S&W 442 Failure

[MD7305]

When I got my no-lock 442 from G&R I had the Apex kit already installed when it arrived. Compared to other j-frames I've owned, with and without the kit, the trigger seemed slow to return. Early on, during live fire and dry fire, there were a few instances where the trigger didn't return requiring me to manually push it forward. It felt as though the trigger return spring wasn't heavy enough. I removed the side plate to investigate and everything looked normal but the gun was dry. I watched the Apex youtube video about the kit again and noticed they suggested to polish the rebound slide. I used some emory cloth and polished the bottom and sides of the slide in conjunction of adding some lube. This had a dramatic effect on the trigger. Not only did it reliably reset/rebound the trigger but the pull was much smoother. I guess maybe some of the internal finish was just rough enough to cause the rebound slide to bind up and the lighter trigger return spring wasnt heavy enough to over come that friction? In any event, since that time I've fired about 450rds and at least 1000 dryfires without the hang up reappearing.

[ST911]

When I got my no-lock 442 from G&R I had the Apex kit already installed when it arrived. Compared to other j-frames I've owned, with and without the kit, the trigger seemed slow to return. Early on, during live fire and dry fire, there were a few instances where the trigger didn't return requiring me to manually push it forward. It felt as though the trigger return spring wasn't heavy enough. I removed the side plate to investigate and everything looked normal but the gun was dry. I watched the Apex youtube video about the kit again and noticed they suggested to polish the rebound slide. I used some emory cloth and polished the bottom and sides of the slide in conjunction of adding some lube. This had a dramatic effect on the trigger. Not only did it reliably reset/rebound the trigger but the pull was much smoother. I guess maybe some of the internal finish was just rough enough to cause the rebound slide to bind up and the lighter trigger return spring wasnt heavy enough to over come that friction? In any event, since that time I've fired about 450rds and at least 1000 dryfires without the hang up reappearing.

Thanks. I've seen it in other Js this year, too. Most recently I installed a kit in a 342, got soft resets, and could make it hang every 3-4 presses or so. Another J needs to be kept well lubed or it will hang. I think the light rebound spring is just close to threshold.

Interestingly, it's something new though. I've not experienced it with several kits obtained in ~2011-2012. Two kits in 642s won't stop, regardless of how they're treated. Stacking tolerances, a production change, who knows.

[LSP972]

Weak trigger return is almost always caused by two things; a clipped rebound slide spring (usual culprit), and/or a dragging rebound slide.

One of the first things to be done when cleaning up the trigger on an S&W revolver is to "break" the inside edge of the rebound slide. Basically, you break the sharp edge by rounding it on a semi-hard stone, to remove any possibility of the slide galling against the frame. As with anything involving metal removal, you gotta be very careful doing that.

For years, S&W made a slightly weaker rebound slide spring intended for the single-action-only K-38. This spring was highly sought after by folks doing trigger jobs, because it was... 1) a factory part, 2) did not give the "soft return" issues that a clipped normal-strength usually did.

If one is experiencing sticky trigger return, the first thing to do is replace the rebound slide spring with a factory example.

I have installed perhaps a dozen of the Apex kits into various J frame Centennials, and only one needed some attention to the rebound slide itself to prevent sticky return. I was rather leery of this "kit" when it was announced, but now heartily reccommend it as an excellent drop-in modification to help the really execrable trigger on some J frames. It, along with The Plug to do away with that communist lock, are a pair of aftermarket goodies that are most definitely worth their cost.

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