I have been shooting mostly single action and semi-auto 22s all these years. Now I am thinking of getting a stainless double action medium size (think Ruger Single Six size) 22 revolver with about a 5 inch barrel --- +/- an inch.

I want one that has a good trigger pull in DA mode. If I wanted to shoot SA, I already have those. The few different ones I have handled in gun shops were awful in DA. Really stiff, etc. Is there any brand that is really good out of the box, or for which there is an off-the-shelf trigger spring kit for a light and smooth DA pull? Like maybe down around a 4 pound trigger pull, or is that an impossible request? Don't want to invest in shipping and labor for gunsmith work.

Thanks.

I have been shooting mostly single action and semi-auto 22s all these years. Now I am thinking of getting a stainless double action medium size (think Ruger Single Six size) 22 revolver with about a 5 inch barrel --- +/- an inch.

I want one that has a good trigger pull in DA mode. If I wanted to shoot SA, I already have those. The few different ones I have handled in gun shops were awful in DA. Really stiff, etc. Is there any brand that is really good out of the box, or for which there is an off-the-shelf trigger spring kit for a light and smooth DA pull? Like maybe down around a 4 pound trigger pull, or is that an impossible request? Don't want to invest in shipping and labor for gunsmith work.

Thanks.

Pretty much think a 4 pound DA pull is an impossible request. Sooth can be done, but not out-the-box (and spring switchs won't get you smooth...just lighter) and not near 4 pounds.

Problem is most small double action revolvers of the frame size of Smith & Wesson or the small ruger have fairly heavy double action pulls. I like the small Smith, Ruger and the Rossi. All are nice carry in the woods guns when smoothed up. All are very accurate.

You can get a good gunsmith to clean them up some, but not to that four pound level. If you do the gunsmithing yourself, and that is possible, install a wolf spring kit if available and polish everything that rubs togather.

One of the problems you will run across when you start shortening springs to lighten the double action pull is ignition failure. There just has to be enough mainspring tension to make that gun fire everytime. Spotless polishing will help if you take that route

I did custom Smith & Wesson work for a lot of years and though you could do wonders on the big Smiths, getting a four pound pull without going to roller bearings and making the gun a double action only pull was out of reach.

Look in Brownells for parts, polish and books on double action works.

I have a little Rossi stainless double action pistol that looks if it was made on Smith & Wesson tooling. It has after some work a beautiful single action pull and a smooth double action. I think that smoothing the double action pull so it has no catches, burps or lurches makes up a lot for a heavier pull.

Good luck in your search

Only you or anyone else know what they want in a trigger. You have to step up if you want a quality 22 revolver. There are others that are less $, but you would always wonder if you should of taken that next step.
I own several Ruger products, some Colts in hand guns, but the gem of the 22 rim fire is a S&W 617. You will never look back. I am not a big S&W fan but this gun has it.
Jim

Now I really like DA revolvers, and spend a good bit of time shooting them DA...but none of them are close to a 4lb. pull. Don't want to dissuade you from a DA revolver buy..but wanting a DA pull that mimic's a SA pull's weight just isn't going to happen.

IT's a different skill to learn, and once you learn it, can shoot surprizingly good groups.

You can make a 4lb double-action pull, no problem - but the hammer travel would have to be seen to be believed. It's all just leverage. Less force means you need a longer lever to do the same thing.

Locktime would probably have to be measured with a calendar....

Well, OK. I didn't think a really light DA trigger was possible, but I figured if any group of people would know, it would be on this forum.

The S&W 617s are good looking guns. Other than the capacity, do you think there is much difference between the 6 shot 617 and the 10 shot 617? I see the hammer shape is probably easier to cock on the 6 shot, and the trigger is a bit wider.

I could not find a trigger kit for the 617. Does anyone know of one?

Thanks. Dave

Hay Greenhorn you have several options. You can have the factory custom shop work over your trigger and I believe install a wider trigger. You can check with Brownells for replacement triggers and hammers.

There are no "trigger kits" with everything available. You can get spring kits such as Wolf or Brownells and seperate Triggers and Hammers from Brownells or the factory. Be careful with revolvers you have some timing issues that come into play when replacing triggers and hammers. You can replace a part and end up with the gun "out of time" and the cylinder will not lock in the correct place when the hammer is cocked or the gun is cycled double action.

Most folks that work over the excellent Smith and Wesson guns do so by polishing all the rubbing surfaces and doing spring work or installing aftermarket springs. I did a lot of this custom work and the only things you have to be careful with when working on S$W is the blued guns have the trigger and hammer case hardened and the depth of this is just a few thousanth thick. I havn't done any of the stainless guns so can't tell you if they are hard all the way though like the rugers.

I did a good business in hammer and trigger replacement where an amature had cut through the case hard and had messed up. when this happens the notch where the hammer rests gets rounded off or just goes away and the hammer will not cock single action. Replacement is the only option when you do this. Normally you can use a product like Casinit available through Brownells to redo the trigger and hammer notch if you cut through the case hardening. I did this on all the blue guns I worked on just to be on the safe side. Your only doing the sear notches.

Doing these actions is not really hard and can be a fun experience, though learning can sometimes be expensive if you mess up. Kind of like rebuilding an engine and getting something wrong.

Brownells has some excellent books on tuning and setting up Smith & Wesson revolvers. I guess it depends upon how much you like working on this kind of stuff. I recommend that you get S&W's custom shop or a good pistol smith to do it if you are really unsure of what your doing.

Go to Brownells on the web or better yet get one of their catalongs for $5.00. Be careful and do not slobber on all the wonderful pages of gun stuff in this catalog

Good luck in your search

Hey Bob from Idaho -

Thanks for all the great info.

I had no idea about the timing issue. To botch that would be disappointing!!

I do a lot of my own work -- up to a point. Fine work, sear polishing etc, I leave to others because I usually overdo it and significantly reduce the value of the item.

I have heard of lots of people having the S&W custom shop rework their guns. Are they any more or less expensive than other good independent gunsmiths? Also, can a S&W gun be ordered with the S&W shop work done before delivery, or does it have to first be purchased stock at a gun shop, then sent back for the custom work?

Muchas gracias -
Dave

I just got a Taurus M92, stainless with 4" barrel for less than$300. A new hammer spring brought the trigger pull on DA down considerably (doubt it's a 4 tho, will check tonight). But I usually shoot SA for accuracy anyway.
It's a good looking affordable walk-around gun.

Cossack -
I am interested. Post what you discover.
Thanks.

Either bend a rod or tie a stroing string to a shart bent section or rod...place rod tip on trigger when finger tip fits...and start addeing weight to the rod. Proably won't have any calibrated weights...but household things like flour, rice, butter, etc. are pretty close to their listed weight. Whne you get to a wegiht that you can't lift without the DA trigger running all the way though it's cylce, are close to the true pull weight of the gun.

I don't think that the S&W custom shop is really any more expensive than the "good" smiths out there. One thing for certian is that the custom shop will not let an unsafe gun go out of the shop.

As for ordering a gun with custom work already done, yes. Give the custom shop a call, they are nice folks to deal with and can give you a better idea on what they can do for you.

Like one of the folks above said the 617 is a really nice revolver. One thing your going to find is that the larger framed revolvers seem to have a better double action than the small framed ones.

I've had some K22's that were a pure joy to shoot double action. I seemed to always end up carrying my kit gun simply because it was light and compact. I mostly use the single action and I have not found a great accuracy difference for the can plinking, rattle snake shooting I do.

One thing though, I did not like Smith's new small frame ultra light 22. Shot a friends and found it was extremly hard to keep that ten ounce gun on target. I really think this ultralight thing is getting out of hand.

Thanks for the input about the Smith gunsmiths.

As to the ultralight -- yeah, I have been thinking the same thing myself. The super light weight is attractive, having about the same weight as a medium big knife. But if you can't hit with it, what's the point? People are advised to shoot no heavier a caliber than you can shoot accurately, so it seems the extremists have found a way to make the .22 rimfire "too much gun". :D

I just got a Taurus M92, stainless with 4" barrel for less than$300. A new hammer spring brought the trigger pull on DA down considerably (doubt it's a 4 tho, will check tonight). But I usually shoot SA for accuracy anyway.
It's a good looking affordable walk-around gun.

Wolf springs got the SA down to 3.5 lbs and the DA down to 7.5 marvelous I thought. BUT then I had ignition problems. So I shortened the hammer spring with a Drumel a bit at a time and settled fot about 9 DA to ensure reliable ingnition. Fortunately, the SA is still under 4. I'm going the polishing route next but don't think that 4 DA is a realistic goal.

That's good info to have. Thanks.
Dave