someone tell me where to lube and/or polish to get this little hiccup out of what would otherwise be a nice DAO trigger?

 

[max503]

Make sure it's clean, then shoot it.
Judicious dryfiring should help, also.

 

[steelslaver]

When you first start the DA trigger pull the trigger presses a toggle or fly on the hammer to start its initial movement then as the trigger moves the hammer back via the fly it reaches a spot where it moves from the fly to the hammer itself to complete the cycle. Your problem is most likely the trigger's engagement with the fly or at the handoff point. It may well wear in with dry firing or use. Messing with the tip of the fly and or the portion of the trigger that works it is a tiny bit can go a long ways deal

 

[richrd]

Couple things I've seen that could be common to any DA, especially new.

The term "sticky" makes me look for old grease or oil. Not necessarily old in use, but time. It's possible that a new gun is built, then sat on the shelf, or if used, in someones closet. A good cleaning will cure this.

It is also possible that a spring (I'm not familiar with Rossi) is touching something at the beginning of the pull.

Something else I've seen on new guns is just bad quality control. Work the hammer and trigger a few times with light side pressure then disassemble and look for wear marks, metal dragging on metal.

The fix is to polish. Not file, or remove any metal. I mainly use ceramic stones, available in the size and shapes I need.

 

[Scooter1942]

The insides are pretty clean. Without further disassembly, I've lubed points of contact, especially the "fly". Things are better, but still a little sticky at the initial point of trigger pull.

Would someone mind taking this pic and editing, showing me where I need to be putting lube and/or where I could gently buff to smooth things out? The insides of this guy look a wee bit different than other revolvers I've tinkered with, so I'm not sure how comfortable I am breaking this one down.

Of course this gun is 30 years old, but it also doesn't look like it has been shot much. If it was anything, it was dry inside.

 

[steelslaver]

It kind of depends on just where to sticky happens. It is possible that the hand is trying to turn thee cylinder before the trigger has completely disengaged the cylinder stop. A lot of little movements in the first part of the pull. Thee little hump on top the return slide might be a bit high or long and not letting the hammer move. Hard to say without gun in hand

This falls under what I call fiddling. Watching feeling smoothing. Take the mainspring out and use your thumb on back of hammer,
Which brings me to another point. Is the spring strut sticky

 

[Scooter1942]

Spring strut is smooth. I'll take it apart again and watch all the little parts, though I don't feel the hiccup with the side plate apart like I do when the gun is together. It's getting better, but still a long way away from the DA pull on the other gun.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Of course this gun is 30 years old, but it also doesn't look like it has been shot much. If it was anything, it was dry inside.

30+ year old revolvers like to be cleaned and lubed properly.

Lot of revolvers were bought to be put in the Nightstand for home defense.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I recently bought a Rossi M720 and a Rossi M720 DAO.

Do you shoot a lot or will they be just Safe Queens?

 

[Scooter1942]

I do shoot a lot. The SA/DA Rossi will likely be a range toy and safe queen. I'd like to get the DAO good to go as a gun to carry in my chest rig while fly fishing.

I hosed it out pretty good with gun scrubber. Once that evaporated, I put some teflon grease on the obvious friction points. Same issue. I may break it apart again and liberally apply some gun oil to the insides...just to see.

 

[Shotguncoach]

Spring strut is smooth. I'll take it apart again and watch all the little parts, though I don't feel the hiccup with the side plate apart like I do when the gun is together. It's getting better, but still a long way away from the DA pull on the other gun.

You said something very important there. It's possible that there is a rough spot, high spot, or burr on the sideplate that is rubbing and the issue is not how the internal parts mate with each other.

Put it together, dry fire it 100 times or so, then take it back apart and look for wear marks on the sideplate and the sides of the internal pieces.

Here's a picture that Armorer951 provided me a while ago that might help...

Edit to add another thought: I see some scratches on the side of the hammer in your earlier picture. Try installing the sideplate and leave it a little bit loose...like all screws half a turn out. Does that help? Tighten the screws a little at a time from the muzzle end first, dry firing each time you tighten a screw. Is there one spot in particular that tightening the screw makes the problem appear?

 

[dfariswheel]

1. Lightly smooth the front lug of the trigger and the bolt. Apply a dab of grease.

2. Smooth the side or pawl LIGHTLY. Apply a thin coat of grease to the side and front.

3. Smooth the bottom, back side, and bevel the rear corner edge of the rebound. Apply grease to the bottom and back side.
Smooth the ledge on the frame.
This is a major area to reduce friction.
Make sure the rebound spring hole is smooth. Apply grease to the spring. A coil can be clipped of the spring.

4. Smooth the top and bottom of the trigger sear area and apply grease to all contact surfaces.

5. Smooth bottom, back and front of the double action strut.

Make sure the hammer spring guide is smooth and it and the spring are greased.
A lighter spring can be installed. Wolff Gun Spring should have them.

NOTE: Smooth means just smooth, not polished like a mirror.
All that's needed is to just level any machine marks to prevent catching or roughness.
Polishing too much can break through the case hardened coating and ruin the parts.

 

[Scooter1942]

Outstanding! Thank you.

 

[-BTM-]

I would do the rebound slide first. Sides and bottom.

 

[Scooter1942]

I appreciate the responses and particularly appreciate Len's (Shotguncoach) video link. I learned a lot from all four of his videos!

While the revolver is considerably better than it was in the beginning there is still a bit of "stickiness" at the very beginning of the trigger pull. I was beginning to think that the pawl was starting to turn the cylinder just a bit before the cylinder lock lowers out of the cylinder, thus creating just a bit of friction. But, I've realized that if I start to pull the trigger and partially turn the cylinder and then lower the trigger, that the stickiness is still there when the cylinder lock isn't engaged in the cylinder at all.

I'm probably just going to shoot it and live with it...it IS much better but it just takes a little oomph to get the trigger pull started. I may try to hit the range tomorrow night to run it through its paces.

Stay tuned.

 

[TheTinMan]

Excellent advice from Shotguncoach and dfariswheel!

I always stay away from the single action and double action sears and trigger contact points. You do NOT want to change any angles there. I do apply a tiny bit of grease there.

TW25B grease is light and can be applied in a very thin film. Just what you want on the hand, sides of the cylinder stop, under the rebound slide, etc.

 

[Protocall_Design]

At the very beginning of the trigger pull, sometimes the DA sear on the hammer won't move smoothly over the top of the trigger until the trigger has rotated some. If you polish the mating surfaces (bottom of the DA sear and top of the trigger) where they interact, you may get a smoother beginning. You can cycle the action with the sideplate off and see what it's doing.