sparkyv
Member
Indeed!
GP100 DIY trigger job
- Thread starter Joe Texas
- Start date
- Status
NaptownLoader
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2020
- Messages
- 1
A couple months back I wanted to improve my two-year old GP100's DA pull, but the local gunsmith was backed up months. I dutifully followed the disassembly, cleaning, and polishing regiment in Iowegan's instructions. I figured for what the gunsmith was likely to charge, I might as well buy a couple fine and ultra fine India stones. It was pretty simple to spot the existing wear marks and stone the parts using Iowegan's instructions.
Nutnfancy's Youtube with Yoda was good, too, mainly for the parts to NOT touch like the hammer sear. Watch his technique with the stones, too. I had a bunch of wear on the sides of my hammer. After stoning hammer, hammer dog, interior of the frame where the hammer had been rubbing, I polished the surfaces Iowegan says to clean up with Dremel and Flitz. They look like silver mirrors, now.
Didn't touch the main spring- not messing with the ignition (see Terry G's admonition in the video), but traded out the trigger return for Wilson Combat's #10.
A day's worth of patient work and I got a huge improvement in the DA pull. SA is a little bit slicker, too. Don't have a before and after trigger pull weight, sorry, but mine benefitted from a little TLC.
Nutnfancy's Youtube with Yoda was good, too, mainly for the parts to NOT touch like the hammer sear. Watch his technique with the stones, too. I had a bunch of wear on the sides of my hammer. After stoning hammer, hammer dog, interior of the frame where the hammer had been rubbing, I polished the surfaces Iowegan says to clean up with Dremel and Flitz. They look like silver mirrors, now.
Didn't touch the main spring- not messing with the ignition (see Terry G's admonition in the video), but traded out the trigger return for Wilson Combat's #10.
A day's worth of patient work and I got a huge improvement in the DA pull. SA is a little bit slicker, too. Don't have a before and after trigger pull weight, sorry, but mine benefitted from a little TLC.
JTHunter
Member
Could this be a problem inherent to Ruger revolvers? I ask because several years ago, I took an SP-101 in .38 Special to a gunsmith to reduce the DA pull that an aging parent had trouble handling. He declined because of liability concerns BUT he told me what needed to be done, then talked me through it while I used his tools.
I nipped off pieces of the coil spring until I got the DA pull down to a more reasonable level for a "senior citizen".
I nipped off pieces of the coil spring until I got the DA pull down to a more reasonable level for a "senior citizen".
I don't like the trigger return spring to be too weak. It's nice to have something pushing back against your finger sufficiently to make sure you let the trigger all the way out before you start the next pull. Because if you don't, on a Ruger revolver, the action locks and you have to fully release and try again which slows everything down, presumably at a time when speed matters.
That's why I focus on smoothing things rather than changing springs. Even just smoothing things will result in a lighter pull, but the big benefit is a nicer trigger, not one that is a lot lighter.
It's harder to get a light trigger in the SP101 for a couple of reasons. The GP100 & Super Redhawk cylinders spin on a ball bearing. The SP101 has a friction bearing which causes a bit more drag. In addition, everything's smaller in the SP101 which means less leverage and a harder trigger pull. Going to the GP100 would probably be a better option--you can get a nicer trigger and the gun is more shootable as well. Of course, if it's a carry gun instead of a home defense gun, the extra weight is a problem.
That's why I focus on smoothing things rather than changing springs. Even just smoothing things will result in a lighter pull, but the big benefit is a nicer trigger, not one that is a lot lighter.
It's harder to get a light trigger in the SP101 for a couple of reasons. The GP100 & Super Redhawk cylinders spin on a ball bearing. The SP101 has a friction bearing which causes a bit more drag. In addition, everything's smaller in the SP101 which means less leverage and a harder trigger pull. Going to the GP100 would probably be a better option--you can get a nicer trigger and the gun is more shootable as well. Of course, if it's a carry gun instead of a home defense gun, the extra weight is a problem.
chicharrones
needs more ammo
A couple of additional thoughts:
Where the 10 lb mainspring results in FTFs there is a Wolff spring rated at 11 lbs that comes in nicely between the 10 and 12 lb springs.
Also, when getting FTFs one can consider increasing firing pin protrusion. On the newer GP's one could try an extended firing pin from Bowen modified if necessary to give adequate protrusion. The bushing is removed from the rear of recoil shield. On the older ones the top step of the hammer can be reduced slightly to increase the protrusion but check to see that the transfer bar is not "captured" i.e. is free to retract. Do not take off more than 0.020" and round the edges at the front of the step on the hammer - this is from Iowegan in his comments on the subject elsewhere. The tip of the firing pin should protrude from the recoil shield a max of 0.055".
Another facet to check is headspace. Per a comment in the following string:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gp100-headspace.423717/
Related to headspace is endshake. Headspace can be reduced using washers on the crane if there is sufficient endshake.
Where the 10 lb mainspring results in FTFs there is a Wolff spring rated at 11 lbs that comes in nicely between the 10 and 12 lb springs.
Also, when getting FTFs one can consider increasing firing pin protrusion. On the newer GP's one could try an extended firing pin from Bowen modified if necessary to give adequate protrusion. The bushing is removed from the rear of recoil shield. On the older ones the top step of the hammer can be reduced slightly to increase the protrusion but check to see that the transfer bar is not "captured" i.e. is free to retract. Do not take off more than 0.020" and round the edges at the front of the step on the hammer - this is from Iowegan in his comments on the subject elsewhere. The tip of the firing pin should protrude from the recoil shield a max of 0.055".
Another facet to check is headspace. Per a comment in the following string:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gp100-headspace.423717/
Related to headspace is endshake. Headspace can be reduced using washers on the crane if there is sufficient endshake.
One more thing. If you are going to change hammer springs, it is critical to test the gun in DA, NOT just SA. The DA hammer fall is shorter due to the design of the gun and therefore it carries less energy. The fact that the gun is 100% in SA after a spring change does not mean it will be reliable in DA. So test with any kind of ammo the gun might be used with and test in DA. The time to find if there are problems is at the range.
Been interesting reading, never worked on any ruger triggers but I've seen/used trigger jobs that had excellent results compared to the box stock triggers.
What I do find odd is there's no knurling of anything and most things are being "polished" to a smooth finish.
The other thing is in this modern age with all the products out there to reduce friction with metal on metal no one seems to give these product any thought???
What I do find odd is there's no knurling of anything and most things are being "polished" to a smooth finish.
The other thing is in this modern age with all the products out there to reduce friction with metal on metal no one seems to give these product any thought???
Isn't knurling usually done to increase friction, not reduce it?
knurl:
1: a small protuberance, excrescence, or knob
2: one of a series of small ridges or beads on a metal surface to aid in gripping
knurl:
1: a small protuberance, excrescence, or knob
2: one of a series of small ridges or beads on a metal surface to aid in gripping
It can be, but it also has other uses.
Take a loose fitting pin for example, knurling will increase the diameter of the pin, less slop ='s less force going to the least point of resistance/re directing the force being applied. You're doing the same thing with shims indirectly. Less side to side movement ='s less energy needed. Another benefit of of knurling the reduction of surface to surface contact which ='s less resistance. It's the same affect of sharks skin in water. If knurling reduces the contact of the 2 meshing parts by 50% (surface area) then the friction between the 2 parts is reduced by 50%.
At the end of day sometimes its better to not polish things to a flat smooth high polish.
Do you know of any custom gunsmiths who use knurling instead of polishing to a smooth finish when doing trigger jobs? I don't think I've ever seen that method employed in a factory gun. It would be interesting to see some specific instances to get a feel for the specific implementation.
You get into knurling with custom work. But anyone who is doing this types of trigger work is actually doing "custom" work.
Knurling pins/parts in firearms has been done for centuries. What do you do with an old firearm that you can't get parts for and needs work? Make your own parts and if possible knurl worn parts to make then usable again.
I've seen knurling work in Schneider ppc revolvers and a couple 1911's that I don't know who did the work. I've owned custom 40x's that had the fp's knurled & sears knurled.
It's common to knurl the faces of semi-auto rifles bbl's like the nm m14's to fine tune the timing along with knurling the op rod guides.
Fine tuning of the notch of the sear in the hammer can be done with files/re-shaping the notch. Pinned and then filed/tuned ,set screws (I prefer setscrews over pins) or knurled. Knurling is better for alignment but the trade off is the case hardening wears out quicker. Used to knurl the hammer behind the notch on our 1911 race guns and mate the surfaces and then case harden the hammer. Then it was beat the heck out of them with hot 38super's along with trading out slides with hand fitted 6" 9mm bbl's & run 158gr bullets in them.
Anyway knurling has it's uses. Just something to think about when tuning triggers, tuning semi-auto rifles, increasing lock time in bolt actions.
Knurling pins/parts in firearms has been done for centuries. What do you do with an old firearm that you can't get parts for and needs work? Make your own parts and if possible knurl worn parts to make then usable again.
I've seen knurling work in Schneider ppc revolvers and a couple 1911's that I don't know who did the work. I've owned custom 40x's that had the fp's knurled & sears knurled.
It's common to knurl the faces of semi-auto rifles bbl's like the nm m14's to fine tune the timing along with knurling the op rod guides.
Fine tuning of the notch of the sear in the hammer can be done with files/re-shaping the notch. Pinned and then filed/tuned ,set screws (I prefer setscrews over pins) or knurled. Knurling is better for alignment but the trade off is the case hardening wears out quicker. Used to knurl the hammer behind the notch on our 1911 race guns and mate the surfaces and then case harden the hammer. Then it was beat the heck out of them with hot 38super's along with trading out slides with hand fitted 6" 9mm bbl's & run 158gr bullets in them.
Anyway knurling has it's uses. Just something to think about when tuning triggers, tuning semi-auto rifles, increasing lock time in bolt actions.
Confederate
Member
Just out of curiosity, couldn't one go to a hardware store and just buy the shims there? With as many Rugers as I have, it might save me more money to do that.
I'll be looking forward to seeing how it works out. Photos would be great!
Dunross
Member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2018
- Messages
- 994
Well, this thread has motivated me. Ordered my spring kits today. Already have a Dremel and a tube of Flitz I'll pick up a 13/64ths drill bit and a set of feeler gauges this weekend. Will spend some "buddy time" with a friend polishing what needs polishing then we'll see what we end up with. If it looks necessary I'll order the shims.
I like Ruger revolvers, but their triggers nearly always could use some improvement.
I like Ruger revolvers, but their triggers nearly always could use some improvement.
- Status
