Deerslayer Trigger issue

[segner05]

I just replaced my factory Lyman percussion GPR trigger with a Deerslayer trigger. Now I have to set the trigger in order for the hammer to stay cocked, otherwise the hammer "freewheels" and won't catch at half cock nor full cock. It looks like the Deerslayer trigger bars sit higher in the unset position than the factory trigger, thus holding the sear bar high enough that it never engages the tumbler. Once I set the trigger, the bars sit lower allowing the sear to engage the tumbler. Is this an inherent and/or common problem? Is there a fix?

 

[Dane]

Trigger bar is too high.
A couple of fixes:
Grind off trigger bar till you can cock the lock.
Not familiar with the dearslayer trigger, but should have a slack screw between the two triggers. Can be turned in to allow slack to cock the lock.

 

[BrownBear]

Sounds as though the trigger plate is inletted too deeply. I ran into that on one TC stock. Probably the front end.

The fix is easy as pie. Just take a small flat head brass screw and twist it into the bottom of the inlet just behind the front trigger guard screw. Keep turning it in and dropping the trigger plate into place to check for depth. Right about when the plate is flush with the stock, your trigger should be functioning perfectly. At that point I put a little dab of epoxy around the base of the brass screw to set it's height.

If that's not the issue, dunno where to send you. It's the only issue I've run into with the Deerslayer, and that was on one rifle out of about a dozen I've done.

 

[Dane]

I looked it up, it does have a slack screw.

Fix it right. Don't bush it up, either file the bar, or use the screw that's there for that purpose.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Before making any modifications I would lay the two triggers down and determine what is different about them. If the stock hasn't been altered the first thing I would expect is the rear trigger bar is under spring pressure and not laying down were it should be as unset. You can move the back trigger back and forth if it's unset then set it and it should snap up. Try the Lyman trigger to see how it works the new one may have the rear spring bearing on the trigger.

 

[BrownBear]

Don't bush it up...

If the stock inlet is too deep, why not bush the trigger plate back up where it belongs in relation to the lock? Sure beats heck out of filing off a bunch of metal and replacing the parts you altered once you get around to adjusting the trigger plate correctly.

 

[MSW]

i had the same problem, and did exactly what BrownBear recommends ... it worked great ... once you get the trigger installed and working as it should, you'll really like the feel of it.

Make Good Smoke!

 

[segner05]

Thank you for all of the replies, guys. I'll take a look again this evening to see how far the assembly sits in the stock. When I compared the two triggers side by side, the Deerslayer trigger bars are taller than the factory bars. My first inclination was to grind and file them down, but I like Brown Bear's fix.

 

[BrownBear]

My first inclination was to grind and file them down, but I like Brown Bear's fix.

If the screw experiment doesn't work or if the bar is riding too high when the screw height is adjusted right, you probably should think about doing your filing or grinding off the bottom side of the trigger plate. That would save you a whole bunch of effort compared to restoring the top of the plate to original finish. Of course, that would change the depth the screw would have to be set, but that's an easy adjustment.... Provided you haven't epoxied it in place yet! :grin:

 

[Dane]

Ok, I'll repeat one time, then I'm done.
I guess I assume the trigger is inlet to the proper level. Most replacement triggers are made with high trigger bars to allow for any gun to make it universal.
If the bars are too high, you file them off.
The trigger has a slack screw between the triggers to take mainspring pressure off the rear trigger to allow you to cock the lock. This is by design.
Every gun I've used a set trigger on, I've had to go through this process to make it work.
I would NEVER hand over a gun to a customer that had a shimmed up trigger plate.

 

[necchi]

The trigger has a slack screw between the triggers to take mainspring pressure off the rear trigger to allow you to cock the lock. This is by design.

The "design" of the screw between the triggers is to adjust the amount of engagement the rear trigger has to it's notch on the front trigger,, or if you will, the amount of travel the rear trigger has to make before it releases the cam engagement.

But you are right,, if that screw is too loose,, the rear cam can ride too high.
,but only if the rear trigger main spring is pressing too hard when relaxed (that's another screw) and can cause the same problem.
It's all a balancing act.

I would NEVER hand over a gun to a customer that had a shimmed up trigger plate.

A "shimmed-up" trigger plate is one way to say it,, re-bedding a trigger mortise is another.
Many times we are dealing with guns that are years old and/or have passed through many hands before we own it. Making repair to a worn/abused mortise by gorilla handed previous( or current) owners is kind of common.
Turning the release adjustment screw of a DST trigger out so far just so the rear cam won't engage the trigger sear until it so low,, in a bad bedding job,, is defeating the purpose have having a good DST trigger.

Why have a "set trigger" if you have too yank on the front to make it break after you "set" it,, just because of a bedding issue?