Posted on 04/20/2016 10:41:00 PM PDT by sdpatriot
Just want some input on the S&W 38 Body Guard I purchased. It has a real stiff trigger pull- makes me always pull up to the right... and wondering what to do. i bought it last year .... do i need to send it off to get the trigger set right? forgive my ignorance, i used to own a lot of firearms before the tragic boating accident of 1999, but i have never had a trigger calibrated before..... is it supposed be be so and stiff? thanks for any help...... i'm just a helpless chick.. lol
But now I see that Wolff Gunsprings sells reduced power springs, so no lopping required anymore.
https://www.gunsprings.com/SMITH%20&%20WESSON/J%20FRAME/cID3/mID58/dID263
What I also found is that the more I shot it, the sweeter the trigger pull became. So shoot it, shoot it, shoot it. Now you don't have to shoot it as much as I shot my 36, but the more the better. While I was stationed in Pensacola(4 yrs), I tried to shoot 50 rds every week.
I know I shot over 5,000 rds thru it. Shooting it really smooths it out.
ah. 2 guns with same name
I think they like to putt a heavier, longer trigger on pocket guns.
If somebody tells you they own an M&P, you don't know if they're talking about a rifle, a full size pistol, a compact pistol, a subcompact pistol, a pocket pistol, or a revolver.
Was it a used gun when you bought it?
If so pull the grips and give the mechanism a good cleaning and oiling.
Just identify how much you need to aim left of the target to hit it reliably.
I haven’t ever even handled a Bodyguard, but I’ve done a number of action jobs on S&W revolvers in the past. The quick fix to lighten it up a bit is to relieve some of the tension on the mainspring.
On the older DA revolvers, there was a screw in the front of the grip frame that can be backed off and/or have it ground down as the tip presses against the mainspring, at least a K and N frame revolver. I think the bodyguard is a J frame and has a coil mainspring, but I haven’t fooled with one of those in 25 years. I do have a J .22/32 kit gun that I reworked 30 years ago that has a very nice trigger.
You might also see if Wolff springs has a replacement mainspring for it to lighten the trigger.
Keep in mind that if you lighten the mainspring too much, it will misfire due to light primer strikes. I think I just clipped the main spring on my kit gun and it is probably 6 pounds DA.
Another old school practice tip is to dry fire with a coin on the flat of the barrel until you can pull the trigger every time without it falling off. I’ve shot so much both DA and SA that it is just muscle memory for me, 100 rounds a week for 35-40 years will fix a lot of problems.
You are the proud owner of a small Smith and Wesson revolver. As everyone has said, it’s intended to be a short range gun. It’s also intended as a pocket revolver. Every ounce taken off the trigger pull puts you an ounce closer to a negligent discharge in a pants or coat pocket or purse in the case of a female.
There is a cure, though! Get a good set of snap caps and dry fire the gun (in a safe location) 3,000 times. That will smooth up the trigger nicely without lightening it much. It will also help develop the muscles you need to accurately shoot the small S&W.
The other solution is to trade it on a Ruger LCR. Ruger redesigned the revolver trigger just to give a decent pull on the gun.
I’m a Smith guy, so I’m not trying to sell you one. But if you don’t want to do the 3,000 or 4,000 trigger pulls, you are better off with the LCR than a negligent discharge.
yep, bought new, and have only put 40 or so rounds thru..
so many great posts!! FR posters are the best! after reading so much helpful info, i think i will just try and use it more.. shoot some live and “snap caps” and see if i like it better. A couple of you remarked that it is a hard pull trigger for a reason.. and that makes sense.
i have some questions about my pre-ban mini14 also... i will save for a rainy day when i’m able to be online for the discussion.. also some questions about my sweet little beretta 32 that has a tendency to jam... you guys are a fountain of knowledge i should have been asking along time ago.. thanks you guys (and gals)
As to your Beretta, most semi-auto problems are magazine related. Try a couple new magazines, either from Beretta or from Mec-Gar (who often manufacture OEM magazines, anyway). If for some reason that doesn’t solve the problem, try different brands of ammo. Especially try some European brands, which often tend to be a little hotter than US ammo made to US (SAAMI) specs. If you’ve been using hollow point ammo, try ball or FMJ. Or split the difference and try PowrBall. It will often feed well in semi-autos that won’t shoot hollow points.
a-ha, i suspect it has something to do with the loading spring in the mag... did not think about the type of ammo...thanks
looks like i’m going to be going to the range a lot... lol
Check out Wolfe Gun Springs. You can get a spring way cheaper than a magazine. But everyone needs spare mags! :)
bmfl
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