Author Topic: Can it be done?  (Read 3027 times)

LehighBrad

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Can it be done?
« on: February 01, 2015, 02:44:53 AM »
Hi guys.....before I waste my time I'd thought I'd ask.......can sheet silver be soldered together to make a trigger? I'd like to make a whole new, nicer single trigger for this pistol I'm building and thought a fancy filed and curled silver trigger would look nice. I have steel sheet stock almost 1/16th inch thick and was going to use that, but if my silver sheet stock can be used...why not? The silver stock I have I bought for making inlays, but I have a nice sized piece and would like to use it up if possible. It's .040 thick.

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Can it be done?
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2015, 02:56:30 AM »
I wouldn't bother unless you can solder a piece of steel where it contacts the sear
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Offline E.vonAschwege

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Re: Can it be done?
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2015, 03:21:00 AM »
I think silver is too soft for use as a trigger.  Your pin hole will deform quickly, as would the area where it contacts the sear bar.  If you wanted to get really fancy you could braze a silver shoe over a steel trigger. 
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Offline mikeyfirelock

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Re: Can it be done?
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2015, 03:58:33 AM »
I am in process on a flintlock pistol and made a steel trigger with a German silver trigger shoe .   Soldered shoe to front of trigger.  Looks nice and I'll  either rust brown or cold blue the trigger proper and polish the shoe .  ( Actually looks pretty nice as is. )
Mike Mullins

Offline gunmaker

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Re: Can it be done?
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2015, 05:25:44 AM »
You mite look into having a steel tgr.  silver plated, or nickle.....Tom

Offline kutter

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Re: Can it be done?
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2015, 09:16:53 PM »
A solid silver trigger would be too soft as pointed out already.

If  you didn't want to go with a silver plated steel trigger, there is another option.

Go ahead and make a trigger from steel.

Then onto both sides of the trigger, solder a plate of silver. In other words sandwich the steel trigger between 2 pieces of silver.

Then carefully file the outline of the silver ALMOST down to the trigger, but not quite. Leave the silver high enough so it can be carefully swedged over from both sides to cover the front and back face of the trigger.

You're working with thin silver (1/64") or so,,it will work harden fairly fast so get the job done w/o a lot of extra hammer & punch work. Hold the trigger from the sides in a bench vise flat jaws up close to the edge you're work on.
If you need to anneal, a quick heat to the overhanging silver while it's in the vise can be done in an instant and the vise will protect the soldering.
It all goes very fast.

Swedge the joint down to join the two pieces. If you want you can run some Stay-Brite Silver Solder (soft solder) along the front and back edges to fill and secure the joint w/an electric soldering gun while clamping the sides. It's quick and won't undo anything.
Then file out the marks from the silver and polish. Drill for the pin pivot hole.

The pin pivot will be thru the steel inside. The  silver shell won't wear through like a plated trigger.
You can even put a few lines of engraving on it if you want to.

Sounds like a lot of work but it actually goes quite quickly.

Just keep the overall thickness in mind when considering the steel trigger plus the 2 side layers of silver.
Don't bother layering the area of the trigger that contacts the sear w/silver. The steel to steel contact is just fine there.