DIY gunsmith job tonight

by Magload 4/20/2017, 6:12 pm

Wish me luck I am about to change out the sear spring and main spring in the 52-2 I just bought. Trigger is breaking at 1lb 13oz and I am hoping for 13oz more to be on the safe side of 2.5lbs. Don

by Magload 4/20/2017, 7:46 pm

Update I didn't increase it 13oz I dropped it 5oz so now I have a 1lb 8oz trigger. I will change back to the old mainspring tomorrow and see what that does. I had to bend the sear spring just to get the hammer to lock back. This gun needs a real gunsmith but there isn't one around here. Oh well should have spent the extra 800 for the safe queen. Don

by Chris Miceli 4/20/2017, 7:57 pm

I would try bending the sear spring. You sure no one tried to do stoning work on the hammer and sear ?

by Magload 4/20/2017, 8:15 pm

Chris Miceli wrote:I would try bending the sear spring. You sure no one tried to do stoning work on the hammer and sear ?

Have no idea but that would be my bet. Got it off Gun Broker.

by Gary Wells 4/20/2017, 8:17 pm

Magload:
You're a brave man. I'm too chicken to do anything. I just sent my Hoag longslide to a
great gunsmith for some updating & accuracy work. Good luck on your project.

by JIMPGOV 4/21/2017, 7:36 am

ONCE AGAIN. YOU CAN BUY HEAVIER DRAWBAR SPRINGS FROM WOLFF AND VARIOUS HAMMER SPRINGS FROM THEM ALSO. THAT SHOULD FIX YOUR PROBLEM. JP

by jglenn21 4/21/2017, 9:50 am

Jim is right the drawbar/trigger bar is a very direct way to increase the pull...

Mainsprings typically have little affect on the trigger pull

by Magload 4/21/2017, 10:20 am

jglenn21 wrote:Jim is right the drawbar/trigger bar is a very direct way to increase the pull...

Mainsprings typically have little affect on the trigger pull

Drawbar spring on order. I had to order a Model 39 spring as model 52-2 springs are not available. From what I have read and looking at the schematics for both size wise they look the same. Wolff did not have springs for a 52.

It looks to me like it is going to be a bear changing that spring out. I have no problem stripping a 1911 down to bare frame but this gun is really different. Don

by Magload 4/21/2017, 1:01 pm

Re bent the sear spring but this time I bent it a lot and I am at 2lb 5oz. So close I may leave it like this and not shoot it in matches or if I get brave enough I will replace the trigger bar spring as I have one on order. I had no luck finding a heavier springs for this gun in fact finding standard springs is a problem. I will email them and see if they can help. Don

by Chris Miceli 4/21/2017, 1:19 pm

Magload wrote:Re bent the sear spring but this time I bent it a lot and I am at 2lb 5oz. So close I may leave it like this and not shoot it in matches or if I get brave enough I will replace the trigger bar spring as I have one on order. I had no luck finding a heavier springs for this gun in fact finding standard springs is a problem. I will email them and see if they can help. Don

What kind of weight gauge are you using ?

by Magload 4/21/2017, 1:41 pm

Chris I am using a digital Berkley fishing scale as it has been checked with a calibrated 2lb weight and is only off by a half a oz. Way better then the Lyman digital trigger gage that is off by 3ozs. I worked in and ran a Navy cal lab for 12 years I don't like instruments that are not right. I do want to get a set of weights that Brownell's sells for range masters to check triggers at a match just have spent to much money this month already. I believe there is a difference in lifting a dead weight or pulling a trigger with a scale but I don't think that difference is in our favor. Don

by C.Perkins 4/21/2017, 8:05 pm

Magload / Don;

Please do not take my question in the wrong/negative way cause I am here to help and i will if I can but it is tough over the internet.

You said that you bent the sear/leaf spring and gained a few ounces.

Question is;
Exactly where/what location did you bend the sear/leaf spring ?

This is just the first question so bear with me.

Clarence

by Magload 4/21/2017, 8:37 pm

C.Perkins wrote:Magload / Don;

Please do not take my question in the wrong/negative way cause I am here to help and i will if I can but it is tough over the internet.

You said that you bent the sear/leaf spring and gained a few ounces.

Question is;
Exactly where/what location did you bend the sear/leaf spring ?

This is just the first question so bear with me.

Clarence

Thanks Clarence I will try to answer all question the best i can, I bent the sear spring so the whole leaf spring was a bow shape. That way when I pushed it flat against the frame and put the pin back in over it there was more pressure pushing down on the sear. Both the original and the new spring would slide under that pin easily and hardly applied any pressure on the sear. The pin came out real easy but putting it back it was hard to get the end aligned with the far side hope as the spring put upward pressure on it. I could bend the spring some more to see if I could get at least 4 more ounces but don't feel that is the right way to solve this problem. Don

by C.Perkins 4/21/2017, 9:20 pm

Don;

I am going to explain this the best I can.
The sear/leaf spring and I call it a leaf spring because that is what it is.
The leaf spring is held in place by a notch in the frame at the bottom and the roll pin mid way up.(I will add that there is no reason to keep removing and replacing the roll pin to work with the leaf spring).
Tension/pressure is achieved/starts with a leaf spring at the fulcrum point(that is at the roll pin to leaf spring contact point).
Any bending below the fulcrum nets no gain in spring pressure.
Any bending above the fulcrum point may get you minimal gains.
Any bending at the fulcrum point will serve you well(when I say fulcrum point, I mean fulcrum point).

Take your original leaf spring and look for the roll pin contact area(very fine line).
Using two long nosed straight small sized pliers one grasped below the line by a few thousands and the other touching the lower pliers.
Do not have them perfectly straight across the leaf spring(most likely when you think they are, they are not, great, what I want).
Bend to a 20 degeree angle.
Leaf spring should be bent just below and just above the fulcrum line(at a small diagonal).
Bowing a leaf spring will not gain as much as a straight bend.

Reinsert, recheck pull weight.

YMMV
Clarence

by Magload 4/21/2017, 9:47 pm

I fully understand that and will under take that first thing in the morning. I know the spring can be removed with out removing the pin as that is how I was doing it at first. I was expecting a slot the end of the pin fit in like on a 1911 but is is a round hole which comes in handy to lift the end of the spring with a small screw driven. I can see the mark on the old sear. In fact looking at the old sear it is bent in the wrong direction which would explain the 1lb 5oz trigger.

by Magload 4/22/2017, 9:53 am

Here is the results and my opinion. Bending it still put me at 2lb 5oz so I need 4oz to be safe so tried a little more bend and nothing added. Tried the other spring giving it 20 degrees and got 1lb 15oz which is better then that spring had done originally, Went back to the new spring rebending it because when removed from under the pin these springs do not retain their bend. I suspect that bending them more then once and sliding them under the pin straighten them back out and they loose their springness, it that's the proper word as I have dropped to 1lb 8oz. I have become very proficient at swapping out this spring along with putting the mainspring housing back in.

conclusion: with a new bent sear spring 2lbs 5oz is going to be max. Something else needs replaced. Sears and hammers are impossible to find if the problem is these got over adjusted so the owner sold the gun. Don

by jglenn21 4/22/2017, 10:15 am

you see sears and hammers on ebay quite often... other parts also.

there is this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smith-Wesson-Model-52-Many-Parts-Hammer-Mainspring-Trigger-Extractor-Etc-/262947321120?hash=item3d38e1b520:g:OhIAAOSwvKtY-mzx

owning a 52 means you tend to collect parts as you go along

by Magload 4/22/2017, 10:43 am

jglenn21 wrote:you see sears and hammers on ebay quite often... other parts also.

there is this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smith-Wesson-Model-52-Many-Parts-Hammer-Mainspring-Trigger-Extractor-Etc-/262947321120?hash=item3d38e1b520:g:OhIAAOSwvKtY-mzx

owning a 52 means you tend to collect parts as you go along

Thanks. I bought that pile of parts looked like some good stuff and stuff that Brownell's and Numrich didn't have. Don

by C.Perkins 4/22/2017, 12:44 pm

Well, at least we gave it a shot with what you have.
Looks like it is time to take the plunge and replace the draw bar spring.

I rebuilt my M52-1 awhile back cause it dropped below 2.25#
Had squirreled away some new old stock parts for a rainy day, so the rainy day came to disassemble her down to the bare frame pretty much.

Found that my draw bar spring was broken and replaced it.
Replaced with a new sear spring and hammer spring.
After that it would just not quite pick up 2.5#(the weight would start to come off the table but not enough).

Adjusted the old sear spring as I described above.
So I still have a new sear spring(they both measure .010" thickness, so why bother putting in the new on).
Now it will lift 2.75#
And that is where it will stay.

Good luck;
Clarence

by Magload 4/22/2017, 2:16 pm

Clarence I really appreciate the help. I have a trigger bar spring on the way and I also ordered that pile i\of parts from EBay which appears to have all the internal parts. This way while I can compare the hammer and sear and might be able to see if someone was messed with them. I will install the new sear spring as is to start with. Don'r be surprised if you see a post when I try to reassembly the frame parts. Never found a Youtube video on how to do it so just have the schematic to go by. Don

by kgs113 4/23/2017, 12:42 pm

Lots of good info on setting trigger weight here:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=10297/GunTechdetail/2-lb-Trigger-Pull

Kevin

by Magload 4/23/2017, 1:04 pm

kgs113 wrote:Lots of good info on setting trigger weight here:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=10297/GunTechdetail/2-lb-Trigger-Pull

Kevin

That is a good article but not a lot of help when it comes to working on a M52-2 as a 1911 is just a different critter. Then to I don't need to lower the trigger to 2 1/2 pounds I need to raise it to that weight. I would like to see even a few more ounces just to be safe if they weigh it at a match. This trigger is really nice and I can shoot the gun well but a 1lb 11oz trigger is just not legal in BE. If this was a 1911 I would already have one of KC's trigger in it. I have not come across any after market triggers for a M52-2 in fact stock parts are hard to come by. I don't mind challenges and this is a good one. There is no reason this gun can't be restored. I am not a gunsmith but i bet by the time I finish with this one I will have learned a lot. There is a lot of knowledge on this board and everyone is willing to share it. Don

by djw1cav 4/23/2017, 7:35 pm

Magload wrote:Clarence I really appreciate the help. I have a trigger bar spring on the way and I also ordered that pile i\of parts from EBay which appears to have all the internal parts. This way while I can compare the hammer and sear and might be able to see if someone was messed with them. I will install the new sear spring as is to start with. Don'r be surprised if you see a post when I try to reassembly the frame parts. Never found a Youtube video on how to do it so just have the schematic to go by. Don

Don,
I have been watching this post with interest since I also have a M52-2 with a sub 2lb trigger pull. I tried bending the sear spring in place with no increase in the pull. Hopefully the trigger bar spring will work for you. If so I will try one in my M52-2. I really don't want to mess with the sear because there are no guidelines like there are for the 1911. Let us know how your new trigger bar spring works out.
djw1cav

by Magload 4/23/2017, 7:53 pm

djw1cav wrote:
Magload wrote:Clarence I really appreciate the help. I have a trigger bar spring on the way and I also ordered that pile i\of parts from EBay which appears to have all the internal parts. This way while I can compare the hammer and sear and might be able to see if someone was messed with them. I will install the new sear spring as is to start with. Don'r be surprised if you see a post when I try to reassembly the frame parts. Never found a Youtube video on how to do it so just have the schematic to go by. Don
Don,
I have been watching this post with interest since I also have a M52-2 with a sub 2lb trigger pull. I tried bending the sear spring in place with no increase in the pull. Hopefully the trigger bar spring will work for you. If so I will try one in my M52-2. I really don't want to mess with the sear because there are no guidelines like there are for the 1911. Let us know how your new trigger bar spring works out.
djw1cav

I will the parts should be here by the middle of the week. I also sent a message to KC with some questions. I wonder how common a problem this is. It seams like every where I read in my research everyone is either trying to smooth up a trigger, make it roll, or reduce the weight. Not a lot on making the pull weight heaver. This trigger feels really good to me but then I probably not shooting good enough to be rating triggers. I have installed VQ trigger assnemlies in a Ruger Mark III and a Ruger 22/45 Lite and 2 KCs in 1911s but i am no gunsmith and have said a lot of bad words doing those jobs. The VQ in the Mark III took me 2 days and that was probably 2 dozen times the gun wouldn't work after putting it all back together. Seams the video I was watching left out one step. Found a better video and it worked the first time, We all know the Mark III is so much fun to take down and put back together. never owned a gun that the manual said to use a hammer on before. The 22/45 is no better. This M52-2 is easy I just hope all the parts go back in easy and there is no special trick I don't know about. Don

by kgs113 4/23/2017, 7:59 pm

Magload wrote:
kgs113 wrote:Lots of good info on setting trigger weight here:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=10297/GunTechdetail/2-lb-Trigger-Pull

Kevin
That is a good article but not a lot of help when it comes to working on a M52-2 as a 1911 is just a different critter. Then to I don't need to lower the trigger to 2 1/2 pounds I need to raise it to that weight. I would like to see even a few more ounces just to be safe if they weigh it at a match. This trigger is really nice and I can shoot the gun well but a 1lb 11oz trigger is just not legal in BE. If this was a 1911 I would already have one of KC's trigger in it. I have not come across any after market triggers for a M52-2 in fact stock parts are hard to come by. I don't mind challenges and this is a good one. There is no reason this gun can't be restored. I am not a gunsmith but i bet by the time I finish with this one I will have learned a lot. There is a lot of knowledge on this board and everyone is willing to share it. Don

My bad. Brain fade.

Kevin

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