recall reading about a spring replacement kit for S&W revolvers... specifically J frames.

the factory action is a bit 'lurchy'

any recommendations are appreciated

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Apex Duty/Carry spring kit:
https://www.apextactical.com/j...uty-carry-spring-kit

Wilson or Apex. Have used both and zero issues and they really make the triggers nice.

I've eyed the Apex kit for a few years, but my 36 gets taken out so rarely that I haven't pulled the trigger on it.

I'm not a revolver guy, I believe this is a model 38 J frame?
Will the Apex kit fit in it?

I believe the apex kits are for the newer J’s. Not sure all the springs would be compatible with the older bodyguard series.

Should only need a good cleaning ( make sure to remove the side plate correctly !)

And shoot it.

I have been running mostly older pre lock era S&W’s for about 4 decades now and have never used a spring kit or had the need to tinker with any of them

I've always used Wolff with no complaints.

I put a Wilson kit in my Model 69. It had a pretty horrible trigger out of the box, and it's the only S&W revolver I've owned that I've felt the need to change springs in. I'm typically ok with a decently heavy trigger on a revolver so long as it's smooth. This one was heavy and stacky.

The kit came with a re-contoured hammer spring and 3 rebound slide springs of different weights. The mainspring had a huge nasty burr right where it meets the hammer strut (and I mean HUGE...it looked kind of like flashing). I was able to polish that out, but it never should have left the factory like that. Only the heaviest of the rebound springs was heavy enough for positive trigger return...it's a good thing they included 3. The other 2 were way too light and produced a very slow, mushy return.

The biggest problem was that the hammer spring caused light strikes (at least one per cylinder), even on Federal primers. I fixed this by shimming the end of the strain screw with a spent large pistol primer. The trigger pull is excellent now, and I have had no more light strikes in about 200 rounds, but I'm keeping the original parts handy in case they start up again.

IMO they should have made the spring a little heavier to start with to ensure reliability. The best trigger in the world is worthless if the gun doesn't go bang when the hammer falls. There was a lot of room to play with between the factory spring and they one they sent me that they could have taken advantage of, but instead they erred on the side of unreliability.

quote:

Originally posted by M1Garandy:
I've always used Wolff with no complaints.

Yep, used them in a few of my revolvers. They work great.

I would leave the stock mainspring in a defensive revolver. Some of the aftermarket springs will produce light strikes. If you do replace the hammer spring, it should be tested thoroughly to see that you don't get light strikes. You could, however, replace the rebound spring, and along with some judicious polishing, get a smoother and lighter trigger pull. I usually polish the rebound slide and the area where it travels in the frame. I've found a 14 lb. spring usually gives a fairly snappy return. You may go up or down one pound and test for acceptable trigger return. (The stock rebound spring is 18 lbs.) Wolf has sets of these springs in different weights. You can also lightly polish the hammer block and the area where it rides in the sideplate. Leave the hammer, trigger, and other parts alone. If you're not familiar with the internals of the Smith revolver, there are, of course, many Youtube videos on the topic. I know Jerry Miculek has a decent video.

Wolff has been my choice in gun springs for a long time.

I like the Wilson kits.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Apex Duty/Carry spring kit:
https://www.apextactical.com/j...uty-carry-spring-kit

Those do make a nice bit of difference and are trivial to install. It isn't the equivalent of a trigger job, but it is a noticeable improvement.

Another vote for Wolff.

quote:

Originally posted by savoy6:
I would leave the stock mainspring in a defensive revolver. Some of the aftermarket springs will produce light strikes. If you do replace the hammer spring, it should be tested thoroughly to see that you don't get light strikes. You could, however, replace the rebound spring, and along with some judicious polishing, get a smoother and lighter trigger pull. I usually polish the rebound slide and the area where it travels in the frame. I've found a 14 lb. spring usually gives a fairly snappy return. You may go up or down one pound and test for acceptable trigger return. (The stock rebound spring is 18 lbs.) Wolf has sets of these springs in different weights. You can also lightly polish the hammer block and the area where it rides in the sideplate. Leave the hammer, trigger, and other parts alone. If you're not familiar with the internals of the Smith revolver, there are, of course, many Youtube videos on the topic. I know Jerry Miculek has a decent video.

This. Exactly this.

No experience with replacement springs in the J-frames.

Last year I purchased two of the Wilson Combat K-frame spring kits for my 4" Model 66 and 2" Model 64. Both revolvers are 40-plus years old, no particular problems with either. I was quite pleased with the results in both.

Ordered direct from Wilson Combat, delivered to my home for under $20 each. For anyone with experience in detail-stripping a S&W revolver the change over takes maybe 10 minutes. I spent a bit longer doing a deep cleaning of the internals to get rid of accumulated crud.

Apex Duty/Carry.