dtrayers
Bearcat
I'm getting back into shooting recreationally (after over 20 years) and the Match Champion was my first purchase (I plan on rebuilding my collection, and this is the start). I've been to one range session to put about 100 rounds of 38 and 357 though to get it dialed in and get a feel for the trigger and recoil. I've been to the range off and on with friends over the past couple of years but mostly shooting 22LR or pistols or AR's. It's been a while since shooting a magnum revolver (like over 20 years).
So I have to admit I don't have a lot of experience to draw on, but I really like SA. It's about 4-5 lbs and nice and clean. DA, however, felt "notchy". Not necessarily rough, but had a couple of hang ups through the pull. Or it felt that way to me.
So I watched a lot of YouTube and read these and other forums and decided to replace the hammer spring to lighten the pull a little. I left the return spring alone for now. One thing at a time.
I noticed that the hammer strut was pretty smooth from the factory, as was the hammer spring. I did do a little polishing on the replacement spring by wrapping a thin strip of 1500 grit paper around a coil of the spring. I chucked it (the spring) into my drill and ran the paper forwards and back to polish the inside of the spring. Dunno if it really needed it but it's now nice and smooth. I also lightly polished the bottom of the hammer dog and the top of the DA cam on the trigger. They were pretty smooth to start with, and I think that's part of the MC added value.
The trigger is shimmed, and I have to say it's a PITA trying to get the shims in place when re-installing the trigger. I did the little 'dab of grease' trick shown on the triggershims.com web site. That helped, but they still moved and I had to line each on up using a .005 feeler to push it in place.
The lighter spring made the pull easier, but still felt notchy. It was most pronounced at the start of the pull. Like there was a little hump to get over. Towards the end of the pull it became more linear and smoother, but I felt it could be better. That initial hump or notch-like feel bothered me and I couldn't get a smooth pull. So I removed the grip and watched how things moved and felt. When pulling the hammer back as in SA, it felt smooth, and when I pulled the trigger without the hammer strut and spring in place and applied thumb pressure to the hammer spur, it was also pretty smooth. So I reasoned it had to be between the hammer and the strut.
I got a little lapping compound and used it to smooth the pocket in the hammer where the top of the strut rests. About 10 minutes of back and forth, then cleaned off the compound with a stream of WD-40 then brake cleaner. I then re-oiled the hammer dog. Both the strut and pocket are a lot brighter now. I also noticed that the other end of the strut, where it passes through the mainspring seat, was rough when I moved them by hand. So I polished the inside of the rectangular hole of the seat and chamfered the edges of the hole. I also polished the end of the strut and even chamfered the little hole. I did put tiny dab of gun grease in the hammer pocket for the top of the strut too.
It seemed these two adjustments did the trick. The pull is very smooth from start to finish without any hesitation or "hump" or "notch". It's just a smooth pull from start to finish.
I hope to get to the range later this week and give it another go, but just in dry firing DA is much improved.
So I have to admit I don't have a lot of experience to draw on, but I really like SA. It's about 4-5 lbs and nice and clean. DA, however, felt "notchy". Not necessarily rough, but had a couple of hang ups through the pull. Or it felt that way to me.
So I watched a lot of YouTube and read these and other forums and decided to replace the hammer spring to lighten the pull a little. I left the return spring alone for now. One thing at a time.
I noticed that the hammer strut was pretty smooth from the factory, as was the hammer spring. I did do a little polishing on the replacement spring by wrapping a thin strip of 1500 grit paper around a coil of the spring. I chucked it (the spring) into my drill and ran the paper forwards and back to polish the inside of the spring. Dunno if it really needed it but it's now nice and smooth. I also lightly polished the bottom of the hammer dog and the top of the DA cam on the trigger. They were pretty smooth to start with, and I think that's part of the MC added value.
The trigger is shimmed, and I have to say it's a PITA trying to get the shims in place when re-installing the trigger. I did the little 'dab of grease' trick shown on the triggershims.com web site. That helped, but they still moved and I had to line each on up using a .005 feeler to push it in place.
The lighter spring made the pull easier, but still felt notchy. It was most pronounced at the start of the pull. Like there was a little hump to get over. Towards the end of the pull it became more linear and smoother, but I felt it could be better. That initial hump or notch-like feel bothered me and I couldn't get a smooth pull. So I removed the grip and watched how things moved and felt. When pulling the hammer back as in SA, it felt smooth, and when I pulled the trigger without the hammer strut and spring in place and applied thumb pressure to the hammer spur, it was also pretty smooth. So I reasoned it had to be between the hammer and the strut.
I got a little lapping compound and used it to smooth the pocket in the hammer where the top of the strut rests. About 10 minutes of back and forth, then cleaned off the compound with a stream of WD-40 then brake cleaner. I then re-oiled the hammer dog. Both the strut and pocket are a lot brighter now. I also noticed that the other end of the strut, where it passes through the mainspring seat, was rough when I moved them by hand. So I polished the inside of the rectangular hole of the seat and chamfered the edges of the hole. I also polished the end of the strut and even chamfered the little hole. I did put tiny dab of gun grease in the hammer pocket for the top of the strut too.
It seemed these two adjustments did the trick. The pull is very smooth from start to finish without any hesitation or "hump" or "notch". It's just a smooth pull from start to finish.
I hope to get to the range later this week and give it another go, but just in dry firing DA is much improved.
