Slicking up a Smith & Wesson 686

Trinimon

Trinimon

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Got my new toy yesterday and while it's a nice piece, the DA trigger was heavy and gritty and heavier than my gauge would register but I've read it's around 12lbs. SA wasn't bad but a little heavy at 5.5lbs. I spent 4.5hrs yesterday deburring, slicking up parts and installing a Wolff Reduce Power spring kit but it wasn't 100% so I spent another 3hrs today and now it's a lot nicer. DA is now down to a smooth 8lbs and SA went down to 3.25lbs after reassembly. After dry firing for a little bit while watching some TV, it's at 3lbs and getting smoother.

I didn't document some things ie polishing sear areas and some other small parts, just got carried away and forgot.

Disclaimer: Mucking around with your firearm can potentially end in disaster.

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First step, full disassembly using hollow ground screw drivers so as not to damage the factory screws.

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Polish up the rebound slide (external and spring channel), rebound pin and frame area where it sits. Not shown in pic but cylinder catch was removed and polished, cylinder catch channel in the frame was deburred and polished.
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Polish up the side plate, focusing on the raised hubs and hammer block channel. Debur and polish the hammer block.
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Polish up the hammer and trigger pivot pins.
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Debur and polish the pawl channel.
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Remove firing pin by pusing it inwards to relieve tension and then removing the captive pin.
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Polish up the firing pin and just the middle areas of the captive pin.
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I polished up the hammer and removed the mottled case hardened finish. Probably not the best thing to do but we'll see. Deburred the polished the pivot hole (for lack of proper term).
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Got to luv ugly MIM parts.
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Also polished up the trigger and removed the case hardened finish on the lower half.
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Polish up the yoke areas that are either in the cylinder or frame.
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Polished up the area on the extractor rod that's supported by the yoke.
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Time to start reassembly using a Wolff Reduced Power mainspring and the 14# rebound spring.
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Installed a shim on the left and right side of the trigger to remove any play between the frame.
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The hammer was snug but it was slightly rubbing on one side of the frame so I installed just one shim, combined with the raised hub on the side plate, the hammer now remains centered.
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All reassembled and slicked up. I popped a few CCI primers and so far 100% ignition.
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Got around to working on the cylinder assembly today. I wasn't fully happy with the slightly gritty feel of the extractor. Full strip down, polished up the extractor rod, center pin, extractor rod collar, extractor assembly stem and debured/polished the cylinder itself. The factory springs looked like there wasn't any oil on 'em as they were both bone dry. Lightly oiled up and reassembled. No more gritty extractor. :)

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Thanks to VanMan for pointing out the rebound bar mod in the handgun thread. I revisited my 626 to help smoothen out that heavy "clunk" reset and allow the revolver to reliably reset the trigger using a lighter rebound spring. Previously, the 13# Wolff spring would not reliably reset the trigger if the trigger was reset slowly.

I removed the rebound bar, being careful not to lose the spring that wants to jump out. I beveled the leading corner that engages the hammer when the trigger is released by using a diamond file then polishing stone.

Before:
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After:
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I figured since this was the 4th time I've tinkered with the rebound bar, stabbing myself with a screwdriver on an earlier attempt, I made my own installation jig using a 3/64" drill bit.

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After reassembly with the 13# rebound spring, that heavy clunky trigger reset is much smoother. The trigger is not mushy or slow to reset and as fast as I could pull the trigger, I was not able to outrun it.

Double Action pull is approx 5.5lbs
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Single Action is hanging around the 2lb mark.
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guninhand said:
The youtube video below is by a trained S&W armourer. At 25.20 he specifically warns against polishing any part of the hammer. The rest of the vid is chock full of tips and advice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc&t=3217s
Click to expand...

Could be that's for liability reasons. Just make sure you leave the SA hammer and trigger contact surfaces alone. If you don't know what those are - then you shouldn't be trying to tweak your revolver.

edit, I should have waited until after I viewed the video lol. He does make a valid point. If the hammer (or any part) is case hardened, that hardening is only a couple thousandths of an inch thick. With a file or aggressive stone, you can break through that case hardening into the softer metal underneath. Polishing is ok, it hardly removes any material at all.
 
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From what I've read, those colour case hardened hammers and triggers were on the older S&W models when those parts were made of stainless steel. The new ones today use MIM parts and to keep the look of the old, the MIM parts were faux case-hardened. Well, so I've read on the S&W forums. If it starts to wear, guess I'll be ordering a replacement hammer/trigger. I knew that risk going into the project.
 
Trinimon said:
From what I've read, those colour case hardened hammers and triggers were on the older S&W models when those parts were made of stainless steel. The new ones today use MIM parts and to keep the look of the old, the MIM parts were faux case-hardened. Well, so I've read on the S&W forums. If it starts to wear, guess I'll be ordering a replacement hammer/trigger. I knew that risk going into the project.
Click to expand...

I think all the polishing you have done is fine. You won't have broken through the case hardened surfaces. The only real stock removal was on the rebound bar which is machined from solid bar stock. That mod is very popular with experienced gunsmiths so we are fine there too :)
 
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