Soldering on a trigger shoe

[eagle24]

I'm going to cut the trigger shoe off a Davis trigger and silver solder a new one on.  Just can't get the look I'm after with the factory trigger.  Do I need to make a mortise and tennon joint or just cut it flush and solder the new shoe on?

[JTR]

Why not just make the entire trigger, as it’s not that hard.

Just clamp an appropriate piece of metal in your vise and tap tap tap to edge with your favorite hammer until you have the shoe design you want. Then cut, grind, file away everything that doesn’t look like a trigger, and be done with it.

One hour, maybe two at the most, and you’ll have Your trigger.

John

[Tom Currie]

JTR, Could you expand a bit on the process ? tap, tap ,tap sounds a little too easy and I for one am having trouble with this process. I am assuming you are using a heat source, right ? I am trying with mapp gas but the vise is just being a big heat sink.  Getting me nowhere.

[rich pierce]

Most of us peen them cold from mild steel.  Start out with a 2" square of mild steel about .100 thick (0.125 max) clamped in the vise so it can't budge (support below) but won't get scarred by clamping.  Next I go at it with a wide-knobbed ballpeen hammer until I get a wide flat upset area with the right curvature for the shoe.  Then I coax it into finer shape and curve the edges of the shoe carefully using a smaller ballpeen hammer or a hardened steel rod hald at an angle to the face and struck with a hammer.  Keep it centered and you'll be fine.  Then cut out the rest of the square to the shape and size you need, clean it all up with files and cloth, and case-harden it.  Couple of examples:



From 1978 (forgive the architecture)

[Robert Wolfe]

I believe Eric von A posted a tutorial for this on the old site. Perhaps he could re-post it?

[eagle24]

This is the rear trigger from a double action double set trigger.  I guess I was thinking it would be easier to make a shoe and solder it on rather than trying to get the angles correct and make an entire trigger.  I guess I could make a new trigger, but I think there is way more than an hour involved it it.  I would have to make the trigger, get it drilled for the pin, and then file fit it for the proper sear engagement with the front trigger, harden and temper.  Sounds more like a good days work for me.

[KentSmith]

I cut off the trigger shoe, form the new one, file a staub in the old trigger and drill a hole in the new shoe to fit the staub.  I make the stab a 1/16th longer than the hole is deep.  I put the shoe on the trigger and peen the staub to tighten and secure the fit.  Solder.  Clean up and done.

[JTR]

Tom,
What Rich said, as that's a very good description of the process.
I'll just add to clamp your trigger piece between two metal plates to keep the vise from maring it. And if you're making a trigger with a lot of curve to the shoe, you can cut a bit of a half moon in the plate to help create the curve.
Then just tap tap tap,,,, well maybe a couple hundred times or so! No heat needed.
John

[Dale Halterman]

I have soft soldered shoes on triggers without a tenon and they are still working fine.

Dale H

[Ken G]

Greg,
Here's a couple of in progress pics.  I think they will help.



 

[B Shipman]

This one was forged from a standard Davis Jaeger trigger.



The front shoe is about twice as wide as the trigger was. Mapp gas was used. The trick is, as it is with any small part, you only get one or two whacks before the part cools and will then break. With the front trigger, straighten first, flatten, then bend.  The rear trigger is just bent until you like it, then ground and filed.

[B Shipman]

There's a bigger picture on my website with another view if interested.

[don getz]

Neat job Bill.  To me, these are the fun parts of gun building........Don

[eagle24]

There's a bigger picture on my website with another view if interested.

Thanks Bill.  I was trying to modify a Davis trigger for a southern rifle and wanted more of a "C" profile on the rear trigger.  The problem I ran into was there wasn't enough length to the rear shoe to form a "C" without it being a tight radius.  I reshaped it last night and for the time being, I am going to leave the shoe on it, but I may end up cutting it off and soldering a new one on.  I enjoyed seeing your work "in person" at the CLA show.  Its impressive seeing pictures, but even more so to actually see your rifles up close.  The same can be said for many of the talented builders on here.

[B Shipman]

GHALL, as long as you have a relatively broad surface to solder to, this will work.  The big stud on the rear Davis trigger should do.