It's a S&W Model 627 Performance Center 8 shot .357 magnum. It's a gorgeous gun, and I wish I had a digital camera to take a picture of it.

There's just one problem I have with it, the double action trigger pull is VERY heavy. It must be at least 10 lbs. Although it is VERY smooth and the single pull is next to nothing, I forsee this as a problem.

My dealer told me to get a Wolffe spring set. What exactly do I need to get? What kind of peeves me, is the fact that I spent extra $$$ to get a Performance Center gun, but I didn't get the Performance Jerry Miculek like trigger pull in DA. What's up with that?

Thanks guys,

themao hainsawkill.gif

Get yourself a tennis ball, and squeeze it with your trigger finger and thumb.  Rolling a ball of clay (SEMPER GUMBY!!!) between your fingers will also help.  I doubt seriously that there is anything wrong with the pistol.  Ed McGivern (God rest him) used a S&W with a 12 pound DA trigger pull, when he was the fastest DA man on Earth.

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Quoted: Get yourself a tennis ball, and squeeze it with your trigger finger and thumb.  Rolling a ball of clay (SEMPER GUMBY!!!) between your fingers will also help.  I doubt seriously that there is anything wrong with the pistol.  Ed McGivern (God rest him) used a S&W with a 12 pound DA trigger pull, when he was the fastest DA man on Earth. Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

I agree, Practice, Practice, Practice.

Try this exercise. Holding the weapon in your shooting position have someone place a dime onto the top of the front sight. Practice your trigger pull until you can consistently cycle the trigger without causing the dime to drop. you won't even notice the weight of the trigger.

I knew nothing was wrong with it. I figured S&W meant it to be that way....I'm just a pansy I guess. Too much time at the keyboard, er computer than bailing hay.

kpel308: Will do.

SGB: I'll try putting a dime on the barrel first, since it's flat on top , and by the way, you have to coolest icon on all of AR15.com. I LOVE YOSEMITE SAM! It's a shame that those friggin commi Bugs Bunny cartoons didn't show Yosemite cooking different Cajun and southren dishes for rabbits and ducks. he
themao hainsawkill.gif

themao, you never really stated that you shot it yet. Some new guns feel alien till they "come to life". Also, springs are heavy as new. During the life of the weapon, it only gets better with age. A spring kit will hasten that process and make a great gun even nicer. Good choice too, one of the best .357s AND in stainless to boot! And like the others said...practice, it will become second nature and you won't even think about it. And I'm jealous too!

themao I am forking jealous I love that gun and want one badly. Good choice, how much did it cost?

kpel308 we used to always say Semper fi, fuck the other guy. Hows that for camaraderie?

anothergene: I haven't shot it yet.

DOCPIG: It was $800, but I traded in my Para P14.45 Ltd. for $705 to get the gun (total with tax for the revolver was thus around $101).

Some guy on the 1911forum brought up a good point though. He thinks my trigger lock might have something to do with it. It's built into the frame, but does it actually effect the trigger pull at all? I thought it just blocks the mainspring or hammer spring, which of course should have no effect at all.

Point is, yes I know the gun is new, but it feels a lot more monsterous than other brand new Model 629s or 66s I've picked up.

I just hope I can get this gun up and running. I should be able to shoot it this Saturday. I'll give a full report afterwards.

themao hainsawkill.gif

10 pounds is considered a pretty light DA trigger pull for the Smith.  When I was shooting PPC competition, that was the DA trigger weight that the custom guns aimed to get.  I doubt that you will improve it with a spring kit.  As long as the pull is smooth, don't worry about it.  Dry fire a lot, build up your trigger finger muscle, fire the gun a few thousand rounds. Then if you still think you need a better trigger pull you might start thinking about modifications to the gun.

Well, I finally got around to shooting the gun today at the range. I put 50 rounds of .357 and 50 rounds of .38 special through the gun. Of course, I put CLP through the cylinder and barrel before I shot to make sure the gun was clear of grease or gunk.

Anyway, the gun shot nice. I practiced on an IDPA target at 10 yards and once I got zeroed in, I was consistantly putting the bullets in the center of the target or on the head. This gun is dead on accurate, and it shoots FAR better than I can.

Three problems:

1. Front Sight: It's a black hole. I can't see the sights especially when I'm shooting at a black target. I need to replace the rear sights with a white outline (a simple job I can do apparently), and the front sight with either a white dot or a fiber optic front. The only problem is, Hi-Viz does not make a front interchangable type fiber optic sight yet for the Model 627 or any of the interchangables. My gun would have to be drilled out for the one S&W uses now.

2. Trigger Pull: It's horrendous still. I've gotten used to it, but I've shot guns enough to know that my trigger finger shouldn't be sore after shooting 100 rounds. I got done at 2 PM today, and now it's 10 PM. I'm still sore. I'll call the Performance Center to ask them about this. I was expecting a crisp 8 lb pull, not 12-14 lbs. I have to admit though, the pull itself is VERY smooth. No jerking.

3. Moon Clips: Anyone know how to put the rounds on? I tried with my hands, and I couldn't get it. I'll keep playing with it the next time I go shooting.

themao
hainsawkill.gif

I think 10 lbs for a Performance Center revolver is kind of excessive.  They should definitely be able to do something about that.

For the moon clips, I find it easiest to kind of "roll" the rounds into the clip.  Hard to explain: you kind of twist the cartridge as you push it in.  If you try to just push it straight in, it's very tough.  The clips will loosen with use.  It's more difficult to get the casings out, it's best done with a tool.

On the sights: the black post/notch sight picture is a time honored system used by pistol competitors.  The 3-dot is a relatively recent innovation intended for quick acquistion in combat, not necessarily accuracy.  If you are losing the sight picture against a black bullseye, I suggest adjusting your sights to use a 6 o'clock hold... this will allow you to get the most out of the current sighting system.  I strongly suggest trying to live with the sights a little longer before you get anything changed.  You might find they were designed like that for a reason.

Quoted: Well, I finally got around to shooting the gun today at the range. I put 50 rounds of .357 and 50 rounds of .38 special through the gun. Of course, I put CLP through the cylinder and barrel before I shot to make sure the gun was clear of grease or gunk. Anyway, the gun shot nice. I practiced on an IDPA target at 10 yards and once I got zeroed in, I was consistantly putting the bullets in the center of the target or on the head. This gun is dead on accurate, and it shoots FAR better than I can. Three problems: 1. Front Sight: It's a black hole. I can't see the sights especially when I'm shooting at a black target. I need to replace the rear sights with a white outline (a simple job I can do apparently), and the front sight with either a white dot or a fiber optic front. The only problem is, Hi-Viz does not make a front interchangable type fiber optic sight yet for the Model 627 or any of the interchangables. My gun would have to be drilled out for the one S&W uses now. 2. Trigger Pull: It's horrendous still. I've gotten used to it, but I've shot guns enough to know that my trigger finger shouldn't be sore after shooting 100 rounds. I got done at 2 PM today, and now it's 10 PM. I'm still sore. I'll call the Performance Center to ask them about this. I was expecting a crisp 8 lb pull, not 12-14 lbs. I have to admit though, the pull itself is VERY smooth. No jerking. 3. Moon Clips: Anyone know how to put the rounds on? I tried with my hands, and I couldn't get it. I'll keep playing with it the next time I go shooting. themao

Take a look at the Asley Standard Dot Night Sights and see what you think. I find them very easy to pick up both day and night.

Ten pounds is a bunch. They certainly should be able to get it lighter BUT some states require a ten pound minimum. If you're in one of those states, they won't be able to help you.

If that is the case, then there is a very cheap solution. Buy an old S&W M-25, 1917, or even a M&P. You'll still have the same accuracy and the best trigger known to man.

The secret to moon clips is to roll the casing in. You'll never be able to shove them in, it just doesn't work. Hold the clip in one hand, place the casing at the opening and then roll it. It will drop right in.

Keep us posted.

Sig P230: I live in IL, so I don't think the trigger pull thing is an issue. However, I did notice a piece of paper with a message from the Mass. attorney general telling me that guns are bad, blah blah blah. I wonder if they gave me a Mass. compliant gun. I'll call S&W Monday or whenever I get time this week to find out.

themao hainsawkill.gif

Even with those minor complaints, I'm still jealous. I want one too! Guess I'll have to live with the old model 28 a little longer.

OK, I had a kind gentlemen at the range look at my gun today. There's a screw that pushes itself up against the mainspring which apparently effects pull greatly. He pulled it out by two full turns and now my gun has a 10 lb pull max. It feels MUCH better. I'm still going to call up the Performance Center to get some info though about springs, spring sets, etc. I haven't had time to sit down yet to really examine my gun though.

themao hainsawkill.gif

Quoted: OK, I had a kind gentlemen at the range look at my gun today. There's a screw that pushes itself up against the mainspring which apparently effects pull greatly. He pulled it out by two full turns and now my gun has a 10 lb pull max. It feels MUCH better. I'm still going to call up the Performance Center to get some info though about springs, spring sets, etc. I haven't had time to sit down yet to really examine my gun though. themao

remember, the gun will break in over the first 1000 rounds or so. I wouldn't do anything to it until I had gotten past that point.

I've always been a fan of N frame Smith's.
The 27 is cool because it's the origianl .357MAG

www.gunsprings.com

I'm not sure how easy it would be to swap the mainspring.
 A good gunsmith should do it for not much $$

 The dark red plastic on the front sight does make it difficult to see darker targets. You could have a gunsmith rmove the red pastic and replace it with a different color, I had them put a florescent green on my model 66,. This works well in the bright Az days here and is good for lower level light shooting where the red just "disappears "  The high vis option sounds nice but if hou intend to carry the gun in a holster this could be a problem due to the change in the size of  the  barrel .  

  If you are interested I  can send you a photo of the front site.

   my email is [email protected]

   My wife has a newer Smith with that lock in it.  When we brought it to the gunsmith for a trigger job he told us to unlock the gun and  not use the lock indicating the locking mechanism/key in his mind was delicate and a problem waiting to happen if used frequently