Irritating Creeps..?

[Homer03]

The trigger on my 03A3 has 4 noticeable steps of creep in the 2d stage. Is there something that can be done to improve this trigger? What is a reasonable cost for a trgger job(if there is such a thing) and who does such work? TIA H

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Bill H]

A trigger job would cost you somewhere between $50 and $100, depending on who does the work.

Any good gunsmith would likely do the work.

I elect to install Timney triggers in mine, but if you are shooting in matches where the rifle must remain original, this is not an option.

Other than a little wood being removed where it is not visible from the outside, no permanent modification is necessary, and you can re-install the original trigger in a few minutes.

[AKA Hugh Uno]

I think anything more than 30.00 -50.00 would be pretty outrageous for such a simple task. any competent smithie can do this and most would charge for 1/2 hour of labor (30.00).

here is another option (besides the timney) but I d0n't know anything about it.

Springfield

[Chuckindenver]

a lighter rebound spring on the 1903 will do more then any stone, or file work.
pick up some Wolff spring stock and play with differnt lengths and strengths till you find one you like.
if your not careful you can grind the 2 stage out, and ruin the trigger.

[Lancebear]

Hey Homer,

Have you taken apart your trigger/sear assembly, if I remember right, ya' just push out a pin or two and nothing springs out into your face. Have you done this and made sure that everything is clean? Or if there are maybe burrs on the sear and if it is squeezed a bit? Bent sear or trigger pin? If it's not clean, sixty year old or more sand can mess up trigger function on any old firearm.

Good luck,

Lancebear

[Homer03]

Thanks gentlemen--I'll take a look at it for crud or park on engagement surfaces myself and if i dont accomplish anything will try and find someone that will do it for me while at Perry. Appreciate the advice. H

[Homer03]

Lancebear, your advice helped alot. After a clean and polish (with Flitz) and some fresh moly instead of the old grease the trigger is much improved. It is still not a glass rod but the creep is one long smooth pull! Thanks again to all who replied.

[Homer03]

PS for those that might try this. By missing it the first time around i can say that a good deal of the cruntchiness in the tigger originated at the surface of the rec'r where the humps contact. I removed the park and polished the area starting with a small piece of abrasive i pushed back and forth with a pencils eraser.

[Parashooter]

While cleaning and polishing will smooth both stages and a lighter return spring will reduce the weight of both, the most effective way of removing creep (lengthening the first stage and shortening the second) is to alter the height of the rear trigger hump.



One year at Perry a hut-mate had an 03-A3 with an annoyingly long, creepy second stage. Lacking proper tools, I knocked out the trigger pin with a nail and "stoned" the rear hump on the hut's concrete floor. It worked - though I sent him out to commercial row for a new spare trigger before starting, just in case. If you try something like this, just remember that it doesn't take much of this "stoning" to shorten the second stage significantly. If you go too far, there will be no second stage, but you can reduce the front hump to restore it. Too much of this back-and-forth and it's time for the new trigger.

[campbellbook]

Although there are a lot of consiedrations in the adjustment of the '03 trigger pull (see pages 256 into page 258 of The '03 Springfield Rifles' Era), the ONE thing that is ESSENTUAL for an absolutely clean-breaking trigger is that the top .03" or so of the sear be radiused about the sear pin. There is, then, no further camming back of the cocking piece as the final poundage is added to the second stage of the pullout!!
(This SECRET I got long ago from Capt Crossman.)