Henry single shot triggers/hammers&springs

[BubbaBBadd]

This is my 1st post EVER, bear with me. New owner of Henry SS, .223. Been reading posts re: triggers/springs. Great info and research by everyone! If you have ever worked with, built or competed with a 1911, you have an official degree in "springology." Marlin lever actions are also a source of info re: hammers, sears and triggers. One of the posts mentions checking trigger/sear relationship outside the receiver. There is no reason an enterprising machinist can't make these pins to fit in the hammer/ trigger holes so the stoning/polishing can be done with no guesswork.
With regards to springs, its a try-and-see job. Take everything apart and check closely for ANY contact/rubbing and polish the living daylights out of it, without taking too much material off! I'm guessing the trigger return spring is a tip-of-the hat to the Marlin lever 'floppy trigger'. Without the hammer cocked you can feel the clicking trigger when pulled and this should be looked into. Since this rifle is so simple, it is fun to 'smith'.
For those who don't wish to modify or tweak these rifles, I would like to suggest dipping/coating the hammer spur with black Flex Seal. It's sticky, doesn't modify the hammer,easily removed and doesn't HURT!
I'll shut up now and let you ponder these ideas. Thanks for everyone's input and info. Bubba, out!

[725]

Welcome aboard. Haven't seen one of those Henry Single Shots yet. They look good. You'll have to come back and keep us up to speed on experiences. I'm a single shot fan. Just too much fun hunting with them.

[rfd]

the henry single shot rifle has been beat to death in this quite extensive thread ...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?365404-Henry-Single-Shot-Initial-Impressions

i've owned a pair in .223 rem and .357 mag. the basic issue with this rifle was how henry USA allowed them to leave their factories, and more to the point the relationship between the hammer and trigger spring(s). it's a very fine rifle in many ways except that dang trigger that never seems to be as good as it SHOULD have been before henry USA put these guns out on the market. 'nuff said.

[Hickory]

No company wants to be sued out of business, so trigger pull weights are set high enough to keep lawyers at bay.
Blame that on liberal thinking that someone else is always at fault.

[rfd]

the issue of the completely unrealistic henry USA single shot 7 to 9 pound trigger pull is more of the design than pandering to litigation concerns.

[BubbaBBadd]

Shakespeare said it best, "Kill all the lawyers." The Henry SS is still a neat little rifle and just keep 'tweakin' it! We're better than the lawyers!

[Foggy1111]

I think there exists a means for an inventive chap to offer a drop-in trigger improvement for an otherwise nice gun. Mine seems to be semi-reliable now....but I have concerns about a FTF due to a light hammer impact on the primers.....and a heavy trigger pull. I am likely in the best "balance" possible now with the parts I have. IMO this gun needs some geometry changes in the trigger design to put it on the right track. Too bad.....as it has all the other right stuff.

I finally got a decent steel hammer spur that stays put when firing.....and that helps the sore thumb allot (due to excessive force needed to cock that hammer). I am using the original hammer spring but have removed the inner spring. The best alternative for MY rifle. I ended up with a reasonable....to slightly heavy pull weight that breaks clean. The primer impact is a bit light.....but after an early FTF.....I'm doing OK now. Likely not suitable for a dangerous game situation or for self defense, etc....but it's "OK" for deer hunting and target shooting. .......hope this gun does not leave me snake-bit when the buck of a lifetime steps out for a shot. Grin. ;).

I have a bit of arthritis in my thumb and kinda a sticky joint in the same thumb due to getting old. I will get along with the hammer cocking efforts.....but I dont think this would be suitable for youngsters or many gals with low strength in their thumbs. Find a better youth gun...IMO. Too bad too......as this is one of the purposes for a gun such as this. It could be such a nice youth rifle.

[rfd]

simply put, the henry s/s is a fine design save for its trigger. it could have and should have been designed better, period. if a better trigger drove up the price point, so be it. i dunno what anthony and crew were thinking when they signed off production with that horrible trigger assembly, but it wasn't quality, or longevity, or a rifle that would have a continued henry legacy. YMMV.