Best Trigger Setup

[want2race]

The EE parts are very good, but you can't go wrong having the "total package" worked over for a solid trigger.

[benos]

+1 to everything HSMITH said.

If you want a 100% reliable trigger in the 1.5 lb zone, either the pin holes must be parallel, or the sear must be hand fit to the hammer.

Another factor is the clearance between the sear/hammer pins and the sear/hammer holes. If those tolerances are real tight, then even if the pins are just the slightest fuzz not parallel, getting 100% contact is more difficult.

There are just so many variables in the frames, pins, and parts involved, that everything has to be just right to get a reliable trigger under the 1.5 - 2 lb zone.

I ran all my single stack-type guns right around 14 - 16 ozs., but I hand fit every sear. Not only the angle of the sear, but the left-to-right or right-to-left slant of the sear's nose so it had 100% contact with the hammer notch. I can't remember ever checking (with a blue Sharpie marker) sear nose to hammer hook fit that was 100% right out of the box.

I spent years learning how to do it so unfortunately it's not something I can type on the Forum. But I can give you the mechanical theory though. (Forgetting springs and the actual parts involved.) There are two factors. The first, as the trigger moves to the rear the hammer should not cock or de-cock at all. This is controlled by the sear nose's angle. (And I know for sure that both Sandy Strayer and George Smith know this, which is why their sears are top notch.) The most difficult but most accurate way to see if the hammer cocks or de-cocks as the trigger is moving to the rear is to rig your pistol in a bench vise and mount a dial indicator on the hammer.

A more "artful" form is done by just watching the hammer (from a side view) while you slowly pull the trigger. The way to pull the trigger when "watching" is to hold the grip with your right hand and have to muzzle pointing left. Then with your left index finger and thumb, take hold of the trigger by pinching it from both sides while at the same time having part of your finger and thumb contacting the bottom of the trigger guard. With this "grip" on the trigger, you can very accurately and slowly move it to the rear, while watching the hammer.

The more artful way - after you've done this for a bunch of years, you don't have to look at or measure anything. You can just tell by how the trigger feels while you're pulling it if the sear angle is correct or not. (Meaning, you can tell whether it is cocking or de-cocking the hammer.)

The second factor, to get into the sub-1lb. zone, is the sear nose and hammer hook must have 100% contact. This can't be done with any sort of jig, it must be stoned by hand. As you're stoning the sear, you know which side of the sear to "lean on" by the contact pattern left by your blue Sharpie marker.

be

[want2race]

Thank you for that post.

I just swapped frames for someone and the trigger set that was fine in the old frame is not fine in the brand new frame. Both were same manufacture and type of frames. Perfect example of holes that aren't. Sear was only contacted on left side, extreme left side.

I'm actually giddy inside now.

[jjanglin]

I use a dial indicator with a brownells hammmer /sear jig, I put the hammer and sear in the jig so the dial indicator

stem puts pressure on top of the hammer.

Then I use my finger to push the sear out of engagement while watching the dial indicator= If the indicator

advances I take a little off the sear nose till when I push the sear out of engagement their is no movement

of the dial indicator.The jig I use is brownells Hammer/Sear pin Block part #080-000-116da with its

pins listed with it. Its adjustable so you can pretty much get an exact duplicate of the frame hole spacing.

I use a magnetic base that will hold the the dial indicator. I put the jig in a vice and adjust the dial indicator

to measure let off.

Jim

Sailors Custom

[stiles]

Tim, if you have that sort of capability I would single-point bore for oversized pins making sure the straight line distance is right on the money.

What boring bar would you use for this. The smallest I've seen cataloged are .187" min hole diameter. There are some smaller groving bars but you can't bore the 3/4" of an inch deep that you need to in this application. Wont you need something like ~.125" for the sear pin

[HSMITH]

Just make one, if he has jig bore and such he probably has a good tool grinder to make one out of solid carbide....