Original trigger function

[Red Owl]

Not all rifles had set triggers.  On a rifle with a plain trigger, was the trigger under any sort of spring tension so as to bear against the sear or did the trigger swing around loosely?
   What about the hole for the pin?  Can the trigger pull be made lighter by moving the location of the hole?

[keweenaw]

Very few original longrifles have a tension spring on a single trigger but if the rifle is set up properly it doesn't much swing around.  Forward motion of the trigger can be controlled by its fit in the trigger plate or wood of the stock.    The trigger is typically pinned through the wood with the pin at about the bottom edge of the side plate.   As a general rule the higher in the stock that the trigger is pinned,the lighter the pull that can be easily set up.  When fitting a trigger in this way, you usually start out with a trigger bar that is higher than will clear the sear bar.  After it is pinned you file down the trigger bar until the trigger just clears the sear bar.  There need be only a few thousands of an inch of clearance so not much room for rattle.

Tom

[Tony Clark]

I do it exactly as Tom Said. Not much room for rattle or trigger movement if done correctly. Regards, TC

[rich pierce]

I like about a 3 or 4 pound trigger without much movement before it breaks.  To get a lighter pull requires more leverage, which means the trigger moves farther before releasing.  Creepy!

[B Shipman]

It's a simple lever as Rich says.  Lighter- longer,harder- shorter. I've tried burning incense and invoking witchcraft, but it doesn't work. It's still a simple lever.

Good geometry helps, however. Make sure the step on the tumbler at full cock is parallel to the center of the tumbler. An acute angle is tough to release, an obtuse angle a safety concern. The step should be wide enough to engage the sear fully. More lengthens the pull, less is a safety concern.

You cannot fix a poor lever by messing with the tumbler. It's a redo.

[Roger Fisher]

The smoothy I shoot started out with a trigger let off that I liked.  Then after replacing broken main spring I had abt a 90 lb trigger pull.  Keeping a looooong story short after stoning down the main spring, the sear spring and slicking the sear nose she is back to near what I had in the beginning. 

I had that L & R apart at least a thousand times and learned more about the guts of that durs egg than I cared to know

[Acer Saccharum]

Good geometry, as Bill and Rich say, plus well polished sear and tumbler surfaces, well fitting pivot screws, bridle locked down tight, all work together for a fast and crisp let off.

For a single trigger, I use a rounded sear edge. It wears much better than a sharp sear nose, and is not hard on a fly or halfcock notch.

Acer

[Red Owl]

Tom- it's my understanding that NW Trade guns had a trigger pinned in the stock w/o a trigger plate.  Most trigger plates seem to have a couple of tabs or ears sticking up into the stock and the trigger fits in between these and the pin goes through the ears.
   Since this gun I am making has a lot of options- not a replica of anything in particular- I can go in several directions.
   One of my original ideas was just a pin through the stock to hold the trigger, the pin would fit into a dead end hole and the lock plate would cover everything up. Less wood would have to be removed in this manner.  I would probably still use a trigger plate in conjunction with a tang bolt through the plate.  Per what you have said, the slot for the trigger would be filed to reduce play.

Any comments appreciated.

[B Shipman]

I agree with Acer's idea of a rounded nose. It does reduse wear and makes for a nice letoff and is perfecly safe provided it rests completely on a proper tumbler notch. A lot of good builders do this.

[Sean]

Red Owl,

The idea of an eared trigger plate for a single trigger with the trigger pinned through the ears is a modern idea, and not a very good one either.  Single triggers on every period gun I can recall seeing are pinned higher in the stock, not in the plate.  This gives the better geometry they are talking about here.  In general, there are two schools of trigger pinning.  Seems like most guys say pin it above the sear bar and about 1/2 inch forward.  Others say 1/4" forward.  Maybe some of the folks here will chime in on their opinions on that.  Also, the trigger plate should be sorta boat shaped with the bow to the rear.

Sean

[keweenaw]

The main function of the trigger plate is not to support the trigger but rather to provide a place for the tang bolt to anchor.  If you're going to use a wood screw as a tang bolt you can get by w/o a trigger plate although cutting the very neat slot necessary for the trigger can be a trick if you aren't using a plate.  As guns became cheaper and more mass produced the pinning of the trigger through ears on the plate became more common as it is considerably faster to do it that way than to individually fit each trigger.  Track shows a nice trade fusil plate http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(ivs5ofbfkdewvrftsrvltjae))/categories/PARTDETAIL.ASPX?CATID=14&SUBID=156&STYLEID=709&PARTNUM=TR-FUSIL-P

as well as a plate from a Leman trade riflehttp://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(ivs5ofbfkdewvrftsrvltjae))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=14&subId=156&styleId=709&partNum=TR-LEMAN-1-P

Tom

[northmn]

Tom- it's my understanding that NW Trade guns had a trigger pinned in the stock w/o a trigger plate.  Most trigger plates seem to have a couple of tabs or ears sticking up into the stock and the trigger fits in between these and the pin goes through the ears.
   Since this gun I am making has a lot of options- not a replica of anything in particular- I can go in several directions.
   One of my original ideas was just a pin through the stock to hold the trigger, the pin would fit into a dead end hole and the lock plate would cover everything up. Less wood would have to be removed in this manner.  I would probably still use a trigger plate in conjunction with a tang bolt through the plate.  Per what you have said, the slot for the trigger would be filed to reduce play.

Any comments appreciated.

Don't use dead end holes as at times you may want or need to strip everything down completely.  Another good use for a trigger plate is to fit a light spring to eliminate slack in the the trigger pull.  The idea of a one piece trigger and plate came about when some guru's claimed that the pin start getting loose if the gun is shot a lot.  Really someting easily repaired.

DP

[JCKelly]

Looked at a number of original single trigger flintlocks, all have have the trigger pins all the way through. Includes a Henry Deringer rifle, P. Gonter Kentucky fowler, an Upper Susquehanna (I think) shown in Dillin #3 plates 93 & 94, an English 12 ga 54" bbl fowler, and a pair of Wogdon greatcoat pistols c. 1775. A mid-18th century American holster pistol has the pin coming right through the sideplate. Never knew any better so that's how I have always done it.