My Cimarron trigger pull is too light!

[Hammerdown77]

I have a Cimarron Model P in .45 Colt and just did a Wolff spring kit swap last night. With the stock springs, the trigger was pretty light and kinda mushy, with lots of creep. I mainly wanted to reduce some of the force required to cock the hammer, as it seemed fairly heavy considering how light the trigger pull was. Also wanted to replace the flat sear/bolt spring with a wire version.

Spring swap went ok and now the cocking action feels GREAT; however, the trigger pull is under 1 lb. Yes, under 16 oz. on the trigger pull gauge, and of course now there's a mile of creep (easier to feel with a light trigger).

My question...is there a way to up the trigger pull weight to say 2.5 lbs without adversely affecting the hammer cocking force? Can I just bend on the trigger leg of the sear/bolt spring a little?

I know the creep is a whole 'nother issue, but I'll mess with that later.

 

[rcmodel]

I'd put the stock flat bolt spring back in and see what the pull weight is with it.

If it is 2 1/2 pounds or so, you may be able to bend the wire spring enough to duplicate the flat spring weight.

If it's still under 2 1/2 pounds or so, you have an issue with the hammer notch or trigger sear (tip of the trigger).

It might be possible to recut the hammer notch deeper and at the correct angle and correct the trigger tip, but then you run into a risk of having the trigger hit the half-cock notch when you fire it. That will quickly damage the trigger sear angle again.
And you really need a SAA sear & hammer jig to do it right.

It could just be a new hammer & trigger are needed.

If you are not equipped with the tools and skills to do it, I'd call Cimarron and discuss having their gunsmith fix it.

rc

 

[Hammerdown77]

Yep, just got back from test firing it and this simply won't do. The trigger feels like it has no spring tension on it at all, but there has got to be a tenth of an inch of creep before the hammer falls. I looked at the hammer notch while I had it apart, and while the angle and surface still looks intact, the hook surface seems awfully deep. The long creep is the only thing that keeps it from firing as soon as you rest your trigger finger on it, though.

I'll pull it apart here in a bit, replace the wire spring with the flat factory spring, and re-measure the pull.

 

[sansone]

after you install the original spring, if the pull weight is acceptable, you can file the "hook surface" (as you called it) .. in other words, make the depth shallower to reduce creep. First you need to restore the acceptable pull weight, then tackle the creep. Make sure you can easily get spare parts in case you file too much. Little at a time is best

 

[rcmodel]

Well, if the hammer notch is that deep, it seems the wire spring is binding on the trigger flat or something, and not pushing it back all the way into the notch.

Look for the end of the wire spring binding against the trigger, rubbing abainst the bolt, or something like that.

rc

 

[Hammerdown77]

Trigger pull measures 1 lb. 14 oz. (avg) with the stock, flat sear/bolt spring installed.

 

[rcmodel]

O.K.
You got a hammer notch angle or trigger tip angle problem.

Call Cimmeron for parts or service.

rc

 

[Hammerdown77]

Dang. I wonder if Cimarron can just send me a new part or parts. Last time I sent it to them to index a barrel to correct windage, it took over 4 months to get the gun back....

 

[rcmodel]

Well, I know they sell hammers & triggers.
Has anyone done any work with stones on yours??
Or fanning the hammer?

It sounds like a simple trigger job / recutting the hammer notch & trigger tip angles is all your's needs.
But again, it ain't for the faint of heart with no SAA sear jig.

rc

 

[Hammerdown77]

Have no idea what was done to the gun before I got it, since I'm the second owner, but it appeared in almost new condition and the trigger pull was heavier than it is now. The previous owner probably only shot it a few times and traded it in because he couldn't hit anything with it (as the barrel needed to be indexed quite a bit to correct the windage issue).

I'm wondering if the trigger/sear or hammer engagement surfaces are just soft , and didn't hold their angles. Can't think of why the trigger pull would have changed that dramatically.

 

[chasw44]

H: 2-1/2 lbs letoff on a pistol is about right, IMO. Your problem is the creep, it seems. No sense sending it back to Cimarron, their legal staff probably considers the creep to be normal, the sign of a safe trigger.

To correct it, you need to carefully reduce the engagement surfaces. The trick is to leave the angles as is, while removing metal (usually from the hammer) and polishing the contacting surfaces. Trial and error fitting is necessary, a real chore with SAA type pistols. Some minimal amount of creep is necessary, but it should be barely noticeable. Needle files and fine sandpaper will do the trick, or you can send it to a capable pistolsmith (see link below) if DIY is not for you. - CW

http://www.americanpistol.com/

 

[rcmodel]

Your problem is the creep, it seems.

No, his problem is a less then one pound trigger with a lot of creep.

That indicates the hammer notch or trigger tip, or both are cut, or worn, to the wrong angles.

He doesn't need to remove any more metal from the hammer notch to fix the creep until he gets the pull weight back up to a safe level.

are just soft , and didn't hold their angles.

Very likely. I have had a Cimarron with soft parts before.

rc

 

[Hammerdown77]

I'm going to call Cimarron on Monday (or whenever they're open after the holiday) and talk to their gunsmith. I'd really like to NOT have to send it to Texas, but we'll see how that goes.