1 LB trigger OK for sporting gun?

[ants]

I just modified a CZ 455 22lr sporting bolt action rifle...

No disrespect to raj, he is an experienced shooter and has a good reputation here on THR.

But I'm curious about what he actually modified.

As we see from many of the posts above, trigger pull is a personal preference.

But modifying a trigger with little expertise on that gun can produce unexpected results.
Of course, I don't just mean trigger pull.
There's the operation of the safety.
Unintended bump fire.
Twigs in the trigger guard.
Hammer follow after a shot.
I can think of lots of things that go wrong, when the wrong part is modified.


Just be careful, raj. Especially when you load & fire the rifle.

 

[rajb123]

The mods on this rifle were done from parts contained in the Yo-Dave CZ trigger kit and these included:

1. A shim was installed over the front trigger pin between the trigger pin and the sear. The shim eliminated 95% of the creep. The amount of creep from the factory was significant and this issue seams to be a hallmark with these rifles.

2. Installed a lighter trigger spring to reduce the pull weight.

 

[k4swb]

If I could get a 1 pound trigger on every gun I own and be sure that it would not go off if dropped, I'd do it in a heart beat!
MY revolvers are mostly at 1.5 pounds in SA. My rifles are at 2-2.5 and my Contender is at 1.5. My 10/22 is a sweet 1.5 pounds with no over travel. The semi-autos I own are not so good but I keep working at them.
My varmint rifle sports a 1 oz trigger and no safety but I don't carry it around loaded.

 

[MachIVshooter]

My varmint rifle sports a 1 oz trigger and no safety but I don't carry it around loaded.

My 9.6 oz trigger was "breath on it" territory, and not drop safe. Under 7.5 oz, sometimes closing the bolt was enough jarring action for the sear to let go. Forgive me for having a hard time buying this. Competition BR shooters run 4-6 ounces

 

[Motega]

Too much can happen in a blind or treestand with a trigger that light. Get extra life insurance if you gotta have it that light.

 

[mp510]

I have a single shot H&R (bolt action) .22 with a nominally 1lb trigger. I would have no problem taking it hunting. When I am carrying it (loaded), the safety is on and I am muzzle conscious.

My Stevens 416 target rifle has a trigger that is nominally two pounds (maybe just under). It is very crisp. Compared to your typical target rifle trigger, 2 lbs can be heavy. While not an optimum rifle for hunting (I could only see myself hunting with it in very limited stand-hunting circumstances), I wouldn't feel unsafe using it for that purpose.

My Baikal IZH-46 (Olympic style air pistol) has a trigger (less than) 500 grams. Around shots 50-60, you learns just how heavy each gram is. That said, the trigger was something that I needed to get used to--I did put a shot into the 1-ring, because I was a little careless while adjusting my hold on the grip.

My Slavia 631 has a nominally 8 oz trigger. At first, it felt light. After enough shots, I got used to it. While I don't have any intentions of hunting with this (air) rifle, I wouldn't feel unsafe hunting with it, assuming that it was being carried with the safety on.

A light trigger is a great thing. If you have the necessary finger control, it can help you to make shots that you wouldn''t be able to make otherwise. THEY ARE DANGEROUS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO HANDLE IT.

 

[JerryM]

I prefer about 4 lbs on my sporting rifles. I would not use a rifle with a 1 lb trigger. For me the heavier trigger aids in control when shooting in the field, and especially off hand.

Regards,
Jerry

 

[k4swb]

My 9.6 oz trigger was "breath on it" territory, and not drop safe. Under 7.5 oz, sometimes closing the bolt was enough jarring action for the sear to let go. Forgive me for having a hard time buying this. Competition BR shooters run 4-6 ounces

I'm not selling anything, just stating fact. Most real BR rifles I've handled had either a 1 oz or a 1/2 oz trigger and I've handled quite a few. Mine is drop safe at 1 oz. You ought to look at Jewel,Timney or other real triggers. These light trigger are not for everyone but they are safe in the right hands, used for the right jobs.

 

[k4swb]

Too much can happen in a blind or treestand with a trigger that light. Get extra life insurance if you gotta have it that light.

Since there is no one else in the blind or tree stand with me and I don't point the gun at myself I see no danger.

I had another TC Contender once and a friend worried me until I sold it to him. It had a 1.5 pound trigger on it and he wanted me to put it up to at least 3 pounds. Since I knew he would be going with me in a few days to shoot it I asked him to wait until he tried it and he agreed. I let him shoot it 5-10 times and then told him I could adjust the trigger anytime he wished now. He kept it way out of my reach for the rest of the trip and said I'd better not go anywhere near it with a screwdriver.

If you have never shot a gun with a really clean, crisp light trigger you don't know what you're missing.

 

[langenc]

"If the firearm can not hang from the trigger without releasing, " from first page post

Ever try a 'light trigger'? Something less than 6#-try it-you WILL like it.

 

[Art Eatman]

StrawHat, I gotta strongly disagree about your "hang by the trigger" deal. I'd have been truly miserable with such a trigger on my 9.5-pound '06 that I toted for many a mile of walking hunts. Or, for that matter, even the present pet, the 6.5-pound 700 Ti.

And can you imagine a certain Africa hunter here with his 14-pound .470 Rigby double? By the time he made it go Bang! that buffalo would have run over him!

 

[Furncliff]

A hunting trigger does not have to be super light, and 1# IS super light. a three pound trigger that is creep free and breaks clean would be a better alternative IMHO.

 

[armsmaster270]

I wouldn't

 

[Motega]

Wow, a ZIPPER brushing against the trigger in the treestand could set that off... and even if it isn't pointed at you directly, legs, feet, a tree trunk 2' from your face etc. can also be a problem. I just don't see the need for a hair trigger on a big game gun and I do see lots of potential for unnecessarily putting yourself in danger.
But it seems you are sold on it, and I wish you luck. Be careful.

 

[gamestalker]

Whoa, that's really light. I like my trigger's light, but that is too light for my taste. AD's are going to be a real problem if your not fully aware every second it is in your hands. I have a 700 with about a 24 oz. trigger and that one is really touchy to me. I can't even imagine a 16 oz. trigger.

 

[StrawHat]

Art Eatman ...StrawHat, I gotta strongly disagree about your "hang by the trigger" deal. I'd have been truly miserable with such a trigger on my 9.5-pound '06 that I toted for many a mile of walking hunts. Or, for that matter, even the present pet, the 6.5-pound 700 Ti....

I see no reason to have a 30-06 that weighs over 7 pounds. My 405 WCF goes 7 pounds.

Art Eatman ...And can you imagine a certain Africa hunter here with his 14-pound .470 Rigby double? By the time he made it go Bang! that buffalo would have run over him! ...

I also have seen the 100 pound slug gun, but that is not what I am talking about. I was referring to sensible field rifles, which in my opinion don't need to go over 7 pounds unless you are shooting a "heavy" caliber ie some sort of 40+ magnum. The Brits perfected the hunting rifle and routinely made 6 1/2 pound hunting rifles chambered for the 450 Express.

langenc ...Ever try a 'light trigger'? Something less than 6#-try it-you WILL like it.

Yep, when I shot competition I used a variety of rifles with light triggers. I still have one German Schuetzen that the trigger can be adjusted so light merely pointing the muzzle to the sky will cause it to drop but as long as it is kept horizontal, it is safe. Way to light for my tastes. I like a crisp trigger, like a breaking glass rod, with no overtravel. I can even appreciate a two stage trigger. It all depends on how you were taught to shoot. I doubt I can influence your decisions nor can you change mine. After this many decades of success, I see no reason to change.

 

[bpl]

I would not be at all comfortable with a field gun with a 1lb trigger. 3lbs minimum for me, I'd prefer 4-5lbs though.

 

[CraigC]

Yeah, I don't think I'll be switching to 7-8lb triggers anytime soon.

 

[JohnBT]

I like about 2.5# give or take on a walking around rifle, but 3# or 4# would be fine too.

Looking at some rimfires, my old Marlin Mountie is 6#, but I got used to it in the '60s.
My Finnfire Hunter sporter has a Jewell trigger that measures 1.49 OUNCES on my Lyman gauge (but also adjusts up to 4.5#.) The Sako factory trigger adjusts from 2# to 4#, but I have that range covered with a Rem 541-S. They made pretty good factory triggers back then.

 

[Effigy]

I think you wouldn't be able to make good use of a 1 lb trigger under field conditions anyway. Better to go for a ~3 lb trigger for the extra safety.

 

[CraigC]

The safety aspect has me a little bit baffled. There are comments about it being drop-safe. If it ain't, you don't need to be using it anyway. There are comments about inanimate objects making their way into the triggerguard. Well, the safety should be on while you're doing anything that might introduce an inanimate object into the triggerguard, which can push off a 3lb trigger as easily as a 1lb. There are comments about it just flat out being unsafe. To which I say, if you abide by the safety rules, particularly keeping your firearm pointed in a safe direction, never pointing it at anything you do not want to destroy and never putting your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire, where's the danger? Because it sounds to me like a lot of irrational fear with weird, unrealistic justifications.

Seriously, magazine writers have always pushed the 3lb trigger. Which you have to assume has some liability built-in for the average shooter. If an above average shooter is completely safe with a 2lb trigger, is a 1lb trigger really a sign of imminent apocalypse?

IMHO, the only 'good' reason not to use a "safe" 1lb trigger is the cold and/or gloved finger argument.

 

[Loosedhorse]

I would worry about the sear engagement on a trigger that light. If you give the stock a real good smack, is the sear going to slip? And light trigger springs have been known to not dependably drive the trigger back forward in "field conditions"; that could cost you a follow-up shot.

Also, I'd ask: what's the point? One of my hunting rifles has a single set-trigger; in the set position, it's probably about 1 lb. I've used the set at the range, but never in the field. Yet.

 

[taliv]

if you're shooting standing up, i don't think most people can put their finger on a 1lb trigger without setting it off reliably (say, 10 out of 10 tries) especially after several hours of trekking around in the wood

however, everyone can put their finger on a 3 lb trigger without setting it off, and take up the first stage of a 2-stage w/o setting it off.

i know 50 people will come along claiming to be able to do this 'all day long', and maybe they can (but i'd still take that bet) but they wouldn't be average

 

[Effigy]

What does a 1 lb trigger really gain you in the field? You're not shooting off a bench. The instability in your shooting position is likely to be greater than that introduced by a 3 lb trigger pull. You're not likely to be taking extreme long range shots either, unless we're talking about varmint hunting. In the latter case, a 1 lb trigger is probably fine.