10/22 Bobby Pin as trigger Return spring

Q

QuietOne54

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Looking for experiences from people that have actually done the bobby pin as trigger return spring replacement.

This is from rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167898

What were your results? How long did it last? Did existing springs have fit problems or movement problems? Jams or failure to reset or fire?

I've tried re-radiusing the standard plunger and even cut off a coil on the spring. While it's smoother it did not lessen the trigger pull more than 2.5 ounces.

I'm down to a trigger pull of 4.4 pounds smooth but some pre-travel I would like to try this bobby pin trick but I won't if it isn't going to do well and last.

I'd love to get the Power Custom hammer and adjustable sear pack but no one in Canada stocks it.
 
I tried it. Worked great when dry firing. Wouldn't reset with live rounds.

I ended up having Brimstone Gunsmithing do a trigger job and install a Rimfire Technologies full width trigger, which includes an over-travel stop and the proper return spring that this bobby pin is trying to emulate on the cheap. 2lb 7oz and all the rest of the parts are stock. Slight pre-travel, tiniest bit of creep, and a crisp break.
 
I'd love to ship it out for re-working by Brimstone.... but I've encountered one seizure by Canada Customs on returning an action for a 22 Magnum to Canada from a company in the eastern US never heard from again, and have heard of several others. Not shipping to the US.
 
I do the Cletus Hungwell return spring mod using piano wire on all my trigger jobs and it works really well IMO. ht tp://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120350&highlight=torsion+spring
Kim
 
That was my first thought actually but seeing as there is no music wire in town and unless I am willing to order a full roll from Acklands and way the shipping as well it's not going to happen. Perhaps when I'm next down south
 
If you know what diameter wire you want, call up a music store and see if they have a solid guitar string of that measurement. You get 3 feet or so for $2-3 and it fits in an envelope with a single stamp.
 
If you can't find it there, look for a store that sells radio-controlled models, kits, etc. Music wire is used extensively in building them, and such stores usually carry several diameters, in 3-foot lengths. Generally cheap, too.
 
QuietOne54 said:
That was my first thought actually but seeing as there is no music wire in town and unless I am willing to order a full roll from Acklands and way the shipping as well it's not going to happen. Perhaps when I'm next down south
Click to expand...

I don't know where you are exactly but just go to your local hobby shop, they have it in many diameters in 3' lengths. I use .028" mainly IIRC.
Kim
 
The local hobby shop is 9 hours away or Edmonton 17 hours away. So....

I have found a coil spring which I think I can straighten by annealing and then temper using the directions at www.nwrcc.com/articles/HeatTreatingMusicWire.pdf

I'm going to give it a try anyway. The coil spring is out of a printer paper tray. Never know unless I try.
 
I did get music wire form a guy building model airplanes.

While I could run the wire under and on to the trigger while the wire was over the ejector pin everything was fine, trigger reset great for 12 shots then quit. When I pulled it apart could see the wire had moved forward. So have to have a loop over the ejector pin.

For the life of me I can NOT lift the wire up enough to push the pin through the loop. Lighter spring wire might be the solution but there is none to be had.

After about 5 hours doing this attempt. I can't be bothered trying further. If I really want better than what I've got I'll buy after market parts when they are available.

Why a Canadian company doesn't carry matched hammer and adjustable sear kits is beyond me.
 
QuietOne54 said:
Looking for experiences from people that have actually done the bobby pin as trigger return spring replacement.

This is from rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167898

What were your results? How long did it last? Did existing springs have fit problems or movement problems? Jams or failure to reset or fire?

I've tried re-radiusing the standard plunger and even cut off a coil on the spring. While it's smoother it did not lessen the trigger pull more than 2.5 ounces.

I'm down to a trigger pull of 4.4 pounds smooth but some pre-travel I would like to try this bobby pin trick but I won't if it isn't going to do well and last.

I'd love to get the Power Custom hammer and adjustable sear pack but no one in Canada stocks it.
Click to expand...

Been using one now since late winter, likely around 5k rounds now. Forgot I had a light return spring in, cut off a coil and had no trigger reset, so I went with the bobby pin spring to get it running somewhat quickly.

3 hours later messing around and I was down to about a (measured) 2 lb pull, very little creep, (already had a VQ hammer and everything else mirror polished) good mod and I can do it in about 20minutes now...

Everyone who has tried out this trigger loves it.
Handed the gun to quite a few shooters to try, without mentioning the trigger job and I almost always get " sweet, what trigger is that?"

Give it a try
 
QuietOne54 said:
Looking for experiences from people that have actually done the bobby pin as trigger return spring replacement.

This is from rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167898

What were your results? How long did it last? Did existing springs have fit problems or movement problems? Jams or failure to reset or fire?

I've tried re-radiusing the standard plunger and even cut off a coil on the spring. While it's smoother it did not lessen the trigger pull more than 2.5 ounces.

I'm down to a trigger pull of 4.4 pounds smooth but some pre-travel I would like to try this bobby pin trick but I won't if it isn't going to do well and last.

I'd love to get the Power Custom hammer and adjustable sear pack but no one in Canada stocks it.
Click to expand...

Ive installed the bobby pin mod and still use it, mine functions flawlessly and feels better than stock/mixed VQ stuff not sure how much my pull dropped but its smooth and feels lighter.
Only thing i dont like is its a pain to instal.
 
I received two pieces of piano wire from a member on here ( I won't mention the user as he'd likely be inundated with requests) I was out of town when the letter with two pieces of wire taped to cardboard arrived. My wife opened it and was OKKKKKKK what the heck is this.

This wire was considerably thinner and lighter in tension than the wire I'd been attempting to use. Using one of the return springs I'd made but which was too stiff for me to install, I had the wire bent and installed in my rifle in less than 7 minutes. Dropped my trigger pull by 9 ounces, now breaking at 2lbs 10ounces.

I dry fired it about 100 times and never had an issue with it. I was waiting for the weekend but I couldn't hold out that long. Took it to the range tonight after work. Put 125 rounds down range, some fast, some slow. Not one issue with it. Reset every time. Accuracy is a tad improved. but then at this point it's all small increments at each change. I'll have to wait for full light on Saturday and do some stringent shooting. There is still a bit of grit in my pull so something isn't polished enough. Back to the chromium oxide this weekend.

Thanks to everyone and especially the generous member who sent me the wire. Thanks tons.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom