I wanna learn to do my own trigger jobs. I know nothing about it. Help. :flipoff2:

I have a couple things I want to accomplish. I have a couple of auto pistols that I would like to lighten up a little, and maybe pull a little smoother.

I have an AK that I put a generic US trigger in, and it sucks my ass. The pull is about a mile long, and when it finally does break, it reverbs so hard it make your finger tingle after only a few shots. Any ideas or suggestions on where to start?

I have an AK that I put a generic US trigger in, and it sucks my ass. The pull is about a mile long, and when it finally does break, it reverbs so hard it make your finger tingle after only a few shots. Any ideas or suggestions on where to start?

AK trigger: polish the engagement surfaces on the inside of the hook and the hammer.
drill a hole in the back of the trigger guard and thread it. then install an overtravel stop with a lock nut.

The problem is it doesnt release the hammer until it is pulled way back on the trigger guard. Is there a way I can make it release sooner?

Each weapon is different.

Polish (pollish) all engagement surfaces. Do so with out changing any angles.

Lighter springs. Some times this mean shorter springs. Sometimes after market replacements.

With some triggers it does mean changing engagement angles. But this can also be very dangerous.

On ARs, polish and lighter springs.
On 1911s polish and shape using a jig, reshape sear spring, new main spring.
Fal & AK, polish, springs, shape, grind, swear

The problem is it doesnt release the hammer until it is pulled way back on the trigger guard. Is there a way I can make it release sooner?

yes. open it up and WATCH how the trigger works. you can shorten the hook just don't go stupid.

The problem is it doesnt release the hammer until it is pulled way back on the trigger guard. Is there a way I can make it release sooner?

YES.

wait for photos.

OK, this rifle has an average trigger pull of 4lbs 13oz. I have a digital pull guage. I did 20 pulls and it gave me the avg. Trigger travel is under 1/2...maybe under 3/8th

http://www.evil-black-rifles.com/images/t4.jpg

I check the trigger and hammer to pin fit. Luckily with a pile of parts I can find something thats almost tight. Polish the surface of the pin and inside the trigger and hammer holes. I use a small craytex rod on a dremel.
I then used a Craytex wheel to polish the under side of the bolt carrier. Figure this just helps with the cycling.
I meant to also do the top of the hammer, obviously I forgot :eek: will get it before it ships.
http://www.evil-black-rifles.com/images/t5.jpg
I use a single hook, just makes all the mods easier.
Polish the top engagement surface of the hammer with craytex.
Also polish the rounded area that engages the disconnector.
http://www.evil-black-rifles.com/images/t6.jpg
After shapping the trigger hook (explained later) polish the top and bottom of hook.
Polish the top and bottom of the disconnector.

On the trigger hook, the drill bit points to the area that is going to get modified.
http://www.evil-black-rifles.com/images/t7.jpg
This photo shows the engagement of the hammer and trigger at stock. Place the pins through them and into the outside of the receiver to see how it's going to set. Also install into weapona nd use a fine tip sharpie mark the hammer where the hook sits when cocked.
http://www.evil-black-rifles.com/images/t8.jpg
You don't want to change the lower angle at all. Slowly remove material from the tip and top of the hook until you have an engagement like this.
http://www.evil-black-rifles.com/images/t9.jpg

Do this very slowly. Remove just a little metal. Assemble and check.

Polish all surfaces.
I lubed everything with miltec. For a match gun/trigger I use moly grease right before a competition.

Absolutely awesome. Thank you! I am sure I will have questions as I move forward, but for now I am pretty sure I completely understand :beer:

If you have any DAO pistols (especially any Glocks) you want to play with, lemme know.

Lightening the trigger spring and striker spring in most pistols, along with polishing everything, really helps.

If you have any DAO pistols (especially any Glocks) you want to play with, lemme know.

Lightening the trigger spring and striker spring in most pistols, along with polishing everything, really helps.

Can you help with my 1911's? :flipoff2:

I dont own any Glocks yet, still waiting for a smokin deal on one.

1911 is easy. Just buy the jig and stones from Brownells.

In my CCW class this week, one word of warning was no trigger pull less than 5 lbs on a carry gun. Just one less thing they can call you on in court after you shoot somebody:shaking:

Yeah, I know. No reloads either, but factory ammo sucks. I hate our judicial system.

I use a fine honing stone on the hammer/sear and other contact parts.
I have used an orbital sander with really fine paper for really rough jobs (not on sear or sear engagement though, just rounding rough edges and smoothing sides).

Go to http://www.gunsprings.com/ for springs.
I have modified my springs by cutting coils off, bending, crushing a few coils.
The Wolff springs are the way to go.

OK, upon futher review...

It appears my biggest complaint is the pull to stage the trigger. The trigger itself pulls back too far before it is staged and ready to release. Is there any way to change or adjust the resting place of the trigger? I definitely need to polish, but I think the vibration is because the entire assembly is just plain old sloppy. Is that just AK? Or do I have shitty parts? Or did I install something wrong?

Edit...changed the pic order for ease in comparison. Pic 1 at rest, pic 2 at staged.

.

The reason combat rifles have such a long and deliberate trigger pull is due to safety.
Imagine standing in a group of guys in combat with "hunting rifle" triggers.
The chance for accidental discharge is much higher.
You will see that in a lot of combat guns.

That is one complaint about cop shotguns. They have hunting triggers. Years ago a company made a "cop shotgun" with a long and deliberate double action type trigger. I think it was Mossberg, and it was a dud when it came to sales.
The case that sparked the production of that shotgun was a cop (maybe two, I don't remember the details) had a felony stop. A cop had the barrel of his shotgun pointed to the head of one suspect. Something happened (I think the other suspect did something to cause the cop to jump). The accidental discharge removed the man's face. He got a large settlement, but is deaf, blind, and essentially faceless from taking a 12 ga blast to the face.

So the long deliberate trigger pull is by design.

That makes sense. And I am not looking for a 3 lb .000348375 inch pull, just that is this is so sloppy it sucks to shoot. And a 200 rounds later I cant feel my finger tip. ;)

OK, upon futher review...

It appears my biggest complaint is the pull to stage the trigger. The trigger itself pulls back too far before it is staged and ready to release. Is there any way to change or adjust the resting place of the trigger?

Did you even read my instructions?
:shaking:


:flipoff2:
You need to cut back the nose on the trigger hook. The area I pointed at with the drill bit. The red line a drew is probably way too much of a cut, but you should see what I mean. This is how you 'set' trigger release on the AK.
Just realize that if you cut it to short, you can't un-set it. Short of welding material back on. From your photos it looks like you can go maybe 1/8" off the tip. Bit take off just a little bit at a time.

Oh yeah are you getting "ak hammer spring knuckles" yet? I have some major gouges from this past weekend :D
Pete

Oh yeah are you getting "ak hammer spring knuckles" yet? I have some major gouges from this past weekend :D
Pete


LOL I can relate. I converted my S12 last weekend and am still a little abraded from the fit/refit of fire control parts :laughing:

:grinpimp: OK, so maybe I didn't get it completely this morning :flipoff2: It was early and I was tired. So the more important is the hook? The back of the trigger really isn't necessary to push the hammer off? And would you recommend dremel or 19,394,487,362,849 passes with a file? :homer:

:grinpimp: OK, so maybe I didn't get it completely this morning :flipoff2: It was early and I was tired. So the more important is the hook? The back of the trigger really isn't necessary to push the hammer off? And would you recommend dremel or 19,394,487,362,849 passes with a file? :homer:

Grind back the point of the TRIGGER.
Don't change the underside angle of the trigger. Keep the tip vertical.

Other then a good polish leave the hammer alone.

What you are feeling on your finger sounds like trigger slap. I can see you have what looks like a Century trigger and hammer, but I can not tell for sure on the disconnector. The Century disconnectors have a partial tail that needs to be removed. Basically grind a slight upward angle from the spring hole toward the rear, removing the bottom corner of the tail. This tail causes a slight bind when the trigger is being reset by the bolt carrier, which causes the trigger to get pushed forward a bit.

If you have enough engagment, you can trim the tip of the trigger hook to shorten the pull. DO NOT CHANGE THE LOWER ANGLE OF THE HOOK AS ALOHA MENTIONED!

The Century FCGs are easy to set up as a two stage trigger with a short reset. I usually keep the inital pull long, since I can feel exactly when the trigger is about to break. I adjust the reset by filing or welding more material to the bottom of the disconnector front tail (dick?), and add a front leg where the right hook would go on the trigger to eliminate excessive overtravel. Finish by polishing up, including the top of the hammer where the bolt carrier rides (where the big casting mark is), and the bottom of the bolt carrier. Dont mess with the front corner of the bolt. Polishing up the carrier, and the face of the hammer seems to smooth the bolt action a bit.

Its tedious work, and does make the trigger better....but when your all done it still just a damn AK.

Hell, that was easy :smokin: Thanks guys. So anyone got a link on how to work on 1911 triggers? Specifically, a Springfield Micro. I plan to get a shorter trigger so my little sissy fingered girl hands reach it better as well.

Hell, that was easy :smokin: Thanks guys. So anyone got a link on how to work on 1911 triggers? Specifically, a Springfield Micro. I plan to get a shorter trigger so my little sissy fingered girl hands reach it better as well.

I'm looking for AR-15 triggers soo if anyone has a good link or has done some trigger work with them post up. I've heard a lot about the ar15 trigger groups being case hardened so one needs to be careful so tolerances would be nice too. I just might take a polishing wheel to my spare carrier group this weekend and see what happens:shaking:

On the AR what exactly are you looking for?
If it is to just smooth things out, put some fine lapping compound on the trigger and hammer and dry fire it a couple hundred times. Followed by a high polish with a craytex. Don't change any angles or dimensions.
There are many excellent aftermarket set up.
Look at the JP for ideas on adding set screws to the trigger.

On the AR what exactly are you looking for?
If it is to just smooth things out, put some fine lapping compound on the trigger and hammer and dry fire it a couple hundred times. Followed by a hugh polish with a craytex. Don't change any angles or dimensions.
There are many excellent aftermarket set up.
Look at the JP for ideas on adding set screws to the trigger.

Well when I bought my lpk I bough some 2 or 3.lb trigger springs too, but it didn't help much over regular trigger pull. I wanna get the trigger down to like 4 .lbs. I figured try to do a trigger job and if I don't like it I'll buy a jp trigger(I really like jp products)

AR trigger overtravel is controlled by the set screws more easily the grinding on the trigger and hammer.
Springs effect trigger pull, but smoothing the engagement surfaces is really needed. A new LPK is going to be very stiff. Do the dry fire trick. Clean very very well afterwards. Spray can of brake clean. Followed by a good lube.

OK, so I think I figured out why my trigger sucks ass. I am using a Century hammer, Century trigger, but I think I have a romanian sear/disconnector. look at the size difference on the holes pictured....I think the sear is just flopping around on the pin causing the vibrations.

Thats because there is supposed to be a sleeve that goes THROUGH the trigger then the disconnecter on a romanian (and most others) with the axis pin inside that.

where that century crap just has the pin go through.

Looks like you have a mismatched kit. Some FCGs use a sleave to hold the trigger and disco together to ease assembly. These have a larger hole so the sleave can have the same ID as the pins OD.

Use a .22lr case to shim it up

Thats because there is supposed to be a sleeve that goes THROUGH the trigger then the disconnecter on a romanian (and most others) with the axis pin inside that.

where that century crap just has the pin go through.

Exactly.

Looks like you have a mismatched kit. Some FCGs use a sleave to hold the trigger and disco together to ease assembly. These have a larger hole so the sleave can have the same ID as the pins OD.

Use a .22lr case to shim it up

Yeah, I just think I wasnt paying attention to my parts when I installed. Gonna swap in a correct sear and be good to go. I need the sear for a final compliance part anyway since I swapped to an AMD muzzle brake.

Great thread guys. My WASR build is coming along nicely. Thanks for all the info.

FYI, for everyone who reads this BEFORE ordering their parts: Keith should have spent like an extra $8 to upgrade from the Century POS trigger to a G2. That is the only product Tapco sells that I will recommend.

Then do your shortening and polishing and whatever. But the G2 takes care of all the trigger slap and gives you a decent trigger out of the box. I haven't seen any need to modify mine. :)

Take a look at this for what Red Star Arms does with their adjustable AK triggers.
http://www.redstararms.com/uploads/RSA_trigger.pdf

Take a look at this for what Red Star Arms does with their adjustable AK triggers.
http://www.redstararms.com/uploads/RSA_trigger.pdf

Wow...they managed to something simple and fool proof and make it almost comically complex...

Sure...but once you get it adjusted it is a very nice trigger. Adjustable pre and post travel, single stage or double stage, etc.

Wow...they managed to something simple and fool proof and make it almost comically complex...

Pot calling the kettle black? :laughing:

Pot calling the kettle black? :laughing:

I said fool proof... Not Numi proof :laughing::laughing:

what is the advantage of the double hook triggers?

what is the advantage of the double hook triggers?

Twice as much hookage :flipoff2:

They will take longer to wear out. I don't think on a semi-auto that will ever be an issue.

FYI, for everyone who reads this BEFORE ordering their parts: Keith should have spent like an extra $8 to upgrade from the Century POS trigger to a G2. That is the only product Tapco sells that I will recommend.

Then do your shortening and polishing and whatever. But the G2 takes care of all the trigger slap and gives you a decent trigger out of the box. I haven't seen any need to modify mine. :)

I agree, and the rifle now has a G2 in it. ;)