I don't have a lot to go on with this, but I now have 2 revolvers of my own and I was comparing pull weights on the triggers. I don't have a trigger gauge so it was strictly subjective.
The 2 guns are a 4 inch blued Rossi (I think it's an 851) in .38 Special and a Smith & Wesson 642 also in .38. I have had both guns since new and neither has been modified. The Rossi has maybe 500 rounds through it and the 642 maybe 300.
The Rossi has a butter smooth double action, very low trigger pull weight, slick cylinder movement, no stacking. In single action it's the most perfect trigger on any gun I have ever fired, light, smooth, and precise. Better even than the Custom Nighthawk 1911 I tried once, and THAT was nice. The cylinder release is also very slick.
The Smith 642 is pretty much the opposite. The DA only trigger is heavy, and ever so slightly gritty, this gives some difficulty in staging the trigger, making the cylinder movement seem stiff and jerky. The cylinder release also needs a firm shove to operate. I even tried out an identical gun just to make sure I didn't have a lemon and sure enough it was identical in every respect. I'm also a fanatical cleaner and careful luber, so this has no bearing.
I'm just left wondering what the likely cause of the difference could be. My options would be:
1. The Rossi is a bigger heavier gun. This somehow facilitates a better trigger pull.
2. Smiths have heavy mainsprings.
3. J Frames have heavier triggers by virtue of their design.
I have heard that Colts have exceptional triggers, but I'm just a little surprised that my junker revolver is the Cadillac while my Smith & Wesson feels like the Ford.
The 2 guns are a 4 inch blued Rossi (I think it's an 851) in .38 Special and a Smith & Wesson 642 also in .38. I have had both guns since new and neither has been modified. The Rossi has maybe 500 rounds through it and the 642 maybe 300.
The Rossi has a butter smooth double action, very low trigger pull weight, slick cylinder movement, no stacking. In single action it's the most perfect trigger on any gun I have ever fired, light, smooth, and precise. Better even than the Custom Nighthawk 1911 I tried once, and THAT was nice. The cylinder release is also very slick.
The Smith 642 is pretty much the opposite. The DA only trigger is heavy, and ever so slightly gritty, this gives some difficulty in staging the trigger, making the cylinder movement seem stiff and jerky. The cylinder release also needs a firm shove to operate. I even tried out an identical gun just to make sure I didn't have a lemon and sure enough it was identical in every respect. I'm also a fanatical cleaner and careful luber, so this has no bearing.
I'm just left wondering what the likely cause of the difference could be. My options would be:
1. The Rossi is a bigger heavier gun. This somehow facilitates a better trigger pull.
2. Smiths have heavy mainsprings.
3. J Frames have heavier triggers by virtue of their design.
I have heard that Colts have exceptional triggers, but I'm just a little surprised that my junker revolver is the Cadillac while my Smith & Wesson feels like the Ford.