SA trigger on S&W M19-3 just a wee bit too light.

Z

Zen Arcade

Inactive
I picked up a nice used *&* M19 this past weekend at a gun show :D . I'm mostly interested in using it for IDPA. The double action pull is as smooth as butter, just perfect for me really - somebody had obviously played with it. The downside is that the single action trigger pull is almost hazardously light, probably in the neighborhood of >2 lbs. :o

My question is what can I do to make the SA pull heavier?

I realize that if someone took a dremel tool to the internals, they probably took too much metal off , and as we all know, it's easier to take metal off than it is to put it back on. If that's the case, and parts replacement is the only way to fix too light of a trigger pull, I may look into to turning the gun into a double-action-only piece by using the K-frame kit from Brownells. But, from what I gather, the kit includes a flat serrated trigger and a big fat target style hammer! What good are those features on a DAO gun?

Which brings me to my next question: How hard is it to bob the hammer and polish the trigger face? I am not a gunsmith and certainly I'm no Jack Weigand, but I have slapped together a few AR's and recently modified the frame on my 1911 for a beavertail grip safety. If anyone has done this type of modification on a *&* before I would surely appreciate any advice in regards to tools and procedures, etc. (i.e.: Can it be done with a small vise and some files?) Thanks in advance!


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"A belief is like a guillotine, just as heavy, just as light."
-- F.K.


[This message has been edited by Zen Arcade (edited October 16, 2000).]
 
First thing to do would be to see if someone has backed out the strain screw (or shortened it) in the grip frame. Make sure it is run in all the way and of standard length.

I've never bobbed a hammer, but polishing the serrations off the trigger face is rather simple with the trigger removed from the gun. I've knocked down the serrations with wet & dry sandpaper on a wooden dowel, then finished up with a polishing wheel on a variable speed pneumatic buffer with polishing compound. Comes out beautiful and you still retain the case colors on the sides of the trigger. Do be careful when buffing as the trigger may be ripped from your grasp by the rotating buffer wheel if not careful.

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Just one of the Good Guys

And yes, S&W MUST DIE!

[This message has been edited by Good Guy (edited October 16, 2000).]
 
Good Guy is right on the money with the trigger suggestion. Although I would start the job with a fine tooth file to make it a little faster and then go to the paper.
The hammer can be done with files and a vise. But a grinder to remove the lion's share of the spur first would make that job faster. If you have no grinder available and are patient the files will work fine. Personally I enjoy projects like this and finds them relaxing.
Since you already like the action I would forget the K-frame DAO kit. Why spend money to fix it if it ain't broke.
Sounds like a fun project and a great gun. Good luck and have fun.
 
I HAVE done a hammer bob on a S&W 625 SS mountain gun. I first cut off the hammer portion with a hacksaw. Then, using Dykem steel blue, I marked where the N frame would be on the hammer. I then ground down the hammer until I was about one eighth inch from those marks. I then used my buffing wheels. Started with 320, went to 400 and then matchless. Looked great and worked even better. It should be noted that I did all this on another hammer, rather than destroy the color case hardened one supplied with the pistol. Cost about $15 at my local gun show.

I also did a trigger job, using India stones to smooth all the surfaces, which dropped the trigger pull down to about 3.5 lbs. I then replaced the rubber grips with Rosewood grips that were a little larger than standard.

I loved that 625, so much so that I had purchased a pair of sequentially numbered 625's. All of them went once S&W betrayed us. I replaced them with HK USP's.

One more thing. I am a gunsmith.
 
Wow! Now that's what I call a response! Thanks guys - this was my first post on the firing line, and I'm thinking this is the place to be!
 
Zen,

Pop over to www.gunbooks.com and get the S&W Shop Manual. It gives detailed instructions with photos on how to increase single action pull, without changing the double action pull.

The "short version" is, you lightly stone a reverse angle on the sear portion of the trigger. But you really should have the book so you can see the proper angle.

Best $20 you'll ever spend.

Good Luck...

Joe


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Go NRA
 
Note that S&W triggers and hammers are case hardened. If you stone through the case hardening, you will have a soft surface that will wear very rapidly. This is probably what happened to the single action notch.

Restoring the SA trigger notch on an S&W is nearly impossible, no matter what anyone says. If you don't want to go to a DAO, you will probably need a new hammer and/or trigger. Even with a DAO, you may still find that the action will wear rapidly and parts will need to be replaced. Depending on what was done to the gun, it might even be dangerous.

The original gun tinkerer found out all this the hard way; that is why the gun was for sale.

Jim
 
Something to try on the sigle action pull.If someone has worked on it they probably put a lighter trigger return spring.This is a standard thing to lighten the trigger pull.So before getting too deep into things replace the trigger return spring with a stock spring.The cost is about 3.00 so not much investment.
Hammer bobbing.Use a dremel with a cutting wheel to cut the spur off.Then take a stone on the dremel to clean it up and abrasive rubber wheel to polish it up.I just did my M 36 and contary to popular opinion even after cutting off the spur I couldn't touch the metal with a file so it will take a dremal to do the job.
Take it slow and easy so as not to get the metal too hot.

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Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
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