Well I picked up my project gun today. Didn't take me long to rip it apart and start cleaning it up because it seems impossible to buy a used gun that is actually clean. ***grin*** To my surprise it had a completely unadjusted basix trigger installed already pulling a bit over 5 pounds. So I played with that and put it in my 7mm-08 Stevens that I'm going to hunt with this week and did some home-smithing on the stock Steven's trigger I put in the newly aquired Savage 110 30-06 (square reciever)
Here were my findings...
Basix trigger (hope I'm spelling that right) - looks like the trigger geometry is about the same as the stock trigger with the addition of a few extra adjustment screws. Installed very easy into the Stevens 200. The adjustment took some time and the sear engaugement surface is very very small. With the set screw all the way out the trigger pulled over 5 pounds on both rifles. So I started turning it in 1/4 turn at a time. It seemed like nothing, nothing, nothing, then the pull dropped to under 3 pounds in 1/4 turn. In another 1/4 turn the sear would just slide right off when the bolt closed. So I spent about 20 minutes playing with it wanting to get it just above 2 pounds. (since it is advertised as 1-3 pounds) Got it there a few times but closing the bolt hard would allow the sear to slip (and would fire the gun if it had round chambered) I was also getting readings that would vary by up to 1/2 pound different. So I went up to 3 pounds and that seemed to solve the problem. I noticed that the sear is not in perfect contact with the trigger because it isn't 100% square. I'm going to try to fix this by shimming the trigger to remove the side to side slop. Either way right now it is reliable and crisp at about 2.5-2.75 pounds. Not bad, but not as good as I expected. Maybe this trigger had some previous abuse...not sure.
Stock trigger - Well I have nothing good to say about the Stevens 200 stock trigger. Out of the box it was off the scale, so over 6 pounds pull, what seemed to be a mile of creep and two "snags" before it would drop the firing pin. Well that just isn't going to work on any rifle in my safe. So I did a vast internet search and came to consensus on some home smithing. I started by taking the trigger apart 100% and cleaning it up. Sanded the sides with 600 grit sand paper (!!!not any of the sear or saftey contact surfaces!!!) and took some flitz to the trigger pin to polish it up. Put a little lube on the sides and on the pin and reassembled. That brought it down to just over 5 pounds. Nexted I put some marker on the sear to see what it was doing. Just like the other trigger it was only about 25% engauged. So I stoned the sear to match the trigger surface. That took care of the "snags" and brought it down to 5 pounds. Next I did polished the sear face and ramp. Mostly just smoothed it out. Last ditch attempt to bring it down I stoned the height of the sear face down by taking some surface off the ramp. (I STRONGLY SUGGEST NOT TO EVER DO THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW 100% WHAT YOUR DOING...and I'm not sure I do!!!) I did this in small increments (like 1 or 2 strokes at a time) then reassembling and testing...over and over and over probably 10-15 times. That ended up taking all of the creep out and brought the pull down to 4 pounds. I'm sure I could go further, but from what I've read really the next step is to get a .040 spring to replace the .050 spring to reduce the pull further while still having safe engaugement of the sear.
With all of that said I didn't mind that I had a very high chance of screwing up my rifle trigger or worse making it unsafe because I'm planning on buying a Timney or Sharp Shooter Supply trigger to replace the stock one before I actually shot the 30-06. SO AGAIN...I DON'T SUGGEST ANYONE ACTUALLY DO THIS. As I already stated the difference between a good trigger and a broken trigger was 1/4 turn on the adjustable Basix trigger. Stoning off matterial can't be adjusted and to be honest I'm not very impressed with the design of the non accu-trigger model mechinism. Way to touchy for average Joe adjustments outside of the spring adjustment that does practically nothing.
Hopefully next I'll be writting an update on shimming the basix trigger for side to side slop hoping it will give more consistant pulls AND a review on the SSS trigger.
Here were my findings...
Basix trigger (hope I'm spelling that right) - looks like the trigger geometry is about the same as the stock trigger with the addition of a few extra adjustment screws. Installed very easy into the Stevens 200. The adjustment took some time and the sear engaugement surface is very very small. With the set screw all the way out the trigger pulled over 5 pounds on both rifles. So I started turning it in 1/4 turn at a time. It seemed like nothing, nothing, nothing, then the pull dropped to under 3 pounds in 1/4 turn. In another 1/4 turn the sear would just slide right off when the bolt closed. So I spent about 20 minutes playing with it wanting to get it just above 2 pounds. (since it is advertised as 1-3 pounds) Got it there a few times but closing the bolt hard would allow the sear to slip (and would fire the gun if it had round chambered) I was also getting readings that would vary by up to 1/2 pound different. So I went up to 3 pounds and that seemed to solve the problem. I noticed that the sear is not in perfect contact with the trigger because it isn't 100% square. I'm going to try to fix this by shimming the trigger to remove the side to side slop. Either way right now it is reliable and crisp at about 2.5-2.75 pounds. Not bad, but not as good as I expected. Maybe this trigger had some previous abuse...not sure.
Stock trigger - Well I have nothing good to say about the Stevens 200 stock trigger. Out of the box it was off the scale, so over 6 pounds pull, what seemed to be a mile of creep and two "snags" before it would drop the firing pin. Well that just isn't going to work on any rifle in my safe. So I did a vast internet search and came to consensus on some home smithing. I started by taking the trigger apart 100% and cleaning it up. Sanded the sides with 600 grit sand paper (!!!not any of the sear or saftey contact surfaces!!!) and took some flitz to the trigger pin to polish it up. Put a little lube on the sides and on the pin and reassembled. That brought it down to just over 5 pounds. Nexted I put some marker on the sear to see what it was doing. Just like the other trigger it was only about 25% engauged. So I stoned the sear to match the trigger surface. That took care of the "snags" and brought it down to 5 pounds. Next I did polished the sear face and ramp. Mostly just smoothed it out. Last ditch attempt to bring it down I stoned the height of the sear face down by taking some surface off the ramp. (I STRONGLY SUGGEST NOT TO EVER DO THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW 100% WHAT YOUR DOING...and I'm not sure I do!!!) I did this in small increments (like 1 or 2 strokes at a time) then reassembling and testing...over and over and over probably 10-15 times. That ended up taking all of the creep out and brought the pull down to 4 pounds. I'm sure I could go further, but from what I've read really the next step is to get a .040 spring to replace the .050 spring to reduce the pull further while still having safe engaugement of the sear.
With all of that said I didn't mind that I had a very high chance of screwing up my rifle trigger or worse making it unsafe because I'm planning on buying a Timney or Sharp Shooter Supply trigger to replace the stock one before I actually shot the 30-06. SO AGAIN...I DON'T SUGGEST ANYONE ACTUALLY DO THIS. As I already stated the difference between a good trigger and a broken trigger was 1/4 turn on the adjustable Basix trigger. Stoning off matterial can't be adjusted and to be honest I'm not very impressed with the design of the non accu-trigger model mechinism. Way to touchy for average Joe adjustments outside of the spring adjustment that does practically nothing.
Hopefully next I'll be writting an update on shimming the basix trigger for side to side slop hoping it will give more consistant pulls AND a review on the SSS trigger.