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October 11, 2018, 06:23 PM | #1 |
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Wife Having Trouble with Model 37 Heavy Trigger
My wife no longer has the hand strength for a one handed DA trigger pull on her EDC S&W Model 37 lightweight nickel plated two inch 38 Spl J frame revolver. It's in primo unmodified condition- despite her carrying it daily since I purchased it new 40 years ago. And it doesn't have more than a few boxes of factory ammo through it either
She's not comfortable handling a semi-auto and really needs to stick with a compact revolver. I've considered installing a lighter spring-- but am concerned about primer strike reliability. She shoots two-handed and can pull the trigger fine if she uses both her right and left pointer fingers simultaneously. But that's probably not an ideal solution for an EDC personal defense gun-- nor is cocking the hammer prior to shooting in a threat situation. Ideas? Last edited by ChasHam; October 13, 2018 at 07:04 AM. |
October 11, 2018, 06:32 PM | #2 |
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Ruger LCR .38, if it's not too bulky.
Light DA trigger. Recoil MAY be a nuisance. Denis |
October 11, 2018, 07:12 PM | #3 |
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My wife hated my semi auto pistols and insisted using a revolver for her LTC class. The instructor convinced her to use his S&W M&P 22 for the shooting, and she loved it. We got her something very similar, which is a new S&W M&P 380 EZ and she’s really fond of it. Some folks call it a Granny Gun, because it’s easy to rack the slide and load the mag. You can get it with a safety or without. Have a look at one, if you can find one. Selling like hot cakes. I had to work hard to find one.
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October 11, 2018, 07:16 PM | #4 |
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I would go for a light spring kit before I bought another revolver. If wife has had
it for 40yrs she's use to it. I have no experience with LCR, plenty with LCPs. No doubt LCR is quality piece. |
October 11, 2018, 10:10 PM | #5 |
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Simply change out the trigger return spring with a lighter one.
A good gunsmith can also do an action job to reduce/smooth the trigger pull. |
October 12, 2018, 02:14 AM | #6 |
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+1 what Bill said. 40 years of womans purse mystery goo and fuzz would probably rate a trip to a GS anyhow. A lighter rebound spring wouldn't effect reliability at all, unless the installer uses a 12lb or lighter spring. I've never had reliability problems with a 13lb spring.
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October 12, 2018, 08:11 PM | #7 |
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The LCR has a very light DA trigger. It's what I usually carry.
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October 12, 2018, 08:44 PM | #8 |
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I put a Wolff 10 pound trigger spring my SP 101, made a lot of difference. Try a lighter spring and shoot a couple of boxes of ammo. If no light strikes you should be good to go.
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October 14, 2018, 10:21 AM | #9 |
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Thanks for all the suggestions.
I think I'll try some of the spring kits first. The price is certainly right and installation is easy enough. I've had the side plates off many Smith and Colt revolvers for thorough cleaning. I'll follow up with a lot of tesl firing using an assortment of reloads on hand and also the carry ammo. The Ruger LCR looks like it's probably Plan B at this point. Now of course if I was the one with the trigger squeeze problem rather than my wife, you know that the LCR would be Plan A... |
October 14, 2018, 11:18 AM | #10 |
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"...plates off many Smith..." Smith's require a special tool to remove and install the trigger rebound spring housing. About $20 at Brownell's.
Even with a proper trigger job and new springs she still may problems. Assuming her hands are arthritic, doing anything may or may not make any difference. Even a pistol will hurt to shoot with arthritis. Mind you, if she's not practicing with the thing, she might as well not have it.
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October 14, 2018, 12:54 PM | #11 |
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S&Ws don't require a special tool to remove the trigger spring. S&W armorer school showed how to do it with a screwdriver!
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October 16, 2018, 12:46 PM | #12 |
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My wife likes my LCR 357... Slightly more weight than the LCR 38spl .. so it dampens the recoil a bit , while using 38spl ammo ... I have found the Federal 130gr HST ammo , even though listed as +P ,is more than manageable ...
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October 18, 2018, 09:27 PM | #13 |
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Another vote for the Ruger LCR polymer frame revolver. I've been teaching older women and they have trouble with slides (semiautomatics) and most DA revolvers except for the Ruger or S&W polymer M&P revolver.
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October 20, 2018, 07:42 AM | #14 | |
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Quote:
Going too light on the main spring risks light primer strikes. Going too light on the rebound spring risks failure of trigger reset. When I encounter a S&W DA with mediocre trigger, the first thing I do is clean the lockwork and then polish the bottom and sides (but not the top) of the rebound slide and also the tunnel in which the rebound slide travels. Often, this is all that is required. |
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October 20, 2018, 07:53 AM | #15 | |
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Quote:
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October 20, 2018, 08:04 AM | #16 |
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A Bic pen works well for installing the rebound spring.
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October 20, 2018, 08:04 AM | #17 |
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Wolff - gunsprings.com - will sell you a package deal with a somewhat lighter mainspring and a selection of rebound springs.
I require that my defense guns fire reloads with CCI primers which are relatively "hard." That way I am confident with factory loads. My 642 will do it with a reduced mainspring, my M38 requires the full power spring. The rebound spring must give snappy trigger return, if it feels mushy or if your trigger finger "outruns" it on the reset, it is too weak. As RKG says, you will get a better and easier trigger if you reduce friction, not just swap springs. |
October 20, 2018, 10:36 AM | #18 |
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I find that S&W factory mainsprings vary a lot from gun to gun whether the coil or the leaf. I recently replaced a mainspring in a new 642 that was extremely heavy. It's now about the same as a 642 that I've had for several years. I've seen the same stuff on N and K frame guns. I'd suggest a Wolff standard spring, it may be just what you want. In any case shoot a couple hundred rounds of ammo to make sure it doesn't misfire with the lighter mainspring. If it misfires you gotta go to plan B and learn to live with another gun.
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October 20, 2018, 01:32 PM | #19 |
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RKG- you have it backwards. The rebound spring affects the D/A trigger pull. I'm sure that was a typo. I agree that polishing the slide makes a lot of difference.
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October 20, 2018, 02:00 PM | #20 |
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See Jerry Miculek's "How To Install a Spring Kit" video using a pen to reinstall it on a K frame S&W.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9gn7zE5b3g |
October 21, 2018, 05:09 PM | #21 |
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I would consider a cocked-and-locked semi-auto. e.g. a Sig 238 or 938.
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October 21, 2018, 07:03 PM | #22 | |
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Quote:
The DA pull has to compress the main spring. The SA pull does not. |
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October 22, 2018, 12:03 AM | #23 |
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Well, of course it does!
But shooting D/A you have to overcome the mainspring AND rebound spring. |
October 22, 2018, 12:33 AM | #24 |
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heavy
The lack of hand strength sufficient to effectively run a DA revolver was a common problem with some of the female trainee's I worked with on my brief stints a FLETC, Glynco. As auto's were not on the scene for common issue, we worked on hand strength......even to the point of issuing "half guns", old S&W frames with no barrels and nixed pins and hammers........seems like the cylinders were removed too.
The two finger technique was common, but what if that hand is disabled or busy doing something else? The auto in its various guises solved much of the hand strength issue. |
October 22, 2018, 09:49 PM | #25 | |
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Hence the "rule," as I was taught and as I have observed for, well, more years than I'm will to admit, as stated. |
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