Fathers gun brother gave it to me. Double action is fine. Single action hair trigger if when squeezing the trigger hammer drops but doesn't fire stops short of the primer. Pull the trigger it will fire. Should i take to a gun smith or take it apart and maybe change springs?
S&W model 15 Combat Masterpiece 38 special
- Thread starter Fitter30
- Start date
I would take it to a gunsmith. He can check everything in that revolver, including the timing of the pawls that rotate the cylinder.
Unless you are knowledgeable about that particular gun, take it to a gunsmith.
One simple and easy thing to check is if the mainspring tension screw has backed out. You can see the mainspring by simply taking off the grips.
If this doesn't fix it then take it to a gun smith.
https://sdi.edu/2024/06/11/gunsmithing-quick-tips-fix-light-strikes-on-your-smith-wesson-revolver/
If this doesn't fix it then take it to a gun smith.
https://sdi.edu/2024/06/11/gunsmithing-quick-tips-fix-light-strikes-on-your-smith-wesson-revolver/
Do not do anything to try and make it look good like rubbing it down with steel wool. Also make sure your gunsmith knows S&W revolvers. Check the S&W site I believe you can obtain a letter from S&W showing the pertinent data on your gun. That revolver may have some collector value.
Have the box and the paperwork take came with it all in excellent shape.
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- Dec 7, 2022
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- 140
I have an old 38 and they are pretty simple. Take the grips off and the side plate and see what the issue is. Could be full of dust and bone dry from lack of maintenance over the years.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Agree with this completely. If the shop doesn't have references, just send it back to the factory.
Thank everyone.
Your description puzzles me. If you lower the hammer without holding the trigger back it’s designed not to fire. When the trigger goes forward the hammer block moves up and prevents the hammer from fully dropping. It’s an internal safety mechanism to prevent a cocked revolver from firing if bumped or dropped.
I don’t understand your distinction between “squeezing” the trigger and “pulling” the trigger. Functionally they are both the same thing.
I think he means if he squeezes the trigger slowly, a small amount of pressure allows the hammer to fall, but the movement isn't enough to clear the hammer block (transfer bar) so the hammer strikes it rather than the primer and the gun doesn't fire. If you jerk the trigger, or use double action, the bar clears so the hammer strikes the primer and the gun fires.
I'm assuming this revolver has the relatively modern hammer block that keeps the hammer from striking the primer unless the trigger is pulled sufficiently.
I would guess that through wear, or more likely, a bad trigger job that gave it the hair trigger, it just needs to be returned to stock. Adjusting the bar so it disengages with a very light trigger pull may make the gun unsafe.
I'm assuming this revolver has the relatively modern hammer block that keeps the hammer from striking the primer unless the trigger is pulled sufficiently.
I would guess that through wear, or more likely, a bad trigger job that gave it the hair trigger, it just needs to be returned to stock. Adjusting the bar so it disengages with a very light trigger pull may make the gun unsafe.
Gun is design to shoot in single or double action. Squeeze the trigger in single action the the pin of the hammer doesn't protrude past the frame. When pull hard the pin will hit the primer. Double action works all the time.
I had an old J-frame with the firing pin on the hammer that had inconsistent primer strikes. The gunsmith I took it to couldn't figure it out (younger guy) so he sent it back to S&W. The problem turned out to be the bushing or hole the firing pin went through in the frame had some burrs in it that would sometimes interfere with the travel of the pin.
I'll look into it. Thanks
I'll toss out that years ago I had an S&W 14-2-a very similar gun to the model 15(both K-frame adjustable sight 38 special revolvers), although the 14 was REALLY intended for target/bullseye use more so than the 15.
The thing scared me the first time I took it to the range. I'm no gunsmith(just a watchmaker who has taken a perverse pleasure in fixing S&W and Colt revolvers at times), and it's been years since I had an S&W apart, but there are 3 springs-the mainspring, the trigger rebound spring, and the hammer spring. The mainspring is a leaf spring, and the other two coil springs. There's some delicate interplay between the three to set the trigger bevavior, and often times people who do a "trigger job" will only mess with the mainspring. It's the biggest, most visible, and easiest to change(the first time you try to fit a trigger rebound spring, you'll think having 3 hands isn't enough). Putting a light mainspring in can also make firing unreliable, as the hammer may not hit the primer hard enough.
In any case, though, the trigger was so light on this particular gun that I fired it a few times just putting my finger in the trigger guard. Fortunately I was following the basic rules and had it pointed down range and at the target(even if not exactly with the sights aligned). The first time I had it at the range I was using my target handloads with Federal primers and it fired about 90% of the time, but another trip with some harder CCI and Remingtons had it down to about 50%.
I forget what exactly I ended up doing, but I think I bought a full Wolfe 3 spring kit and just went across the board lighter than stock on all three springs. Again, it's been years since I did much with this, but I think the stock mainspring is 22lbs and rebound is 14lbs, and I believe I went to 12lbs on rebound and 16lbs on the mainspring. That gave me a light and crisp but manageable trigger, and I went to the lower limit of what mainspring will give reliable operation.
With that said, if you don't know what you're looking at, it's worth having someone who does take a look. Trying to remove the sideplate without the correct screwdriver can mangle the screws, and if you don't know the "trick" for getting it loose you'll likely bend it. There are tricks to lighten the mainspring without changing it, and someone use to working with these can spot them(and do it right by actually installing a proper spring).
The thing scared me the first time I took it to the range. I'm no gunsmith(just a watchmaker who has taken a perverse pleasure in fixing S&W and Colt revolvers at times), and it's been years since I had an S&W apart, but there are 3 springs-the mainspring, the trigger rebound spring, and the hammer spring. The mainspring is a leaf spring, and the other two coil springs. There's some delicate interplay between the three to set the trigger bevavior, and often times people who do a "trigger job" will only mess with the mainspring. It's the biggest, most visible, and easiest to change(the first time you try to fit a trigger rebound spring, you'll think having 3 hands isn't enough). Putting a light mainspring in can also make firing unreliable, as the hammer may not hit the primer hard enough.
In any case, though, the trigger was so light on this particular gun that I fired it a few times just putting my finger in the trigger guard. Fortunately I was following the basic rules and had it pointed down range and at the target(even if not exactly with the sights aligned). The first time I had it at the range I was using my target handloads with Federal primers and it fired about 90% of the time, but another trip with some harder CCI and Remingtons had it down to about 50%.
I forget what exactly I ended up doing, but I think I bought a full Wolfe 3 spring kit and just went across the board lighter than stock on all three springs. Again, it's been years since I did much with this, but I think the stock mainspring is 22lbs and rebound is 14lbs, and I believe I went to 12lbs on rebound and 16lbs on the mainspring. That gave me a light and crisp but manageable trigger, and I went to the lower limit of what mainspring will give reliable operation.
With that said, if you don't know what you're looking at, it's worth having someone who does take a look. Trying to remove the sideplate without the correct screwdriver can mangle the screws, and if you don't know the "trick" for getting it loose you'll likely bend it. There are tricks to lighten the mainspring without changing it, and someone use to working with these can spot them(and do it right by actually installing a proper spring).
