OT: pistol for wife

[blacklistedbully]

Thank you. I really appreciate the response. It's definitely not "push off". If it ever was, it is past that stage. Been like this since I bought it. At the time, I didn't think to check the single-action, and for a long time just thought it wasn't designed to offer that. Now I know better. I've already checked the hammer spring screw. Appeared to already be as tight as it could be.

I figure this beauty was used by the PD for 20+ years before I got it, so I'm guessing it finally wore down the sear. I'm out in N. California, SF Bay Area, I'll PM you the city.

I've read where many folks take theirs to a gunsmith to have the sear cut so it will work again, recognizing the angle is critical, thus not a good DIY project. One guy suggests it can often be a case of cleaning because sometimes certain cleaning kits can leave a residue that, if left in storage long enough can turn into a varnish-like coating, causing the problem, so if removed, allows the sear to work again.

In any case, it appears you're a more qualified expert than the stuff I'm finding on S&W blogs, youtube, etc.

Again, really appreciate your help!

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Side question: what quick opening safe/ lockbox do you recommend for a pistol at home? I’ve been looking for something that provides the quickest access possible while still being kid proof

 

[blacklistedbully]

You didn't ask my opinion, but FWIW, I have one of those small ones that has the 5 buttons on it which you "program" by deciding what button-push combination you want. In my case, I push 2 specific buttons at the same time, then 1 specific button. That releases the lock so that I can then turn the little lever that opens it. Takes 2 seconds for me to open. Anyone without the code would have to be unbelievably lucky to figure it out, even if they had hours & hours. Too many possible options.

When I still had my young children in the house, I went ahead and took the additional step of adding a trigger lock, putting a key under the foam padding of the safe. That stretched it from 2 seconds to perhaps 6 seconds before I was ready to fire.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Thanks. You know the brand name?

 

[Penndaddy]

Bay Area? Nice! My roommate freshman year was from SF, and he lives there now with his family. Great guy and former dawg, if you ever need some commercial real estate. My guy that covers that territory is in Mt. Shasta this weekend. He’s new, so he may not know a good gunsmith in your area, but our LE rep will know someone.

That is true regarding the solvents/lubricants, but, you have to remove the side plate to get in there and inspect. You may be comfortable with that, but I can’t recommend it for obvious reasons. The first being that revolvers are hand fitted, and the screws in the side plate have to be put back in the same order they come out. People also like to pry the grips and side plate off, which can damage both. If you decide to go that route, make sure you use a soft mallet to tap the frame as opposed to prying. The grips will essentially fall of and the side plate will pop out using that method, without causing damage to either. For now, hold tight, and I’ll get you a suggestion on who to take it to in your area. If it comes to sending it back, I’ll PM you my email address, and we can take it from there.

 

[West Tn Dawg]

S&W M&P BodyGuard .380 is what my wife is packing. Really like it.

 

[blacklistedbully]

Very grateful for your help. Know what you mean about disassembly. I watched a few videos. One that stood out was a gunsmith who had been trained at the S&W factory a long time ago. He said the same things you just did about, "not prying, paying attention to the screws, etc.". Said a lot of DIYers mess up their revolvers by not doing it the right way, some even making the gun undependable, etc. Here's the video I saw. Was enough to make me decide to think on it, and definitely not try to modify it myself.

 

[Penndaddy]

Barnwood in Ripon is where my guy suggests. Says it may be a while due to the shutdown. I know that’s a bit of a drive, but that’s what he suggested. If you want to go the other route, shoot me a pm.

 

[blacklistedbully]

Mine says Cannon, but I went on their website before my previous response to see if I could give you a link, only to find they don't seem to offer the small ones anymore. But there are plenty of manufacturers who offer very similar. Here's a picture of the model I have had for probably 25 years:
View attachment 15606

I got to choose which buttons and what sequence I wanted. No other way to open it short of cutting into it or something like that.

 

[Penndaddy]

I use the Hornady Rapid Safe 4800. Full disclosure, I have a close relationship with Hornady, so I shoot their ammo almost exclusively as well. Great folks, great products. I’m not sure these small safes/vaults are all that different, so I’m not saying that the Hornady version is the best. Mine has a key, keypad, and rfid options. I use the rfid to open mine because I just have to wave it over the keypad to pop the lid open. But, if I happen to not have that on me, which is rare, I just use the keypad. The key would only be handy for me if the battery died.

 

[PineGroveBully]

I never fail to be amazed at some of the knowledge on SPS. You can throw almost any topic out there and some random poster will know the real 411.