Considering cutting 1.5 coils to lighten the trigger. How safe is this?
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Considering cutting 1.5 coils to lighten the trigger. How safe is this?
It should be okay. You do need enough tension, though, to keep the sear engaged and allow the trigger to clear the way for the sear to return to the "cocked" position.
No matter what you do to it, make sure you do a "bump" test when done.
1. cock
2. move safety to "On Safe"
3. pull trigger hard, make sure safety holds.
4. slide safety to "half safe" (should not fire)
5 pull trigger hard, again (should not fire)
6. slide safety to "Off Safe" (should not fire)
7. pull trigger (should fire)
8. re-cock, SLAMMING the bolt closed and handle down hard, aggressively (should not fire)
repeat steps 1-6, but also "bump" hard or "slam" butt hard on ground at each step.
The problem I discover most frequenty after working on triggers is the sear will fall when moving from "half safe" to "off safe" if I pull the trigger good and hard at "half safe". This will happen even if I can slam it hard at each safety position. It doesn't necessarily fire from dropping it, but it might when moving to "off-safe". That may be due to any number of things, but most likely from having allowed too little "creep" and/or main trigger spring or return spring tension or worn, rounded edges on sear or trigger. Of course, everything has to work together to make for a good, safe, crisp, light trigger with no creep and little overtravel.
Thanks for the info. As a rule of thumb- no more than 1.5 coils correct? I figured I'd start with 1 and see how it is there. Hard to put them back on if too much is cut off. This is my first time doing this but it seems fairly easy.
1.5 coils did wonders for my gun. I must have threw it on the floor 20 times and it never let the firing pin go. First I've heard of the "half safe" test. Now I gotta try that too.
When I shim and trim my triggers, it's always a balance of spring compression and sear engagement. I don't use the factory spring, so spares are easy and cheap to come by, but I've just trimmed them until I get the weight I like and then see if it's safe. One I cut too short and found it was at risk of slam-firing, so I had to start over.
I've done the same. I started using G2 springs, and they work great if that's all you do is a spring swap for a 3# trigger. Now I've gone to actual trigger work. Polishing surfaces, change sear engagement angles, and different springs. Once you change sear engagement, you usually have to go back to a bit heavier spring.
Did this on mine, loved how it felt. Got 100 rounds through it so far with no issues.
I need to get a file on mine. It has a definite click to it before the trigger releases. You feel a click then press a little more and it goes off. Is the trigger hardened? will a file cut it if it is? I thought these were the MIM made.
I replaced the spring on mine with a much lighter weight spring and it was better but the trigger and sear engagement was very rough. I polished them up and it was much better with a very nice light pull. I should have left well enough alone, but oh no I tried to make it better and ruined my trigger. Now whenever the bolt is closed the sear slides right over the notch in the trigger. I polished both the trigger and sear so I don't know if buying a new trigger will solve my problem. The rifle is useless as is, so lesson be learned by me, go very carefully when removing metal or polishing your trigger/sear surfaces.
Apparently I need major help here, will Savage sell me a new trigger and sear?
subscribing for future reference... thanks
You probably changed the angle of sear engagement, leaning it too far back. What did you use to polish? Putting a heavier spring in may fix it. If not, you'll need to get the angle of engagement back to what it was, or close to it.
I have used carpenters pencil to polish the trigger. Graphite gets almost embedded. No risk of over doing it. Doesn't remove creep but makes it very smooth.
I used a polishing stone at first and made it pretty much perfect, then trying to improve it I used a more aggressive stone and changed the angle on the trigger. I tried a heavier spring and it did seem to help but the rifle was unsafe. I tried to make the angle better but I'm afraid I ruined it for good. My problem is the sear seem's to stick and not reset, I don't know if this is a problem I created or it was from the factory. I hate to give up on it and after doing research I found a source for a new stock trigger, and understand a new sear I'm not going to get unless I send the rifle back to Savage.
FIXED IT...I re-cut the notch in the trigger and replaced the sear spring with a more heavy duty spring. I put the stock trigger spring back in with a little trim job and it's a perfect crisp 2.5lb pull. I slammed the bolt closed and slammed the but on the floor, it's good to go. Sorry to the OP MillerPI2142 for hijacking your thread for a short while.
Good deal. I'm glad you got it fixed without having to replace it. I was trying to get a few triggers to tool around with the last time I placed an order, but that's one of the parts Savage doesn't sell to us plebs.