Is there anything like a "normal range" of trigger pulls in the 18th century?

[Artificer]

Didn't have space to really clarify, so let me say this would be for civilian rifles and fowlers and with just a single trigger, i.e. no single or double set triggers.  I'm just guessing the range would be from maybe 3 1/2 to 5 lbs for good shooting, but that is only pure speculation and not from any real evidence.

I have very little experience with civilian arms, though with original military arms the triggers went heavy. 

Thank you,
Gus Fisher

[JTR]

If I can find my old fish scale gizmo, I'll check a few for you tomorrow.

Just need to find the scale,,,,, that I haven't seen in a few years?!?!?!

John

[Don Getz]

Gus....boy, that's a difficult question.    I belong to the KRA and the last thing I would want to do is pick up someone's
J.P. Beck or Dickert and cock it and snap the lock.   On many of the old guns the locks don't even work....that is not one
of the things that collectors look for.    I have owned a bunch of old guns but I can't ever recall dropping a hammer on one..........Don

[Artificer]

If I can find my old fish scale gizmo, I'll check a few for you tomorrow.

Just need to find the scale,,,,, that I haven't seen in a few years?!?!?!

John

Bless you, I would really appreciate it.
Gus

[Artificer]

Gus....boy, that's a difficult question.    I belong to the KRA and the last thing I would want to do is pick up someone's
J.P. Beck or Dickert and cock it and snap the lock.   On many of the old guns the locks don't even work....that is not one
of the things that collectors look for.    I have owned a bunch of old guns but I can't ever recall dropping a hammer on one..........Don

Don,

I fully understand. Even if locks worked, the last thing you would want to do is break an original part in a very expensive gun.  

Most of the trigger pull weights on original guns I have checked or worked have been on early 19th century rifles shot in International Muzzle Loading competition.  Only one was from the 18th century and it was a very late 18th century British Sporting Rifle, circa 1790-1800.  

I'm sorry, but I tend to forget that most people would never think to check, let alone shoot, such early guns.  I know when I first joined the U.S. Team I was shocked they were shooting such expensive original guns.  Quite a few guns from other Nation's Teams were from the 18th century, but most from the 19th as well.  

The oldest gun I worked on was an original Japanese Matchlock and it was over 300 years old in 1996.  I didn't know how to take it apart, but fortunately a couple of our shooters did.  When I got inside, I realized what was wrong and was able to fix it.   The other guys gave me advice on bending the original bronze Serpentine to align the match correctly and we did that VERY slowly and carefully.  That gun had bronze springs in it and I could not believe they still had tension.  The trigger pull on that was about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.  After working on that gun, I wished I had not given up drinking over 10 years before.  I could have used a solid belt or two to calm down afterwards  Grin.

Gus

[JTR]

Gus,
I checked several rifles, some flint, some percussion.
All but the last have a single plain trigger, no set.
The last is a Dickert with a double set trigger. It'll fire from the forward trigger unset, and I checked it both ways.

Now, I've had all these guns apart and know the lock internals are strong and in good condition, but none the less, caught the hammer in my hand without letting it just fall!

I calibrated the high quality 5 dollar fish scale with a 1 pound bag of sugar

1st. A Simon Miller, was flint, but now percussion, Golcher lock, 2 lbs.
2nd. Nicolas Hawk swivel breech. Hawk percussion lock. 3 lbs.
3rd. Nicolas Hawk rifle. was flint, now percussion, Golcher lock. 5 lbs.
4th. A Lehigh flint rifle. No name lock but looks like a Ketland. 2 lbs.
5th. Another Lehigh with a wood patchbox. Flint Ketland lock. 2 lbs.
6th. George Cunkle Percussion. Drepperd lock. 8 lbs.
7th. New England flint Fowler. No name lock that looks like a Ketland. 3 lbs.
8th. Jacob Dickert flint. Double set triggers. No name lock that looks like a Ketland. Unset, 4lbs. Set 1/2 lbs.

All worked fine and nothing broke! Maybe I ought to take em out shootin'!

John

[Artificer]

John,

I really, REALLY appreciate you taking the time and trouble to go through all that.  That was most enlightening.

I can now see my "guestimate" on the trigger pulls was about 1 1/2 pounds heavier than I thought.  I can really use that information and with your permission, I am going to pass it along to some other folks.

Thank you so much,
Gus Fisher

[JTR]

My pleasure, and use the info any way you like, Gus.

John

[Artificer]

Thank you very much, John.