SV Titanium Sear Spring

[DBChaffin]

SV's Tri-Glide trigger system comes with a Titanium Sear Spring with the little ball bearing in it.  I have been told that since the spring is not "spring steel" it will not last long and that hammer fall or full auto fire will result in a relatively short time.  Anyone help here?  Another source said it was fine as long as it was not "overtweaked" by a zealous gunsmith trying to get the perfect trigger.  If replaced, which brand do you use?  (Ed Brown, Wolff, Wilson, Clark, other?).  Thanks.

[ErikW]

I've been using Tri-Glides in my roscoes for a couple years now, many thousands of rounds. No trouble with the leaf spring.

[benos]

DB,

The IDEA that flat titanium is not a good material for a "spring steel" application is totally incorrect. In fact, it retains its tension much better than "spring steel." If a light trigger is what you're after, they can't be beat.

be

[DBChaffin]

Thanks guys.  I figured what I had heard was wrong, but I wanted to hear it here.  I knew they must be ok if Sandy is putting them in his guns, but I feel a lot better now.    

[Scooter]

You can make springs out of steel, titanium, and composite materials (fiberglass and carbon fiber).  You can't make springs out of aluminum.

Titanium actually works really well as a spring.  In the bicycle industry, many people have proved titanium to be incredibly strong.  They took a handlebar stem, clamped it in a vice.  Attached a 6 feet cheater bar to it and had a couple guys start pulling the bar.  They bent the stem a full 90 degrees and when the bar was release it sprung back to the original position.

I bet a titanium spring will out last a steel one.

[benos]

Scooter,

Based on my experience, I have no doubt that a ti spring will outlast a steel one either.

be

[Kevin Kline]

I've had the Tri Glide system in my STI for 3 years now and it has been great. It's the same system and components and I haven't replaced anything about it. My trigger runs 18oz (1 1/8lb) everytime and hasn't been retuned or bent for the entire 3 years. Thousands of dryfires and live fires and still perfect. I love it.

[2alpha]

If aluminum won't work for springs how does ti? Isn't it basicly aluminum? I'm also wondering about that little ball falling out, anyone have that happen?  I had a sear spring made of very thin stainless steel once it worked really nice but have never found another one like it, I think it came from Aussie land not sure. Anyone seen them?

JJ

[ErikW]

I don't think it's an actual ball bearing captured in the leaf, it's more or less just a bump stamped in there.

[Ross Chevalier]

Interesting, there is definitely a wee bearing in both of mine.

R

[ErikW]

Hmm. If that's true, maybe I should be stripped of this "Man of Knowledge" moniker.

[benos]

Yea, it's tiny little ball bearing, captured in there.

be

[MattBurkett]

The tri-glide system from SVI employs a small 1mm ballbearing on both the center leaf of the leaf spring and on the back of the trigger bow.

I haven't noticed the leaf spring lightening up on my systems ever. They work pretty well. :-)

[davecutts]

I have been using my tri-glid for almost a year and have been very happy with it.  However every time I go over to my smith's (a very reputable smith you has built many guns for those of us who shoot at Norco, CA and southern california, although he hasn't build me a gun just fixing my piece of crap while I save pennies)  he admonishes me for running the tri-glid, saying spring steal is spring steal and titanium is not spring steal.  My first tri-glid sear spring did break at the bend where the spring slips into the frame.  Other than that I have been very happy, my trigger went from 3+ to 1.75.  I am by no means an expert, but I am currious as to why the divergence of opinions.

(Edited by davecutts at 4:13 pm on Jan. 2, 2002)

[charles]

I also had the spring break at the same spot. The new spring has worked like a charm. Maybe they had a bad run of springs?

[benos]

davecutts,

Yes, they did have a problem with the Ti springs at first, at the bend you stated. Ti is a very difficult material to bend, at all, so there was some "perfecting" going on at first. On Ti as a material - I've spoken to two educated engineers (not gunsmiths) and both had nothing but praise for using Ti in that application. (I have the highest respect for both of these fellas.)

be

[Mike Auger]

Re: triglide Ti spring

There is a small steel ball bearing in there , it is pressed in and held with ( I beleive) green locktite. If the trigger group is kept lubed with trigger slick or similar it should not wear for a long time.

The Ti material has a much different ( lower) sprng rate ( lbs per distance) then the typical steel spring and it is much easier to set the amount of tension for a light trigger because of that.

I would only use the Ti sear spring regardless of what other trigger group components you might use.

[davecutts]

Hey like I said I love mine.  I was currious as to what the old trigger was like so I dropped a steel sear spring in to my pistol and it was yucky (even a little icky).  I'm sticking with the tri-glide.  I was just currious.

[Walthen]

Hi,

I was wondering where I could get one of these SV sear springs. I ordered one from Brownells, but they were out of stock

Thanks alot!

[Helds]

Sorry to weigh in so late - I just discovered this site.  I had a serious range accident with the Tri-Glide Titanium Sear Spring.  I thought it was great when I first installed it.  Had my trigger pull down to 1.5 lbs.  Put hundreds of rounds through my gun, Colt Series 70.  Lots of one hole groups.  The spring lightened up somewhat, but was still over one pound.  Shooting from a 7 round magazine, after the 4th round, the gun went full auto.  I never did figure out what one of the lead 200 swc bullets hit to make it disintegrate, but it sprayed my arms and hands with lead shrapnel and I was bleeding too badly to stick around and investigate.  When I called Brownells where I had bought the spring and we talked about it, they guessed the spring was set too light and the trigger bounced.  I now use a 2.75 pound steel spring and live with slightly larger groups, with the emphasis on live.  Look out for those light sear springs.  Too much of a good thing can kill you.

[sfinney]

Helds, not to pick a bone, but it sounds like you had a problem with your trigger job, rather than the quality of the sear spring...... any trigger job under 2 pounds needs to be religously checked and "kept in tune", or disaster awaits.

I've had a 1 1/2 pound Tri- Glide trigger in my SV for over a year, no problems (knock wood) or tuning need so far.

[benos]

I'm with shooter40.

I've shot ALL the same trigger parts in my SV for over two years without a single problem. And, the trigger pull is right at 16 oz. But, the rest of the trigger job, meaning geometry of the hammer and sear, is perfect - that's why it works and lasts at that weight. MANY FACTORS influence doubling in a 1911 style action. After over 20 years of competitive and "triggersmithing" experience, I can safely say that if the trigger pull is over 1.5 lbs, and the gun follows, the problem is not the spring.

be

[Helds]

Shooter40 and benos - thanks for your input.  I can't say with absolute certainty you're wrong.  However, my Wilson hammer & sear was working great before the titanium sear spring, but with a 3 lb steel spring.  After the "incident",  replaced it with the 2.75 lb sear spring.  So-  What do we have here?  Worked before the titanium spring, worked after it.  By the way, I don't think the fact that the spring was titanium was the problem.  I think it was just too light.  I know people  shoot all the time with springs that light.  I won't.  Not worth the risk.

[Flexmoney]

Helds,

I think that what they are saying (?) is that you can get by with a less than 100% perfect trigger system at the heavier weight.   When you go to a really light trigger, things must be completely perfect.  

[sfinney]

Exactly... your hammer and sear geometry must be PERECT for a light trigger that doesn't need constant maintenance due to hammer follow...... coincidently, the SV hammer and sear sets seem to be about the best IMHO for this from the factory, and seem to work well with the SV titanium sear spring.

I remember a few years ago when Clark's was selling a very light trigger job (including their 4 leaf sear spring), with "improved geometry" - problem was I had to take it in to the shop every couple months due to hammer follow. I prefer to shoot guns over working on them (well, most of the time)