GP100 improving trigger

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LeadFlyFly

LeadFlyFly

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So I've found a ton of resources online that explain how to do it, but I would love to hear from the folks here on recommendations for the most foolproof method to smooth the mating surfaces. Obviously I don't want to mess up my gun by changing any angles or taking off too much metal.

Maybe 1000 grit sandpaper, then 2000 grit, then my dremel with a felt wheel and flitz or mother's polish? And what speed setting for the dremel?

Any and all advice is welcome!! Tips or techniques, warnings or cautions also would be great!! I really love the gun and it's beautiful, but the DA trigger definitely could use some TLC. I will shim it as well if that matters.

 
I prefer using hard Arkansas stones to deburr and smooth pistol internals. Too easy to round edges with paper and especially Dremels.
 
Arkansas stones are the way to go for sure. You can actually feel when the metal is smooth. A set of wolff gun springs & smoothing all the internals with the stones will have you in love with the GP100 like I am.
 
I have used the stones & wolff gun springs on all my revolvers & it makes a huge difference. It's too bad I can't find 357 ammo! Keep us posted on how it goes. Revos.jpg
 
Sandpaper and a flat surface will work just as well as a hard Arkansas stone.

Better even if the Arkansas stone is dished….which many are.
 
I think I will go with Wolff springs. I found this information:

__________________________________________________________

The factory hammer spring is 14 lb. and the trigger return spring is 12 lb.

This pak contains:

  • 8 lb. trigger return spring
  • 10 lb. trigger return spring
  • 9 lb. Reduced Power Hammer Spring
  • 10 lb. Reduced Power Hammer Spring
  • 12 lb. Reduced Power Hammer Spring
__________________________________________________________

Is it likely that using the 10lb trigger return spring and the 10lb hammer spring is a good compromise between reliability and performance? This is a home defense revolver and I don't need a custom gun feel, but I absolutely do need it to go bang 100% of the time.
 
LeadFlyFly said:
I think I will go with Wolff springs. I found this information:

__________________________________________________________

The factory hammer spring is 14 lb. and the trigger return spring is 12 lb.

This pak contains:

  • 8 lb. trigger return spring
  • 10 lb. trigger return spring
  • 9 lb. Reduced Power Hammer Spring
  • 10 lb. Reduced Power Hammer Spring
  • 12 lb. Reduced Power Hammer Spring
__________________________________________________________

Is it likely that using the 10lb trigger return spring and the 10lb hammer spring is a good compromise between reliability and performance? This is a home defense revolver and I don't need a custom gun feel, but I absolutely do need it to go bang 100% of the time.
Click to expand...


Do not go with to low of a hammer spring! You will have failure to fire. Spring replacement is NOT a trigger job.Shoot the gun a lot and let it "wear in"
12lb (hammer) is low enough.
Step away from the Dremel.
The trigger return spring (rebound spring for SW) makes a big difference,
 
Having done a few action jobs on GP100s, I use knife sharpeners to hone the various surfaces. They are made by DMT, steel impregnated with industrial diamond dust. I use them because I have them and they seem to work.

If you want the gun for range use, fiddle with the springs to your heart's content. If you want it as a tool, I feel that in most circumstances the stock springs are fine. I've used spring kits before. But after the springs take a set, what I thought was reliable became unreliable. This is true for both the trigger return spring and hammer spring. If you want reliable, keep the stock springs in there. Then there's no doubt.
 
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I stone all bearing surfaces of my revolvers. I use a super slick Arkansas stone and oil. I also put Xtra Power Wolff mainsprings in all my J/I frames. Trigger pulls are heavy, but nice and smooth with no stacking or creep.
 
DO NOT USE A DREMEL. DO TOUCH THE SEAR OR THE HAMMER HOOKS. Just knock down all of the casting and machining burrs. In a Ruger there will be PLENTY of those - especially in the trigger return spring tunnel. Ruger does not de-burr ANYTHING. You would not believe the amount of crap I have found inside new Rugers. Stock springs are perfectly fine - trying to lighten the trigger pull with light springs causes more problems than it solves. A lof of pro competitors will actually run heavier than stock springs so they do not have to wait as long for the trigger to reset. Jerry Miculek uses heavier springs just so the action can have any chance at all of keeping up with his finger. Yes, he is that fast.
 
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Put the moto-tool back in the drawer or cabinet and don't even think about it again. Then do a search for "Poor Boy's (or Man's) Trigger job" which requires no stones or tools to smooth out the sear mating surfaces. There is a link on Gunblast, but one's operating system may bring up different but useful presentations of it. Just requires patience and persistence. Worked for me on three Rugers.
 
Another method I’ve used in the past is a slathering of J-B Bore Lap on bearing surfaces and a bunch of dry firing. That works well too. Moderation folks…
 
There is ONE place that a Dremel is the appropriate tool. That is the hammer strut seat on the underside of the hammer. You cannot get a stone or sandpaper in there to polish out the roughness. As it is not a critical mating surface there is no risk of ruining components or fit. A small rubberized polishing point (Cratex is one brand) that will fit up into the cavity works wonders on that surface. I follow up with half of a Q-Tip loaded with polishing paste to really slick it up. I also polish the head of the hammer strut (where it engages the hammer) as well as deburr and polish the lower body of the strut to reduce friction on the mainspring. I've found that those extra step pay dividends when doing a Ruger trigger job.
 
BBBBill said:
There is ONE place that a Dremel is the appropriate tool. That is the hammer strut seat on the underside of the hammer. You cannot get a stone or sandpaper in there to polish out the roughness. As it is not a critical mating surface there is no risk of ruining components or fit. A small rubberized polishing point (Cratex is one brand) that will fit up into the cavity works wonders on that surface. I follow up with half of a Q-Tip loaded with polishing paste to really slick it up. I also polish the head of the hammer strut (where it engages the hammer) as well as deburr and polish the lower body of the strut to reduce friction on the mainspring. I've found that those extra step pay dividends when doing a Ruger trigger job.
Click to expand...


I did something very similar to my SP101. I then filled the cavity with Tetra gun grease.
 
BBBBill said:
There is ONE place that a Dremel is the appropriate tool. That is the hammer strut seat on the underside of the hammer. You cannot get a stone or sandpaper in there to polish out the roughness. As it is not a critical mating surface there is no risk of ruining components or fit. A small rubberized polishing point (Cratex is one brand) that will fit up into the cavity works wonders on that surface. I follow up with half of a Q-Tip loaded with polishing paste to really slick it up. I also polish the head of the hammer strut (where it engages the hammer) as well as deburr and polish the lower body of the strut to reduce friction on the mainspring. I've found that those extra step pay dividends when doing a Ruger trigger job.
Click to expand...

I'm so happy that you posted this- thank you!!! I took a felt polishing wheel and cut it down- just held it against a screwdriver until it was small enough to fit into that cavity in the hammer. Put Mother's polish on it and polished it. Put grease in that cavity. Deburred the tunnel that holds the trigger return spring, and the strut with the bird's head that mates with the cavity in the hammer got 800, 1000, and 3,000 grit stones, then polishing with the dremel and Mother's polish. Changed the factory hammer spring to 12 pounds instead of 14 that it comes with from the factory. SHOCKING difference from just that little bit of work. My wife is not experienced with guns, but she said that it made all the difference in the world on the DA trigger pull. She dry-fired it a lot with snap caps and now she loves it- before she refused to shoot it in DA mode (it was really rough and really stiff before).

I don't know what to think- really surprised that this made so much difference. I am not motivated at all to touch the sear at this point. I do have the shims still coming and will install those. Not sure if I will change the trigger return spring.
 
There's a company that makes shim kit to be used on the sides of the hammer to eliminate drag from the frame. Get a Woolf spring kit installed that and shoot the snot out of the pistol.
 
highlander 5 said:
There's a company that makes shim kit to be used on the sides of the hammer to eliminate drag from the frame. Get a Woolf spring kit installed that and shoot the snot out of the pistol.
Click to expand...

Yes- triggershims.com in Michigan. I have them coming now- for the hammer, trigger, and hammer dog. Yeah, it was a Wolff 12 pound hammer spring that I used. Yes sir, I sure will shoot the snot out of it and so will my wife- getting ready to load up some 38 specials right now with Ramshot Silhouette for a plinker load!!! This feels like the coolest 357 on the planet to me right now!!!! LOL
 
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