Power Custom Series II jig

[Tazman1602]

Anyone here have experience with this jig? I have used the Series I for a lot of years and got taught to use it at a Gunsmith seminar back in the 90's. The series II which I'd like to use just came in and the instructions for the Mini14 and AR15 AND the universal adapters are cryptic at best.

Any setup pictures or explanations appreciated, I will document what I find and eventually post it here at cast boolits but the setup is driving me nuts..............

Thanks,

Art

[John 242]

From MidwayUSA's reviews section on the Series II Stoning fixture- (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/411263/power-custom-series-2-stoning-fixture-without-adapter)


The fixture and jig work as advertised. The problem is that the instructions are terrible. How the fixture and jig work is not intuitive. If you buy this fixture or jig, be prepared to spend quite a bit of very frustrating time trying to figure it out. I even tried searching the web, but couldn't find so much as a picture of the jig and fixture assembled together. The awful instructions are the only down side that I can think of. Other than that, it's a great product. You do have to buy special 1 1/4" stones. Good luck if you buy this, it works well, but you'll be very frustrated until you figure it out the first time.

Might want to give Power Custom a call back and see if they can talk you through the set up.
Once you get it squared away, some pictures and a brief description would be awesome. I haven't bought a jig yet and was looking at the series 1 and 2.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have the #1&2 jigs. The #2 is used mostly by me to clean up and smooth the hammer hooks on pistols of all types before I use the #1 jig to cut the hooks down. This is of course to get rid of creep in the trigger pull and smooth the pull out and get rid of the "gritty" feel!


Here are some pics of the #2 jig smoothing the hooks on a BHP hammer!

[Tazman1602]

Thanks so much so far guys! Yup I'm fairly familiar with the Series I which I've had for years and remember the frustration I went through to get it setup properly but it's a great tool.

The issue is NO ONE has bothered to document the different setups on these so as soon as I have time I'm going to put together a doc and see if I can get Wil to post it in Castpics.

Many Thanks,

Art

[quasi]

I am looking forward to that DOC Tazman 1602, I have just purchased both of the fixtures.

[Tazman1602]

Hey Quasi,

It's going to be a little bit yet, I just got done with a 20 day stretch of 12 hour days doing peoples taxes and am fried.

I *just* got the Mini-14 jig fixture and am going to try to set it up today to see if I can figure it out.

ONE of the issues I was having was NOT with Power Custom but with ME. I *thought* I had bought the AR15 small pin stoning jig but could absolutely NOT figure out how it worked.....................

..................until I mounted the trigger and disconnector on it and found out I had bought the hammer and trigger sear FITTING block instead of the stoning fixture..........DUH!

If ANYONE had anymore pictures of how they use and setup this jig please feel free to post them or email them to me at:

philo187ATyahooDOTcom

with your name and forum name and I will give you full credit for them.

Seagiant if you've got any more pictures bring 'em on.

The instructions for the Mini-14 jig are much better than the others, I just have a LOT of reading to do yet. I know what I WANT to do with triggers, just have to figure out HOW to utilize this fixture...............

Thanks Guys!

Art

[Tazman1602]

Hi,
I have the #1&2 jigs. The #2 is used mostly by me to clean up and smooth the hammer hooks on pistols of all types before I use the #1 jig to cut the hooks down. This is of course to get rid of creep in the trigger pull and smooth the pull out and get rid of the "gritty" feel!


Here are some pics of the #2 jig smoothing the hooks on a BHP hammer!

Hey SG,

How many clicks *up* did you have to go to obtain the proper angle??

Art

[Tazman1602]

Guys,

I got my Power Custom Series II setup today -- wasn't half as bad as you'd think but dang the destructions are in pieces. Once you read them ALL you get the jist of what's going on.

I have a document with pictures that is specific to the Mini-14 platform and adapter if anyone is interested. Because of the pictures it's a large word doc, almost 4 megs but I will be happy to email it to anyone who wants it. I'm going out of town for a couple of days and won't be back until Sunday but if you request it I will get it to you or maybe Wiljen will post it?? I'll ask.

I now have two Mini-14's with 3.5lb triggers -- SUUUHHWEEEEET!

Art

[quasi]

I would like a copy, Email is

ckulyk at shaw dot ca

[Tazman1602]

Should be coming at you Quasi.............

Art

[seagiant]

Hi Tazman,
The way I like to use the jigs is set as close as I can by eye using my B&L opti-visors then wipe the hammer /sear surface with a permanent marker then take a light swipe and see whats going on and which way I need to go. I do not usually have to change any angles just use the jigs to even up and polish the existing surface. As you have found it makes quite a difference and is not really that hard to do! I have saved thousands of dollars doing my own action jobs on my pistols and every chance I get when I see a custom pistol from a big name smith I check out the trigger job and have not seen a lot of difference!!!

[Tazman1602]

Yes sir! What I like to do is first put some dykem blue on sear and then adjust jig (once I figure out how it goes together....) so that with one swipe I can find out where the manufacturers angles are.

Once I've done that with the Power Custom jig it is very easy to alter sear angles a little bit to give the three lb triggers I love -- getting rid of creep is another story and you almost ALWAYS want to insure a positive (there is positive, neutral, and negative sear engagement) sear engagement.

The only firearm I am aware of that is safe with negative sear engagement angle are the old original SSA Colts and it's possible I'm mistaken on that one.

Art

[seagiant]

Hi,
I will tell you a story. I called Powers Custom to order an adapter for my Series 1 jig so I could do the trigger on my Ruger MK II .22 pistol and happened to get Mr. Powers on the phone (not the son) and asked for the adapter and started talking and he told me he likes to put a 30 degree break away angle on the sear just like a 1911 45 job!

I thought it was very nice for him to pass on 40 yrs experience to a stranger and talk to a customer for quite a few minutes!

[John 242]

There is a video of Larry Potterfield using a Power Custom Stoning Fixture to do a little trigger work on a S&W revolver in the Midway gunsmithing video collection.
Since he's working on the trigger I am assuming that this is a Series I.
http://www.midwayusa.com/General.mvc/Index/VideoLibrary
Go to Gun Projects, then S&W Revolver, and then Working the Trigger Pull on S&W Revolvers.

[Tazman1602]

Hey John,

Yup, I"ve seen that one and any other vids available on these jigs. I've had the Series I jig for 15 years or so so am fairly familiar with it.

Been putting the instructions together for the Series II jigs with pics to make it easier on joe home gunsmith to work with -- there are more guys than you think out there attempting to do their own work and I just wanted to make it easier on them.

I do have a doc written up on how to assemble the Series II for the mini 14 and will be working on 10-22 and AR15 setups as time allows.

Anyone wanting the doc just contact me, I've written Wiljen to see about posting it on Castpics but haven't heard back yet. I've converted it to a .pdf format which should make it easier for anyone and everyone to access.

Thanks man!

Art

[Tazman1602]

Hey All,

That document should be available here:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6vQ1RyesXRbWWVQLTVwem1ncjg (https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6vQ1RyesXRbWWVQLTVwem1ncjg)

for any and all. If you can't get to it let me know so I can change whatever I need to. This one pertains only the the Mini-14 setup right now but I'm waiting on an order of AR15's so I can document that setup also.


Many Thanks,

Art

[seagiant]

Hi,
Here's a link: http://www.castbullet.com/misc/accrsa.htm

[Tazman1602]

Hi,
Here's a link: http://www.castbullet.com/misc/accrsa.htm

Nice link man. That is for using the PC I series jig, have used that for 1911's for years.

Art

[seagiant]

Hi,
As you notice,he uses a back angle on the sear just like the 1911 45 trigger job. Of course this is to get rid of "creep" and allow a swift,unhendered hammer drop!

I tried to introduce people on this forum to the Power Custom Jigs but a lot of people don't want to spend the money on good tools and are more interested in shabby little tricks like playing with springs and something that does not cost anything in money but cost in reliability and the joy of using a nice weapon? Go figure!

[Tazman1602]

Man I don't know SG, some of these guys have forgotten more about guns and triggers than I"m ever going to know!

It takes a LOT of trigger jobs to pay for one of these jigs and then you've got to buy the individual adapters.

...........THEN there's liability insurance if you are a gunsmith and trust me, the insurance company doesn't want you to do trigger work. Once you do trigger work on a clients gun it's like you own the blasted thing for life even if they use it like idiots.

Generally, for clients.............that I don't KNOW, no matter how they beg, or how they plead, that trigger isn't going lower than a nice crisp, 5lb squeeze. Some of them get really upset but I could care less. That's just Joe Average. If I KNOW you're a professional shooter, I go any poundage you wish.

All in all, unless you're doing trigger jobs for clients, a lot of the "old timers" can get just as good results with a stone, dykem blue, and a magnifying glass.

Art

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well... I'll have to totally disagree with you I'm afraid! I haven't seen that many people here that can do a better trigger job than me at this time! Bold words? Maybe but from what I've seen is most people don't want to spend the money for proper tools to begin with! As far as some guy taking a stone and free handing a great trigger job with everything square and straight I don't believe it! If you look around you will find that most of all the big name popular smiths use jigs!

I know what I know because I have spent the time and money learning! Videos,books talking to anyone that has some knowledge to share,this is a never ending, 24/7 pursuit for me as I have found that there is plenty you can do yourself. Have I trashed sears,hammers and other various parts along the way? YES! Thats part of the game and if anyone tells you they never have,he's either a liar or you've just met the second coming!

I don't work for other people all my work is for me and my satisfaction that I did it and it is as good a job as I can buy any where! As far as the tools costing to much,wrong again! The average trigger /action job is close to a $100 The jigs are say $300. So if I do 4 trigger/action jobs I've paid for the jigs. Hec I buy a pistol or two a year so it does not take long to recup the money and then on that day you say you are done working on guns you can sale for 3/4 what you paid because they are quality! All of this is of course the world according to Sea Giant!

Here is a pic of my Ruger Blackhawk in 41 Mag, the work I did to it,Action/trigger job,removed barrel,removed signpost, crowned barrel 11 degrees in lathe,polished cylinder throats for cast boolits,installed free spin pawl,installed super blackhawk hammer,dehorned gun,installed steel ejector housing,checkered ejector tab 40 LPI, slow rust blue entire gun! I wonder what the bill would be on that from a decent smith?

[Tazman1602]

Good God SeaGiant don't apologize for disagreeing with me here! There's lots of folks that disagree with me here!

Nice pistola mon!

The bill from me would be more than the gun is worth..............but then again I'm the king of making stuff I own cost 4X more than it's worth anyway!

Art