Jon Grigsby's Steel Plate Revolver
Click on the image to see a larger picture.
This is the second
revolver I chose to set up and use for the steel plate matches. It is a S&W mod.
686+, 7 shot, L frame, 4 inch barreled 357 Magnum. The first was a S&W
mod. 627, Custom Shop, 8 shot, N frame, 5 inch barreled 357 Magnum. The 8 shot 627
was an excellent choice because of its extra round capacity and the faster reloads
possible because it uses moon clips. I got an offer for it that I could not refuse
and let it go. I replaced it with the 686+ 7 shot. The lighter weight,
smaller frame size, 7 round capacity and shorter trigger stroke make the 686+ a great
revolver for speed shooting sports. It also cost a lot less than another 627 Custom
Shop gun.
The first thing to go was the grips.
Smith and Wesson's idea of target grips leaves a lot to be desired. I don't know
anyone with hands that fit their standard grips. I chose Hogue's finger groove
rubber grips because they allow a good grip for all hand sizes, They are comfortable
to shoot all day. The only negative thing I can say about the grips is they work too
good. If you are drawing the gun from a holster and get a bad grab on the grips, you
can't slide your hand into a good shooting position. The finger grooves keep your
hand in place and the soft rubber keep your hand from being able to slide anywhere.
A good action job followed. Jerry Miculek
has an otstanding video tape on how to do an action job on a S&W revolver.
It is about 90 minutes of the details anyone should know before attempting an
action job... where to stone, how to stone, what to look for and what not to do. I
replaced the trigger rebound spring with a 12 lb spring from Brownells. The rebound
spring is the spring that pushes the trigger forward after you have pulled the trigger.
It is partially what you are squeezing against when shooting. Using a spring
that is lighter lightens your trigger pull. It needs to be just heavy enough to
reliably return the trigger. Some people cut the stock 16 lb spring, removing 2 or 3
coils from its length. This too will reduce your trigger pull but I find the end
result is not as smooth as replacing the spring. I buy the springs from Brownells in
10 packs and have been through several bags of springs doing actions jobs for the guys at
the range. The final part of an action job is to adjust the strain screw to apply
enough pressure to the hammer to make ignition reliable. The strain screw is located
on the front of the frame about 2 inches below the trigger guard. It applies tension
to the main spring by arching it slightly. I back the strain screw about 2 turns
from bottomed and shoot some ammo. I can then tighten or loosen the screw until I
find the spot where it does not make the ammo go off. I then tighten it half a turn
and note its number of turns from bottoming so I can duplicate its setting if I
dissassemble the gun for cleaning later. A little dab of Blue Lock-tite keep this
setting from changing with out a screwdriver.
A good action job is defined as making the
revolver have a trigger pull that has no descernable grit, hitches, clicks, or uneven
movement. It should not push off the single action catch. Pushing off is being
able to push the hammer forward with out touching the trigger. The action must cause
the hammer to fall with enough force to always stike the primer hard enough to cause the
ammo to fire. The double action trigger pull is about 6 pounds and the single action
lets go at about 2 pounds.
The scope mount is from B-Square, available
from Brownells. I trimmed it to reduce weight where it extended out over the barrel.
It mounts with three screws into existing threaded holes in the top of the frame.
You simply remove the rear sight and bolt on the mount. Use lock-tite.
The scope is a Tasco PDP4, 45mm, 10 minute dot sight. It is really bright because it
uses 2 batteries instead of one. I found the mounting hardware to be weak, breaking
both bolts tightening them down after the first cleaning. I replaced them with some
a lot stronger. I still need to trim them as they are a little long. The guys
I shoot with say I have a kick stand on my revolver because when I lay it down, the bolts
hold it off the table. It is different so for now I have left them alone.
What do I hve invested in it?
