double set trigger question

Bought a used Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock with double triggers. Took the trigger apart two weeks ago to clean & lubricate. Put it back together today and I may have a problem. I've never used this type of trigger before so please bare with me. I was told and see in the videos that you can fire the rifle using either the front trigger by itself or set the second trigger first then pull the front trigger to fire. My problem is the front trigger will not fire the rifle by itself. I am forced to set the back trigger first then pull the front to fire. Do I have a problem or is it just this model rifle?........labrat

Yes, you have a problem.

First possible cause: there should be an adjustment screw in between the two triggers that might fix your problem. I don't recall off the top the exact process for adjusting a double-set trigger, but it's not hard to do, and shouldn't be that hard to find instructions. Might be something found on the Pedersoli website, or search for a YouTube video, or might even be a thread detailing it here if you can find it with the search function.

The other possible cause: if you didn't reinstall the trigger assembly before the lock and then didn't get the trigger bar properly oriented with the sear. Reinstall trigger first then reinstall the lock with the cock at half-cock and with the triggers pushed all the way forward to get the trigger bar oriented correctly with the sear. Come to think of it, maybe you want to check this first before fooling with the adjustment screw.

Did the triggers work before you took them apart to clean them?
When you are adjusting them make sure the hammer is all the way down. This takes the sear out of the hammer notches. If you don't do this you risk breaking the sear nose or the hammer notch. To adjust the amount of set, back out the adjustment screw a few turns and pull the rear trigger until it sets. Then turn in the adjustment screw until the front trigger trips without your finger on it. If you back out the adjustment screw a full turn you should be close to the set trigger pull you want. It the pull is too light back out the screw some more. If it's too heavy turn in the screw a little.
If the front trigger has a bar extension on it it should work as a single trigger as well as a set trigger. If none of this solves the problem there is something else going on that needs to be figured out.

labrat said:

Bought a used Pedersoli Kentucky flintlock with double triggers. Took the trigger apart two weeks ago to clean & lubricate. Put it back together today and I may have a problem. I've never used this type of trigger before so please bear with me. I was told and see in the videos that you can fire the rifle using either the front trigger by itself or set the second trigger first then pull the front trigger to fire. My problem is the front trigger will not fire the rifle by itself. I am forced to set the back trigger first then pull the front to fire. Do I have a problem or is it just this model rifle?........labrat

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Hard to tell what your problem could be. Maybe post some clear detailed photographs of your lock as it is now assembled.

Did you happen to take any photos of the lock before and during disassembly? Might help you figure things out, though the assumption is the trigger was functional before you started working on it. You

Here is something I have posted a number of times. Not your exact trigger (it’s a TC trigger in the photographs, but basic adjustment is the same as a Davis Deerslayer and Lyman/Investarm, plus I believe Pedersoli triggers, but the Pedersolis triggers I have are installed in stocks and the guns are in the safe, so I won’t be checking), but if you follow along you should be ok. If process steps don’t resolve your issue, you may need to remove/add (shimming) some wood in the lock mortise of the stock, or removal of some metal from the trigger. Try the below steps first. Requires the removal of no wood or metal, both of which can be a PIA add back.

Hope this helps. Here is a description of how I adjust my TC and similar set triggers. Apologize that the photographs are not the greatest.

In the first photograph the arrow is pointing at the screw that will adjust the amount of tension on the rear trigger. You can back this screw off to reduce the amount of force to ‘set’ the trigger, but you still need enough tension or force to trip the sear lever on the lock. Once you have found the minimum force required (trial and error adjustment of the screw), tighten the screw a half to a full turn (safety margin). Confirm it is still satisfactory, and then you may want to lock it in place with something like nail polish (I use red so I can easily see it). Make sure the trigger is fully locked into place in the stock when testing its function. If it is lose or out of position it will perform different.





To adjust the ‘hair’ trigger, with trigger assembly out of the gun, set the trigger and turn the screw between the triggers until the trigger pops. Then back off the screw a minimum of a half turn, though I would suggest a full turn for safety reasons. Lock in place with nail polish.

Gentleman Thank You for your feedback. I took the trigger assemble apart again, 4th time and was bound & determined to figure this out. Pretty simple mechanism really. Long story short it was my fault. While taking it apart and putting all the parts in a small box it seems I had a small spacer in the box from another project. Putting it together 2 weeks later I thought the spacer belonged to the assembly so I added it to the only screw that it would fit. Looked fine put raised the heavy leaf spring by .040 causing my problem. The spacer was a shinny silver color so that brought my attention to it. I'm a happy camper now and should have it completed in a couple of days...........labrat

SDS Thank You for your great photos & input. The screw that you point out is where I put the spacer. Under the leaf spring raising it too much. I have the two adjusting screws set now.......labrat

I take step-by-step pics when I disassemble something.

Good to hear you got things working again.

Glad you figured it out, there are some types of double sets that can't be fired until they are set, and neither trigger will trip the sear until set.