The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Revolver Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 30, 2009, 02:40 PM   #1
David the Gnome
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 3,092
Girlfriend can't pull the trigger on my SP101 more than once

So I picked up this 3" SP101 in the hopes of finally getting my girlfriend a gun she could use to protect herself and she can only pull the trigger double-action once before her finger muscle gives out. What can I do to lighten up the double-action trigger pull on this Ruger while still maintaining reliable primer ignition?

__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
David the Gnome is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 02:46 PM   #2
Timtheenchanted
Member
 
Join Date: August 28, 2007
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 15
Well with the Ruger a "poor mans trigger job" works well. Just dry fire the heck out of it while you are watching tv or something. They smooth out nicely and the pull definately lightens up. Although it would be good if you could get your Girlfriend to dry fire it as much as possible as it will not only improve the trigger but strengthen her trigger finger. And if all else fails have her practice cocking the hammer before shooting.

I know its not a perfect solution but it saves you having to get her a different gun if she likes the SP-101.
Timtheenchanted is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:10 PM   #3
David the Gnome
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 3,092
She loves the size of the gun and appreciates the reduced recoil due to the weight of the stainless steel, she just needs a trigger she can pull reliably.
__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
David the Gnome is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:13 PM   #4
goodspeed(TPF)
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 19, 2009
Location: WI
Posts: 1,162
Have her grow stronger.
__________________
It's a trick. Get an axe.

http://www.thepiratefleet.com/index.shtml
goodspeed(TPF) is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:18 PM   #5
azredhawk44
Junior member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2005
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 6,465
Stock springs?

Order a replacement spring kit from Wolff. Don't go to the lightest possible... just a skosh lighter than what you have now. It makes a world of difference.
azredhawk44 is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:20 PM   #6
MrBorland
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 31, 2007
Location: NC
Posts: 2,614
Quote:
And if all else fails have her practice cocking the hammer before shooting.
Not recommended for a defense revolver. Very bad habit to develop. Very bad juju.

Having her dry fire the bejeezers out of it is worth a go. Personally, I don't think it does much to smoothen and lighten an action, but it'll be good for her finger.

If almost all else fails, IMO, send it to a good 'smith and have an action job done on it (have the 'smith render it DAO while he's at it).

If all else fails, let her pick the gun next time.
MrBorland is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:20 PM   #7
David the Gnome
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 3,092
Yeah it has the stock springs still. What poundage are the factory springs?
__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
David the Gnome is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:26 PM   #8
azredhawk44
Junior member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2005
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 6,465
Trigger return spring is 10 pounds from factory.

Wolff offers an 8lb one. This one isn't a problem to change out with regard to reliability.

The big one is the hammer spring.

They offer 9, 10, 11 and 12 pound springs.

Factory standard is 14.

Start with the 12, take it to the range, put at least a hundred rounds through it. Make sure it works reliably. If you need lighter and it still works good, go to 11. Rinse and repeat. Then go to 10.

With such a small frame and hammer, you will probably start seeing light strikes on the 9 or 10 pound hammer springs. Federal primers tend to be the most sensitive so if you have to have it as light as possible, use Federal defensive ammo and hope for the best.
azredhawk44 is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:26 PM   #9
Wuchak
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 1, 2007
Location: Shawnee, KS
Posts: 1,093
Get a shooter's pack of springs for it from gunsprings.com < $20 shipped

Register at rugerforum.net and join in the discussion. Once you get the right number of posts you get access to Iowegan's IBOK on tuning the SP101. A couple of hours with some 2200 grit sandpaper polishing where he tells you and a swap to a lighter return spring and the mid weight hammer spring and you'll have a fantastic trigger.

Get her to dry fire it in the meantime. Even a lighter trigger is not going to compensate for that severe of a lack of strength in her trigger finger. She's not 80 and arthritic is she? Gotta watch out for those dirty old ladies.
Wuchak is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:28 PM   #10
Kreyzhorse
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2006
Location: NKY
Posts: 12,463
Quote:
Well with the Ruger a "poor mans trigger job" works well. Just dry fire the heck out of it while you are watching tv or something. They smooth out nicely and the pull definately lightens up.
I know the poor mans trigger job worked well on my SP, the trigger got much smoother, but I don't recall it really lightening up that much. I also don't recall the trigger pull being too heavy either.
__________________
"He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson
Kreyzhorse is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:29 PM   #11
David Armstrong
Junior member
 
Join Date: January 24, 2005
Location: SW Louisiana
Posts: 2,289
Quote:
Not recommended for a defense revolver. Very bad habit to develop. Very bad juju.
Much better than not being able to use the gun at all. Lots of BGs done in over the years by folks using guns in SA mode.
David Armstrong is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:30 PM   #12
Casimer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 23, 2007
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Posts: 1,918
Quote:
Just dry fire the heck out of it while you are watching tv or something.
That's what I'd try first. She needs to build some strength in her hands.
A reliable lightened spring set is still going to result in a relatively heavy DA trigger.

If you need to reduce the pull weight, try http://www.gunsprings.com/Revolver/R...vNF.html#SP101

Maybe someone can recommend a reliable reduced mainspring weight.
Casimer is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 03:35 PM   #13
orchidhunter
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2008
Posts: 320
The Mall ninjas might not like this tip, but one of Tyler's trigger shoes might help. orchidhunter
orchidhunter is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 04:00 PM   #14
drail
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 2, 2008
Posts: 3,150
Show her how to thumb cock it. Some girls hands are not as strong as a man's. Some revolvers (Ruger) have heavy DA trigger pulls. That is the problem you have to deal with. Maybe consider a J or K frame S&W with some trigger work. I am not bashing Rugers (I own several) but their trigger pulls just do not compare to a S&W. Dryfiring will smooth the pull a little but the springs are not going to become any lighter. Trigger work and lighter springs are perfectly reliable if done right. Avoid CCI primers and ammunition.
drail is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 04:07 PM   #15
David the Gnome
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 3,092
I've got Iowegan's guide and I ordered a set of Wolff springs for it. I'll get to work on it once the springs get here. In the meantime I'll have her practice on one of my easier to pull SA/DA guns to build up some strength. Thanks for the help guys. Like I said, she loves the gun, just not the trigger.
__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
David the Gnome is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 04:26 PM   #16
pax
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 16, 2000
Location: In a state of flux
Posts: 7,520
David,

Get her a Gripmaster and encourage her to use it.

Be very very very VERY wary of lightening springs on a defense guns. The reason guns come from the factory with springs of a particular weight is because most guns function most reliably with springs of the particular weight chosen by the gun's designers.

It was perhaps foolish to purchase a gun for your girlfriend without her trying it on and seeing if it would work for her, but I know that's crazy talk. Even more crazy talk might be to suggest that perhaps in this particular case, she'd have been better served with a semi-automatic, which inherently has less aggressive recoil than a revolver of similar weight, and which is somewhat easier for people with weak fingers to shoot accurately. (Read what famous revolversmith Grant Cunningham has to say about choosing a revolver for a "non-dedicated shooter" here.)

But that's all water under the bridge, now. Get her a Gripmaster and encourage her to build up her hand strength. Bonus: it'll make opening pickle jars easier!

Also -- teach her how to safely lower the hammer without firing, since it's a sure bet that at some point she's going to cock it to SA to save her finger strength. When she does, she'll also need to know how to safely avoid firing after cocking the gun.

pax,

Kathy
__________________
Kathy Jackson
My personal website: Cornered Cat
pax is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 04:27 PM   #17
jephthai
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2007
Posts: 463
I found with my wife that she can barely pull the trigger when dry firing. Yet, when firing real ammunition, she can do it without a problem. I think for her there is a psychological component -- the extra rush when she knows it will go bang. She said that she's confident she could do it in an emergency situation.

I am replacing the home defense gun, though, with something that has a lighter pull. I'm sure that she could use the current one, but I also have other reasons for switching, so it works out very well that way.

-Jephthai-
jephthai is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 04:34 PM   #18
Kreyzhorse
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2006
Location: NKY
Posts: 12,463
Quote:
Get her a Gripmaster and encourage her to use it.
That's a good idea PAX. The ability to shoot multiple guns would certainly benefit her.
__________________
"He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson
Kreyzhorse is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 05:06 PM   #19
Wuchak
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 1, 2007
Location: Shawnee, KS
Posts: 1,093
Quote:
Be very very very VERY wary of lightening springs on a defense guns. The reason guns come from the factory with springs of a particular weight is because most guns function most reliably with springs of the particular weight chosen by the gun's designers.
Maybe in the old days but now he spring weight is determined by the corporate lawyers. You can easily step down to a spring a couple of pounds below factory weight without any change in reliability on a revolver.

Revolver springs have also gotten heavier over time because the companies don't bother polishing the internals like they should. This results in more friction which requires a heavier spring. If you smooth everything internally and remove that friction a lower powered spring will get the hammer up to the same speed as the heavier one because it will not have to waste energy overcoming friction. Only when you start to push the weight of the spring down extremely far from factory do you run into reliability (light strikes) issues. Going to the 9lb spring in the SP101 for example will require everything to be super slick. Even then you might have to take a bit off the front of the hammer since you cannot get extended length firing pins for Rugers like you can for S&W's. The 12lb and 10lb springs should be perfectly reliable after just a normal polish.

I suggest shooting some of your defensive ammo and some ammo with hard primers like Magtech. Shoot a couple of cylinders of each with the gun as it is now and then mark them and label them in some fashion. You will use these later to compare the depth of primer strikes after the polish and spring swap. Once you finish smoothing things up and put in the lighter hammer springs do the same shooting drill as before and compare the depth of the primer strikes. They should look the same. If the new ones are not as deep take another pass at polishing and try again. If the new ones are still lighter and look like they may be on the verge of being light strikes put a heavier spring back in.

Don't forget to try different hammer/return spring combinations. They have to be balanced for it to feel right. The lighter return spring didn't feel right for me with anything but the 9lb hammer spring. After some extra polish and a touch off the top step of the hammer the primer strikes with this setup are the same on Magtech ammo as they were with the factory springs.
Wuchak is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 06:40 PM   #20
Jart
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 24, 2001
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Posts: 1,647
Quote:
I suggest shooting some of your defensive ammo and some ammo with hard primers like Magtech.
I would also suggest S&B and Fiocchi, at least 100 of each, if springs are going to be fiddled about with.

Magtech, Fiocchi and S&B have all become more or less mainstream and the personal defense firearm that won't light them 100% of the time can not be reasonably called "reliable" or "insensitive to ammo". It has for all intents and purposes taken on a couple of the disadvantages of the semi-auto without benefit of getting the complementary advantages.
Jart is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 06:42 PM   #21
csmsss
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2008
Location: Orange, TX
Posts: 3,078
The problem with replacing the springs isn't so much that the firearm won't be as reliable as that should you find yourself in a position of having to shoot someone, the prosecutor and/or plaintiff attorney can and will argue that you lightened the springs to give your gun a "hair trigger" and were therefore recklessly looking for trouble.

I'm not saying I agree with this - but in all actuality if you use a weapon that has had its trigger pull lightened, it is a very likely obstacle you will face in both criminal (should it go that far) and civil (which it almost certainly will) court.
csmsss is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 07:45 PM   #22
B.N.Real
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2008
Posts: 4,092
The gripmaster is a great idea.

You could also get her a grip ball she could squeeze.

(-yea,I know all the jokes-let's let them lie)

She definitely needs to work on her finger strength.

She'll need that to accurately fire any handgun.
B.N.Real is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 07:57 PM   #23
Bruce H.
Member
 
Join Date: January 18, 2008
Posts: 22
Don't feel bad David, my wife can't pull the DA trigger even once on any of my revolvers. She can't shoot my SA revolvers either because they are too heavy for her to lift up and sight.
Bruce H. is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 08:13 PM   #24
David the Gnome
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2007
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 3,092
Haha, Bruce we had that same exact problem. For whatever reason she likes the SP101, even though it's heavier than a lot of my other firearms are.
__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
David the Gnome is offline  
Old January 30, 2009, 09:48 PM   #25
Tom Servo
Staff
 
Join Date: September 27, 2008
Location: Foothills of the Appalachians
Posts: 13,057
Quote:
Get her a Gripmaster and encourage her to use it.
Good idea, but be wary of overusing one. I was in the music business in the 1980s, when every guitar player on earth was using those. Many ended up with arthritis or tendonitis. Be sure to stop if any soreness or pain kicks in.

Can you give me an idea of how she's gripping the gun, particularly where and how the weak hand is placed? Certain grips, like the teacup or grab-the-wrist style, can actually make it harder to pull a DA trigger.
__________________
Sometimes it’s nice not to destroy the world for a change.
--Randall Munroe
Tom Servo is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.09679 seconds with 7 queries