Trigger Job Question?

by Jon Math 4/19/2018, 2:31 pm

Do trigger jobs go bad over time? Specifically I have a revolver that was worked over and is glass smooth with a light, but legal trigger. The pistol is still silky smooth but the trigger (by a scale, not just a feeling) is heavier than it was. I’d have assumed as springs wore in they would get lighter not heavier.Trigger

by Chris Miceli 4/19/2018, 2:34 pm

Might need a good cleaning ?

by Jon Math 4/19/2018, 2:47 pm

That thought or maybe I got some corrosion was what I first wondered about. It’s a revolver, I popped the side plate and everything in there is bright and clean, and nothing looks broken.

by Bullseye_Stan 4/19/2018, 4:54 pm

At one point I acquired the tools from Brownells to stone triggers for revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. What I found along the way was that for S&W and Ruger revolvers, a reduced strength (or reduced number of coils) trigger return spring would allow a very good to excellent single stage trigger with no metal removal. Colt revolvers are a very different animal.

As mentioned by Chris, remove the parts (trigger, rebound slide assembly & spring, mainspring, hammer), clean those parts and the frame, and reapply a CLP. If it still feels like the trigger weight has increased, I would then install a reduced power Wolff trigger return (rebound slide) spring that would not be sacrificed if clipping a coil or two was still needed. The final resort would be to send the revolver to S&W, at which point they would likely reinstall replacement factory parts.

But to answer your question: unless the trigger work was done incorrectly, I do not think there should be an increase in the trigger weight as the trigger sear and hammer wear together.

by atrfod 4/19/2018, 5:19 pm

If this a Smith,check that there isn't gunk under the ejector star and that the ejector rod hasn't backed out a bit.Pull the cylinder and yoke,hold the cylinder latch back,and cycle the action.That might help isolate where the drag is coming from.Someone might have tightened up a little cylinder endshake with the Power Custom washers.Maybe one of them got folded and is causing drag. Just some ideas,-Mike

by Boxturtle 4/19/2018, 7:11 pm

Some triggers and sears are surface hardened. If stoned, the hard surface is removed, exposing softer steel. They can gradually degrade. They can be readjusted.

by Jon Math 4/20/2018, 10:09 am

All excellent points, thanks.

Interestingly enough I got this pistol for a song originally because the cylinder was floating on the ejector rod. The gun store owner took it in as part of a collection and did not have much of a clue about revolvers. He figured it would be an expensive repair and was happy to sell it to me “as is” and be rid of it. He did not realize the rod had simply come unscrewed. I had planned to have the revolver cleaned and tuned professionally anyway. Now I have to wonder if the cylinder might be the cause of the trigger issue.

I have changed the way I shoot adopting the “keep the trigger moving” school of thought, so the heavier trigger is not a bother at all. I just don’t want I to continue getting heavier and heavier.

by 243winxb 4/20/2018, 10:36 am

"Some triggers and sears are surface hardened. If stoned, the hard surface is removed, exposing softer steel. They can gradually degrade. "

^^ This. Colt surface hardened. S&W hard thru and thru. At least back in the 1970's? IMO.

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