Update:
Got a quote from a gunsmith that would be reasonably affordable to update all the trigger parts and drop in a replacement trigger. Knowing I had this "Plan B" in my back pocket, I felt I had a green light to try and do the polishing work illustrated in the thread linked above. If I ruined the trigger, it was off to the gunsmith.
With 1500 grit sandpaper backed with a wood block, it was easy to polish the indicated surfaces without re-contouring them (ie, maintain the same flat planes).
I also felt that some of the "gritty" feeling in the trigger was coming from the plunger that operates the trigger return spring. So I spent some time smoothing that plunger with the 1500 grit.
Got everything back together and seems to work. The trigger now has a nice feel, very crisp with very little takeup or overtravel. I would still like to lighten the pull, but I was not able to figure out how to adjust this. Backing out that plunger-spring-screw combo only made the screw too high and started interfering with the movement of the safety. The only thing I could figure by looking at it and playing with it was maybe you could put a lighter spring in there - but the link above says that the weight of pull is adjustable on this trigger (somehow).
So I did get some improvement - enough to make me wonder if maybe I don't want to mess around with a new trigger after all. If I could figure out how to lighten the pull a skoshe, I'd be pleased as punch.
Still would love to hear from someone who really knows these old style triggers.
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