Some old revolvers have rough or inconsistent trigger pulls. Extensive use of a revolver can cause the double-action pull to become rough and heavy. Even dried, built-up grease and oil can cause an inconsistent trigger pull. The remedy is simple.

I've noticed that there's often misunderstanding about what's involved in a number of gunsmithing procedures. For instance, "tuning a rifle" can mean a lot of different things to folks. To some, it's nothing more than adjusting the trigger; to others, it involves bedding the action. Then there are those to whom it means recutting the threads on the action, swapping out the barrel, bedding the barreled action, and rebuilding the trigger.

It's the same with revolvers. For a lot of gun owners, "smoothing the action" of their favorite Smith & Wesson revolver consists of nothing more than swapping out the factory springs with an aftermarket, reduced-power spring kit. Now don't get me wrong, this can give the revolver a better feel. However, there's a big difference between a light trigger pull and a smooth action.

In a smooth action, a consistent amount of force is required to cycle the mechanism. The important word here is "consistent." As you squeeze the trigger, you shouldn't feel increased resistance at some points and less resistance at others. The force required to squeeze the trigger and cycle the action should be as even and consistent as possible throughout the entire process of firing the revolver.

Resistance in the action cycle is normally caused by the moving parts encountering greater friction. This friction can be caused by surface roughness on one or more of the parts. It can also be caused by damaged or improperly fitted parts. It can even be caused by improper lubrication or the buildup of fouling, hardened grease, or oil.

A common misconception is that as a gun "wears in," it will naturally become smoother, and the action will become slicker. While that can happen sometimes, it won't always work out that way. I've seen a lot of well-worn and rough old handguns. While wear and use can gradually remove burrs or machine marks left on parts, excessive wear can make the internal contact surfaces rougher or change critical angles of contact among the parts.

In a typical double-action revolver such as the Smith & Wesson K-Frame, whether old or new, there are a number of major points where excess friction can develop. The first is between the trigger and the double-action sear on the hammer. The double-action sear is a small lever pinned to the front of the hammer. As the trigger is squeezed, the bottom of this sear moves across a flat surface on the top of the trigger. Any roughness between the sear and the trigger will increase friction and make it harder to squeeze the trigger and cycle the action.

A second important component that often affects smoothness is the rebound slide. This is a rectangular block located behind the trigger inside the frame. A rebound spring fits inside the rear of the rebound slide and is held in place by a vertical pin in the frame. The trigger, located in front of the rebound slide, is connected to the rebound slide by the trigger lever. As the trigger is squeezed to the rear, the rebound slide is pushed backwards by the trigger lever. Any roughness on the bottom or sides of the rebound slide where it contacts the frame will make it more difficult to squeeze the trigger. Even roughness on the inside of the rebound slide in the rebound-spring hole will inhibit the compression of the spring and make the trigger pull harder and uneven.

There are many other points of friction, and you would certainly address them when doing a complete action job. However, dealing with the double-action sear, trigger, and rebound slide will often take care of a lot of friction. Just by focusing on these few areas, you can often make a major difference in the smoothness of a revolver.