Odd problem with Leica M shutter/speeds

[Paultee]

Long time lurker on the forum, I've never needed to reach out (thanks to the vast knowledge already available here), but this is an odd repair issue. I have an ancient M2, in rough shape and basically in need of CLA love.

Before that happens, I do want to know if anyone's ever experienced this issue: The shutter doesn't fire at the correct speed unless the shutter release is depressed quite firmly. So, if you push hard and down to the end, you get 1/60 (by my eye), but if you tap lightly, you get a much faster speed--basically a blip.

This doesn't affect slower speeds--just the regular 1/60 and higher ones.

I ask as a curiosity. I realise it's a CLA issue. That said, if it's a simple thing, like adjusting the arm that controls shutter release travel, I'm all ears.

Thanks!

 

[Vickko]

Yeah, there is gunk in the shutter release train. There are two variants.

On LTM, you push the shutter, nothing happens until you let go of the button and on the way up, the shutter goes.

I also had an M2 where the shutter would only go if you pressed hard, really hard.

In your case, the shutter tap is release both curtains almost simultaneously, where in a normal release, the first shutter curtain goes, then triggers the second curtain.

 

[Paultee]

Thanks! The tiniest re-adjustment of the flat spring fixed everything. Still somewhat mysterious, but the correction was instantly noticeable and there's no recurrence of the speed inconsistency.