Trigger too light

[David R. Pennington]

I put  Davis set triggers on the rifle I built for my Dad. Like most folks, he has never shot anything but store bought rifles with heavy single trigger pulls. He is having trouble getting used to the really light pull. While he is in Florida for the winter I need to see if I can "stiffen" the pull a little. I already have the let off screw backed out as far as I can. Any suggestions? I guess I could make a new bar with a single trigger.

[Acer Saccharum]

You could make a heavier front trigger spring to add a little more 'feel'. Adjusting the little trigger screw only adds more/less creep to the front trigger, does not add weight of pull.

[smallpatch]

David, you should try tightening the screw holding the mainspring first. Usually, the pressure on the sear will increase the trigger pull, unless it has been  modified.
Most times, people complain about them not being light enough, and loosen that screw.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Adding to Smallpatch's post, be aware that tightening the mainspring screw in that set will also bring the bar closer to the sear's arm, which may or may not create interference.  The Davis double set triggers are notoriously light to the touch.  Nice.

[Acer Saccharum]

Taylor, I ground the mainspring bearing point on the back of my trigger down so that the trigger does not contact the sear at any position, set or un-set. This also enables the spring to be screwed right down hard to the plate, which gives the trigger a mighty pow-ful poke at the sear.

In operation, the trigger mainspring gives the rear trigger a hard shove, and it continues by momentum only up into the sear.

I can bring the lock to half or full cock with the trigger un-set. With the trigger un-set, the front trigger can be used to take the lock out of full or half cock.

[Ian Pratt]

David - you could make a stiffer return spring for the front trigger. Done properly it won't change the function of the triggers other than making the pull a little heavier.

[David R. Pennington]

Thanks for the input. The heavier front spring would be easy to do. I should have thought of that. I had the opposite problem with the first set triggers I made from scratch. I made the front trigger spring from a piece of old hacksaw blade and I kept having to file it down thinner because it was too stiff.

[Pete G.]

Before making a whole new spring try addiing a little more arch to the existing spring.