Test Firing Primers at home? (for purposes of fine tuning revolver trigger weight)

[coldestcanuck]

Spent the last couple of evenings playing with different main springs and rebound springs. Some interesting results on the 929. It appears that the factory main spring is actually lighter than the Wolf Springs Type 2 (reduced power) main spring. Tried a couple of different weights of rebound springs, and settled on the lightest -11lb spring.

Still found the trigger action a little gritty, so while I had it apart, I did a very light polish to the moving parts. Mostly just very light stoning of the sides, and polishing the sliding surfaces with Autosol. Left the S/A contact surfaces alone.

Results are below. So my original question is moot now. Wolf Springs only offers one type of lightened main spring and the 11lb rebound spring still gave a pretty firm trigger return. If I need to tweak it for various primers, may adjust the strain screw a bit.

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I just got my 586 back from Murray Charlton, I had him replace the "red ramp" front site with a patridge, install a new adjustable rear site and do a "distinguished tune". I use it for PPC distinguished revolver competition. The single action pull is 2.5#. The strain screw IS the final adjustment and Murray includes instructions on how to adjust if required although, he has already test fired and made any required adjustment. The gun has a light and silky trigger that breaks cleanly. Machining, parts, labour, shipping one way,---under $280. Murray is the S&W warranty smith. Hard to get those results yourself.

 

[VanMan]

I may switch to a fiber optic front sight later on, so will definitely keep Murray Charlton in mind for that and maybe have him do a trigger tune while it's there. What's your double action trigger pull now?

I just got my 586 back from Murray Charlton, I had him replace the "red ramp" front site with a patridge, install a new adjustable rear site and do a "distinguished tune". I use it for PPC distinguished revolver competition. The single action pull is 2.5#. The strain screw IS the final adjustment and Murray includes instructions on how to adjust if required although, he has already test fired and made any required adjustment. The gun has a light and silky trigger that breaks cleanly. Machining, parts, labour, shipping one way,---under $280. Murray is the S&W warranty smith. Hard to get those results yourself.

 

[coldestcanuck]

I may switch to a fiber optic front sight later on, so will definitely keep Murray Charlton in mind for that and maybe have him do a trigger tune while it's there. What's your double action trigger pull now?

I really couldn't say for sure, I only have a 2.5lb test weight. It's light, not as light as my Model 10 based Charlton PPC gun but it's pretty light and ever so smooooth. Can't wait to get out and dial it in for 50yds!

 

[Windknot]

Sounds like you need gas checks on those earplugs!

I do it occasionally with my Taurus Raging Bull (not for tuning, just for fun). It's fun to put earplugs in 44mag brass with a fresh primer, like a nerf gun but with noise

disclaimer: magnum primers will melt and in some cases ignite the earplugs depending what type they are so... proceed at your own risk.

 

[VanMan]

Not getting out to the range as much as I would like this winter, so went ahead and rigged up a 5 gal pail to try test firing some primers at home. Have an extended firing pin on the way, so going to run some tests with that and the stock firing pin on CCI, Federal and Dominion primers at various trigger pull weights.

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Planning on wetting down the rags at the bottom of the pail to prevent any fires
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[VanMan]

here's what it sounds like when I fire off a primer. Pretty well muffled actually. I make much more noise when I use my inertia bullet puller.

 

[VanMan]

Here's some initial results from testing CCI, Federal, and Dominion small pistol primers. I started each primer type at 8lbs DA trigger pull and kept decreasing the pull weight until I started getting light strikes. I then upped the DA trigger pull until I could get 2 x 8 round moonclips of primed cases to fire successfully.

So next is lightening the main leaf spring so the I'm not having to use the strain screw to make major adjustments to the DA trigger pull weight, and also testing the extended firing pin to see if I can get away with a lighter DA trigger pull on the Dominion primers. Fun fun fun

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