13 replies to this topic

[Agent_Smith]

I want to lighten the double action pull on my Smith 686. I don't want to ship it and I don't want to travel far.

Should I:
A. Buy a spring kit, do it myself and let that suffice.
B. Go to Rick at OMG Custom
C. Go to Bullethole
D. Go to Heritage in Rahway
E. Go somewhere else near South Orange or very near SCFGPA (which is also convenient.)

Thanks
AS

[henrym]

How mechanically inclined are you?

If it were me I would go with the balanced spring kit.

If you dont mind my asking why do you want to change it?

Alec and Pizza in 4.....3.....2....1........

[Agent_Smith]

I want to shoot it double action in IDPA, and the DA is too heavy for me.

[Pizza Bob]

You can try changing the the main spring and the rebound spring first and see where that takes you. Alec and I have both used a very accomplished revolver-smith and he uses the strain screw for the final fine-tuning. When DIY, I'd advise against playing with the strain screw - it should be tightened down all the way.

Also realize that this is a committment to a competition gun. Once lightened, I would never depend on it for a HD/SD gun. You never know when that light-strike will occur. When it is tuned right to the edge of reliability, and then parts settle-in or wear - all of a sudden it goes bang, bang, click. In a match that's an "Oh shit" - in a defensive situation it can mean your life.

If you hand load you can go pretty light, but you are then confined to Federal primers and "crush" seating them (.008" - .010" below flush). If you use factory ammo - again to get the lightest possible pull, you will be restricted to Federal ammunition.

Just changing the springs may lighten up the pull enough that you are happy with it, but not sacrifice reliabilty with any ammo. Wolff makes a combo spring kit that has a reduced pull mainspring and three different weights of rebound springs. With a revolver it is a lot of trial and error and managing to "balance" all the components that affect trigger pull.

Alec has played more with the innards of his guns than I have - anything beyond a spring change and mine goes to a smith, but that's just me - I am not a "handy" person.

Good luck - it will be nice to have some more wheelgunners shooting IDPA. Phillipsburg is this coming Saturday. Great matches at that club. Usually 8 stages - 4 indoors and 4 outdoors with a commensurate round count. Extended forecast says 50's and partly cloudy - should be ideal if the weather is accurate. Come on out.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[Agent_Smith]

Thanks, Bob. I probably will just use the Wolff kit with the reduced mainspring and the rebound springs. What about adding an extended hammer pin to improve reliability. Know anyone who has tried that?

[East Brunswick Sportsman]

I'd see if you need it first. I've heard good things about the cylinder and slide products, but use caution.

If your firing pin is too long, and you have too much spring pressure you risk puncturing the primer, and trapping the firing pin in the primer. If you do this the cylinder will be stuck in that position, and you will have an even bigger problem on your hands.

Henry

[Pizza Bob]

Thanks, Bob. I probably will just use the Wolff kit with the reduced mainspring and the rebound springs. What about adding an extended hammer pin to improve reliability. Know anyone who has tried that?

Henry makes a good point. Is your FP frame or hammer mounted? (You didn't specify what engineering change 686 you have so it could be either). My 625 has a frame mounted competition FP & spring, my 646 has the OE frame mounted FP. I don't think light strikes (assuming the mainspring is GTG) has ever been a problem with hammer mounted FP's. Start with the Wolff kit and go from there.

Sooooo, Phillipsburg????

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[alec.mc]

Agent Smith,

Bob said alot of good info, We've used the same gunsmith in the past, and I've recently starting dabbiling in doing my own work.

It really depends on how light you want to go, Do you plan on reloading? or using factory ammo is a big part of it, You can utlize federal primers for the lowest weight pull, or you can can find a happy medium spot and still light off factory stuff. Both would be worlds difference over stock.

Extended firing pin is great for lightened action job, I went apex for my stuff.

Check out the Jerry M spring kit, comes with an new main spring and rebound spring, while you have things apart you can stone and polish some things to smooth it out, i'd only recommend doing it on the rebound block if your doing it quick and dirty and dont want to mess around with it too much.

Again, Frame mounted pin? or hammer mounted?

You can bob the hammer ( shave it down ) in idpa you'll need to retain the hammer saftey if it's a frame mounted that has it.

There is a ton of info out there, I dont know it all , but I can share with my own. I have one gun that was done by a pro with a 4.5 double action pull, I recently did one on my own that is about 5.5-6lbs or so( still needs some more work )

PM me if you need to ask anything in particular, or just share here.

[alec.mc]

I went the full kit in cabodale on the one I just did, apex hammer ( you'll have to check if IDPA friendly, you can always take a dremel to your factory one to achive simiilar effect ) apex firing pin, c&s rebound spring, jerry m main spring, fitted near sear, polished all the internals best I could.

[alec.mc]

Should I:
A. Buy a spring kit, do it myself and let that suffice.
B. Go to Rick at OMG Custom
C. Go to Bullethole
D. Go to Heritage in Rahway
E. Go somewhere else near South Orange or very near SCFGPA (which is also convenient.)

If you are bringing it to somebody, bring it to somebody who knows revolvers - not just any old guy with a screw driver in the back of a gun shop. If you just want to install springs, and do some light polishing, you can do it yourself, I could help you out in woodbridge, or choose to go full action job and go to a REVOLVER gunsmith

[Pizza Bob]

Apex hammer is fine in IDPA - it is part of the DAO conversion, which is allowed. Also, you can disable/remove the Clinton lock if you so desire.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[Agent_Smith]

I'm going to start with the Wolff spring kit and take it from there. Just placed the order

I'm not reloading right now, but when Ammogeddon shakes out, I probably will start. Tho I would like to be able to shoot any ammo through this revolver. I can't stand fussy guns. My Smith 41 drives me bonkers.

Not sure about what type of firing pin, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Thanks for all the advice.

-AS

[Agent_Smith]

I'm reviving this thread to follow up.

I installed a Wolff reduced power mainspring and 14-pound reduced power rebound spring. Trigger pull feels maybe a couple pounds lighter.

I put a bunch of rounds downrange of a couple of different brands and there were no light strikes.

Installation was easy after watching five minutes of an AGI DVD and buying a rebound spring tool. (Getting the sucker back in the socket is such a pain that they actually make a tool just for this one step.

This is a good start, and I'm going to stick with this setup for a while. It will take me a bit to get used to when the gun goes boom. I seem to expect it to take longer for the hammer to pull back and release, so it catches me by surprise, which is only a problem if I try to begin the pull before I have the target dialed in.

Getting used to speed loaders will be a bigger challenge.

Bob, I hope to check out your revolver at the safe table during an upcoming Somerset IDPA match. It looks like I won't be able to make April. Hoping for May.

(PS: Frame-mounted firing pin. I wasn't sure when you asked.)

AS

[GRIZ]

Smooth is more important than light. Many lighten the pull to mask a gritty trigger. You can also work on your grip to increase hand and finger strength which will make your trigger pull easier without touching your revolver.