New revolver break in time questions

[walton6467]

For the first time, I've purchased a NEW revolver. Everyone I've owned in the past have been used. This revolver is the small Taurus M380 5 shot revolver that shoots the .380 round.

 

Right out of the box, the trigger was about, oh I don't know, FIFTY pounds. Realistically it was a VERY stiff trigger. Its almost double the trigger pull of my Taurus .357.  I've loaded it with snap caps and when I'm sitting around watching TV, I just pull the trigger over and over. I'm not 100% sure if the pull is getting easier or if I'm building new muscles.

 

My question is should the pull get easier and when will the gun be considered "broken in"? Basically when is it going to get to the point that it is going to be this way forever? After sitting around pulling the trigger for two weeks, its still stiffer than my .357.

 

Any input will be appreciated.

[Jonnin]

it will break in to a point.  The smaller the pistol, the stouter the trigger will be, in general.   Talking frame size here, caliber is not important.  As with an auto you can take it apart and polish on the moving parts to help it along if you feel like it, though this is more difficult in a revolver as they are not really meant to be torn down and the screws will be hard to remove.

 

You can also lighen the spring either by messing around (clip off a few coils, for example) or replacement or exercising it (takes forever).  If you over-do it, it will lack the power to ignite the primer and you buy a new spring & start the process over (ask me how I know..).

 

Rarely the cylinder is rough to spin and polish of that is easy and helps some with the pull.   If you cannot spin the cylinder by hand and have it go around 3-4 times before stopping, this may help.  If it will not go around once, it will help a lot.

 

The gun is broken in when it stops getting smoother after use.  There really is no magic number for that, people toss around 200, 500, 1000 rounds down it but its different for every gun.

 

I have 3 small frame taurus pistols.  I gave up and let a gunsmith polish them and work them over.  They are still stout for DA but much improved and very smooth.  There just is not much more to be done with the small frame, as it has less leverage internally vs the hammer spring, and the spring has to be X stoutness to fire a primer.....

[JAB]

Another thing to keep in mind is that, as with small, DAO semiautos, the 'stiff' trigger pull is sometimes considered a safety feature.  People often simply drop small revolvers into a pocket without using a pocket holster (something I would not do but some do) so a stiff trigger can help prevent A.D.s and N.D.s.

 

The trigger on my DAO S&W 642 .38 +P revolver (purchased new) is a bit 'stiff', as well even after having been shot a bit.  Honestly, as long as I can pull the trigger effectively I don't worry too much about it being 'stiff'.  Yes, it sometimes throws my POI off a little relative to POA at ten yards out but for self defense, I don't imagine I'll be making shots at much over seven or maybe ten yards - and probably less than that - so it really shouldn't make much difference in the desired effect.  Of course, that doesn't make it a whole lot of fun as a paper puncher/plinker but there are other guns for that. 

Edited December 11, 2012 by JAB

[subsonic]

Get yourself a reduced power spring kit from Wolfe by way of Midway.com

 

I bought a Taurus 605 snubby a couple of years ago. With replacing just the hammer spring, the pull is now about 5 pounds, have not had a single squib or misfire.

[walton6467]

Thanks for all the information. VERY helpful. I purchased the gun for my wife to carry. She wants it to be a long strong trigger pull to avoid ND and I agree, however when showing it to our daughters, our active, healthy 27 year old daughter could NOT pull the trigger at all. I think I'll see how the wife likes it after a few range trips and go from there.

[JAB]

Thanks for all the information. VERY helpful. I purchased the gun for my wife to carry. She wants it to be a long strong trigger pull to avoid ND and I agree, however when showing it to our daughters, our active, healthy 27 year old daughter could NOT pull the trigger at all. I think I'll see how the wife likes it after a few range trips and go from there.

 

One other thing to keep in mind is that trigger finger placement makes a difference.  It is a matter of leverage.  I know someone who couldn't pull the DA trigger on a revolver she had.  Problem was, she also had difficulty operating the slide on most semiautos even after trying all the various, alternate methods recommended for such situations.  Upon observing her with the revolver, I noticed that she was placing the middle joint of her trigger finger on the trigger.  That was causing a lack of leverage and making it difficult for her to pull the trigger - and nigh impossible to do so with any speed, reliability or while maintaining aim.  I got her to place the ball of the first joint, right next to the joint, itself on the trigger and she could then pull the trigger reliably.  She ended up taking and passing her HCP test with that very revolver.

 

BTW, she later found that she could easily operate the slide on a Kel Tec P32 - a semiauto with a 'revolver-like' DAO trigger.  She also found that she could fire the little semiauto fairly rapidly with good accuracy.  That is now her carry gun.

Edited December 12, 2012 by JAB