M77 Tang Safety w/ Timney Trigger: Firing Pin Releasing

[JJCalifornia]

I have a 1990 model Ruger M77 Tang Safety in 25-06, with an aftermarket Timney Trigger. The gun was stored in a soft case in a closet for over 10 years. It appears to be relatively clean, but the firing pin won't remain cocked when the bolt is closed. It cocks when you slide the bolt home, but once you turn the bolt to close it, the firing pin releases as though the trigger is being held down. It also feels as if the safety is not operating correctly. It does not freely move along its full path of travel. I disassembled the rifle to see if it was something obvious, but the problem is beyond my level of knowledge.

I am planning to take the gun to a gunsmith for a thorough cleaning and repairs, but would still like to find out what the likely cause of the problem is ahead of time if I can. Thanks for any assistance you can give.

 

[DGW1949]

First off, welcome to the forum.

Just going from your post, it seems that someone who doesn't know what he's doing has been messing around with the gun...so yeah, me thinks that you're on the right track when you say that you're planning to have a gun smith check it out.

As for trying to guess at what all may be wrong...without having the gun to look at...heck, who knows?

DGW

 

[gunzo]

+1 on what DGW said.

And.... the main thing I caught was that the gun had been stored for 10 years. Aftermarket triggers, any trigger actually, can be affected by lubricating oil that may not supposed to be there in the first place(as with some brands) or lube that has dried or evaporated & left a sticky film that will not let the small parts move like they should. The fix for this is remove the barreled action from the stock & flush the trigger assembly with lighter fluid. It supposedly evaporates without leaving bad residue. Electrical contact cleaner is also good for this. See if that helps, otherwise... seek a pro.
Let us know what you find, & welcome to the forum. 8)

 

[Luckyducker]

Ditto on what Gunzo said.

I had an older custom rifle that had a Timney in it and it got to where it would slam fire. I didn't trust it so I bought another after market trigger for it. It was a Mauser and I installed a Bold trigger but they don't make triggers for anything but Mausers. But as Gunzo said clean that trigger with lighter fluid first, as you might not need to spend money on it.

 

[pisgah]

Your trigger has been incorrectly adjusted and can be easily corrected. Contact Timney for their adjustment instructions, read them, and you can fix it yourself in minutes.

 

[gunzo]

Your trigger has been incorrectly adjusted and can be easily corrected. Contact Timney for their adjustment instructions, read them, and you can fix it yourself in minutes.

Possible.

But otherwise I have to respectably disagree.
If Mr. Timney adjusted it himself & it has accumulated 10 years worth of drying & solidifying lube, it ain't gonna work like it should.

Hoping to hear back from the OP on this, maybe it needed both, cleaning & adjusting. :wink:

 

[pisgah]

Your trigger has been incorrectly adjusted and can be easily corrected. Contact Timney for their adjustment instructions, read them, and you can fix it yourself in minutes.

Possible.

But otherwise I have to respectably disagree.
If Mr. Timney adjusted it himself & it has accumulated 10 years worth of drying & solidifying lube, it ain't gonna work like it should.

Hoping to hear back from the OP on this, maybe it needed both, cleaning & adjusting. :wink:

Maybe so, but the one I have had on a rifle for 30 years has only malfunctioned like that in the very beginning when I decreased the sear engagement too far. Since I corrected that, it has worked flawlessly.

 

[KS25-06]

I have installed many Timney triggers in 77's. They are great if set properly. Remove the trigger from the action and clean. I use Brake Kleen spray cleaner and blow out with compressed air. Reinstall and use the screw on the back of the trigger to change the sear engagement. Clockwise for more. You can view the engagement thru a hole in the trigger housing. The adjustment for pull weight is on the bottom in front of the trigger. Clockwise for more, counter-wise for less. Be sure that the safety wire is properly installed and the safety operating fully in both directions. I generally put one drop of Break Free CLP on the sear engagement area. If you do not want to try doing this, I would contact a good gunsmith. Regardless, when you think it is fixed, make sure the gun is empty and test the trigger by closing the bolt fast and hard several times. Next, put the safety on and try pulling the trigger hard. It should not move.