Author Topic: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?  (Read 1984 times)

Offline Chocktaw Brave

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« on: December 23, 2022, 08:24:12 AM »
So I am fitting the trigger and trigger guard. I went to put the lock back in and sear bar is really tight against the trigger. The sear bar is also high in the hole. I figured the bar will have to be bent downward slightly to give it some room for movement. Or, do I just make the hole in the wood bigger?
But how much clearance should there be to the triggers? And how do I go about doing it?
This rifle has a set trigger.


image hoster
« Last Edit: December 23, 2022, 08:29:55 AM by Chocktaw Brave »

Offline EC121

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1610
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2022, 03:39:31 PM »
Don't bend the sear bar.  Grind the trigger bar down.
Brice Stultz

Offline Cory Joe Stewart

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1862
    • My etsy shop
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2022, 03:56:12 PM »
Most double set triggers you buy are left really high for this adjustment described above.

Cory Joe

Offline Bill Raby

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1545

Offline Chocktaw Brave

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2022, 12:18:44 AM »
Thank you!
Good video, I trimmed both triggers, seemed to fit ok, but with screws tight I cannot set the cock back. So it needs to come out and get trimmed some more.

Offline Bob Roller

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9687
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2022, 11:20:55 PM »
The release bars on the triggers I made  are about.400 high and case hardened and by cutting a notch with a sharp corner of a grinder to break thru the hardening a half round notch can be cut in with a round chain saw file to give sear clearance on both bars.I might make a few more when Spring returns and use up remaining material.My wife has health issues that made shop hours short and that will determine what,if anything gets done with triggers or anything else.
Bob Roller

Offline Chocktaw Brave

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2022, 01:49:16 AM »
Well I’ve been grinding and grinding to the point where I might have to go buy a new trigger. And the set trigger will still not pull back with it in the gun stock. It works great outside of the rifle.
I have put in black on it put it in and out and found no marks. Yet with the lock in place I can cock it and fire with the front trigger but the rear trigger will not set.
What am I doing wrong?


Offline flinchrocket

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1750
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2022, 02:47:31 AM »
Does the trigger set in the stock without the lock in the gun?

Offline bluenoser

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 837
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #8 on: December 25, 2022, 04:52:23 AM »
Is it possible the spring for the rear trigger is coming up hard against the wood before the trigger sets?  Put some transfer color in the back of the spring and look for contact when you try to set the trigger.

Offline HighUintas

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 492
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2022, 05:58:42 AM »
When you have the triggers out of the stock and you set it, does the front trigger bar move upward either in front or behind it's pivot point?

Looking at the geometry of it in your picture, it looks like the front trigger bar would move upward in front of the pivot pin. You might check to see if that could be hitting the inlet

Offline Steeltrap

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 776
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #10 on: December 25, 2022, 10:41:37 PM »
My best guess is when you put the trigger into the stock, and then attempt to "set" the set trigger, the top of the set trigger spring does not have clearance to "move up" when you attempt to do this while in the stock. Outside the stock,...works fine as there is no obstruction. Put some soot or transfer stuff on top of the big spring.....insert into stock......take back out of stock and see if you have black. If so....time to cut\carve\shave\remove some wood.


Online smylee grouch

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7907
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #11 on: December 25, 2022, 11:47:57 PM »
Some times when you install the trigger assembly it can be turned down too tight thus making parts bind. Some more wood removal might be the cure.

Online smylee grouch

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7907
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2022, 03:38:42 AM »
Yes, and some people just like to reinforce or agree with what others have said.  ;)

Offline Chocktaw Brave

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #13 on: December 26, 2022, 04:16:04 AM »
Ok, so I was able to work on it for a few minutes today, good news is the set trigger is working better( by itself in the stock) I think I turned the screw on the spring a little too tight when I reassembled it, that and the front of the trigger bar was hitting slightly as High Uintas mentioned.
So now I have another issue, with the lock back in it cocks great, the set trigger sets easy, but when I fire the front trigger the cock just jumps slightly, but does not move out of the sear notch.
I’m thinking I removed too much from the set trigger bar and now it does not have the inertia to set it off?
Or the trigger spring needs to go tighter?

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

  • Member 3
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 12671
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2022, 04:31:50 AM »
You need enough tension on the trigger"s mainspring to kick the rear trigger up with enough force to fire the lock.  When you tighten the screw that retains the mainspring, this increases the strike of the trigger on the sear bar.  But it also raises the working arm of the trigger so that it will eventually interfere with the sear.  There is a fine line between where it will and won't work.  One tune for that is to file the heel where the mainspring bears against the back of the set trigger until it floats without any tension on it from the mainspring.  For this to occur, the mainspring must rest on the trigger plate while under the tension of the screw.  then when you set the trigger, the  mainspring bears on the trigger, lifting the mainspring. But having filed metal away from the trigger's heel, the rear trigger can now float again, dropping it's forward working end so that it doesn't touch the sear bar.  This will take care of the set trigger/sear relationship.
But the front trigger also has to have enough metal removed so that when the rear trigger is pulled, which causes the firing trigger to rotate and it's lever touches the sear arm, there is clearance.  It sounds like you're almost there.
D. Taylor Sapergia
www.sapergia.blogspot.com

Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Daniel Coats

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1401
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #15 on: December 26, 2022, 04:33:22 AM »
Or the lock is binding by itself. Try operating the lock with the triggers removed.
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline Chocktaw Brave

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #16 on: December 26, 2022, 05:59:14 AM »
Lock works good on its own. I have not as of yet touched the little set screw that sits under the trigger spring. What does this do?



Online smylee grouch

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7907
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #17 on: December 26, 2022, 06:31:45 AM »
If the screw you are referring to is the one between the two triggers on the bottom of the trigger plate this screw will increase or decrease the amount of engagement of the two triggers when you set the trigger. The more you screw this screw in the less engagement.

Offline flinchrocket

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1750
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #18 on: December 26, 2022, 10:15:14 PM »
The small screw behind the rear trigger is an adjustment for the mainspring. Rather than file off the front of the spring ( as Taylor suggested) you can run the screw in or out to adjust the height of the front of the spring and height of the rear bar.

Offline Steeltrap

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 776
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2022, 06:15:08 PM »
 ;) 8)

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

  • Member 3
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 12671
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #20 on: December 27, 2022, 10:04:31 PM »
CB:  your triggers looked to me like a set from L & R, and they don't come stock with that little set screw, unless that has recently changed.  If you turn the screw in it will lift the working end of the mainspring and form a stop that will keep the rear trigger from pressing up on the sear arm.  With that little screw, you can tighten down the screw that retains the mainspring to increase its power and with the little forward screw adjust the triggers to fire the lock with authority without interfering with the sear, ie:  you'll be able to set the triggers without first having to cock the lock.
D. Taylor Sapergia
www.sapergia.blogspot.com

Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Chocktaw Brave

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 181
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2022, 07:40:25 AM »
After playing with the tightness of the trigger spring screw,( I did not adjust the little set screw yet as the rear trigger was not touching it at rest) I have the lock firing properly. Although it does take a good pull to set it.
The trigger is an L&R, and other than the grinding I did on the triggers, it is just as it came.
I have had to order new lock and tang screws, after taking them in and out a hundred times, they are starting to look rough.
If one was to put a trigger scale on the set(rear) trigger, how much pull does it normally take to set it?
« Last Edit: December 28, 2022, 08:22:02 AM by Chocktaw Brave »

Offline bluenoser

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 837
Re: How far should the trigger be in the sear opening?
« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2022, 03:57:49 PM »
Glad to hear you have it sorted out.
When you say you are replacing the lock and tang screws because "they are starting to look rough" I assume you are referring to the screw slots.  Screw slots can often be restored to presentable condition by putting the screw in a vise and lightly peening the metal back into position.  The slots can be slightly closed up by more aggressive peening and recut using a saw or file.  Chuck the screw in a drill and dress the head with a fine file.