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Unless you desire to keep the pistol factory-stock for carry purposes- and let's not open that can of worms here!- I heartily endorse installing an 18# Wolff mainspring if you want to lower the DA pull weight.
1st- and 2nd-gen S&W TDA pistols were shipped with 20# or 22# mainsprings, but many TDA enthusiasts- including this one- believe that this was done mainly because of a perception that a heavy DA pull was a desirable safety feature, and NOT because it's strictly necessary for reliable ignition. As evidence, S&W switched to an 18# spring during the 3rd-gen model run.
If you want a MUCH lighter DA pull, you can even go to a 16# or lighter spring, but this reportedly may start causing light strikes with some ammo.
The mainspring is removed by decocking the pistol, driving out the pin at the base of the grips, pulling the mainspring housing down and away from the grip frame, and then sliding the spring off the hammer stirrup.
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Thank you. An 18lb mainspring will be ordered ASAP.
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IMHO the S&W TDA trigger reset is the standard against which all other DA/SA pistols are measured.
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Even though I've been a Walther P99 fan for years, I have to agree with you. The trigger resets at the break point, and the reset on this pistol is very, very short. In my opinion, and in my case, this is conducive to fast and accurate shooting.
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AFAIK the adjustable sight pistols actually use the same type of sight blade as a later-model S&W K/L frame revolver.
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Looking at both my Model 15 and Model 659, I believe this is correct.
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One disadvantage of the 2nd-gen (and 1st-gen) TDAs is the integral front sight, particularly on the stainless pistols. Also, as you may have already assumed, a gunsmith's attention will be needed to install night sights because a hole must be drilled horizontally into the front sight.
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I was wondering if something like this could be done to the 659, where the front sight is dovetailed to accept others:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/s-w_4006.htm
But to be honest, I'm a little hesitant to cut this one up, and I may just leave it as is.
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I believe that a 3rd-gen style "screwless" safety can be swapped over. The later-style RH-side safety lever slides into a slot in the safety "barrel" and is held in place by a little spring and plunger. The later-style safety was actually used on a few late-production 2nd-gen pistols.
OTOH whether S&W will sell you the parts is another story; they are reportedly hoarding some harder-to-find TDA parts to keep their remaining LE customers happy.
Also, this is a good time to mention- if you didn't already know this- that the 2nd-gen pistols have a trigger-actuated firing pin block and are considered totally drop-safe while carried in DA/safety-off mode. The 1st-gen pistols lack the firing pin block, and for this reason, the S&W manual recommends always carrying the earlier pistols with the safety engaged.
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I was wondering if deactivating the mag safety would positively effect the trigger, or negatively effect function of the pistol. I'm not a fan of this type of safety, but I can live with a pistol that has one.
Thank you carguychris. Your entire post was both interesting and informative. I don't know much about these pistols as of right now, so any information is more than likely new to me.