Sending my S&W 686 in for trigger work

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Nick_C_S

New member
I have a S&W 686+ 3" I bought in April. The last quarter of the trigger pull is very rough - feels like metal grinding on metal (probably because it is). Amazingly, I actually shoot well with it, but it's in serious need of a trigger job. I have two other 686's (both 6-shot) whose triggers are much smoother.

I am going to send it in to S&W to have them work the trigger. Since I live in California, and may use this gun for home defense, it is important that the trigger remain to stock specification - just smoothed out. If you use a gun in this state, you're automatically 3/4 guilty - can't give the prosecution any reason to label the defendant as a killer. This is also why I'm having Smith work on it - so it's still considered "stock" and not "aftermarket work."

The reason I'm posting this is to get general feedback. This is uncharted territory for me. I feel like I don't even know enough to know what I don't know :p

Has anybody sent a revolver to S&W for trigger work? Is there anything I need to know? Anything I should ask S&W? Anything I should tell S&W?

Thanks.
 
One thing to know is that Springfield is REALLY swamped with guns right now... I sent my Model 19 in for a couple of minor repairs and a bluing job at the end of February and I'M STILL WAITING (though I do expect it rather soon now according to what I've been told). Granted, the bluing is holding it up more than a non-bluing repair would, but still... They're just glutted right now.
 
Nick,

Are you familiar with the insides of a S&W revolver? If you are, maybe it just needs to have the pieces taken out, cleaned and lightly oiled during reassembly.

Or maybe you have a friend who can do it.

Also, check under your ejector star. Maybe it's just a teeny bit of grit that manages to give a stacking feeling.
 
CWKahrFan: I'm aware of the lag time - thanks just the same though. I called S&W about a week ago, and that was the first thing they told me. I'm patient. Guess I'll just have to use my Glock 20 for my nightstand piece for a while :D (I'm a Kahr fan too. I have a CW9 and love it - gobbles up everything I feed it.)

UncleED: I've had the side plate off. I looked for grime and/or burrs. But the insides otherwise intimidated me, and so I just put the cover back on. The ejector star is clean - very clean. I'm pretty anal about thoroughly cleaning my guns after every shoot. I wouldn't characterize the offending feel as "stacking." It's definitely a "grind." But the pull weight doesn't appreciably increase.
 
Andy Canon...

The late revolver-smith; Andy Canon of MT co-designed the top rated Canon-Ayoob revolver of the late 1980s. It was a slick 686 4" DA only wheel gun meant for duty or defense carry.
It's no longer on the market but it's a good example of after-market custom work.
There are shops & gunsmiths that do great work on S&W revolvers. Cylinder-Slide.com has a great DA only 686 4" .357magnum for sale on their site.
The American Pistolsmiths Guild lists many talented shops that do custom work on DA revolvers.
Gemini Customs & SDM Fabricating are also known for S&W revolvers.
The S&W pro center is a good choice if you want to keep the revolver under warranty but there are others around the US.
 
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