The Ideal Rifle Trigger?

[Drakejake]

I suppose the ideal gun trigger has no take-up and has a short, light pull to release the hammer. For general purposes I wouldn't want a hair trigger which would allow the gun to fire if the trigger were touched only lightly. That might be OK for competition shooting but not very safe for other purposes.

Is the ideal trigger pull on a rifle basically the same as that on a single action pistol? My best pistols so far as triggers are concerned are a Star PD .45 and a Para Ordnance 12-45. Also two Smith and Wesson .22 pistols (model 2206). All of these are single action. Of the few rifles I have, the one with the best trigger is the MAK-90, which has no take-up and a short, fairly light and short pull. My tube-loading .22 rifle has the best trigger of all, but I am putting that one aside for this discussion.

Any comments on the best rifle triggers? Do bolt actions tend to be better than semi-auto rifles? What rifles have the best triggers in your experience?

Thanks,

Drakejake
rifle novice

 

[Vern Humphrey]

A rifle trigger should be like "breaking a glass rod" -- that is no movement after the initial takeup (some people don't like triggers with takeup, and some triggers are "two-stage" with built-in takeup.)

Ideally, the trigger should break with no movement at all (movement while applying pressure after takeup is called "creep.") And there should be little or no movement after the trigger releases (called "backlash.)

A good rifle trigger should run somewhere in the vicinity of three pounds. Set triggers are available that allow you to have a "conventional" weight of pull unset, and a much lighter weight of pull when set.

The Winchester Model 70 has a very good trigger -- easy to adjust and with a little fiddling can be first-rate. Savage now has the Accutrigger, which is VERY good and can safely be set very light.

 

[swifter]

Ummm... Yeah, "glass rod" is good. I try to set up my rifles -- bolt guns all -- so the trigger breaks at 1.5#. Dedicated target guns may go into ounces, but mine are mostly field guns, and I like a little weight at the trigger in those.

Tom

 

[Zak Smith]

I like different triggers for different purposes.

For a "field" precision rifle, I like a two-stage match trigger at 2.5-3#. The first-stage allows me to better actuate the final press at the right biorhythmic moment. The trigger in my AI is the best example of one of these I've seen so far. There's absolutely no creep and just "nothing" after the break. The old RRA NM trigger in one of my AR15's is another decent example.

For action/3Gun type shooting, I prefer a good single-stage trigger with no take up, very little overall movement, and limited overtravel. A tuned JP AR15 trigger bewteen 3-4# does this very well.

For anything defensive or with need of more durability, give me a "stock" military trigger around 5#.

-z

 

[HSMITH]

Ideal for me? Two stage military type at 5 pounds. I can do anything I need to do with a rifle at this spec.

 

[Sunray]

The best trigger on any rifle depends on its purpose and calibre. You do not want a light trigger, say Swifter's 1.5 lbs(too light on anything but a target rifle), on a .458 magnum. Or on a semi-auto in any calibre. The former because it's easy to inadvertently touch it off before you want it to. The latter because it can fire more than one shot when you don't want to to. Lots of ensuing excitement in either case.
A smooth trigger is far more important than a light trigger.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I just got a Savage 22-250 with the accu-trigger and I smile every time I set the trigger off.

Its one sweet set up.

 

[Bullet]

The Ideal Rifle Trigger?

Jewell

Try this link –

http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/jan97jewell.html

 

[Crosshair]

I think the Savage Accu-Trigger is the best (and safest) mass produced trigger on the market. There are probably better triggers, but they are custom made. Far outside the means of the common man.

 

[cracked butt]

I prefer a 2-stage with a 4-5 lb takeup and a very light break.

 

[entropy]

The ideal trigger? Something like in Firefox, where all you have to do is think it, and it would fire. (Preferably not in Russian, however. I would forget 'okota' at the wrong time.)
I wonder if for FA's you'd have to think. "shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot" or just once?

 

[cracked butt]

I wonder if for FA's you'd have to think. "shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot" or just once?

It would probably be "shoooooooooooooooooot"

 

[mtnbkr]

I properly tuned Winchester 70 trigger is fine withme. Easy to adjust, simple, and durable.

Chris

 

[Master Blaster]

For target shooting, my anschutz trigger set as a two stage 1lb takeup, 10 oz release. For hunting you would want 3.5-4lbs single stage I really like my savage accutrigger which is set at 1.5lbs, and is safe due to the glock like trigger safety that blocks the sear.
A friend has a free pistol, which is set up for olympic competition, it has a 2.5 oz trigger, yoou have to practice touching it so it does not go off before you get your sight picture.

 

[TechBrute]

Jeff Cooper has pointed out that a good trigger is more essential in field positions. From a bench, a rifleman is less affected by a "poor" trigger.

Oh yeah, Jewell triggers rule!

 

[Ivy Mike]

mind triggers are the best.

Make mine two-stage with a break around 3.5 pounds. Gotsta be smooooth as butter.

That being said, I'll gladly squeeze anything when I'm shooting. Right now, I'm working on a homebrew trigger for my M44. When all is said and done, it should be a buttery smooth pull around 4 pounds.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I've experienced a fair amount of stock triggers, as well as some aftermarket ones (VQ, Rifle Basix, Timney) but the Jewell that I have (still in the configuration in which it came from the factory - set at somewhere around 2 lbs IIRC) absolutely blows my mind.

 

[Mike Hull]

I adjusted the trigger on my 700P-LTR to 2.5 pounds, and I like it very much.

I went to do the same to my 700P, and found the factory had driven the sear engagenent screw in crossthreaded, effectively cold welding it in place.

I could drill it out and such, but I just replaced it with a Jewell, and adjusted it to 2.5 also. It's a great trigger, but a properly adjusted Remington factory trigger is great too.