New S&W 351 PD, way too heavy trigger pull,

[daisygordoninc]

Has anyone had a problem with the trigger pull on a new S&W 351 PD 22 Mag. ?
I got it for my wife for carry, because it has much less recoil but still pretty good
penetration with Hornady's new Critical Defense ammo. I asked this question on
S&W forum, and a couple guys thought there is nothing I can do about it, just a
problem with J frame guns, especially rimfire. Anyone have any thoughts or
experience with it?

[Blaine]

All those J-Frame-sized .22s have the worst ever double action pull. I got a 317 a very long time ago and it's just as bad. I tried putting the spring from my AirWeight in it and most of the rounds wouldn't go off. S&W had no comment and no solution: That's the way they are and you can't do anything about it. My other S&Ws have the best triggers in the world...especially the single action pull.

[AJMD429]

One of my daughters finally had to go with the Ruger LDA because the trigger pulls on everything else were too severe. We got the 9mm for moon-clip loading ease. I think they make a 22 or 22 WMR. The SP-101 was way too hard also.

[elmo123]

I just bought a 642 Airweight in 38 Spl and installed a lighter rebound slide spring, they are available from Wolff Springs, it reduced the trigger pull quite a bit.

[JRD]

351PD has an extra heavy mainspring from the factory for reliable DA ignition of 22 mag ammo which has thicker brass cases than standard 22lr. The price you pay for the reliable ignition in a J frame is heavy DA pull. You could swap out the mainspring for a standard J spring but you’d have to verify your choice of carry ammo is reliable. Some ammo’s are more sensitive than others for ignition and the factory sets their guns to work with the least common denominator- less sensitive brands.

22 mag in a short barrel gives a monstrous muzzle flash because most ammo is optimized for rifle length barrels. The massive flash is from unburnt powder. There are some handgun specific 22mags on the market now but in most cases the extra umph of 22mag goes into noise and flash and not into velocity.

As an experiment, shoot a short barreled 22 mag at a paper target from about 2 feet away. The paper will look like you shot it with a tiny shotgun from all the unburnt grains of powder. 22lr will not leave any such perforations.

[daisygordoninc]

What is so surprising is that I had one years ago when they first came out and it did
not have this heavy pull. It never miss fired, I never gave it a thought. I think I will
call Smith and Wesson however, they surely must know about it by now .

[Sixgun]

I just bought a 642 Airweight in 38 Spl and installed a lighter rebound slide spring, they are available from Wolff Springs, it reduced the trigger pull quite a bit.

That's the answer......along with polishing the contact areas of the rebound slide. You can also install a reduced power Wolff mainspring but if you do that be sure to test fire it a lot as I've had issues with hard primers (CCI) on a pair of 642's with occasional misfires. I just did a buddies 10 shot Smith revolver in .22 and what a major difference.

Then go shoot the gun several hundred times. It will be as smooth as Hillarys butt.---6 (did I just say that?)

[daisygordoninc]

Thanks, sounds like I have some work to do. It's a nice little gun probably worth the
work needing to be done.

[JB]

Be careful. It's easy to switch out springs in the centerfire J frames, but the rimfires have that heavy trigger pull for a reason. The rimfires j's often become unreliable with lighter springs. Polishing and maybe just a "tad" lighter spring is about all you can do.

[Paladin]

What is so surprising is that I had one years ago when they first came out and it did
not have this heavy pull. It never miss fired, I never gave it a thought. I think I will
call Smith and Wesson however, they surely must know about it by now .

Got one like this after a deployment in 07. My wife now carries it around the house and yard with shot loads after we killed a couple of Mojave Greens at the garage door.

[1894c]

Try this... :) https://store.apextactical.com/WebDirec ... ils/192058

[daisygordoninc]

Thanks 30-30,

I ordered the kit, anxious to see how much it reduces the pull, 3 pounds would be great.

Gordon

[Blaine]

Try this... https://store.apextactical.com/WebDirec ... ils/192058

In my opinion (I own an older 317) The firing pin was suspect to me. It was blunt and didn't seem to make a good strong "dent" on the rim with a reduced-strength spring. I've often speculated that putting a slight edge on the FP and changing to a regular J-Frame pin would correct the misfires. As it is, I just try to shoot my 317 single action, although when I carry it for SD, I can certainly put all the rounds in a saucer-sized area on a torso sized target. I can't seem to make head shots on grouse, though.

[elmo123]

You can also install a slightly longer firing pin that's available from Brownell's and install it if you use a lighter pound mainspring which in the case of the J frame is a coil spring. I have installed them in my Models 69 and 657 and they both fire every time. I agree that the magnum rimfire is harder to ignite that the long rifle so I would not lighten up the main spring too much especially if it's going to use for self defense.

[daisygordoninc]

Just put a Apex J frame replacement springs and firing pin. They work really well, and much lighter pull for
the double action which I had been concerned about for my wife. It fires just fine, glad someone suggested it.
Anyone who is struggling with the J frame trigger pull might want to give it a try.

[Rusty]

In my experience with "n" frames, "K' frames and "J" frames, "J" frames have always been the most difficult to tune properly. I think it has to do with the angle and the length of travel of the action parts. Adding the fact that it's a rimfire only multiplies the problem, as they require a harder strike that a centerfire. The key to a smooth action on any S&W is a balance between the mainspring and the recoil spring.
Wolf Springs might be your answer.

[Pepe Ray]

I admire any one who can use a .22 RFMag. revolver, for any thing. It broke my heart to sell a sweet little S&W, 3", S.S.kit gun
(I forget the Mod.#) . I never had the time nor inclination to explore its trigger action. With ear muffs the report was so devastating
That I gave up after a half of a box of ammo. The concussion slapped my face like an insulted lady. I realized, immediately that there
was no way I could use it for any realistic purpose. Between the report and the concussion was a beating that I decided to avoid.

Good luck to all in your quest. - - - - Pepe Ray

[Pisgah]

You may be able to smooth and lighten the pull a hair, but you're working against the facts of physics. Crushing a rimfire rim takes a harder whack than popping a centerfire primer. First, the light hammer and short hammer fall mean a heavy spring is needed to drive the hammer hard enough to get reliable ignition -- even more of a problem with Magnums than with the .22 LR. Second, the aluminum frame means that your "anvil"-- the gun itself -- is light, meaning an even heavier hammer spring is needed to obtain ignition. Having a light anvil and a small hammer, the only solution for reliability is to swing that hammer harder.

Think of trying to forge a piece of steel on an aluminum anvil using a tack-hammer. You may get 'er done, but you'll wear your arm out trying to swing it hard enough to do it.

[marlinman93]

Heavy triggers are not a common thing with all J frame S&W, as the older guns had very nice DA and SA trigger pulls. It's a common thing with newer J frames, and even larger frame S&W, as they made them heavier to make them "safer". Of course it was a ridiculous change, and not needed in a double action revolver.
The mainspring change is a great thing to do, and can lighten the pull in DA a fair amount. I'd not pull the side plate to polish or modify any parts, as they never fit back as nicely as S&W had them from the factory. When I took gunsmithing classes back in the 1980's the instructor told us to never remove the sideplate on a Smith unless we had to for repair. He also showed us the difference between one never removed, and one properly removed. They never look the same after removal.
The Wolfe spring pack is only $8.50 and has 4 springs to tune it to what feels best, and still strikes hard enough to be reliable.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10041 ... uced-power
I'd suggest removing the grips to replace the spring, and while they're off spray some Kroil up into the working parts of the action, which will really slick them up, and greatly reduce felt pull weight. If you don't know what you're doing, you can only make things worse trying to slick up an action.

[marlinman93]

You may be able to smooth and lighten the pull a hair, but you're working against the facts of physics. Crushing a rimfire rim takes a harder whack than popping a centerfire primer. First, the light hammer and short hammer fall mean a heavy spring is needed to drive the hammer hard enough to get reliable ignition -- even more of a problem with Magnums than with the .22 LR. Second, the aluminum frame means that your "anvil"-- the gun itself -- is light, meaning an even heavier hammer spring is needed to obtain ignition. Having a light anvil and a small hammer, the only solution for reliability is to swing that hammer harder.

Think of trying to forge a piece of steel on an aluminum anvil using a tack-hammer. You may get 'er done, but you'll wear your arm out trying to swing it hard enough to do it.

It is an aluminum frame, but it's a steel hammer and cylinder. So the theory isn't really the hammer and anvil on aluminum. It's more like an anvil on an aluminum base, and a hammer with an aluminum handle. It doesn't need to have as heavy a mainspring as they're using these days.