Custom rifle trigger question...

[rjthehunter]

My grandpa gave me his rifle he hunted the world with. It's a 338 win mag. I wanted to adjust the trigger back down to the 2.5lbs it was originally at. Does anyone know anything about this trigger? I don't want to just start turning screws hoping it helps. I know many of you are going to know a lot more about this kind of stuff then I do.

Any ideas?

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Not my wheelhouse but I'm assuming Sako, and looks like L61 trigger group.

 

[rjthehunter]

Not my wheelhouse but I'm assuming Sako, and looks like L61 trigger group.

Its a sako action, so I'd assume it's a sako trigger. Next question is how can decrease the pull of it?

 

[Deleted member 16014]

The centrally located screw w/ nut should be pull weight, but as always unless you are willing to assume all risk I'd recommend sending to a smith. The other two are presumably over travel and sear engagement, where the hell is @cahunter805 ?

 

[cahunter805]

The adjustment screw with the nut is pull weight.
The other under it is over travel.
The main problem with the Old Sako trigger like that is no sear adjustment without stoning and proper knowledge of that.
What is the trigger set at now?

 

[rjthehunter]

I'm figuring its at about 5 right now

 

[cahunter805]

Adjust at your own risk. You can probably adjust the weight a bit but if you want a good 2.5lbs you will probably need to replace it.

 

[ImBillT]

Middle screw is pull weight. It’s screwed WAY in. Loosen the lock-nut, back the screw out to your desired trigger weight, then tighten the lock-nut. It’s a pretty stiff spring and is t all that long, so much below 2-2.5lbs you won’t get enough travel to return the trigger and it becomes dangerous. You can still get it a lot lighter than it clearly is. If it won’t get light enough for your liking, you just need a new spring.

The front screw is the sear engagement. It makes the whole assembly pivot on the pin.

The bottom screw is overtravel.

 

[rjthehunter]

Middle screw is pull weight. It’s screwed WAY in. Loosen the lock-nut, back the screw out to your desired trigger weight, then tighten the lock-nut. It’s a pretty stiff spring and is t all that long, so much below 2-2.5lbs you won’t get enough travel to return the trigger and it becomes dangerous. You can still get it a lot lighter than it clearly is. If it won’t get light enough for your liking, you just need a new spring.

The front screw is the seat engagement. It makes the whole assembly pivot on the pin.

The bottom screw is overtravel.

Thanks Bill!

I'll have to take it apart again tonight and get it adjusted! I'll report back with how it goes. It feels pretty dang stiff right now. It's almost too much to the point where when I'm squeezing I'm almost moving the gun. Which obviously makes shooting it at further ranges more difficult.

 

[noharleyyet]

My first new Ruger #1 developed a crushing handshake....

 

[Don Fischer]

I had a couple L61's years ago and adjusted both. Just don't remember how I did it. But thing that made them super trigger's was back then I found some Flaigs trigger shoes and put them on. They are reall wide and you wouldn't believe how much difference they make. I haven't been able to find the trigger shoe's for years.

 

[ImBillT]

Thanks Bill!

I'll have to take it apart again tonight and get it adjusted! I'll report back with how it goes. It feels pretty dang stiff right now. It's almost too much to the point where when I'm squeezing I'm almost moving the gun. Which obviously makes shooting it at further ranges more difficult.

Another thing to watch out for is that, with any trigger, when the over travel has been adjusted to far, you can end up with trigger barely in contact with the over travel screw. It can result in a very heavy trigger pull because you’re having to compress the over travel screw a few thousands to get the gun to fire.

 

[rjthehunter]

Another thing to watch out for is that, with any trigger, when the over travel has been adjusted to far, you can end up with trigger barely in contact with the over travel screw. It can result in a very heavy trigger pull because you’re having to compress the over travel screw a few thousands to get the gun to fire.

Thanks,

So basically if I'm understanding this correctly I should first loosen the over travel screw first and see how it pulls, then back out the pull rate. Once it's at the desired rate re-tighten the over travel screw so there is hardly any release after the trigger is pulled?

 

[ImBillT]

Thanks,

So basically if I'm understanding this correctly I should first loosen the over travel screw first and see how it pulls, then back out the pull rate. Once it's at the desired rate re-tighten the over travel screw so there is hardly any release after the trigger is pulled?

Yep. That over travel screw is supposed to have a lock nut just like the other two. Check Numrich. They sell weird stuff like that.

After you adjust the pull weight, but before you re-adjust the over travel screw, make sure that your pull weight is going to be safe. @#)(# and dry-fire about twenty times. If any of those times the firing pin fails to @#)(#, then the trigger return spring(pull weight) has been adjust too far. Put forward pressure on the bolt, and wiggle it forward and backward. If it dry-fires from bolt movement, but not pulling the trigger, it has been adjusted too far. If the pull weight feels inconsistent, it has been adjusted too far. A longer/lighter return spring might allow the trigger to function safely, but the above three symptoms are signs that the trigger return spring does not have enough travel to properly return the trigger at that low of a pull weight. Lastly, bounce the butt of the rifle on the carpet enough to simulate a drop to make sure the gun won’t fire when dropped.

Now you can re-adjust the over travel screw, and make sure that pull weight did not increase.

Use this information at your own peril.

 

[rjthehunter]

Yep.

After you adjust the pull weight, but before you re-adjust the over travel screw, make sure that your pull weight is going to be safe. @#)(# and dry-fire about twenty times. If any of those times the firing pin fails to @#)(#, then the trigger return spring(pull weight) has been adjust too far. Put forward pressure on the bolt, and wiggle it forward and backward. If it dry-fires from bolt movement, but not pulling the trigger, it has been adjusted too far. If the pull weight feels inconsistent, it has been adjusted too far. A longer/lighter return spring might allow the trigger to function safely, but the above three symptoms are signs that the trigger return spring does not have enough travel to properly return the trigger at that low of a pull weight. Lastly, bounce the butt of the rifle on the carpet enough to simulate a drop to make sure the gun won’t fire when dropped.

Now you can re-adjust the over travel screw, and make sure that pull weight did not increase.

Perfect, Thanks for all the help Bill!

 

[ImBillT]

Perfect, Thanks for all the help Bill!

That over travel screw is supposed to have a lock nut just like the other two.

 

[rjthehunter]

That over travel screw is supposed to have a lock nut just like the other two.

I'll see what I can find at a hardware store. if not I'll reach out to Sako

 

[ImBillT]

I'll see what I can find at a hardware store. if not I'll reach out to Sako

Not likely to be at a hardware store. Check Numrich. I’ve never tried contacting Sako, but outside of Ruger, contacting manufacturers is usually more hassle than just buying a part from a retailer.

 

[cahunter805]

Pretty sure there isn’t a lock nut on the overtravel screw on a factory Sako L461. Use a dab of loctite on the threads and set it.
Is that an A series Sako action?