Need Seattle-area gunsmith recommendation for Makarov trigger job
- Thread starter CyBerlin
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creeper1956
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I've read your "JB paste" thread. JB doesn't accomplish much on steel... at least not in anything you'd call a reasonable amount of time.
You'd be better off with "very fine" lapping compound (600-800 or finer grit)... and like you've guessed and been told by Sam, it's a pretty terrible idea. This previous sentence is more a joke than an actual suggestion.
Have you disassembled the gun and looked at the transfer bar, trigger, sear, hammer, spring and their pivot points and contact surfaces?
I realize you don't want to tackle this yourself, but just curious if you've looked at, cleaned and properly lubricated those parts.
The design of the Mak ignition system relies on a pretty stout mainspring weight (5200 grams is the rated DA pull weight... or 11.5 lbs)... plus, the leverage with the DA trigger pull is only adequate.
You can, by polishing only and proper lubrication make the DA pull smoother on the break... but making it lighter with the existing parts without skirting the edges of reliability is tougher.
A bit of sear and hook "optimization" will make the break a bit shorter and crisper, but if you're happy with the SA (5 lbs) trigger pull, then there's not much point to it.
I know of no professional 'smith in the area who has good Mak experience... or (an unethical) one that wouldn't take the job, then charge you $50 an hour to experiment on your gun for 3-4 hours. Sorry. Good luck.
C
You'd be better off with "very fine" lapping compound (600-800 or finer grit)... and like you've guessed and been told by Sam, it's a pretty terrible idea. This previous sentence is more a joke than an actual suggestion.
Have you disassembled the gun and looked at the transfer bar, trigger, sear, hammer, spring and their pivot points and contact surfaces?
I realize you don't want to tackle this yourself, but just curious if you've looked at, cleaned and properly lubricated those parts.
The design of the Mak ignition system relies on a pretty stout mainspring weight (5200 grams is the rated DA pull weight... or 11.5 lbs)... plus, the leverage with the DA trigger pull is only adequate.
You can, by polishing only and proper lubrication make the DA pull smoother on the break... but making it lighter with the existing parts without skirting the edges of reliability is tougher.
A bit of sear and hook "optimization" will make the break a bit shorter and crisper, but if you're happy with the SA (5 lbs) trigger pull, then there's not much point to it.
I know of no professional 'smith in the area who has good Mak experience... or (an unethical) one that wouldn't take the job, then charge you $50 an hour to experiment on your gun for 3-4 hours. Sorry. Good luck.
C
Great feedback. Thanks for your honesty.
I actually had some good results giving the parts a good oiling. I'm watching some videos on doing a complete breakdown, and it doesn't look too daunting. Will take some photos along the way to make sure I can reassemble the thing when I'm done.
As others have suggested, a good oiling and lube job of all metal to metal contact surfaces will probably work wonders. The heavy trigger can only be fixed with a lighter leaf spring (not interested in doing that), so I'll just have to beef up my index finger w/ regular dry firing practice.
I actually had some good results giving the parts a good oiling. I'm watching some videos on doing a complete breakdown, and it doesn't look too daunting. Will take some photos along the way to make sure I can reassemble the thing when I'm done.
As others have suggested, a good oiling and lube job of all metal to metal contact surfaces will probably work wonders. The heavy trigger can only be fixed with a lighter leaf spring (not interested in doing that), so I'll just have to beef up my index finger w/ regular dry firing practice.
creeper1956
Member
No problem Cy. I've done a few Mak triggers, so I have a decent idea of what your up against.
A good clean, light de-burring polish and lube with the slickest snot you can find should make a substantial difference.
There's a nice schematic and neat radiograph photos on a site I've visited a few times here that should help considerably. If it pops up in German, there's an English language version click in the upper left corner.
The lighter leaf spring may cause misfires... that's the "skirting the edges of reliability" element I was talking about. If you use surplus ammo with hard primers, too light a spring may make for a sweet DA, but it may not go bang every time.
I'd do it for you, but I got cancer and not a lot of energy... so I'd need it for a week or two.
Have fun with it,
C
A good clean, light de-burring polish and lube with the slickest snot you can find should make a substantial difference.
There's a nice schematic and neat radiograph photos on a site I've visited a few times here that should help considerably. If it pops up in German, there's an English language version click in the upper left corner.
The lighter leaf spring may cause misfires... that's the "skirting the edges of reliability" element I was talking about. If you use surplus ammo with hard primers, too light a spring may make for a sweet DA, but it may not go bang every time.
I'd do it for you, but I got cancer and not a lot of energy... so I'd need it for a week or two.
Have fun with it,
C
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