Can I use 10L20 steel for a trigger and trigger plate?

[Rolf]

I'm working on triggers+trigger plate for a pair of pistols. The trigger is pined to the plate through "ears" silver soldered to the plate

A friend of mine gave me a piece of 10L20 steel that I've cold forged a couple of triggers from. It's a joy to work with, but softer than the 1% carbon steel I've used before. Should I case harden the triggers?

Can I use L20 steel for the triggerplate. Since the "ears" are soldered on to the plate, it can't be case harden.

Best regards

Rolfkt

[Ephraim]

Rolfkt myself I use 1/2'' key stock to cut my trigger plates from, and hammer my triggers out of an old tail pipe (the old stuff not the new) It works fine. I have maid triggers from germain silver too and have never hardened any of them. these are singel triggers.
Ephraim

[Dphariss]

I assume that "L20" is a trade name of some sort. Mild steel (assuming this something like 1020-1018, will work fine for single triggers case hardened or otherwise. Case hardened will be "slicker" and will resist corrosion better and cane be done in colors or cased then repolished & heat blued.
You mention using 1% carbon steel, this would be very high carbon steel like 1095.
I tend to make triggers and other parts from 1018 I get from MSC. No scale, has a ground surface, works easily cases well and I get the exact size I want.

Dan

OOPs didn't read everything. Yeah 1020.

[LynnC]

Sounds like a leaded steel - Yes you can use it.

It can be cased as well.  The pin it swings on can be hard even if the trigger plate ears are not.  Press fit pin to ears...............................Lynn

[keweenaw]

Lynn is correct as usual.  It some free machining leaded steel which will work great for your application and can easily be case hardened although it might not give good colors.

Tom

[Stophel]

Soitenly.  Should work exceedingly well.  I always cas harden my triggers and pins with Kasenit, though I think that they almost never hardened triggers 200 years ago.  Hence all the old guns with the sears bent down to reach a worn out trigger...and the attendant ugly notch in the wood at the lower rear of the lock to accomodate the sear hanging down below the lockplate!