Very Easy Trigger Job on Ruger Single Action

[detox]

This has probably been posted 1000 times. Here is 1001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcod-0_Xy3s

[45sixgun]

Isn't it called something like the poor boy's trigger fix? Might be good as a temporary fix. I had an experienced gunsmith say he didn't recommend doing it, but rather just to get the lighter spring. They're only like 7 bucks from Midway. I've replaced the trigger springs on all of my Rugers, and it was just about as easy as the above fix. Sure makes a difference shooting too.

[454PB]

Yeah, I bought a Ruger SBH Hunter from my Son, and he had done this "poor man trigger job". I started having problems with the transfer bar not positioning correctly, which would prevent cocking if the gun wasn't pointed skywards. I reconnected the spring and it solved the problem.

[historicfirearms]

You can also bend the legs of the spring back slightly so they don't produce as much tension. I wouldn't just take one leg off as it can torque things and produce uneven wear.

[44man]

Yeah, I bought a Ruger SBH Hunter from my Son, and he had done this "poor man trigger job". I started having problems with the transfer bar not positioning correctly, which would prevent cocking if the gun wasn't pointed skywards. I reconnected the spring and it solved the problem.
A trigger spring that is too light will kick your finger forward and drop the transfer bar. That was not your problem. Chances are the cylinder pin moved out a little. The spring and pawl in the back of the pin is what pushes the transfer bar so it goes over the firing pin.

[KCSO]

Bubba job, sorry.

[dubber123]

The trigger return spring is the major contributor to the heavy pulls many Rugers come with, followed closely by poorly cut sears. Of the last 6 I did, only 1 had a sear cut cleanly, (and shallowly) enough to produce a nice pull by just fixing the trigger return spring. I set all of these guns to 2.5#, and used the full power factory mainspring on all. The hammers get REALLY lazy with a softer mainspring in my opinion. They don't exactly have a fast lock time to begin with.

[white eagle]

I like to smooth out all the surfaces on the internals and reposition the trigger spring like previously mentioned
werks

[Walter Laich]

kinda bothers me he didn't clear the revolver before working on it. Guess I'm old school about safety. At least he didn't point it at himself

[Any Cal.]

I have tried it a couple times, but thought that the root problem was creep rather than pull weight, so it didn't change much when all was said and done.

[Kull]

It's just as easy, and almost as fast, to replace the trigger spring with a lighter unit. They're 8 bucks.

http://www.gunsprings.com/Revolvers/RUGER/SINGLE%20ACTION%20SERIES/cID3/mID52/dID228#419

I tried the poor mans version and it felt worse to me.

[Salmoneye]

I have found that one side of the spring wants to just hang, and the other wants to get hung up on the grip panel, so some testing needs to be done to find which side your particular gun wants to let hang...

Is it 'right'?

Nah...

Does it work?

Ayuh...

[Lloyd Smale]

watch yourself. About half the guns i tried it on will allow the hammer to push off with only pressure on it from my thumb. I dont know how unsafe this is with a transfer bar but it still makes me nervous. Also whatever you do dont do the other thing thats been recomended. that being cocking the gun then putting thumb pressure on the hammer and then pulling the trigger to smooth the sear enguagement. All it does is round off the sear or hammer notch and in a short while your hammer wont stay back.

[High Desert Hunter]

I have been using this for 20 years, never had a single issue. Do I think it is better to replace the springs? Yes, and someday I will get around to it. I will say, it doesn't seem as effective on my new FT 45 as it has been on all of my other NMBHs.

[44man]

watch yourself. About half the guns i tried it on will allow the hammer to push off with only pressure on it from my thumb. I dont know how unsafe this is with a transfer bar but it still makes me nervous. Also whatever you do dont do the other thing thats been recomended. that being cocking the gun then putting thumb pressure on the hammer and then pulling the trigger to smooth the sear enguagement. All it does is round off the sear or hammer notch and in a short while your hammer wont stay back.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, I forgot that.
Mostly due to taking too much off the hammer but also a weak trigger spring.

[Whiterabbit]

I have tried it a couple times, but thought that the root problem was creep rather than pull weight, so it didn't change much when all was said and done.


I tried the poor mans version and it felt worse to me.


The trigger return spring is the major contributor to the heavy pulls many Rugers come with, followed closely by poorly cut sears. Of the last 6 I did, only 1 had a sear cut cleanly, (and shallowly) enough to produce a nice pull by just fixing the trigger return spring. I set all of these guns to 2.5#, and used the full power factory mainspring on all. The hammers get REALLY lazy with a softer mainspring in my opinion. They don't exactly have a fast lock time to begin with.

I agree with all of this. My BFR came gritty and heavy. My local gun butcher returned it worse than it came! this "trigger job" made it THAT MUCH worse. I assume it made the grittyness even easier to feel. Which it seemed to to me!

So, after I got a chance to fix it myself after realizing no "smith" in my area could do it (bought the shop manual, studied, solicited endless advice here, etc), I've got the thing polished out and super light.

NOW its light and sweet, even with the high power Wolff hammer spring I have in there. Creepless and glassy.

and RIGHT NOW I have this bubba trigger job on there. Why? Even lighter. Still crisp, still smooth. But easier to group from a bench. I can put the other leg back on if I go out hunting. I think of it as having "two settings". One for the range, one for the field.

Only time it's been a "problem" is when someone finishes shooting a crummy 1911 (not that they are crummy in general, just if they have a crummy example of one) and don't believe me when I say the trigger is very light and crisp.



watch yourself. About half the guns i tried it on will allow the hammer to push off with only pressure on it from my thumb. I dont know how unsafe this is with a transfer bar but it still makes me nervous. Also whatever you do dont do the other thing thats been recomended. that being cocking the gun then putting thumb pressure on the hammer and then pulling the trigger to smooth the sear enguagement. All it does is round off the sear or hammer notch and in a short while your hammer wont stay back.

I worry about this constantly. every other range trip I check for exactly this. I must be in the good half, because the hammer doesn't drop to thumb pressure or gentle shock yet!

But I agree that ANYONE that wants to try this "bubba" trigger job should definitely constantly verify hammer safety.

[Kull]

After trying the poor mans job on my flattop 45 for about two seconds I left is stock and ordered a 40 oz Wolff spring. After installing that spring I went shooting, often. Use smoothed out my trigger.

[Whiterabbit]

You're lucky. I read that online and thought it might work for me. About 1000 gritty rounds later, I took it to a butcher for worsening.

[Rodfac]

Not had a problem with any of my NM Rugers using the one leg of the trigger return spring of method...trigger return is just as positive and noticeably lighter than right out of the box. Dry fire or extensive shooting will wear in a trigger engagement point to a certain point, beyond that you need to see a GOOD gunsmith. Messing with the notches is flirting with disaster unless you know what you're doing, have access to add'l replacement parts, or relish life on the wild side. Rod

[FLHTC]

I have been using this for 20 years, never had a single issue. Do I think it is better to replace the springs? Yes, and someday I will get around to it. I will say, it doesn't seem as effective on my new FT 45 as it has been on all of my other NMBHs.

None of my New Models have both spring legs loaded and i too have never experienced a problem.

[Whiterabbit]

IMO, on my gun it seemed like taking the leg off just amplified the trigger to more of the same. So I'll bet if you guys never had an issue, your trigger was pretty good to start with. For those of us that had startup issues, (at least for me) it made it easier to feel the problems with the trigger.

[dubber123]

IMO, on my gun it seemed like taking the leg off just amplified the trigger to more of the same. So I'll bet if you guys never had an issue, your trigger was pretty good to start with. For those of us that had startup issues, (at least for me) it made it easier to feel the problems with the trigger.


Yes, if you have a poorly cut, too deep sear notch, taking a leg off often allows you to feel every gritty notch the factory ground in. Sometimes if the pull is heavy, it will build up pressure until it breaks quickly and you don't feel the grittiness. Like I said, out of the last 6 or so I did, only 1 had a sear cut clean enough, and shallowly enough to be fixed by lightening the trigger return spring.

[tek4260]

Here is a quick and dirty on Ruger trigger jobs, the way I do them. Now I'll preface this and say this is not technically the right way to do them, or rather the common way to do them. It is just the way I started doing them way back when. Now remember, you are taking out some of the built in safety of the revolver, so no more fanning or other torture you subject your revolver to.

The common way to work on Ruger triggers is to file the full cock notch on the hammer shorter to remove engagement, and thus creep. The problem I see is that the trigger needs to move rearward a certain amount to keep the transfer bar raised enough that it covers the firing pin. By filing the hammer you shorten the amount the trigger moves rearward, thus the amount the transfer bar raises. The way I do it is to stone a bevel on the rear of the sear portion of the trigger. This way, the portion of the sear that touches the hammer is cut in half, removing the creep, and the portion of the trigger under where I filed holds the same position of the trigger. Also, the gentle angle I stone works to move the trigger rearward and lift the transfer bar as it should. The angle is shallow enough that it doesn't "kick" the trigger rearward, but rather gently slide it back. You can't feel it because there is already pressure applied by your finger and it takes up the rearward movement. Again, this keeps the transfer bar up. I do not change any angles unless the sear from the factory is cut at such an angle that you have to "rock the hammer back" when you squeeze the trigger before the sear trips.


Here is how I stone the trigger

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/guns2/A960563B-36CA-4917-B089-03A9FF29F3BF-2661-000004E25767952D_zps4114410d.jpg

Here is the finished product

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/guns2/AD099CE4-D1AC-4128-82BD-2D2C7F2AF719-2661-000004E24507DE0D_zps21ba067e.jpg

This is the interface between the hammer and trigger. Here you can see how the trigger contacts the hammer in a large area below the the tip. This allows me to cut my bevel. If the contact below the sear tip of the trigger wasn't there, my little mod would change the angle and cause you to have to "rock the hammer back" when you squeezed the trigger.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/guns2/D28888A3-24C5-41FD-9008-1D2875C2FAC7-2661-000004E2240BF98A_zps622b1b1c.jpg

Now if you want to get even better, you can bevel the sides of the hammer at the sear and cut down on contact area width, thus removing creep as well


http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/tk3945/guns2/2E68D053-5AB8-4D7F-B22A-E1CC26BC27E5-2661-000004E2682BAE32_zps120cfc32.jpg

Again, it isn't the accepted "right" way to do things but it works well in Rugers and BFR's based on the way they function. I have done around 50 and haven't had a problem..... yet

[Whiterabbit]

wow. My local gunsmith must have read a page from your book. Maybe that works for your 50 customers, but it made my creep even worse. There must be a real trick to making this one work. it did NOT in my case!

[Whiterabbit]

here's my trigger after my gunsmith had at it:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46382&stc=1&d=1343369611

after I fixed it:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46701&stc=1&d=1344411102

I'm not saying your way is the wrong way. I detest "the wrong way" and "the right way" of doing ANYTHING. In my experience, there is no wrong and right, just good and bad. And often times, in my experience, the WRONG way can yield good results.

But assuming my pic matches yours, your way didn't work for me at all!

[tek4260]

Your gunsmith put the bevel on the "wrong side" of the sear surface.

[tek4260]

Look at the picture of the sharpening stone. If I hadn't removed the wood in that area, the bevel would be on top of the sear surface rather than on the rear. If the bevel was on top rather than the rear, it definitely would have creep.

[44man]

Tek has it right in that the trigger MUST move to the rear to raise the transfer bar. The big problem is that many bars are too short and cover less then half of the firing pin.
Sear work is important to reduce creep and the sharp edge is also stoned off. But too light a trigger spring will kick your finger forward and drop the bar.
I made my own transfer bars for a few Rugers and BFR's to extend higher so even a trigger kick does not drop the bar from the pin. I have many of my guns to 1-1/2# pull.
Here is one. 65646
Then I screwed up once and did not get a fit to the trigger pin right. I heated it and formed for a fit but failed to re-harden and temper the whole bar. IT BROKE from the change in the steel hardness separation.
You just must have the pleasure of making a transfer bar by hand from tool steel.
Tricks at the trigger or changing angles will make you buy new parts.

[Whiterabbit]

whats the difference between the bevel and taking the WHOLE back surface down? Both change angles, but the whole surface would be less severe, and take longer. Because it takes longer, there's less of a chance or overdoing it. And less of a chance or the hammer riding the sear for an angle change (when it leaves the bevel). Wouldn't you be able to feel that during the hammer drop? Through the trigger?

I see what you are saying now (this guy was always a butcher to me), but I'm not sure the small bevel is still better than taking the whole surface down (I'm not saying right or wrong, just better.) Or so it seems to me?

[tek4260]

Taking the whole surface down does notihing for how much sear engagement there is. The trigger basically will just sit further forward and the contact area of the hammer and trigger will remain the same. I have to stone the gentle bevel(about 10 to 15 degrees) and leave the leg of the trigger so it will sit in the original location and the bevel takes half the sear engagement away. I gauge how much to remove by looking at the wear mark on the trigger from the sear. I also run 26# mainsprings and Trapper trigger springs which helps kick it past the bevel without creep. It's one of those things that is easier to show than describe. Looking at my picture of the bevel on the hammer, that is the rear and there was about 3 times more stoned away from that edge than the top, where it contacts the sear, to give you an idea of the angle.

[Whiterabbit]

I get it now. Thank you for the explanation. Something inside me still doesn't like it, but I understand it, and the difference between what my butcher did and what you are suggesting.

Thank you for taking the time to explain it to me.

[tek4260]

I get it now. Thank you for the explanation. Something inside me still doesn't like it, but I understand it, and the difference between what my butcher did and what you are suggesting.

Thank you for taking the time to explain it to me.


:) I totally understand that feeling! It is just a way I decided to try after studying how the action worked way back when. Had I read the forums back then, I probably would have never tried it.

[44man]

Tek does well. NEVER, EVER change the sear angle or take metal off more then a polish. If the hammer moves when you pull the trigger you screwed up. THE FACTORY MADE THE ANGLES RIGHT.
I also use a 26# hammer spring on all of my revolvers. It has NOTHING to do with trigger pull but increases accuracy because a primer needs a certain impact, forget lock time. To reduce a hammer spring for trigger reduction is just wrong.
Almost no single actions need a polish on the sear but most need creep removed.
I need you to think about a Colt action, NEVER, EVER remove metal from the hammer to reduce creep. The trigger will fall into the half cock or safety and can break. I build up with brass soldered on to move the trigger out close to sear break. The brass is easy to file for a perfect fit. I use an old copper iron so I do not heat the hammer much. Don't fool with temper. Only enough to flow soft solder.

[tek4260]

Speaking of Colts, I have a Uberti that has a horrible trigger and I made a comment about working on the trigger on another forum. Someone brought the same point as you 44man about the safety and half cock. I had never considered that and I am glad they mentioned it. I would have screwed the pooch. :oops:

[44man]

Speaking of Colts, I have a Uberti that has a horrible trigger and I made a comment about working on the trigger on another forum. Someone brought the same point as you 44man about the safety and half cock. I had never considered that and I am glad they mentioned it. I would have screwed the pooch. :oops:
Yes, never reduce the trigger spring a lot on a Colt either because if it kicks forward the trigger will drop into some notch.