shortening trigger pull

[Ride Naked]

Hey all, I've been shooting my Mod 99E .308 lately (and hunting with it) and the trigger pull is just soooooooo loooooong the anticipation kills me. Has anyone modified theirs? I took it apart and it looks like a fairly simple job, just file or bur grind that tang in the picture down. I was just curious if anyone has done this or something else to shorten it up?

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa370/daltonchambless/20131027_150634.jpg

[J.Baker]

Those parts are both surface hardened to prevent wear over time. If you cut/grind on them you'll go through that hardened surface and it will wear fairly quickly with use unless they are re-hardened after the modification. Personally, you'd be smarter to just get used to the longer pull (part of owning any firearm is getting accustomed to it's unique traits and quirks) rather than modifying it and potentially ruining the value. Also note that finding parts for these old 99's is extremely difficult so if you screw up you could ultimately make it totally useless and little more than a parts gun.

[Ride Naked]

That's true I hadn't thought about it being hardened metal, ill just get used to the length then, thanx for the reply!

[chainsaw]

Noted gunsmith,Roy Dunlap,has published in one of his books,a mod involving a file that shortens the pull on the 99.I have done it and it works fine.You will not make the steel wear any faster by filing it down a little.The article states that you should leave some pull length in it so there is no chance of an accidental firing if the gun is dropped.In other words,you can improve the model 99 trigger,but it can`t be made to perform like a bolt action rifle trigger.A good polishing on both mating surfaces and a little grease goes a long way to improve the trigger on a model 99.

[stangfish]

If you want to experiment there are some triggers and sear assemblies on ebay for a 99. I know nothing about compatibility but you can do the search.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=savage+99+rifle&_frs=1

[langenc]

Are there any references regading the lightening of the trigger pull on a 99.

Being both LONG and HEAVY is problematic to be sure.

Or is it like Chainsaw said--little polishing and GREASE work a charm??

[chainsaw]

A book called "gunsmithing"by Roy F. Dunlap.not shure which page its on,shows a picture of where to file and about how much.I think I got my copy from Amazon.

[chainsaw]

Disregard last post.The correct book is,Gun Owners Book of Care,Repair,and Improvement.By Roy Dunlap.Library of Congress number73-92404.
Sorry about the mix-up.Both books are good btw.

[bczrx]

I got a 99eg in .300savave that someone had done this to.

They reduced the length of the sear to make a shorter pull. Unfortunately ghis meant a hard slap of the lever to the closed position made the hammer bounce over the sear. I discovered this at the range, when the gun fired unexpectedly.

The 99f in .308 I just got had been modified by fkling the hammer to create a 'relief cut' (think break ing edge of 1911 sear). Smooth, shorter and lighter pull. Doesn't bounce off when whacked.

Problem: if you take up half the trigger slack and don't fire, the sear will not slide back up to the fully engaged point. At that point a whack might cause an AD.

Solution: if the shot is not taken, open lever enough to reset hammer/sear interface.

I may put an unaltered hammer in and just live withe the long, smooth pull. All guns are different. Shortening the pull improperly on this one could have a major negative impact on your life.

I was glad my AD was at the range, and my safe handling kept the barrel pointed down range: no disasters.

Just something to think about.