First time revolver owner, trigger hangs up....

[MarikinaMan]

There, I said it. I’m a first time revolver owner.

I’ve got a problem. My one and only DA wheel gun, an SW 986 hangs up on rapid fire. I feel that I am not releasing the trigger enough after firing. User error? Is that normal? I had upgraded to a lighter hammer leaf spring. Does that have an effect?

Advise appreciated.

[denpython]

Yep!

[MarikinaMan]

^^^cool. Thanks.

[MASTERLAB]

Never had that happen with my old S&W but it did happen with a Ruger LCR, sold the Ruger. It's likely just a quirk you'll have to get used to not something wrong with the gun.

[ojisan]

Not letting the trigger go all the way forward before the next pull is called short stroking.

Short stroking is more likely to occur with a reduced power trigger return spring...either the spring does not have enough power to help push your finger all the way forward or the trigger is moving forward too slow to keep up with your rate of fire.

[Garv]

Not letting the trigger go all the way forward before the next pull is called short stroking.

This has happened to me a couple times (OK, 4 or 5) during rapid fire with my stock S&W 617. Gotta slow down just a hair.

[MarikinaMan]

Thanks!

[Mystery_Milk]

I think this happens a lot for people who fire a lot of striker-fired semi-autos. Even though the trigger pull for striker-fireds is usually decently long the reset is really short so the muscle memory is to not let it go back all the way.

I see you replaced a hammer spring. You didn't also replace the trigger return spring did you? It would lighten the trigger pull but increase the time to reset.

[hambam105]

Put the OEM parts back in. Have 2nd shooter test drive it. Any hiccup at all send it back to factory. Once we know the pistol is serviceable then we can concentrate on Nut-Behind-The-Butt situation.

[JTROKS]

You have to practice letting your finger go forward enough for the trigger to reset. I had the same problem when I was shooting steel with a revolver. Trying to go faster lead to a disaster. I hated it when I short stroke the trigger and it just rotates the cylinder without any hammer action. It took me while practicing pulling the trigger and letting the trigger go forward, doing it slowly until that muscle memory sets in.

[eaglemike]

Some guy that's really really good with a wheelgun uses the fatory trigger return spring. Some guy named Jerry something......
Sometimes it does help to shim the trigger to keep in centered. I think it's Power Custom that makes the shims, IIRC. I've had a few S&W trigerrs bind a little until polished or stoned smooth, and then shimmed. All good after that.

[plumbum]

You aren’t releasing enough on your off-stroke (chuckle), revolvers don’t have any reset notch (or whatever Glockism) so the mechanism has to be fully actuated to complete the cycle.

[jdg30]

The lighter hammer spring definitely is affecting your gun. Switch it back to factory spring settings and the gun will be totally reliable. Once you learn more about revolvers, then you can change springs and see what works and what doesn't. With all due respect, you can't just lighten springs and expect the gun to function properly. Lighter springs make things like primer strike and trigger return sluggish, which will cause the revolver to malfunction when trying to rapid fire it.

I would research the gun more to learn about it, then try adjusting springs to see what works for you.

[Che762x39]

Not letting the trigger go all the way forward before the next pull is called short stroking.

Short stroking is more likely to occur with a reduced power trigger return spring...either the spring does not have enough power to help push your finger all the way forward or the trigger is moving forward too slow to keep up with your rate of fire.

Very well put sir. Thank you for sharing my friend