Single set (phase) trigger question

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Hello everyone. I hope all of you have had a great Christmas.  I am building a piece with a single set trigger.  I have never built, nor fired a gun with single set triggers before.  Everything is in place but the lock will not cycle unless the trigger is set.  I know what causes this but with my unfamiliarity with this style of trigger I am wondering if that is the norm?

Cory Joe Stewart

[Chrisweiler]

what Make is the trigger?  I think there are some that must be set and a few that don’t need to be

My bill large barreled gun has a Cain single set trigger which operates in that exact manner, was  easy to get used to for me and pretty simple to install from a building standpoint

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I got the set in a trade. Somebody on here made it.  I'll have to search for the name.

Cory

[J. Talbert]

I'm afraid that is a common problem to most single set triggers.  Actually I can't say for sure if I ever seen a single set trigger that did not suffer from this problem.
If there's one out there I would expect someone here will know.

Jeff

[Bob Roller]

I'm afraid that is a common problem to most single set triggers.  Actually I can't say for sure if I ever seen a single set trigger that did not suffer from this problem.
If there's one out there I would expect someone here will know.

Jeff

A PROPERLY made and installed single set trigger will be a  "floater".
That means it will release,trip and release the sear and return to
its unset position.A single set trigger must be pushed forward to set
and I think some guys think a double set trigger that must be set to
fire the gun every time is a single set trigger.I have made these in years long gone and
made the last one for a customer in Canada a few years ago.
There are single set triggers still being made but I don't remember
who is doing it now.

Bob Roller

[rich pierce]

Cory Joe, is there one trigger or two?  Set trigger naming always confuses me.

I have original rifles with 2 triggers where the trigger must be set before the lock can be cocked.  I think this is sometimes called a single phase double set trigger arrangement but I am not sure.  Can someone outline a proper nomenclature for set triggers?

Single set trigger = a single trigger that when pushed forward loads a spring allowing a very light pull to fire the lock.  It sounds like Bob is saying that with proper design a single set trigger can fire the gun unset and does not need to be set for the lock to cock, but some designs are not like that.

I want to make a single set trigger like the one on the Aitchison (spelling may be off) Hawken rifle.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Nomenclature:

Simple trigger...as the name implies
Single set trigger:  a single trigger which must be 'set' by pressing forward to cock it.  May or may not fire the gun set and unset.  May or may not need to be set to cock the lock.
Double set - single acting trigger:  a pair of triggers- a setting trigger (forward usually) and a hammer trigger (rearmost usually) which must be set to fire the gun.  May or may not need to be set to cock the gun.
Double set - double acting triggers:  a pair of triggers like the double set, single acting triggers, except the front trigger may also be used to trip the sear, firing the lock.  May or may not need to be set before cocking the lock.

Here are some images of a single set trigger sold through MBS that can be used set or unset, and which allows the lock to be cocked without setting the triggers.  I installed it in my Chambers' (Mark Silver) Virginia rifle...wonderful combination.  The pictures show the trigger both set, and unset.

[bgf]

One case to consider is a lock without a fly.  I have seen some set triggers set up to work by exerting light pressure on the sear when uncocked so that the lock will not catch in half cock when fired.  I don't like that setup, but it has been done... that's the only thing I can think of that justifies such a setup that requires the lock to be cocked before the trigger is set.

[Bob Roller]

Cory Joe, is there one trigger or two?  Set trigger naming always confuses me.

I have original rifles with 2 triggers where the trigger must be set before the lock can be cocked.  I think this is sometimes called a single phase double set trigger arrangement but I am not sure.  Can someone outline a proper nomenclature for set triggers?

Single set trigger = a single trigger that when pushed forward loads a spring allowing a very light pull to fire the lock.  It sounds like Bob is saying that with proper design a single set trigger can fire the gun unset and does not need to be set for the lock to cock, but some designs are not like that.

I want to make a single set trigger like the one on the Aitchison (spelling may be off) Hawken rifle.

Yes,with a proper design and more important,with proper measurement and grouping
of trigger to lock*.The double set triggers that must be set before the lock can be cocked
were usually found on rifles with no half cock.A flint lock with that type of trigger could
be carried with the lock at half cock but if the trigger has a robust mainspring it might
be able to break the half cock in the tumbler or wreck the engagement tip of the sear.
  *I am convinced that many muzzle loaders being made today are full of mismatched and
"make do" parts and calculating and measuring isn't part of the equation.

Bob Roller

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I may have gotten the terminology wrong. This is what I am working with.

[Stoner creek]

Aka: single knife double set!

[Mr. Bubbles]

Here is the Davis Double Action Single Set trigger I used on this build.  I was not terribly impressed with it.  Ther emust be better ones than these out there

[Mauser06]

Stan Hollenbaugh Makes a single set trigger that is supposed to fire set or unset.   I'm working on inletting it now.   If I ever get a couple free hours, I will know if I got it to work or not.  Lol.


1 (single) trigger. 

[Mr. Bubbles]

I made a makeshift jig to holt both the lock and the trigger assembly to experiment withthe right location.  The goal was to place the trigger group as far forward as possible so that the unset firing would be as light as possible, but far enough back that in the set position, it would fire 100% of the time.  It works ok now, with the unset trigger break right around 3 pounds.  Heavier than I like on a pinned trigger, but the set trigger works all the time.  And, most of the time I shoot it set anyway.