Aftermarket trigger?

[Bio-Chem]

I would love to hear any advice or experiences you guys have?

I've a Win mod 70 featherweight classic built in 1993 in .308win. It was my first rifle I got when i was 13. Since then i've added a few other bolts into the collection. a weatherby vanguard 2, a Savage 110, and a Rem 700. Of all, the Win is still my favorite, much of it still do to nostalgia and cal love. The one problem is the trigger is pretty much garbage when compared to these other rifles. So I'm looking at replacing the trigger with a newer one.

I was wondering what experiences/recommendations for aftermarket triggers you gentlemen may have? Anyone else replaced a trigger on their model 70?

 

[rcmodel]

Have you tried adjusting the trigger you have??

The old style Model 70 trigger is IMO one of the best ever invented for a rough & tumble hunting rifle.
Utter simplicity, and no place for dirt or ice to stop it from always working.

They can be adjusted to give a most excellent trigger pull.

http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/win70trigger.html

rc

 

[Bio-Chem]

Very interesting read. Simple and straightforward. Thanks. So you'd recommend just having the current trigger adjusted. That's certainly an option I should look at apparently.

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, that is exactly what I would recommend.

They weren't quite was good or hand finished by 1993 when your rifle came out.
But any decent gunsmith can slick it up and adjust it good enough to leave a smile on your face!!

rc

 

[BBBBill]

Emphasis on "decent gunsmith". There are lots of folks that do general smithing work and others that specialize in one type of gun. There are far more jerks and jackanapes wrecking guns than there are good smiths. There is an ongoing thread on here titled "Flaky gunsmith" started by a fellow with the user name Pripyat. The story is all too common.

 

[Bio-Chem]

Anyone got any past experiences of going with an aftermarket trigger?

 

[BBBBill]

Not on a Winchester. I've used lots of Timneys on other rifles with great success. My earlier caution was not to put you off of having a smith tune your factory trigger. It was to encourage you to vet his work before turning your gun over to him. Get references, etc.

 

[Kp321]

I have installed several Timneys on M-70's over the years with much success. The Timneys are much easier to adjust. The only down side is that the cocking piece may need some work to allow the safety to engage properly.
I agree that there is normally nothing wrong with the factory trigger but some were some problems when the M-70 was in its doldrums. If the trigger is not right, it takes a lot of work to get it right.

 

[sage5907]

If you have the original Model 70 trigger it is relatively easy to adjust. I have done this many times and removing some of the spring tension is usually all that is needed. You need 2 small 1/4 inch open end wrenches and a small standard slot screwdriver. First note how much of the adjustment screw sticks out below the trigger so you can get the overtravel reset correctly. Then back the adustment screw down so you can remove the spring and one of the lock nuts. The idea is to remove one of the two lock nuts that is on the adjustment screw. By doing this you reduce the spring tension which lowers the trigger pull. The remaining lock nut is then used to adjust the spring tension and can be backed down all the way to the trigger if needed. I have never had the single lock nut move after the spring tension is set.

If you replace the trigger with a Timney trigger the Timney will most likely be wider than the original trigger and may touch the side of the trigger guard. This will cause creep. Use a small flat file to remove metal from the trigger guard so that a piece of typing paper can be inserted. Use a black magic marker to replace the color on the filed spot.

 

[loose noose]

I definitely agree with RC on this one, as I've owned several model 70 Winchesters, and the trigger on all of them was very simple to adjust. Of course if you want to spend the extra money have at it, I'm sure Timney will appreciate it.

 

[JohnBT]

Mr. Jewell makes a nice trigger too.

www.sinclairintl.com/gun-parts-tool...rs/jewell-trigger-win-model-70-prod38271.aspx

I haven't put one on a Winchester yet, but they're fine triggers.

$244.95 - adjustable from 1.5 to 4 pounds.

My father bought a new Featherweight .243 approximately 20 years ago and the trigger wasn't too bad at all... after the pull was adjusted.

 

[all357mag]

Don't start wasting money on aftermarket triggers. I think the engineers at Winchester have a grasp on trigger design! Just take it to get adjusted.

 

[Bio-Chem]

I like the shared experiences here. If their are any more i'm happy to listen. It seems like i might want to just get the one I have adjusted, but im not against spending some money to get an aftermarket one either.