Home trigger improvement

[rickt300]

I picked up a Anderson lower a while back and this lower had a smooth yet HEAVY pull. Smooth probably because of the heavy spring pressure on the sear. I perused the online methods to improve it a bit and found the "15 minute practical trigger job for the AR 15". Well I already had smooth and my trigger return spring wasn't making a lot of resistance. So I thought I would alter the Hammer spring. The tutorial says to cut one leg of the spring to 1/4 inch from the coils. To do this I would have to remove the hammer. Instead I made a hook from a coathanger to lift the right spring leg high enough to get some needle nosed pliars on it and then used the hook to let me get a deeper grip on the spring leg so I could bend it up a bit. I did and first try it looked fine with the end of the spring arm laying right where it should on the trigger pin. Well trigger pull went from 10 pounds to a reasonable 5 1/2 pounds. I put some marine wheel bearing grease on the sear and have a trigger so much better than what I had it's hard to believe. Light enough so that the travel isn't an issue shooting offhand. Well there is another tutorial called "Junk Yard Genius.com AR-15/ M-16 Pages, page 1." which comes up with a way to put a trigger travel adjustment in place by simply using a 1/4 x 20 set screw in the threaded hole the pistol grip allen bolt uses and setting the travel where you want it. The set screw is 1/4 inch long and he says that you may have to shorten the grip bolt when your done. I guess I will try this when I get the appropriate set screw. I don't need a hair trigger but reducing it's travel by half would be nice. Disclaimer so far I have only fired 20 rounds with the lightened hammer spring, firing pin indent is normal and no misfires with Monarch Steel cased 55 gr. fmjbt from my 20 inch 5.56 upper. Let me emphasize that I have been a machinist, a mechanic, an aircraft parts assembler and am very handy when it comes to such things. So if your a clutz don't try this at home!

[bj139]

Here is what I used. It works fine. I had to turn the screw in and out to swage the threads a little higher to reach the trigger.
It is now very tight so I used no thread locker.
It has just the amount of creep I feel comfortable with for safety. It reduced the creep by 1/2 or more.
I didn't have to grind the back of the trigger but now with the safety on there is no trigger movement.
I went back to full milspec strength hammer springs for reliabilty.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-2-Count-14-1-4-in-28-x-1-4-in-Alloy-Cup-Point-Allen-Drive-Socket-Cap-Screws/3012514

[bj139]

I forgot to mention the thread in my Anderson lower is 1/4-28 NOT 1/4-20. All the Magpul screws that come with grips are 28 TPI as well.
If you can't find or don't have a 1/4-28 tap, turning the setscrew in and out with lubricant will make it go deeper.
Anyway, that's what she said.

[Greyling]

I cut the tail off my hammer for reliability. Never had a problem with the tail on, but I figured, hey, jp does it, why not me too. Faster lock time too!

[rickt300]

Good to know. I will shoot this lower for a while to see if I need to do more. I do have a 1/4 x28 tap.

[Drillboss]

Good to know. I will shoot this lower for a while to see if I need to do more. I do have a 1/4 x28 tap.

The set screw trick is great to take the creep out of the trigger pull. That and trimming the hammer spring turns a crappy stock trigger into one that's "not all that bad".

Rather than cutting the spring 1/4" from the coil, I cut it so it just clears the trigger pin, leaving it as long as possible.

[Rugerfan.64]

I have done both operations to our AR's, I have them both down to around 2 3/4 - 3 lbs . Took a lot of the creep out of their triggers. A Timney or some other trigger might give me a better trigger. But I'm cheap. Took a couple of tries to get them where I wanted them but they work as intended. Also did every bump , beat, and bang on the floor test I could imagine or read about.

[Crusty]

Look for a video on YouTube entitled "Paracord Trigger Job". I tried it and it took the grittiness out of my mil-spec trigger.

[Greyling]

Well nuts, I went to edit a typo in my post and deleted it.
But to recap, home trigger job is great, you have to tap an Anderson lower, you can file down the trigger bar where it interfaces with the safety to take out even more creep, but if you do, you will have to cut the nose off the disconnecter or the hammer will not reset. Any problems that arise from taking off to much material can probably be fixed. I have made and fixed every possible oops you can make on an ar trigger. Pm me if you have questions or issues.

[Sticks]

Or just buy a Geissele, Larue MBT, ACT, or Timmney.

I can understand tuning up a Mil Spec combat trigger to remove the grit or creep. Not on something for Target work though.

[bj139]

DIY is more fun than spending money for something someone else improved.

I also polished the sear surfaces with a felt wheel and polishing compound.

It made a gritty trigger almost as smooth as a Larue.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/PORTER-CABLE-5-Piece-Fiber-Cleaning-and-Polishing-Wheel/50171523

[Greyling]

Perhaps, and if you have the means, go for it, but I didn't want to spend that kind of money on a trigger that is only marginally better than what I can do with GI parts. Also, tinkering is fun

[cwlongshot]

JP springs have done wonders for me in more than a dozen AR triggers.

https://www.jprifles.com/1.4.8.3_spring.php

CW

[rabiddawg]

Also, tinkering is fun

Yes it is

I didn’t think I had anything to lose so I worked on my first ar’s trigger without knowing a thing. I was able to improve it when dry firing. When I fired live rounds I had a double tap trigger!

I quit doing trigger jobs

[Clarence]

You might save a bit of money tinkering with a GI-spec trigger, but it usually involves smoothing the sear surfaces and the screw mod to decrease engagement in an effort to decrease the gritty pull and reduce trigger weight. Both mods invite double-taps.

If you buff sear surfaces, it is easy to go through the very thin surface hardening, so even if you get a decent trigger, the sear surfaces will wear and leave you with a short usable life.

As one poster already indicated, the screw mod may produce a good-feeling tripper, but it may also cause double-taps.

Best not to tinker beyond one's capabilities and invite an unsafe (and potentially illegal) situation. There are a number of relatively inexpensive triggers that have sear surfaces smoothened, so they are properly hardened after that operation.

Triggers are one area where you don't want and can't afford shortcuts...

Clarence