Well, having gone through all this, I saw only a couple 2-3 that wouldn't take a lot of time away from your gun---and likely cost you more than a little bit of money.
Here's what I did with a certified BEATER---4" M&P my father-in-law bought new in 1920, and carried daily in the hip pocket of his overalls for a mere 60-65 years. Oh!---and it had a 22 lb. double action trigger pull---thanks to a rebound slide spring apparently selected by a Bubba somewhere along the line based solely on the fact it would fit in the hole.
Given the desire to develop my point and shoot skills, and not even remotely inclined to use any of the guns in my collection, I got this relic out and headed for Brownells' web site. I'd had a Master Grade conversion done by Wilson Combat some years ago---for MEGA dollars, and figured any do-it-yourself stuff they might have would for sure be worthwhile.
As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a "spring kit" from Jerry Miculek before I came upon anything from Wilson---and a little voice said, "You know, if ANYBODY knows how to make a S&W better, that right there is what you're after!!"
So after maybe $20 combined with a few moments time, I'd stuffed this kit into my beater---and NOTHING would move! This kit comes with instructions, but after being in and out of some 200+ S&W revolvers in the past 60+ years, there's certainly no need to bother with instructions---or is there?
After I'd sat and stared for a bit, I decided it wouldn't hurt to see what he had to say. That was a wise move! Everything did what it was supposed to do the second time around-------and it did it just as slick as snot---with a 7 lb. D.A. trigger pull.
As an aside worth noting, Miculek's kit allows you to select whatever trigger pull you want---with the proviso you don't go below 7 lbs., lest your gun won't go bang---and he recommends the use of Federal ammo/primers at that level. ALL that good stuff is IN THE INSTRUCTIONS----READ 'EM!! (I didn't have any Federal---and WW works too.)
Now, there was mention of a J frame up above. I don't know who all might do kits for a J frame, but if either Miculek or Wilson has them, you could do worse. And if you do, do worse, don't sweat the small stuff! These kits are dirt cheap, so try, try again---with somebody else's.
Now I'm not knocking anybody's mega-buck "action job", but I'm hard pressed to imagine anything better/smoother/slicker than this old relic with a couple of new springs in it!
Ralph Tremaine
And a belated word or six or eight about lubrication: There are exactly three things worth talking about that move under the sideplate---trigger/hammer/rebound slide. The other thing that moves is the cylinder. It revolves about an axle---for lack of a better word.
ONE drop of a light oil on each of the trigger and hammer stud is it. A wee bit of GOOD grease smeared under and in back of the rebound slide is it.
The cylinder bore that revolves about the yoke axle is smooth---as is the yoke axle. No lubrication is required---nor desired----unless you wish to retain each and every bit of crud that finds its way in there.
