Measuring trigger pull weight

[Martin S.]

OK, so I have a rifle that seems to have a stiff trigger pull.  I want to measure it accurately.

I hear people talk about 3 lbs, 5 lbs, etc.  How does one truly measure to see how much force is needed to pull the trigger?

If this is on the wrong board, I apologize and I would ask the mods to move my question to the appropriate board.

[DGB]

Short answer........Trigger Pull Guage...about 16 bucks
Regards,
DGB

[Bill Raby]

I never saw the point in measuring the trigger pull. It is either too light, too heavy, or just right. The actually number of pounds don't really matter.

[Bob Roller]

On a muzzle loader the trigger pull can be determined by the lock and the fit of the screw thru the sear and the sear springs lower limb position on top of the sear.Set triggers can help if they are used and they can eliminate the problem.No need for weights.
Bob Roller

[rich pierce]

Yes trigger pull gauge or a scale used for weighing fish and proving it’s a lunker. Hook it on there, pull, and watch.

[OLUT]

All the responses are good .... I have a trigger pull gauge from my competitive cartridge shooting days. But I just adjust black powder guns to have a pull that "feels right to me". Then, if i'm curious, I'll measure it with my gauge. Typically for rifles they are about 5 pounds for me, and somewhat heavier for shotguns...  but I think others will have a different preferred trigger pull.

[Tumbledown]

A simple method: with the gun vertical and cocked, hang an empty milk jug off of the trigger. Slowly add water until the trigger releases. Measure the volume of water it took. One ounce volume is one ounce weight. Two full quarts would equal a 4lb pull.

[45-110]

Lyman trigger pull gauge!

[Eric Krewson]

One can never have too many gun toys; when I started building guns my first single trigger rifle had a trigger pull I really liked and a fowler that was a bit too light. I bought a trigger pull gage to see what pull I actually had on all of my guns and what I could change them to. My TC Hawken kit gun had a 9# front unset trigger pull, by polishing the trigger bar and sear I was able to drop it to 6#.

For hunting with cold hands, I found I like a 3# trigger the best which is exactly what I found with my gage on the first rifle that I built.

[Daryl]

I bought a trigger pull gauge back in the 70's, a Lyman, I think.
Still have it and it still works just fine.
Back then, the minimum trigger pull for 3-position shooting was 3 pounds.
In the 80's that was changed to 1 kilo, which it 2.2 pounds.
I like 3 to 4 pounds and crisp for a hunting trigger.
Today my caplock match rifle(.69) has a 4 pound simple trigger.

[Scota4570]

Any weight can be hung from a stiff wire that pulls the trigger and does not not touch the stock.  The weight can consist of anything.  I tend to use bullets in a strong zip top plastic bag.  The mass need to be carefully hung from the trigger to apply the weight gradually and with no jerky motions.  Add bullets until you and down to plus of minus a couple to fire or not fire.  Then weight the bag of bullets and the wire. 

I also have a spring scale.  I do not trust it for accuracy as much are actual weights.  It is fine for rough measures. 

[Daryl]

The electronic trigger pull gauges work very easily as the pull weight is recorded. With the spring versions you have to watch the gauge to see when the trigger fires.