Poor Boy's Trigger Job

[Rockchucker]

Has anyone tried this free trigger job out? Just finished reading the article and for free didn't see where it could hurt.
http://www.gunblast.com/Poorboy.htm

[fecmech]

Removing the leg of the spring as shown will make the trigger lighter. It will not remove creep or travel obviously.

[Shuz]

Yep, I've done it to all my .44 mag Ruger new models

[Trey45]

My New Model Blackhawk has one leg of the return spring taken off the retaining peg as illustrated in the article. It really does work.

[EDK]

You will get some improvement in trigger pull doing this, BUT might have issues with the trigger returning. I switched to SUPER BLACK HAWK hammers and HUNTER or DRAGOON grip frames on several of the Original Size VAQUEROS. AND the triggers are now terrible...even with the "poor boy trigger job." I will admit to being some picky about trigger/action jobs, especially on handguns.

I talked to my favorite gunsmith and will ship several guns to him at the end of the month...he has a back log for his "magic" and I sent the deposit to get on the list last October. My favorite 44 magnum VAQUERO is a 7.5 inch with HUNTER grip frame and a 2.5 pound trigger that is the best I've had on a New Model RUGER single action...I've put several thousand rounds through it since he adjusted it.

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley:

[Rockchucker]

I've got several new model Rugers thats gonna get this trigger job this weekend. None of them have any serious trigger problems however a little lighter trigger can't hurt. Thanks for the reply's

Rockchucker.

[Char-Gar]

Mating the sear and trigger by what is called a "door jam" or "bench top" trigger job is very very old and works just fine. I have done it dozens of times to handguns and rifles with an external hammer.

I have also fliped on side of the spring of the peg on NM Ruger SA a dozen or so times as well. It has always worked as well.

[scattershot]

I've done that to every Ruger SA that I've ever owned, and that goes back a ways. I have "married" the sear on just about every revolver, too. It works well for me, but some gunsmiths advise against it.

[subsonic]

What is a door jam or bench top trigger job?

[Rick Hodges]

"Mating" the trigger, along with about 10,000 dry fires was SOP for S&W revolvers back in my day (60's-70's).

The trigger on my stainless Blackhawk is fine after mating....the pull weight is acceptable with both "feet" connected.

[paul h]

If you really want a top notch trigger, you need to polish up all the moving parts, the pins the hammer and trigger rotate on, the sides of the hammer, the trigger and hammer sear faces, and to top it off add an overtravel screw so that right after the trigger releases the hammer the trigger travel stops.

Yes, dropping one leg of the trigger spring does reduce the trigger pull, but it really isn't a trigger job, and is far short of resulting in a top notch trigger. To me a good trigger in a revolver is essential to being able to accurately shoot the gun and is about the best time and money to invest into improving a revolver.

[gray wolf]

If you have a gritty, creepy trigger and remove one leg of the spring--
You will have a lighter gritty, creepy trigger.
Engagement surfaces must be addressed. You can't make a long trigger pull shorter by lighting the pressure on the trigger.

[Char-Gar]

If you really want a top notch trigger, you need to polish up all the moving parts, the pins the hammer and trigger rotate on, the sides of the hammer, the trigger and hammer sear faces, and to top it off add an overtravel screw so that right after the trigger releases the hammer the trigger travel stops.

Yes, dropping one leg of the trigger spring does reduce the trigger pull, but it really isn't a trigger job, and is far short of resulting in a top notch trigger. To me a good trigger in a revolver is essential to being able to accurately shoot the gun and is about the best time and money to invest into improving a revolver.

I have lived long enough to have seen (but not bought) dozens of guns that somebody thought they needed to polish everything that moves on a pistol's innards. All to often such efforts turn the handgun into junk. Sometimes not.

There are two kinds of people who shoot pistols, those than can shoot a pistol and those who cannot. A person who can, will be able to do a good job with a less than perfect trigger.

A good crisp trigger with a light weight pull, no creep and no overtravel is a delightful thing, but is not essential to being able to accurately shoot a gun. However there are some triggers so bad that nobody can turn in a credible performance with the gun. However, if a trigger is that bad, then nothing much will help.

If a fellow really, truly must have a high performance trigger job, then best make certain the person who does it, has done it before on a frequent basis. It is no job for a kitchen or jack leg gunsmith.

Thinking I had to have such a trigger on a Colt GM, I sent it to Clark in Lousiana and it came back light, crisp with no creep and no overtravel. It cost me a bundle as they insisted on installing a new hammer, sear and trigger. The hammer also followed the slide down every time it was fired. If Clark can screw up a trigger job, that should tell you something about such a project.

[Rockchucker]

The trigger on my 45 Colt seems very smooth to me with very little travel, all I want to accomplish here is lighten the pull some. I think I read it comes with a 3 lb trigger and taking some of the spring tension off hopefully will reduce it some.

[tek4260]

Here is a crappy picture of some aftermarket trigger springs along with a couple of factory springs. Notice how much smaller the diameter of the wire is. Also, they hang below the pin rather than above it, reducing the preload. You really need to get these rather than dropping a leg of the spring. Also, to get a good Ruger trigger you must reduce the sear engagement, without changing the angle. They come with too much "safety" built into them.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/DSCN1099.jpg

I have a few extra hammers that I am going to weld up the face so I can remove the transfer bar. Lifting the transfer bar, along with it sliding up the frame has to add grittiness to the trigger. And yes, I will carry it on an empty chamber.

[bigboredad]

try it I think you'll like it. the firs time I did it 20 some years ago and still do today. No matter what you do to a gun there will be people opposed to it. It's your gun do what is right for you and your money

[Thumbcocker]

I do it on my Rugers and then dry fire a lot. A needle type oil bottle will let you put tiny drops of oil right on the sear. Result is very smooth triggers.

[contender1]

It's your gun, do as you wish.
I prefer to take the time to properly clean up the mating surfaces in my Rugers. Dryfiring can help a lot and is cheap.
As for the trigger leg removal,,, well again, it's your gun. I once bought a nice 10" 357 Maxi from an unknowing soul who had traded into it. I gave him $275 for it because as he noted,, the trigger didn't feel right & work properly all the time.
The trigger return spring was bent, & one leg off. Replaced the spring and I now have one fine Maxi!

[EDK]

There is a Cowboy Action Shooting gunsmith/grip maker called Outlaw grips IIRC. He does a conversion on new models to a old model type action. His website has a lot of pictures and discussion on this that might be of interest...he lists the problems and shows pictures of HIS work and some lesser efforts by other "gun smiths" AND I'm using that term very loosely! There are some real gun butchers out there. I think he gets about $300 for the conversion.

:redneck::cbpour::guntootsmiley:

[MasS&W]

I don't really give this too much creedence nowadays for Smiths. The contact points on the single action sear is case hardened, and don't respond too well, if at all to this. In my opinion a quick, light pass with some flitz and a cloth dremmel weel (and I mean quick) followed by extended dry firing sessions works far far better. The idea is to remove any burrs or prominences in the metal. Also, a lower power rebound spring from wolff for three bucks never hurts.