Canik Rival - Freedomsmith Trigger

[WxGuy]

WOW!

I'm glad you are okay.

I've never experienced this with any of my FS triggers.  This might be something the FS folks need to know about.

[goneracin]

54 minutes ago, WxGuy said:

WOW!

I'm glad you are okay.

I've never experienced this with any of my FS triggers.  This might be something the FS folks need to know about.

indeed.  The best way to improve a product is with real world feedback.  Id get in touch with them asap about his issue

[bigtimelarry]

2 hours ago, BillGarlandJr said:

Interesting thing happened at a match yesterday....I installed a FS trigger on my Rival S a couple days before the match. I had taken it to the range and put a couple hundred rounds through it and everything worked perfectly. I was confident it would be safe and work just fine going forward. Fast forward to yesterday and during the final stage of the match I was shooting and about 10 rounds into the stage the trigger wouldn't reset, meaning it wouldn't release forward after a shot. I messed with it a little and it still didn't want to reset completely. Not wanting to continue with a gun that might not be safe, I stopped myself. I was able to unload and show clear, but the trigger press to drop the striker didn't feel right. I took the pistol to the safe area and upon taking a closer look, it appeared the trigger safety had somehow wedged itself inside the open area beneath the trigger. I assisted it forward, checked things for function and could not re-create the issue. Honestly, I couldn't even see how the issue came about in the first place. When the match was over I went to a public range nearby and put about 50 rounds through the gun without issue. Any of the rest of you bump into, or heard about a similar problem?

 

Was the Trigger Safety maybe hanging up on the Frame coming forward.. 

[BillGarlandJr]

12 hours ago, bigtimelarry said:

 

Was the Trigger Safety maybe hanging up on the Frame coming forward.. 

That’s exactly what happened

[bigtimelarry]

2 hours ago, BillGarlandJr said:

That’s exactly what happened

 

I've put in 5 Freedomsmith Triggers in. I take a file and just took a little off the safety on all of them before I installed them. It didn't take much, maybe 10 passes with the file then buffed it with my Dremel Felt pad.. 

[BillGarlandJr]

10 hours ago, bigtimelarry said:

 

I've put in 5 Freedomsmith Triggers in. I take a file and just took a little off the safety on all of them before I installed them. It didn't take much, maybe 10 passes with the file then buffed it with my Dremel Felt pad.. 

I was thinking that might be a solution. I will give that a try. Thank you.

[TheChef1]

On 5/7/2023 at 8:07 PM, BillGarlandJr said:

Interesting thing happened at a match yesterday....I installed a FS trigger on my Rival S a couple days before the match. I had taken it to the range and put a couple hundred rounds through it and everything worked perfectly. I was confident it would be safe and work just fine going forward. Fast forward to yesterday and during the final stage of the match I was shooting and about 10 rounds into the stage the trigger wouldn't reset, meaning it wouldn't release forward after a shot. I messed with it a little and it still didn't want to reset completely. Not wanting to continue with a gun that might not be safe, I stopped myself. I was able to unload and show clear, but the trigger press to drop the striker didn't feel right. I took the pistol to the safe area and upon taking a closer look, it appeared the trigger safety had somehow wedged itself inside the open area beneath the trigger. I assisted it forward, checked things for function and could not re-create the issue. Honestly, I couldn't even see how the issue came about in the first place. When the match was over I went to a public range nearby and put about 50 rounds through the gun without issue. Any of the rest of you bump into, or heard about a similar problem?

check  and make sure the pin for  the trigger safety is installed  correctly I've had them push againt the  dingus pinning them to the trigger shoe before. however its always been obvious  from the start  and   didnt work properly at all.  Maybe some debris got in there? I think id take it apart including  the pin from the dingus and lube and reinstall.

 

That or  more likely you need  to file a little off  the back of the dingus so it doesnt hang on the frame.

Edited May 10, 2023 by TheChef1

[BillGarlandJr]

An update….I took a little material off the trigger safety tab, polished it up nicely, took it out to the range and put about 400 rounds through it with no issues. Thanks everyone for your feedback.

[jpharr]

On 5/3/2023 at 12:00 PM, BillGarlandJr said:

I just installed a Pro on my RIval. At first the FS trigger alone. It actually made the trigger pull heavier, though the characteristics of the pull (take up, crispness) were improved, subjectively. Next I installed the Sprinco trigger return spring. I didn’t put the scale to it, but my tip of finger impression is the trigger pull lightened a little bit. Finally I went ahead and installed the Sprinco striker spring, and firing pin safety plunger spring. This put the trigger weight in the same range as the stock, but it’s a crisper trigger and the short take up is really nice. At this point it’s hard to say if I’ll stick with the FS or go back to stock. I really like the short take up of the FS trigger, but I like the “roll” like let off of the stock trigger. If I stick with the FS, one modification I’ll make is to trim the trigger safety a little. One thing I noticed shooting it yesterday is if my trigger finger gets too low on the face of the trigger the safety won’t get depressed enough. Easily remedied by placing my finger towards the center of the trigger face, but I’ve developed a habit of placing my finger more towards the end of the trigger having shot other striker fired pistols over the years.

Did you put a #2 split ring on the trigger return spring to effectively lengthen it a little bit?  They say the FS trigger kind of preloads the trigger return spring vs stock config due the FS geometry, which increases the pull weight. If you lengthen the spring a little and you’re back to similar pull weight as stock. That split ring coupled with your lighter spring co return spring would lower it more. 

[jpharr]

On 5/8/2023 at 1:36 PM, bigtimelarry said:

 

I've put in 5 Freedomsmith Triggers in. I take a file and just took a little off the safety on all of them before I installed them. It didn't take much, maybe 10 passes with the file then buffed it with my Dremel Felt pad.. 

I followed your advice and it worked for me. My FS trigger would work fine 90% of the time but hang up on occasion when my trigger finger was in a slightly different position on the trigger shoe. About 10 passes with a needle file cured that. I did my best to try to round the edge of the safety dingus a bit and hit it with polish. 

[bigtimelarry]

On 5/27/2023 at 11:41 AM, jpharr said:

I followed your advice and it worked for me. My FS trigger would work fine 90% of the time but hang up on occasion when my trigger finger was in a slightly different position on the trigger shoe. About 10 passes with a needle file cured that. I did my best to try to round the edge of the safety dingus a bit and hit it with polish. 

 

Perfect..

[mcmmotorsports]

Glad I found this thread. Had some issues with the FS trigger in my Rival today. Could be operator, could be tight tolerances. Either way, will be filing and polishing the safety just a wee bit tomorrow.

Edited October 22, 2023 by mcmmotorsports

[Weapon]

No problems in my rival darkside with the FS trigger yet. I have also had an FS trigger in my original SFx since the week they were released and it’s still running flawlessly.

 

The main problem I had with my Rival Darkside was the chamber. It’s short and tight compared to my original SFx’s barrel. Loads that would easily pass plunk and spin in the SFx’s barrel wouldn’t even get close to plunk much less spin in the Rival’s barrel. So, it got sent off for reaming. 

[Weapon]

On 5/27/2023 at 10:26 AM, jpharr said:

Did you put a #2 split ring on the trigger return spring to effectively lengthen it a little bit?  They say the FS trigger kind of preloads the trigger return spring vs stock config due the FS geometry, which increases the pull weight. If you lengthen the spring a little and you’re back to similar pull weight as stock. That split ring coupled with your lighter spring co return spring would lower it more. 

My favorite #2 split ring for that is now the oval one from Academy Sports. It requires a bit of trimming with a Dremel to make it sit in the gap for the trigger return spring correctly but it works 100% after the minor mod and allows for the lightest possible trigger pull without feeling spongy. However, if all you can find locally is a standard #2 split ring, it is still a considerable improvement (yeah, it’s dirty af as that was after I tested it for over a month without cleaning in 2018):

 

[ChrisDeRouen]

10 hours ago, Weapon said:

My favorite #2 split ring for that is now the oval one from Academy Sports. It requires a bit of trimming with a Dremel to make it sit in the gap for the trigger return spring correctly but it works 100% after the minor mod and allows for the lightest possible trigger pull without feeling spongy. However, if all you can find locally is a standard #2 split ring, it is still a considerable improvement (yeah, it’s dirty af as that was after I tested it for over a month without cleaning in 2018):

 

Be careful with this.  I ran the Alabama sectional match and my split ring somehow made its way out of position.  Looking at your picture for perspective, the split ring slid up and to the right.  I shot a 30+ round stage pump action style.  My trigger would not reset.  I had to manually rack my slide...ejecting a good round each time...to reset the trigger.  Otherwise, it was just dead to the wall.  I had no idea what was going on.  Went to the safe table and removed my slide....noticed the issue right away.   

[Weapon]

13 hours ago, ChrisDeRouen said:

Be careful with this.  I ran the Alabama sectional match and my split ring somehow made its way out of position.  Looking at your picture for perspective, the split ring slid up and to the right.  I shot a 30+ round stage pump action style.  My trigger would not reset.  I had to manually rack my slide...ejecting a good round each time...to reset the trigger.  Otherwise, it was just dead to the wall.  I had no idea what was going on.  Went to the safe table and removed my slide....noticed the issue right away.   

I have been running them that way for quite sometime with no problems. I came up with the #2 split ring thing in May or June of 2018 and posted it on the CF forum after testing the FS trigger and checking the tension on the TRS. Building crankbaits for fishing was my other addiction at the time so I had dozens of split rings laying around and tested several until I settled on the #2.

 

My other solution was a modified spring out of a box of springs I found at Home Depot for $5 that actually works great but requires a little more effort in terms of cut-test-cut trial and error to get it just right.

In any event, the #2 oval split ring is now my favorite for that mod. If you cut part of the overlap on the split ring with a Dremel, it fits in that gap almost perfectly and reduces the tension on the trigger return spring just a tiny bit more. I will try to remember to post a pic of that split ring and the cut on it tomorrow. 

 

With that minor modification and several others that involved a bit more elbow grease and polishing compound, I finally got a trigger on my original SFx that was well below what I thought would be possible:

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Weapon

[Weapon]

On 10/21/2023 at 9:21 PM, mcmmotorsports said:

Glad I found this thread. Had some issues with the FS trigger in my Rival today. Could be operator, could be tight tolerances. Either way, will be filing and polishing the safety just a wee bit tomorrow.

Another thing to check is the area in the frame where the slot is cut for the trigger. At least on the polymer models, there is often a weird lip left there from molding. I used a flat needle file wrapped in 400 grit 3M wet/dry to smooth off that rough lip on the frame and that solved a weird hang up I was often feeling in the trigger pull. Pic of the spot I am talking about (right at the tip of the bright orange pointy thing):

 

 

[Signal7]

5 hours ago, Weapon said:

In any event, the #2 oval split ring is now my favorite for that mod. If you cut part of the overlap on the split ring with a Dremel, it fits in that gap almost perfectly and reduces the tension on the trigger return spring just a tiny bit more. I will try to remember to post a pic of that split ring and the cut on it tomorrow. 

 

With that minor modification and several others that involved a bit more elbow grease and polishing compound, I finally got a trigger on my original SFx that was well below what I thought would be possible:

 

Please do, I'm really interested in this, can you also post a pic of the packaging of the actual ring you used?  

Edited November 28, 2023 by Signal7

[Racinready300ex]

6 hours ago, Weapon said:

I have been running them that way for quite sometime with no problems. I came up with the #2 split ring thing in May or June of 2018 and posted it on the CF forum after testing the FS trigger and checking the tension on the TRS. Building crankbaits for fishing was my other addiction at the time so I had dozens of split rings laying around and tested several until I settled on the #2.

 

My other solution was a modified spring out of a box of springs I found at Home Depot for $5 that actually works great but requires a little more effort in terms of cut-test-cut trial and error to get it just right.

In any event, the #2 oval split ring is now my favorite for that mod. If you cut part of the overlap on the split ring with a Dremel, it fits in that gap almost perfectly and reduces the tension on the trigger return spring just a tiny bit more. I will try to remember to post a pic of that split ring and the cut on it tomorrow. 

 

With that minor modification and several others that involved a bit more elbow grease and polishing compound, I finally got a trigger on my original SFx that was well below what I thought would be possible:

 

 

Do you run a really light striker spring to get that low? I think my Rival is right a 2 lbs with a 6.5 lbs striker spring. I'm not really looking to get lower I'm just curious what it took to pull that off. 

 

[Weapon]

27 minutes ago, Racinready300ex said:

 

Do you run a really light striker spring to get that low? I think my Rival is right a 2 lbs with a 6.5 lbs striker spring. I'm not really looking to get lower I'm just curious what it took to pull that off. 

 

6.5lb Ghost G17 striker spring. It became my default spring after I got tired of having to change out the 28 Newton striker springs when Federal GMM primers became hard to find. The 28 Newton Glock striker springs are too prone to light strikes when they get too many rounds on them anyway. That slightly lighter trigger pull doesn’t do you much good if you get click instead of bang on a couple stages due to light strikes.

 

The rest was the oval #2 split ring, a Ghost RP block plunger spring, a lot of polishing of contact points in the fire control mechanism and playing around with the parts inside the ejector block. It’s still a pain to keep it consistently that low as any carbon build up starts adding some drag pretty quickly when it’s that light.

 

I haven’t been able to get my Rival Dark Side’s trigger quite as low as my original SFx. That may in part be due to total round count as my SFx version 1.0 has far more rounds through it than my Rival but Canik did change a few parts as well (ejector block now has a polymer on metal contact point that used to be metal on metal). I have a spare ejector block from an original SFx but I haven’t bothered with trying to swap it out with the one in the Rival yet to see if it makes any difference or if it’s even possible. 

[Racinready300ex]

15 minutes ago, Weapon said:

6.5lb Ghost G17 striker spring. It became my default spring after I got tired of having to change out the 28 Newton striker springs when Federal GMM primers became hard to find. The 28 Newton Glock striker springs are too prone to light strikes when they get too many rounds on them anyway. That slightly lighter trigger pull doesn’t do you much good if you get click instead of bang on a couple stages due to light strikes.

 

The rest was the oval #2 split ring, a Ghost RP block plunger spring, a lot of polishing of contact points in the fire control mechanism and playing around with the parts inside the ejector block. It’s still a pain to keep it consistently that low as any carbon build up starts adding some drag pretty quickly when it’s that light.

 

I haven’t been able to get my Rival Dark Side’s trigger quite as low as my original SFx. That may in part be due to total round count as my SFx version 1.0 has far more rounds through it than my Rival but Canik did change a few parts as well (ejector block now has a polymer on metal contact point that used to be metal on metal). I have a spare ejector block from an original SFx but I haven’t bothered with trying to swap it out with the one in the Rival yet to see if it makes any difference or if it’s even possible. 

 

I think I'm running a 29 n rune striker spring. I sourced a longer lighter TRS, and lightly polished the top edge of the trigger bar where it contacts the firing pin block, and polished the same spot on that FP block. I mainly did that polishing because there was a little bur their that was bugging me in dryfire lol. Then add the freedom smith. 

 

I tried a couple FP block springs and they all made my trigger heavier so I just left the stock on in it. Maybe I'll order a ghost to try next time I'm ordering springs. 

 

I've been neglecting cleaning this thing and I don't think I'd want to go to crazy with the trigger if it means I need to do more maintenance. 

[Weapon]

1 hour ago, Signal7 said:

 

Please do, I'm really interested in this, can you also post a pic of the packaging of the actual ring you used?  

Pic below is what the oval split ring looks like in the pistol. The split ring is cut to remove just enough on one side of the split ring so it is a single wire that loops over the hook on the end of the trigger bar (better fit in the notch than double wire). 

 

[Weapon]

2 hours ago, Signal7 said:

 

Please do, I'm really interested in this, can you also post a pic of the packaging of the actual ring you used?  

Whoops - forgot the pic of the package. My local Academy Sports has them but they are likely available online as well:

 

[Seanzky]

I've found that a split ring was helpful with the OEM spring when installing the FS trigger, but with the Sprinco spring, I don't need a split ring anymore. It's nowhere near as stretched out as the OEM spring. It's lighter still than the OEM spring, too. The reset is positive and I've had no issues with the trigger or the Sprinco spring.

[bigtimelarry]

What is the reason for installing a split ring ?   is it to make the trigger lighter or is it for a better fitment than running the stock alone. I've got 17k - 18k  rounds on my 3 rivals and i haven't had any issues. I remember Nils telling me he doesn't mess with the stock trigger spring because of an outside chance of having reset issues...