Ruger bisley trigger................

[cmh]

For years I carried a 1911 by one of the top manufactures or another or a Colt SAA............. and can proudly say I worked on the triggers of all of them and they were always under three pounds but more that 2 1/2 ") Now I know the Blackhawk love the Wolff spings What I am wanting---- below three pounds but above 2 1/2lbs. . Any secret to the magic? Thanks in advance

[contender]

Careful polishing as you well know helps a bunch. I have a couple of Bisleys that sweetened up a lot after simply cleaning up the mating surfaces. Have you started there?

[bradshaw]

CMH.... Back in the days of silhouette when a Production Category gun had factory parts only----except for addition of aftermarket stocks finished to s standard pattern----a trigger job retained the factory springs. I performed many a trigger job, including all my own guns, and achieved totally reliable, light, clean triggers by addressing two areas: a) sear engagement, and b) trigger spring. I preserve what Bill Ruger, senior and junior, referred to as "REGAIN." That is, I want the original engagement angle trigger (sear) tip and hammer notch. I never cut or weakened the mainspring. I removed one leg of the trigger spring at the coil, or bent both legs to reduce tension, while preserving RESET.

REGAIN and RESET are not the same. REGAIN is "positive" sear/notch engagement. RESET refers to enough spring tension to push trigger forward.

It is important to decide whether you want a clean break trigger, or a smooth roll-off. Either can be set light. Fast draw quickly ruins a target grade clean break. Therefore, to have a light trigger that stands up to fast draw requires more shelf on the "dog" or notch of the hammer.

It is wrong to lighten pull by boogering the notch. At all hazards, the trigger must NOT KICK FORWARD at hammer fall.
David Bradshaw

[cmh]

Tried stoning the mating surfaces but didnt get much....... unfortunately. I woulod love to replicate the trigger I did on my mauser.......... crisp but light at around 2 1/2 lbs. And its a military trigger at that. Six hours with fine needle files, emery boards, and stoning but it was achievable. Is that possible with this design?

[mike454]

I've never seen a tuned Ruger sa trigger pull that felt as good as a good S&W pull, but a Ruger can be tuned so that the pull won't provide an alibi for a miss. 2.5 pounds of pull is very doable on a NM ruger. I've just not seen a new model trigger pull that's perfectly crisp.

[bradshaw]

Mike 454.... Very difficult to make Ruger New Model trigger as clean as a S&W----and have it survive hard cocking. Without getting into the wear-and-tear hard cocking imposes on cylinder notches, the cylinder catch (Ruger) or bolt (Colt), the stop cut in the floor of the cylinder window, the geometry is such that the SA favors more "dog" on the hammer notch. Consider this also: the double action is conducive to a trigger stop; the New Model with transfer bar works better without a stop, as the trigger must sweep rearward to raise the transfer bar over the firing pin at hammer fall. I know some will argue the New Model can be made to work with a stop, but I focus on the stock Ruger, which has stuffed enough records and victories into the annals of handgunning to rest my case. In other words, rather spectacular shooting is done with correct rigger work on the New Model Ruger----across our nation and, hopefully, a few other environs.

As a footnote of my experience, the Freedom Arms Casull Model 83 shoots better with a trigger stop. Without a transfer bar, there is no need for the trigger to sweep rearward.

As a rule the single action break of a double action revolver cannot be set as light as on a single action. S&W can be set lighter than Ruger Redhawk. Colt Python and Dan Wesson can be set lighter than S&W.

CMH.... You may have boogered the the sear tip of the trigger, the hammer notch, or both. If so, get new parts and start again. A trigger cannot be saved with the sear tip shortened, as thus the hammer has too much play at the back of the stroke. It works, but feels lousy. Perhaps others know of a very fine stone with perfectly square corner. I have for decades relied on the white ceramic stones (I believe made by Coors) supplied in Spyderco sharpening kits. As with sharpening a chain saw, some people will never develop the skill; those folk need to realize when it's time to seek a masters touch. My favored "stone" for reducing the "dog" is various of the diamond-impregnated steel by E-Z-Lap.

The "dog" or hook needs to be reduced on the hammer. The sensation of take-up is called "creep," and it takes time to learn to live with it. Decide which type of pull you want on your New Model Ruger----clean break or smooth take up. To have a clean break and fast draw, letoff must be heavy enough to hold up. Back when I danced with steel, I set my silhouette revolvers for a clean break. My Ruger 03 Bisley Blackhawk has a very light, dead smooth take-up. It holds for fast draw and works in the rottenest North Country weather. When I hand the revolver to someone, I caution "Assumption cannot control a trigger. Do not touch trigger until you have the target on your sight."

By setting hammer and trigger on their respective pins on the right side of the cylinder frame, engagement may be observed. Repetitions of disassemble-tune-reassemble are usually required before the trigger feels right. Everything said about REGAIN applies to clean-break and smooth take-up triggers. Finally, it is imperative that TRIGGER SWEEP REARWARD at hammer fall, that it NOT KICK FORWARD.
David Bradshaw

[contender]

Well put David. Good information to any & all who want to work on their triggers.

[cmh]

Thank you Mr. Bradshaw, I didnt remove any material just smoothed them out. I could feel them with my fingernail. No noticeable difference in the trigger pull. WHile I realize a Ruger trigger is never going to be a smith trigger I just want to lighten it up and smooth it out a bit. Nothing drastic as this is my daily carry revolver and no need to get outrageous Thank you for the help and I will take it as a good lesson and do something with it (I hope )

[bradshaw]

CMH.... take heart. The fine triggers on many old Colt Peacemakers, as well as Bill Ruger's Blackhawk homage to the Colt, incorporate a smooth letoff at once resilient and light enough for accuracy work. It is not a dead clean break, but a very smooth take-up. Except for weight, your Blackhawk may be close to that classic letoff. If you prefer, install a Wolff trigger spring to lighten letoff.

I did not appreciate the brilliance of Ruger's New Model until I put the Super Blackhawk on the line. Intent on releasing a 10-1/2" barrel for IHMSA silhouette competition, Ruger, Sr., told me he would instead introduce a 10" barrel, as the NRA had jumped into the game with a 10" barrel limit on Production guns. I argued as a matter of provenance he keep to 10-1/2-inches. "I don't see what difference a half-inch of barrel makers," said Ruger. "Besides, we've had 10" barrels before."

"IHMSA is the game," I said. "It's exploding. The NRA asked for permission to copy IHMSA rules, and Elgin Gates granted permission with our blessing. Now, to put a 10" limit is an arbitrary change, and eliminates a couple of production guns already in competition in IHMSA." Ruger stuck with the 10-1/2" barrel and silhouetters put the gun to work.

I use the Ruger trigger spring exclusively, a habit which began with trigger jobs for silhouette, which prohibited aftermarket parts on Production guns. May be pig-headed to continue the practice at this late date, but results on the firing line never look back. To bend the legs of the trigger spring, I insert a drift punch through the coil and pull up on the ends of the spring. I take it easy. Result in a "V" profile. The original spring has a straight profile. I always removed the spring from the revolver first, as otherwise the coil cannot be used as a fulcrum.

You may experiment with lightened pull by unhooking one leg of the spring. I would not shoot the revolver this way, as I don't like the idea of the loose leg contacting the mainspring at hammer fall.
David Bradshaw

[bud]

Reading Mr. Bradshaw's take on this process convinced me that I do not have the necessary skills to deal with this task. I'll send my revolvers to a master craftsmen.

[oldschool]

David, what do you think about the trigger spring mods as shown on the cylindersmith site? I've been meaning to try them on my Single Six just to see how much difference they make.

[bradshaw]

oldschool.... those extra bends may work fine. Just insure no contact between trigger spring and mainspring. The bend where the trigger spring presses trigger shelf may or may not contribute smoothness. Unless you actually feel friction there, the advantage is theoretical. I prefer the legs straight. I generally prefer elasticity of carbon steel springs to stainless, a micro-subtle difference. That said, I've never hand a failure of a Ruger mainspring or trigger spring----carbon or stainless.
David Bradshaw

[Paden]

I made the above spring modification to a Blackhawk a couple years ago. The difference was notable.

Be sure to use smooth jaw tools and not damage the spring.

[oldschool]

Jul 21, 2013 22:32:21 GMT -5 Paden said:

I made the above spring modification to a Blackhawk a couple years ago. The difference was notable.

Be sure to use smooth jaw tools and not damage the spring.

Good point about the smooth jaws. I plan on smoothing up a .32 Single Six I picked up a few months ago (kinda rough fit and finish) and this was one of the modifications I planned to try. I've used aftermarket springs in the past, but this looked like an interesting experiment.