You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
.32 S&W Long, Hand Ejector
- Thread starter dahermit
- Start date
Ratshooter, upon examining the strain screw on the .32 and taking your comment into account, you may be correct that the strain screw will not/is unlikely to loosen, inasmuch as unlike other gun screws, it is under tension from the spring. In any event, I am going to experiment with backing it out one-half turn and see.Hello Dahermit. I know backing the screw out is not the "correct" way to lighten the trigger. I have done it and never had a screw move from where I left it, it was just a thought.
BigD_in_FL
Moderator
IF that works for you, you might then want to blue Loctite in position
Mike Irwin
Staff
My experience with strain screws on S&W revolvers of all frame sizes is that they'll loosen at a rate best calculated to annoy the living hell out of you.
I keep all of my locked down TIGHT.
I keep all of my locked down TIGHT.
Back to the original question on the heavy trigger pull, and given that those mainsprings can be interchanged or made to interchange, it is possible that a spring was put in that is heavier than the original. If that is the case, and another spring can't be located, the spring can be lightened by grinding the sides (not the flats) to reduce tension. Just take it easy and don't let the spring get too hot.
Jim
Jim
Mike Irwin
Staff
I'm sure that the spring in my Regulation Police, the one that broke, was original to the gun, and trigger pull on it was just freaking MURDER.
I have done that with other S&W flat springs, but would be a trifle worried that too much could be taken off and end up with light-strikes. I would rather have a spare to grind on instead of the original.Back to the original question on the heavy trigger pull, and given that those mainsprings can be interchanged or made to interchange, it is possible that a spring was put in that is heavier than the original. If that is the case, and another spring can't be located, the spring can be lightened by grinding the sides (not the flats) to reduce tension. Just take it easy and don't let the spring get too hot.
I am puzzled about the trigger pull. I have two of those guns (though not a Regulation Police) and both DA and SA trigger pulls are reasonable. Neither appears to have ever been worked on; one is near new, the other about 95% and both have what appears to be the original mainspings. In fact, with my eyes closed, it is hard to tell a .32 HE from my 642 by feel and trigger pull. I can only assume that in some way Mike's and dahermit's guns are gummed up or were altered.
Edited to add: I should have said three guns, but I didn't count the Model 1896. I checked it just now and same thing, a perfectly ordinary S&W triggerr pull.
Jim
Edited to add: I should have said three guns, but I didn't count the Model 1896. I checked it just now and same thing, a perfectly ordinary S&W triggerr pull.
Jim
Mike Irwin
Staff
That would be a negatory.
I've come across a number of them over the years with widely divergent trigger pulls.
I'm about 99% certain that I'm the first one who ever had the sideplate off. The screws were pristine and the seam was nearly invisible.
Even after a good cleaning and lube, it was still VERY heavy.
Once the original spring broke, the replacement did reduce the trigger pull.
I've come across a number of them over the years with widely divergent trigger pulls.
I'm about 99% certain that I'm the first one who ever had the sideplate off. The screws were pristine and the seam was nearly invisible.
Even after a good cleaning and lube, it was still VERY heavy.
Once the original spring broke, the replacement did reduce the trigger pull.
If one is going to use the strain screw to attempt to lighten the trigger pull, it seems to me that the best way to do it would be to take a very small amount of metal off the end of the screw. That way, the screw could still be tightened all the way down (thus reducing it's chances of loosening up over time) whilst still reducing the tension on the mainspring. Before attempting such a procedure, however, I'd want to have a spare strain screw to work on so that if I remove too much metal I can simply put the original back in.
The "strain screw" is not just to allow strain to be taken off the mainspring for disassembly or to adjust trigger pull, it is mainly to put the right arc in the mainspring so it applies its force in the right way and in the right direction. At the extreme, if one loosens the strain screw too much, the hammer will not cock and the gun will not function.
Jim
Jim