Most of us already know that antique revolvers tend to have very heavy triggers. Examples like the Nagant revolver Reichsrevolver come to mind. However, out of all the antique revolvers I have handled, I was not expecting the MAS 1873 to have the beastliest trigger of them all! The trigger feels twice as heavy as a Webley's, and even cocking the hammer back for single-action leaves my thumb sore. Taking a look at the insides, I'm speculating that this is due to its over-complicated mechanism. There are three different springs that must be compressed for every cycle: The mainspring, the trigger return spring, and a third spring that keeps the sear engaged. On top of that, the spring in the cylinder axis pin hold the cylinder snugly in place so it does not rotate easily. I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with theirs. Mine appears to be in immaculate condition, and I'm wondering if the springs were originally that heavy and need breaking-in, or whether mine has been refurbished with modern reproduction springs.
