Having recently purchased a 4" Model 29-2 P&R (with presentation box and all the trimmings), I was confronted with a pretty tight action (hardly ever fired) and a kinda jerky and heavy double action trigger pull. Disassembling the gun. I cleaned each and every part thoroughly. I then took some jewelers rouge in powder form mixed with a little water from a syringe on a flat piece of Kovar (flat steel works too) I had laying around, I polished both the back (frame side) and bottom sides of the rebound slide by rubbing the slide back and forth in the rouge mixture against the flat Kovar until smooth. Cleaning the slickened slide with water and blowing dry with compressed air, I reassembled the gun using my own "home brew" of MMO and generic STP (FP-10 is excellent as well, but I sure like my goop!). I also backed off the main spring 3/4 of a turn. Man, what a difference in DA trigger pull! Very smooth and stages nicely (It's still a looong pull, though, IMHO). No cutting of the rebound spring. No taking a stone to either the hammer or trigger sear. Dry fire a couple of hundred times with snap caps and your in business. Safe and effective, especially if you don't feel qualified to start changing the configuration of either the hammer or trigger interfacing surfaces (and I do not!). I've replicated this a couple of times now on my Smiths and have been very pleased with the results.
Quick S&W Trigger Improvement
- Thread starter PKAY
- Start date
Another trick is to put the rebound slide in a milling machine and remove a slight amount from the middle of the slide, lengthwise, on the bottom and sides. This reduces the friction surface area and, in combination with polishing the remaining areas and the frame, makes a very smooth workup.
Jim
Jim
Mike Irwin
Staff
Backing the strain screw off is NOT a good idea, especially if the gun is going to be used for defensive purposes.
The strain screw is meant to be snugged down TIGHT into its recess.
If it's not, it "floats" and can readily unscrew itself even farther.
The strain screw is meant to be snugged down TIGHT into its recess.
If it's not, it "floats" and can readily unscrew itself even farther.
But Mike, I can't find a strain screw on the 317. 
Actually, if one had to play around with it (and we didn't), one filed down a bit of the strain screw and tighthened it down all the way. That way it wouldn't back out. We were taught to reduce the coils on the rebound slide spring and to leave the mainspring and strain screw alone.
Actually, if one had to play around with it (and we didn't), one filed down a bit of the strain screw and tighthened it down all the way. That way it wouldn't back out. We were taught to reduce the coils on the rebound slide spring and to leave the mainspring and strain screw alone.
NO ACCUSATION HERE: YOUR GUN
You take off the side, squirt in some Gleem toothpaste, replace the side, and dry-fire.
Then clean thoroughly.
I wasn't kidding. The slight abrasiveness of the toothpaste acts as a very gentle 'lapping compound', and is MOST UNLIKELY to cause any harm.
Thorough cleaning required.
My experience: I take S&W's apart in a 'spring box'.
You take off the side, squirt in some Gleem toothpaste, replace the side, and dry-fire.
Then clean thoroughly.
I wasn't kidding. The slight abrasiveness of the toothpaste acts as a very gentle 'lapping compound', and is MOST UNLIKELY to cause any harm.
Thorough cleaning required.
My experience: I take S&W's apart in a 'spring box'.
Gleem toothpaste is, alas, no longer made. It was also good for removing copper fouling from rifle barrels and, incidentally, for cleaning teeth.
You can do the same thing, just by pouring the powdered rouge directly into the action, adding oil and working the gun a lot. You can flush out the rouge without even disassembling the gun.
If you want to reduce tension of the leaf type mainspring on a S&W, take metal off the sides, tapering the spring to make it narrower at the top.
Jim
You can do the same thing, just by pouring the powdered rouge directly into the action, adding oil and working the gun a lot. You can flush out the rouge without even disassembling the gun.
If you want to reduce tension of the leaf type mainspring on a S&W, take metal off the sides, tapering the spring to make it narrower at the top.
Jim