Test Firing Primers at home? (for purposes of fine tuning revolver trigger weight)
- Thread starter VanMan
- Start date
And how would the neighbor's or Leo's be able to distinguish the sound of a primer popped in a restricted vs a non-restricted? Or a nail gun for that matter?
I do it all the time. Makes a tenth of the noise that usually comes from my basement while renovating. I'm quite surprised to see so many worry warts in here. I was expecting the OP to get flamed for even asking the question, not told to wear PPE and go to the range.
I do it all the time. Makes a tenth of the noise that usually comes from my basement while renovating. I'm quite surprised to see so many worry warts in here. I was expecting the OP to get flamed for even asking the question, not told to wear PPE and go to the range.
The gas fumes from the primers floating around the house would be my main concern. It's not the sort of season where you can fire off a few and then open all the windows for a while. I'd find some way other than inside where it's going to linger and affect you for a while.
A note on that strain screw for the S&W's. It is not intended as an adjustment. And in fact it takes only a couple of turns out before the operation is messed up totally. So be wary of using it that way. It is intended solely as a way of detensioning the mainspring so you can remove it without a lot of dramatic sproinging around the shop.
I really like the Wolff spring kits for my S&W's. And all of them have used the lightest of the rebound springs from the kit with good effect. But this won't work if the tensioning spring has been shortened by some Bubba of Christmas past. I've had to add a little shim on two used S&W's I've bought when measuring the screw showed that it had been trimmed.
It's not only the spring tension that is changed but also the geometry of the pull when the screw is not the right length and fully tight. There's a LITTLE fudge room but not a whole lot. It's better to work with the mainspring width (not thickness) and leave the tension spring full length and tightened.
A note on that strain screw for the S&W's. It is not intended as an adjustment. And in fact it takes only a couple of turns out before the operation is messed up totally. So be wary of using it that way. It is intended solely as a way of detensioning the mainspring so you can remove it without a lot of dramatic sproinging around the shop.
I really like the Wolff spring kits for my S&W's. And all of them have used the lightest of the rebound springs from the kit with good effect. But this won't work if the tensioning spring has been shortened by some Bubba of Christmas past. I've had to add a little shim on two used S&W's I've bought when measuring the screw showed that it had been trimmed.
It's not only the spring tension that is changed but also the geometry of the pull when the screw is not the right length and fully tight. There's a LITTLE fudge room but not a whole lot. It's better to work with the mainspring width (not thickness) and leave the tension spring full length and tightened.
Thanks BCRider, that confirms and summarized very nicely most of what I've read on the web. So far I've been lucky to get one S&W 625 that was given a trigger job by Gunnar at Armco and has a super slick DA trigger. My other 625 looks to be pretty stock and the 929 is brand spanking new from Wanstalls 
. For a "Performance Center" revolver, it's kind of surprising how heavy (10lb 6oz) and rough the DA trigger pull is. But then, maybe I've just been spoiled by some of my other handguns.
Going to see how close I can get them to the Gunnar trigger job with just changing out the main springs and rebound springs. Don't know if I'll try polishing the moving parts like I did on my Project Alpha revolver. It made a noticeable difference in lightening and smoothing out the trigger pulls, but it wasn't an expensive revolver so I didn't mind too much if I messed it up lol
. For a "Performance Center" revolver, it's kind of surprising how heavy (10lb 6oz) and rough the DA trigger pull is. But then, maybe I've just been spoiled by some of my other handguns. Going to see how close I can get them to the Gunnar trigger job with just changing out the main springs and rebound springs. Don't know if I'll try polishing the moving parts like I did on my Project Alpha revolver. It made a noticeable difference in lightening and smoothing out the trigger pulls, but it wasn't an expensive revolver so I didn't mind too much if I messed it up lol
You obviously haven't been to my house on "wieners & beans" night.
I'd have you begging for a breath of fresh popped primer.
The purpose of the excercise is find the right spring to detonate the primer.
Meh, I've popped a few primers in the basement washroom with the fan running when doing identical testing with different hammer springs. Always wore hearing pro and eye pro. The fumes aren't good for ya from what I've read but couldn't be breathing in any more than what I'd get at the indoor range. I've done crazier sh!t with lead growing up before knowing the dangers of it.
1) The stain screw isn't a trigger adjustment, it needs to be tight.
2) Use Federal primers, they'll go off when most primers won't - my old PPC revolver is only reliable with Fed primers.
3) a proper trigger job is pretty cheap, and guaranteed to work (normally with Federal primers - see above)
2) Use Federal primers, they'll go off when most primers won't - my old PPC revolver is only reliable with Fed primers.
3) a proper trigger job is pretty cheap, and guaranteed to work (normally with Federal primers - see above)
The lighter rebound springs will really lighten the trigger pull, as long as the trigger resets properly. I have the same guns. Before anyone says it, better safe than sorry, it's like triple locking a NR rifle even when it's not needed. I guess I check the risks and then have at it.
Here is an article about lead exposure. He says the amount of lead in a primer is miniscle. http://www.ssusa.org/media/1533525/1014_ssusa_archive.pdf
Here is an article about lead exposure. He says the amount of lead in a primer is miniscle. http://www.ssusa.org/media/1533525/1014_ssusa_archive.pdf
Thanks Ian, a very informative article on lead poisoning.
I was a little worried as in the past, when I was at some of the outdoor ranges, the smoke from my shots was drifting back towards me and I was inhaling some of it. So looks like not a huge issue to test fire some primers in my basement, maybe under the bathroom fan. Looks like I should be more concerned about shooting 230gr lead bullets from my 625. Maybe I'll switch over to a Berry's or Campro after I've used up my current batch of Missouri projectiles.
The contribution of airborne lead from the
primers was minimal. I figured that the lead exposure
from lead-based primers in a semi-ventilated,
8’x8’ room would require the firing (and inhaling)
of the gases from about 460,000 primers in order
to place someone over the exposure limit. That is
about 12,000 rounds per year over 40 years. The
lead level using lead slugs was 50 times that of
plated and copper slugs with leaded primers.
FMJs had about 20 times the level of lead vapor.
These results were only from inhaling the lead
vapors. With plated or copper slugs, the difference
between lead and no-lead primers was almost
insignificant. The levels were less than 10 percent of
the EPA exposure limits for 1000 hours of airborne
exposure. (You will get more lead than that from
drinking water.) Remember that the smoke you
see from shooting lead bullets is mostly burned
lube and only 5-30 percent is lead vapor.
primers was minimal. I figured that the lead exposure
from lead-based primers in a semi-ventilated,
8’x8’ room would require the firing (and inhaling)
of the gases from about 460,000 primers in order
to place someone over the exposure limit. That is
about 12,000 rounds per year over 40 years. The
lead level using lead slugs was 50 times that of
plated and copper slugs with leaded primers.
FMJs had about 20 times the level of lead vapor.
These results were only from inhaling the lead
vapors. With plated or copper slugs, the difference
between lead and no-lead primers was almost
insignificant. The levels were less than 10 percent of
the EPA exposure limits for 1000 hours of airborne
exposure. (You will get more lead than that from
drinking water.) Remember that the smoke you
see from shooting lead bullets is mostly burned
lube and only 5-30 percent is lead vapor.
I was a little worried as in the past, when I was at some of the outdoor ranges, the smoke from my shots was drifting back towards me and I was inhaling some of it. So looks like not a huge issue to test fire some primers in my basement, maybe under the bathroom fan. Looks like I should be more concerned about shooting 230gr lead bullets from my 625. Maybe I'll switch over to a Berry's or Campro after I've used up my current batch of Missouri projectiles.
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.
View attachment 39548
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.
View attachment 39548
The Low column was with the strain screw in just enough to hold the main spring in place. The High column was with the strain screw tightened down.
Note - as mentioned by BCRider and others, the strain screw is not meant to be used to adjust trigger pull weight. I just thought it would be an interesting measurement. I may adjust the strain screw out as much as 1 full turn (and loctite it down), but no more than that.
Note - as mentioned by BCRider and others, the strain screw is not meant to be used to adjust trigger pull weight. I just thought it would be an interesting measurement. I may adjust the strain screw out as much as 1 full turn (and loctite it down), but no more than that.
It may take me a while to figure out where the trigger breaks and I may end up pulling through too hard. Once I figure it out and get ~ 6 pulls around the same weight I average those.
