How to lighten trigger pull on a Krag

[John from the Cereal City]

After shooting my '98 Krag in the Vintage rifle match at Camp Perry, I decided that it would really be nice if the trigger pull could be lighter, say around 4.5 lbs.
If anyone has had success in tuning a Krag trigger to "match" condition, could they post detailed instructions on the procedure?
BTW I shot a 259-2X, good for a Bronze medal

Information

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[BruceV]

If all you want is a lighter, cleaner trigger, consider buying a replacement spring and then altering it by cutting off a quarter to a half a coil at the time, then replacing it and seeing how it affects the weight of pull. For a cleaner break, carefully polish the face of the sear and the nose of the cocking piece with a hard Arkansas sharpening stone. This method has allowed me to obtain very good results on the 03 and 03-A3 rifle I use for match shooting. Practice of old parts. Possibly consider storing the original parts and using replacement parts for setting the rifle up for match shooting. JMHO. Sincerely. Bruce.

[Parashooter]

Unless contact surfaces are rough, dirty, or lacking good lubricant, the usual problem with Krag triggers is that the second stage is too long and "creepy", therefore feeling heavy. If willing to alter original parts, the tail end of the trigger ("a" below), where it contacts the receiver to initiate the second stage, can be stoned to delay that contact, increasing the length of the first stage and shortening the second.

If altering the original trigger is not an option and no spare is available, a formed wire spacer can be added to effectively lower the trigger and sear. Adjustments are then made by stoning the wire instead of the actual trigger.


Thickness of wire spacer at "b" determines lengths of first and second stages. Wire is flattened there and stoned to a smooth finish on the upper surface where it contacts the receiver.

Operation of the Krag trigger is easily observed with stock removed, making understanding the relationships of parts relatively simple for those with a decent grasp of basic mechanical principles. Trigger work should not be undertaken without first understanding in detail how the mechanism functions.