Lengthened Trigger Plate – Worth it?

[PPatch]

I am beginning my build (Chambers Early Lancaster with Rice Swamped .50cal). Right now I’m involved in moving the barrel back a bit under 3/16ths to bring the eventual touch hole to center-pan. I have also draw filed the bottom obliques on the barrel in hopes that I can get the bottom flat to print lamp black in the bottom of the barrel channel when I bang in the barrel with my mallet.

Question: Would the wrist area gain significant strength by my making and inletting a trigger plate that runs under the front and rear trigger guard? I am going with a single trigger setup. I plan on making my own trigger plate in any case, just for the experience, and the thought popped up “why not run it full under the guard?”

[rich pierce]

It could be done but is not traditional.  Without a long tang and bolts down through to the long plate, I am not sure it strengthens the wrist.

[Don Getz]

No, not necessary.  Why look for more work when there is plenty of it , if you do it right........Don

[Acer Saccharum]

A long trigger Plate takes wood out of the wrist. Weakens the wood. So it's a trade-off at best.

If a gun is used as a club, it will certainly break at the lock/breech area first. There is no practical way to strengthen this area.

[PPatch]

Rich, Don, Tom;

Thank you for your sage advice  - three strikes and the longer trigger plate is history for all the good reasons you have provided. I'll use the plate that came with the rifle but mount a lug on it for the trigger pin pivot as shown in Chapter 21 in The Gunsmith of Grenville County.

dp

[Acer Saccharum]

As an alternative to adding ears to the trigger plate, consider pinning the trigger directly into the stock. This allows quite a bit of freedom of WHERE the trigger will pivot.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

If you pin the trigger in the wood as Acer suggests you can get it higher in relation to the sear pivot and get better leverage on the sear making for a lighter trigger pull..... There is a lot of art and mystery in fitting triggers so don't be afraid to experiment and triggers pinned in the wood seem to last 250 years at least............

[Acer Saccharum]

This is an attempt to illustrate the difference between pinning the trigger in high and low positions.

The low position gives an easier install, commercial trig plate assemblies are available in this configuration. However, the angle between trigger pivot and and sear pivot increases the leverage required to trip the trigger. There is also a fair amount of SLIDING between trig bar and sear, which is another problem in that it requires force to overcome the sliding friction.

Higher position reduce both sliding friction and angle between trigger pivot and and sear pivot. This helps a lot. Also polish and case harden the trigger bar surface  and polish the sear bar for slicker smoother operation.

This goes without saying that the sear nose and notch are in perfect geometrical relationship, and highly polished.

[PPatch]

Thanks all.

Good graphics there Tom. I understood that a higher pin serves as a better fulcrum aiding in trigger pull and thought I could more controlably achieve that and control creep with a lug. Perhaps pinning in the wood is the better answer (thanks Tim). Long ago I used to shoot modern rifles in competition and always liked a crisp 3.5lb trigger pull and that is what I will aim for here.

I took the lock apart this morning and noted that the sear/sear arm are case hardened and fairly well polished. I will polish the top surface of the trigger bar also.

dp

[PPatch]

It could be done but is not traditional.  Without a long tang and bolts down through to the long plate, I am not sure it strengthens the wrist.

Now Rich... I KNOW there's a Tennesse Mountain rifle in this oh'so refined Lancaster stock somewhere's 

Thanks for your help.

dp