M1 Carbine trigger

[burch]

These triggers stink on the M1's I've rechearched trigger jobs and can't seem to find anything. Most places are saying there's nothing much you can do to fix 'em. Anyone ever done a trigger job on these. I`d like to make mine better with about a 2 1/2 lb. pull.
I find it hard to believe you can`t improve these triggers.

[kerplode]

Leave it alone. It's not safe to screw with them.

It's a battle implement, not a target rifle...

[M-Tecs]

https://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=34300

[kerplode]

One thing you might be able to do is install a reduced power hammer spring. But these can lead to FTFire with mil-spec primers.

If you start filing parts, though, you're just going to end up with doubling or even uncontrolled full-auto.

[ShooterAZ]

Completely agree on not messing with it! The hammer/sear parts are hardened, and it's not recommended to remove material from them. I know some guys who have switched parts around from different trigger groups to achieve a slightly better trigger pull, but that's not really practical unless you happen to have a bunch of parts laying around. If you must however, here is a video showing how to stone the fore-mentioned parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBpRwM1-xWQ

[burch]

sounds like I might need to leave it alone and call her good to go.

[kend]

I did a trigger job on one years ago and used it in 3 gun matches, the shots were a 100 yds at most so it was better than an AR at the time. I don't remember exactly what I did but I do remember I used the milling machine and mounted a fine grinding wheel on the spindle then made a pin that fit the hole in the trigger and mounted that in the machine vise. I rotated the trigger against the grinding wheel and could control the amount I removed with the mill table. It wasn't a 2# match trigger but it made a huge difference and turned out really nice, probably shot a couple thousand rounds through it and never had an issue or any problems with it.

[RACWIN375]

I did a trigger job on my M1 carbine it's easy to do being a very simple trigger, BUT I did mine 14 years ago and don't remember exactly what I did
BUT when I do a trigger job I first get factory parts in case I make an oops
and then I square up all edges and make the hammer or sear engage less, I thin on the carmine I worked the hammer, all a trigger consists of are two kotches that catch and when you pull the trigger it releases
so I make one "catch" or kotch shorter in this case I think on the hammer I used a stone and work it, reassemble test over and over until it's were I want
then clean and fire it a bunch, I make snapper caps out of resized unprimed cases and fill primer hole with RTV as a firing pin saver, you want to work the trigger because sometime they work in and get lighter so dry fire away (with snapper)
then with the rifle cocked I slam the butt into a carpeted floor, not so hard that the stock will crack but a good wack as if a loaded gun was dropped and see if it fires
I use a wheeler trigger pull scale they work great and don't cost much, I love they gun smith tools, great low cost things

DIY feels good when you are done
no worry if you have back-up parts
M1 Carbine is very easy to work on , so much info and parts, not much to lose
it's very much like a 10/22 trigger in how I worked the hammer

Rick

[Larry Gibson]

The M1 carbine triggers can be improved but a 2 1/2 lb reliable trigger is probably a stretch.

What I learned to do is is to lightly stone the sear engagement surfaces only to smooth them up. They are hardened as mentioned so only a little stoning with a fine finish stone is done. Then I put a dab of silver solder on the back of the sear notch on the hammer. The silver solder dab can then lightly filed back to get proper and, most importantly, reliable sear hammer engagement. A dab of lube on the surfaces helps also. Thus I've gotten the pull down to 4 lbs +/- on most of the M1 Carbines I've done this to.

[burch]

The M1 carbine triggers can be improved but a 2 1/2 lb reliable trigger is probably a stretch.

What I learned to do is is to lightly stone the sear engagement surfaces only to smooth them up. They are hardened as mentioned so only a little stoning with a fine finish stone is done. Then I put a dab of silver solder on the back of the sear notch on the hammer. The silver solder dab can then lightly filed back to get proper and, most importantly, reliable sear hammer engagement. A dab of lube on the surfaces helps also. Thus I've gotten the pull down to 4 lbs +/- on most of the M1 Carbines I've done this to.

a 4lb. trigger would be a huge plus compared to what I’ve got now. Do you have any pics of the solder dab you put on it. I know it would be a pain to disassemble it for pics.

[oldhenry]

My CMP Inland .30 carbine had a less than good pull. Years back my shooting buddy & I visited Gerald "Hook" Boutin in Bremen, GA. "Hook" was the chief armorer for the AMU @ Benning when they were shooting the M1 Garand. After he worked his magic on our Garands, we stopped by the CMP HQ in nearby Anniston, AL to see if we could get some advice on improving the carbine triggers.

Those CMP people treated us with the greatest possible respect. We were told that the engagement surfaces have a very slight "hook" built in to the design. They did not recommend altering the engagement surfaces. However they had 55 gal drum of trigger housing groups & they assigned two people to go through many triggers & exchanged our trigger group for ones that were a definitely better.

Due to manufacturing tolerances some triggers are better than others.

Those CMP people are the best.

Henry