Trigger pull problems

[Dances with Jaguars]

I have a Ruger Mk III 22/45 with a Volquartsen trigger unit. I really enjoy shootin' the thing but I've been having trouble lately.

Went to the range yesterday and instead of my trigger pull being nice and light (normally under 2 lbs), it felt like it was on the order of 4 lbs or so for a coupla shots. It fired all right, but the trigger pull had way more resistance. Then it would fire several rounds with normal trigger weight.

The end of my session came when I fired 2 rds with what I thought was only 1 trigger pull. Gotta admit I may have accidently pulled the trigger twice unknowingly, but I packed it up and decided to investigate.

At home with an empty magazine, the trigger pull feels normal when I dry fire. I recently took up some of the pre-travel, so could this be some of the problem? :?:

 

[contender]

Anytime a very light trigger is involved,, and work has been done to it,, oddities can happen. I'd have a gunsmith who KNOWS Rugers look at it.

 

[CraigC]

You probably took out too much of the pre-travel. There should be at least a perceptible amount of free trigger movement before it begins to work against the sear engagement. Make sure you Loctite the adjustment screws.

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

I'd have a gunsmith who KNOWS Rugers look at it.

Good point. I don't do my own dental work, nor do I fuss about with the internals of firearms...

I am gonna be getting with my gun doctor soon, he's not a Ruger specialist, but did install the goods for me. Puzzling situation...

 

[WTC7SmokingGun]

Aw comeon, it ain't rocket science, which truth be told isn't nearly as hard as brain surgery... but anywho.. :lol: Just like anything else, practice makes perfect. You can't learn to play a fiddle overnight either. I had to toss my first trigger assembly/unit/group in the garbage. So what? oops

 

[Pinecone]

CraigC has hit the nail on the head! You change the "angle" of the trigger (take-up), it changes the "geometry" and thus the "feel" of the trigger!..................Dick :wink:

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

CraigC has hit the nail on the head! You change the "angle" of the trigger (take-up), it changes the "geometry" and thus the "feel" of the trigger!..................Dick :wink:

Just fer grins I adjusted the trigger pre-travel to a very small amount. Bingo! The thing almost wouldn't fire (dry fire with empty mag!). Backed out the pre-travel to a more reasonable amount, and it was ops normal with light trigger pull. Yay!

Hope to get to the range Tues to ops check it out; it's snowing today and I don't feel like gettin' out in the stuff. :lol: I hate snow...

 

[Fox Mike]

I have the same trigger assy on both my MK IIIs and I had to make a bunch of little adjustments while at the range to get it to function as designed. I did find, as was already mentioned, that you must have some wee bit of travel on take up or it will not function. Patience and time may be the simple answer.

 

[wwb]

..... you must have some wee bit of travel on take up or it will not function.....

Enough return on the trigger for the disconnector to reset.... adjust it in a quiet setting until you can hear the faint "click" as it resets; then go another 1/8 of a turn to insure that it will work consistently.

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

Had it at the range today and adjusted it a coupla times. Worked fine, then would foul up again. I was using half turns...

Plan is to head back to the range, make adjustments using eighth turns, and then apply loctite. The lalst setting I had today worked pretty well.

 

[Bullseye57]

You have to use Locktite sealant or the screw will eventually vibrate out of position from recoil.

R,
Bullseye

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

You have to use Locktite sealant or the screw will eventually vibrate out of position from recoil.

Had good success at the range, I think the real test will come next week when I return to the range for my normal session with my geezer buddies. The pre-travel is still a bit more than I'd like, but I like the trigger poundage and I think it'll be reliable. We'll see how the loctite holds out...

 

[Fox Mike]

Had it at the range today and adjusted it a coupla times. Worked fine, then would foul up again. I was using half turns...

Plan is to head back to the range, make adjustments using eighth turns, and then apply loctite. The lalst setting I had today worked pretty well.

I made adjustments that were only a 'bump' on the allen wrench; probably less than a 1/16 of a turn. I found that I needed to work back and forth between the two adjustments to get it working as I liked it. It didn't happen all at once, it took some time.

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

I made adjustments that were only a 'bump' on the allen wrench; probably less than a 1/16 of a turn. I found that I needed to work back and forth between the two adjustments to get it working as I liked it. It didn't happen all at once, it took some time.[/quote]

Sounds like a good approach, I'll try further tweaking at the range this week.

On another front, has anyone replaced the shallow V rear sight with the square notch sight as found on the GP100's? Looks like a fairly easy swap but I thought I saw somewhere that the square sight was slightly different in height and there was trouble adjusting the point of impact with the square notch. (Couldn't seem to find the answer with a search...)

 

[Jeepnik]

Hmm, just a thought, but when did you clean it last? Just saying.

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

"Jeepnik"]

Hmm, just a thought, but when did you clean it last? Just saying.

That's always a possibility, but part of my ritual for shooting days is the cleaning of the firearms that evening.

 

[Dances with Jaguars]

I made adjustments that were only a 'bump' on the allen wrench; probably less than a 1/16 of a turn. I found that I needed to work back and forth between the two adjustments to get it working as I liked it. It didn't happen all at once, it took some time.[/quote]

You inspired me to go out into my man cave and do a little more fiddlin'. I adjusted the trigger to where it wouldn't fire, then carefully backed it out with small increments. Lo and behold, I heard a light click, added a tiny bit more turn, and I think the pre-travel is pretty dang good. (Added loctite as well.)

I'll ops check it at the range on Tuesday.