Brass Trigger?

[Bigmon]

A few years back I picked up an old, I think original brass trigger.  Just the actual trigger with a nice little curl.
It was on the small side, and maybe had been in a pistol?
Anyway, I gave it to a good friend for one of his projects.  Now I have need of one if I can find one it would be a nice touch on a fowler I am working on with a brass lock plate?
Any ideas if anyone casts these???
Thanks

[rich pierce]

I’d peen one out the way many do for iron/steel triggers. Start with flat stock about 0.090”.

[M. E. Pering]

I agree with Rich... Plus, there is the added advantage that a formed one would have more strength than a cast one.  It would have to be annealed frequently at first, but once you were close to final shape, stop annealing to give it a little hardess.

[TommyG]

I've never made one or even seen one for that matter, but thinking out loud, my only concern would be if you are fitting a simple pinned trigger and get everything right with the hole distance and angle for a light pull with little or no play, once you pull that trigger a few times, I would think there will eventually be play in the trigger.  I think a hardened sear bar would almost certainly divot the brass on it's contact point. 

[Bigmon]

Thanks to ya'all.  I just like trying odd things like this.
I have heard of folks prrning them from steel.  Anyone know of any directions or tutorials on how they do this?
Seems there would be a pattern to cut out and go from there?
Thanks again

[44-henry]

I have an original New York percussion rifle with a brass trigger and there is a rather deep depression where it contacted the sear over the years. Think it would be wise to solder a steel bit in there if you are making it from brass.

[M. E. Pering]

Bigmon... I think there is a tutorial here for it, but it has been a long time since I have seen it.  But it is really quite simple... All you are doing is hammering on the edge of a piece of metal, held in a vise, to 'mushroom' it into a trigger.  This is how I make all of my triggers now.  I used to hot forge them, but this cold forging method makes that rather silly.  I use a ball peen hammer, and start slowly.  Once the mushroom form is started, it is easier to judge the blows.  It is actually quite satisfying once you get into it.

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks to ya'all.  I just like trying odd things like this.
I have heard of folks prrning them from steel.  Anyone know of any directions or tutorials on how they do this?
Seems there would be a pattern to cut out and go from there?
Thanks again

In our tutorial forum https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=24661.0
Dennis

[bob in the woods]

My 20 bore has a brass trigger. The surface which contacts the sear is work hardened, and is still fine after 5 years of use. I made sure to polish the sear to minimize wear. It is a real slick  3 pound trigger .
As an aside, I have also made patchbox springs from brass. They work fine 

[B.Habermehl]

I would think if the sear arm is polished and the trigger lever is finished nicely the arrangement should last several lifetimes.  Reavers Gerring used to offer cast brass triggers amongst all the rest of his castings. BJH

[Hungry Horse]

My 1814 Lehigh rifle has an original formed brass trigger in it. It also has a deep notch in it where the trigger lifts the sear. Foxfire 5 has an illustration on how to forge an iron trigger by Hershel House. There is also an illustration in Prior Mnt. Bill Newton’s book on building a tradegun from scratch.
 The only problem with a brass trigger is it has to be anealed a couple of times during the process because it work hardens quickly.

Hungry Horse

[P.W.Berkuta]

It would be easy to make the upper part out of steel and the trigger out of brass. I would dovetail the two together then solder or braze it (with care of course).

[Hungry Horse]

 Well, my antique gun has been around since 1814 or earlier and the brass trigger isn’t worn at all. So why would you put yourself through the extra work?

Hungry Horse

[BOB HILL]

I have an old brass trigger somewhere in my shop. My grandson, Robert, recently made one for a rifle he was building. He work hardened it one final time after he was satisfied with it.
Bob

[flehto]

Most of my builds have soft steel hand made triggers and the area that contacts the lock's  sear bar has a hardened insert soldered in. This could be done on a brass trigger also. Found a sheet of .100 thick  press sheet steel which peens nicely....a brass trigger would require a few red hot anneals while peening but the trigger shoe  could still  crack if a 1/4"-5/16" wide  shoe is wanted.

Some make and mount  their triggers  so the trigger angles forward.....this looks a little "clumsy" to me..... Fred