Set Trigger ?

[Goat]

Can they only be fired by setting the trigger or can they also be shot by cocking the trigger and firing without setting the main trigger. Ive been told you can do it either way but the main trigger on my Renegade has so much play in it before there is any tension, and then you really have to squeeze it hard to get it to go off. Mine looks like the old style lock according to my other post. Are there advantages/disadvantages to the old vs. the new lock? Also one more thing, what should i use to clean the trigger and lock parts? they are pretty dirty. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Big John]

They can be shot with either trigger set or not set and use the front trigger only. First you need to clean the lock, maybee stone it to remove roughness on the lock parts and polish the same. Also sounds like you need to adjust the screw between the triggers to lighten the pull.

 

[roundball]

Can they only be fired by setting the trigger or can they also be shot by cocking the trigger and firing without setting the main trigger. Ive been told you can do it either way but the main trigger on my Renegade has so much play in it before there is any tension, and then you really have to squeeze it hard to get it to go off. Mine looks like the old style lock according to my other post. Are there advantages/disadvantages to the old vs. the new lock? Also one more thing, what should i use to clean the trigger and lock parts? they are pretty dirty. Thanks for all your help.

In addition to the other good responses, the nature of the double set trigger design does let the front trigger have some free travel in it when used by itself...but it actually provides an advantage if you shoot with gloves on.

And all the front triggers seem to come from the factory very heavy, and they're really not adjustable as such.....however, I've disassembled my locks and using a dremel tool & buffing compound, I've polished the sear tip and the full cock notch on the tumbler so they're shiney smooth as glass, and have reduced mine down to around 3 pounds.

Another thing to check for is that the cross arm of the sear bar is not dragging on the wood inside the stock...I've seen many older rifles that were not quite drilled properly, letting the cross arm of the sear drag on wood which increases trigger pull weight when using the front trigger.

FWIW, having said and done all that, I've actually gotten into the habit of only using the set trigger anyway as it results in outstanding accuracy...I never snap shoot at deer, and always have time to slip off my glove, set the trigger, line up the shot, etc...so I don't even use the front trigger anymore.

 

As has been said, most will let you fire the gun with the trigger unset using the front trigger. This is a secondary function, though. The trigger was designed to be fired set. If you look at the triggers in relation to the sear bar, you'll understand why using the front trigger unset is not really the way to go.

When the trigger fires from the set position, all the front trigger does is release the rear trigger, which is loaded on a spring when set, to flip up and smack the sear bar, firing the lock. So, when fired set, it's actually the rear trigger that fires the gun, the front trigger is just holding it down against the spring.

When using the front trigger to release the sear, the angle of the front trigger pivot is well in front of and below the sear bar. The further away the pivot point is both up and down and left to right, the harder it will be to pull. When installing a single non-set trigger, the rule for having a great trigger pull is to have the pivot point even or slightly above and fairly close to the sear bar. This results in a light, crisp trigger pull. The geometry of a set trigger just doesn't give way for that sort of a set up when the trigger is not set.

 

[Zonie]

Well....No. Not all set triggers can be shot without setting them.

There are two different kinds of two trigger "set triggers".

The ones shipped on most commercial rifles are the "Double Lever, Double Set" type that can be fired "unset" by just pulling the front trigger.
Used unset, the front trigger pull is usually long and notchy but, as others have said, it has it's uses. Especially when hunting with heavy gloves on.

The "Single Lever, Double Set" cannot be fired unset. If the rear trigger has not been cocked and one pulls the front trigger, the only thing that happens is the front trigger moves backwards.
This style of trigger is sometimes found on Target Rifles where a notchy, heavy trigger pull would be of no use.

Note: TOTW and others sell both types of set triggers. When ordering one of these, carefully read all of the description so you get what you think your getting. :hmm: