guntherapist
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What all is performed on a double action revolver when a trigger job is done to it? Thinking about having it done to a 642.
What is a Trigger Job?
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Depends on whether you get a reliability/smoothness carry job from a pro, or a butcher job.
For a defensive gun, making sure it is smooth and reliable is good, trying to turn it into a light-pull range toy can lead to UNreliable.
Particularly with J frames like your 642, I tread lightly when it comes to reducing springs. By the way, the 642 has a coil mainspring, so all the advice you get about strainscrews and leaf springs on K and L frames is irrelevant to your gun.
For a defensive gun, making sure it is smooth and reliable is good, trying to turn it into a light-pull range toy can lead to UNreliable.
Particularly with J frames like your 642, I tread lightly when it comes to reducing springs. By the way, the 642 has a coil mainspring, so all the advice you get about strainscrews and leaf springs on K and L frames is irrelevant to your gun.
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A DA trigger job is usually just reducing the mainspring tension. This is done by removing the grips and the side plate and bending the mainspring (except for a J frame) or replacing it with a lighter aftermarket one or making the strain screw shorter. If this is overdone you will end up with light primer hits and misfires so you need to tune the strain screw (or go to the next higher weight mainspring available if its a J frame). The easiest way to do this is to replace the stock strain screw with a 8/32x0.5" set screw and to keep tightening it a quarter or half turn at a time until no more misfires occur. Blue Locktite should be applied to the set screw before the adjustments are made so the screw won't back off.
This , in my experience, usually corresponds to a DA trigger pull of about 7.5 to 9 lb. This does nothing for the smoothness of the DA pull though. If you have an older revolver (pre MIM) they usually didn't need any smoothing. If it does you need to polish a few internal parts. To see what is involved in smoothing a DA trigger pull check out youtube. Midway has a good video there on the procedure.
Hope this helps.
This , in my experience, usually corresponds to a DA trigger pull of about 7.5 to 9 lb. This does nothing for the smoothness of the DA pull though. If you have an older revolver (pre MIM) they usually didn't need any smoothing. If it does you need to polish a few internal parts. To see what is involved in smoothing a DA trigger pull check out youtube. Midway has a good video there on the procedure.
Hope this helps.
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m1gunner
US Veteran
In my experience a trigger job is the $150 damage done by a hack just before he sells a (once reliable) revolver.
I will never knowingly buy a revolver with any trigger work not done by and documented by the factory.
I do not target shoot, my handguns are for defense of home and self. My preference is stock springs and trigger parts.
I will never knowingly buy a revolver with any trigger work not done by and documented by the factory.
I do not target shoot, my handguns are for defense of home and self. My preference is stock springs and trigger parts.
For the little J frames when used for personal defense, doing anything to lighten spring drive is almost always a bad idea. What you really want is 'smooth'...not 'light'. For that, a trigger job by a reputable 'smith or factory trained armorer (they are not the same thing but a good factory trained armorer can easily do what you need) will consist of taking the gun down and 'blueprinting' it so to speak...making certain no pins are sitcking out / rubbing, tolerances are within factory spec, timing is correct, etc. and maybe stoning some parts to smooth up any rough spots. They will not cut any springs.
If you need it, you need it to be reliable...first shot. every shot...and given that a pocket / IWB / ankle gun is subject to dust, lint and other stuff in years of day to day carry, better heavier than you prefer to a misfire when you cannot afford it. Lots of hacks will promise you the moon, but few actually know what they are doing. A great many will reduce spring drive too much in every gun they touch just so the customer will think they got their money's worth. Stay away from guys like that unless recreational shooting is all you care about.
If you need it, you need it to be reliable...first shot. every shot...and given that a pocket / IWB / ankle gun is subject to dust, lint and other stuff in years of day to day carry, better heavier than you prefer to a misfire when you cannot afford it. Lots of hacks will promise you the moon, but few actually know what they are doing. A great many will reduce spring drive too much in every gun they touch just so the customer will think they got their money's worth. Stay away from guys like that unless recreational shooting is all you care about.
ikor said it best. Reliable is the first consideration. A "good" trigger job is a lot of work. Totally disassembling the gun, and inspecting for any reason it isn't the smoothest, then stoning the offending area until it is. The result is seldom any lighter but so smooth you will think it is. It takes a "skilled" S&W gunsmith to do it correctly.
