Trigger on S&W 617-6 vs. S&W 17-9 ?

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blackbagop

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Hi,

Can someone who was lucky enough to compare the trigger of the new production S&W 617-6 and the "Masterpiece" 17-9 answer my question?
Are they about the same? I am sure the trigger of the new 17-9 cannot be compared to the older ones, but how is it compared to the 617-6?
I am planning to get a 17 so my 617 won`t feel lonely in the safe. Should I get a new 17-9 or go with the older ones?
I just read to avoid S&Ws manufactured between 1964-1984 because of occasional finish and metal quality issues.
Thanks
 
If your 617 feels lonley in the safe sell it to me I've been looking for one I have alot of other S+Ws that need friends
 
I would not expect much difference in trigger pull between the two beyond normal variation in individual guns. Old or new, they all respond to the same fine-tuning if you aren't satisfied as-is. Even if you got some drywall anchors for snap caps and dry-fired the gun a lot, that would clean up the double action pull quite a bit. To some extent, the reason many of the older guns have such nice triggers is because they have been used more and the action parts have worn in.

The time when S&W was owned by Bangor Punta (1965-1984) and Lear Siegler (1984-1987) was arguably a low point for quality control, but I would not automatically rule out a gun just because it was made during that time frame. They put out a higher percentage of lemons than in the period before or since, but they also made a lot of perfectly serviceable guns.
 
The SA trigger on my 617-6 is as good or even better than my 17-4. The DA trigger on my 617 is much better than the 17.

M
 
Mechanically they are identical but like all Smiths they respond beautifully to the attentions of someone who knows what to do, just don't try to do a quickly by backing off the strain screw. Once loosened they walk.

Dr Jim
 
I don't own both but I've shot a few 617's belonging to shooting buddies. I found that in stock form they are all the same. The insides are, after all, the same K frame action parts.

What I did find is that by switching to a Wolff spring kit I was able to reduce the trigger pressure needed in DA. Which also made the SA trigger pull about as resistive as waving at fog... :d

Changes I did that also helped were using fine polishing compound to lap the frame where the rebound block sits. I made up an aluminium lap to do this so that the grit would not become embedded in the steel of either component. But if you can't do something of the sort an accurately square small block with some 600grit wet or dry glued to it can become your "lapping tool". If you do this to any S&W note that you don't need to do more than take the tops off the machining marks. You do not need or want to sand or lap it all down until the swirl marks from the machining are gone. You're only after bare metal lines that make it look like a "silver pen doodle" so the rebound block runs on these flat and even surfaces instead of on the burrs left by the swirl marks. The amount of metal you remove should be very minimal. You only want to cut the tops down so you have an area of "mountains with evenly topped plateaus" if that makes any sense. The "valleys" left from this should still be up around 3/4's of the area.

I did find that outside of the springs that this rebound block area work was the second best mod to aid a smoother DA trigger. In SA mode it doesn't do a whole lot for you.
 
If you want to get really picky, use a round hone to do the inside of the rebounder where the spring rests to smooth that up.

Auggie D.
 
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