Posted: 5/16/2026 10:55:43 AM EDT
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New to me 686-6 Plus... double action pull is just a bit hard for my arthritic finger and I was wondering what spring combo or kit would lighten it up a bit and still provide good ignition hit. Other question is... I'm not sure how I feel about this shiny stainless, is there a way to make it less fingerprinted? I have read about using a red scotchbrite with oil???? thanks... 
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Originally Posted By GSPatton: Does this particular revolver have a heavier than normal trigger pull? What is the weight? Do you have another revolver to compare it to? This is my only revolver above a .22 at the moment... but i often shoot my friends 686-6 3" performance center and it has a 9.5# DA... this is way heavier than his so I'm assuming near 12+#'s |
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Wolff, Wilson, TK Custom, and maybe Apex make replacement spring kits. The problem you run into on newer firing pin model S&W's is if you go with the reduced power Rebound Spring, you might have light primer strikes. This can be alleviated with a longer firing pin (sometimes). On these newer guns, I usually just add a 13 lb. rebound spring and call it good (assuming I don't have any trigger return issues). Your best option is to pay the money and send it to someone like Nelson Ford (The Gunsmith) in Phoenix, AZ. He's been doing action jobs for 40+ years and understands the issues with the FP guns and how to make them reliable with a smooth trigger. As far as dulling the finish, a scotch Brite pad may work, but I'd start with a small area under the grips to see how you like it. But as this is out of my lane, I asked Grok Ai. To dull a shiny stainless steel revolver finish, the most common and effective DIY methods use Scotch-Brite pads for a brushed/satin look or glass bead blasting for a more matte appearance. These approaches are popular among gun owners and can be done carefully at home or by a professional. 1. Best DIY Option: Scotch-Brite Pads (Brushed/Satin Finish) This is the safest and most controllable method for most people. Recommended pads: Gray (very fine, #7448) or Maroon (very fine) — Gives a nice satin/brushed look similar to many factory stainless finishes. Green (medium) — More aggressive if the gun is very shiny/polished. How to do it: Disassemble the revolver as much as possible (remove grips, cylinder, etc.) for even work. Clean the surfaces thoroughly. Use the pad dry or with a bit of oil/WD-40. Rub in one consistent direction (usually lengthwise along the barrel/slide/frame) with light to moderate pressure. Keep strokes straight and even — do not go in circles or back-and-forth randomly. Work progressively and check often. Start with a finer pad if possible. Wipe clean and oil the gun when done. This reduces the mirror shine to a low-glare brushed finish that hides fingerprints and scratches better. Tip: Practice on a scrap piece of stainless first. Many Ruger and S&W owners use this exact method. 2. Professional Option: Glass Bead Blasting This creates a uniform, matte/satin “bead-blasted” look that significantly dulls the shine. Glass beads are preferred over aluminum oxide (glass gives a brighter stainless tone; oxide can look grayer). Cost is usually reasonable at a gunsmith or refinisher. Many shops offer this service specifically for stainless firearms. Warning: Do not attempt sandblasting yourself unless you have proper equipment and experience — you can remove too much material or damage markings/seals. Other Options Wet/dry sandpaper (e.g., 600–1500 grit) followed by Scotch-Brite — Good for heavy polishing reversal, but requires care to keep lines straight. Chemical blackeners (e.g., stainless steel blackener solutions) — Turn it dark instead of just dulling the shine. More permanent but changes color significantly. Cerakote or other coatings — Best for a durable matte black or color finish, but this is a full re-finish. Important Warnings Never use steel wool or wire brushes on stainless — tiny steel particles can embed and cause rust spots later. Work slowly and evenly. It’s easy to end up with uneven patches if you rush. Disassembly makes the job much better. Stainless is very forgiving compared to blued guns, but you can still scratch it or remove too much material. |
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Originally Posted By gunwolf: New to me 686-6 Plus... double action pull is just a bit hard for my arthritic finger and I was wondering what spring combo or kit would lighten it up a bit and still provide good ignition hit. Other question is... I'm not sure how I feel about this shiny stainless, is there a way to make it less fingerprinted? I have read about using a red scotchbrite with oil???? thanks... https://i.imgur.com/q1S82MD.jpeg |
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| I have a standard 686-6 and also notice how heavy the trigger pull is. I have a Ruger GP100 Match Champion and Colt Python which are much smoother and lighter than the S&W. I debate on changing the springs but I don't want to give up reliability. |
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well, I kinda figured out why the trigger pull was so heavy... I took the side plate off and you would not believe the amount of gun grease all over everything, I'm guessing the last owners way of lubricating... I had to do a complete disassembly and clean every spring and internal part. while in there I did just some minor polishing including the rebound block and sear... I very lightly oiled a few spots and put it back together... the trigger in DA is now alot better, I don't think I'll need to change any springs. I also went over the shiny exterior with a maroon 3m pad and I love the matte no finger print smudge surface. 
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A little late to the party here but I’ve been looking at the exact same gun OP. 5” Talo right ? Anyway I’m a big Smith fan and love the 686 and never had great luck with the spring kits when it came to 100% ignition. Also when I refinish a stainless Smith I use a 3M grey pad and only go one direction, not back and forth or around the cylinder . Anyway enjoy your new 686 . Love 5” barrels ! |
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Originally Posted By packingXDs: I'm no smith or expert. I went down the spring rabbit hole. Lots of reliability issues. Swapping them isn't exactly fun. The combo I ended up on wasn't all that lighter than factory. A good polish of the internals and shooting it, is probably the best bet. |
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Before you do anything with spring kits or polishing, take the thing completely apart, clean thoroughly, then lightly lube all the contact points. This works 90% of the time on my many many Smiths. Spring kits are a crap shoot. They might work, they might not. Polishing if you've never done it is risky. It's much harder to do correctly than most people think. Gunsmiths make good money fixing amateur trigger jobs. Double action on a Smith will normally be between 10 and 12 pounds. Anything less than that and you risk light primer strikes. |
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Originally Posted By Ameshawki: Before you do anything with spring kits or polishing, take the thing completely apart, clean thoroughly, then lightly lube all the contact points. This works 90% of the time on my many many Smiths. Spring kits are a crap shoot. They might work, they might not. Polishing if you've never done it is risky. It's much harder to do correctly than most people think. Gunsmiths make good money fixing amateur trigger jobs. Double action on a Smith will normally be between 10 and 12 pounds. Anything less than that and you risk light primer strikes. What lube are you using and does it last ? |
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| Nice job! Now that's a good looking revolver! I'm not a big fan of shiny stainless either. Glad the trigger smoothed out a little for you. If you still want it lighter, I've had good luck dropping the rebound slide spring down 1 or 2 pounds, no more, and leave the hammer spring factory weight. You're likely to avoid any ignition issues if you go this route and it's usually a significant improvement. |
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well I got it to where I like it. ordered a Hi-Viz fiber optic front sight so I can actually see the front sight.. huge difference! I also ordered the wilson combat spring kit to try a few different spring combo's... so far the 13# rebound with the WC main spring seems to be my favorite... old habits die hard and I still find myself "staging" the DA pull... I'm working on it. the SA is ridiculous light... but I like it. My trigger pull gauge broke and I just ordered another, so I can't give specifics yet. Using a combo of winchester and federal 38 special I fired 100 rounds (mostly DA) and I had zero light primer strikes, I don't have any .357 ammo yet to shoot... I'll get out this week and pick up a few boxes. I have read some brands have hard primers and my spring combo may hinder ignition.  |
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Originally Posted By ag04blast: OP I litterally have the same gun, Talo edition and everything. Mine had a messed up trigger and timing. I sent it back to Smith and the cleaned it up. It came back butter smooth. Smiths custom services are real good. I would reach out to then. They did good on my 629 trigger when I bought the outdoor package, but the machining was so bad on the barrel counter bore and cylinder chamfers, I regretted getting it done. When I sent it back the third and final time (they scrapped it) I included a picture of the gouges in the cylinder chamfer and asked what the thread pitch on my ammo should be. Ymmv, I hope they do better on others than they did on mine |