Steel for triggers?

[longcruise]

I'm going to be making some triggers and have a question about the more desirable steels, sizes, etc., for this project.

I've used some cold rolled from the hardware store and it has been only marginal IMO. It's hard and doesn't "work " very well. Fine for trigger plates but not so much for triggers themselves.

I have two ideas on this but seek critique as well as suggestions. First thought was mild sheet metal that could later be case hardened or second, annealed carbon steel that would be easily worked and then heat treated for durability.

 

[TDM]

I’ve never made a trigger so take this with a grain of salt. But I have worked with annealed 1080 & 1084 steel. They’re fairly easy to work and easy to harden and temper. I’ve worked with 1095 too but it’s not as forgiving. I use these steels for knife making.

 

[LRB]

If you are making single long rifle triggers you want either cold rolled 1018 or hot rolled, or any low carbon steel. If making set triggers, I would suggest what TDM said.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
I make simple triggers quite a bit. Mild steel like 1018 works well but I always case harden the triggers.

dave

 

[Vaino]

My single triggers are made from .100 thick cold rolled steel....very easy to peen the trigger shoes. When mounted, the location of the trigger bar that the sear bar contacts has a hardened high speed steel insert soldered in.... high speed steel isn't affected by the soldering temps......Fred

 

[Eric Krewson]

I use cold rolled steel from Lowe's, easy cold forge, I use 1/8" because that is what they have, thinner would be better.

I practiced on a lot of stuff before I put one of my triggers in a gun. The one on the right was my first prototype, I got better on the one on the left.

I thought my third one was gun worthy.

 

[64Springer]

1018 is the correct answer.

Available in all shapes and sizes at SpeedyMetals.Com

To harden, heat 1018 just past dull red for five minutes. Not bright red. And definitely not orange. You don't want to overcook the metal.

I quench is used motor oil. A trigger takes no stress. So no need to temper it. Unless you want to practice tempering.

 

[LRB]

You CANNOT harden 1018 steel. There is not near enough carbon in it. If you think you have, you are fooling yourself. The only way to harden 1018 is to case harden it. You can cold hammer it and it will work harden, but that is not practical for most projects and it causes brittleness.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
If you use steel that can be hardened, and even after I case harden mild steel, I temper the trigger to blue. Triggers ARE stressed and the thin lower section of the blade for your finger can break off if brittle.

dave

 

[64Springer]

You CANNOT harden 1018 steel. There is not near enough carbon in it. If you think you have, you are fooling yourself. The only way to harden 1018 is to case harden it. You can cold hammer it and it will work harden, but that is not practical for most projects and it causes brittleness.

1018 can absolutely be hardened. I do it all the time. I did it last week when I made a trigger plate and hardened the threaded area.

The guy wants a simple trigger. Heat treating 1018 the way I described imparts a wear resistance to the 1018. Wear resistance on the trigger pin hole and lubrication will keep that trigger working properly long after every person on the forum is dead.

Can 1018 be hardened through and through for making a knife blade. Nope.

But we're talking triggers. Not knives.

 

[rich pierce]

64 Springer, so after quenching low carbon steel like 1018 in oil, it is hard and can’t be filed?

Your results work for you, but nobody else will have your success.

 

[64Springer]

At no point did I ever say it was so hard that it can't be filed. But a file test done to a heat treated piece of 1018 will skip across it much easier than a piece of 1018 that was not heat treated. Increased wear resistance.

Again, we're talking about a trigger that pivots on a pin. We're not talking about frizzens.

But I do appreciate your sarcasm and the backhanded compliment.

 

[springfield art]

I’ve never made a trigger so take this with a grain of salt. But I have worked with annealed 1080 & 1084 steel. They’re fairly easy to work and easy to harden and temper. I’ve worked with 1095 too but it’s not as forgiving. I use these steels for knife making.

The current knife-making thing is really interesting. Having the knowledge about tempering, etc., is fascinating although I don't have the patience to do it myself. There's something good about being able to arm one's self with a self-made knife!

 

[TDM]

Thanks, I don’t do a lot of it but it’s enjoyable.

 

[LRB]

The current knife-making thing is really interesting. Having the knowledge about tempering, etc., is fascinating although I don't have the patience to do it myself. There's something good about being able to arm one's self with a self-made kni

 

[LRB]

YOU CANNOT HARDEN 1018 STEEL EXCEPT BY WORK HARDENING OR CASE HARDENING! THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CARBON IN IT TO ALLOW ANY AMOUNT OF HARDENING THAT CAN BE DETECTABLE OTHER THAN BY A CHEMICAL ANALISIS.

 

[longcruise]

This has been very enlightening. Loads of valuable information. I have tried working with hardware store cold rolled and I don’t care for the 1/8" thickness. I'm leaning toward 3/32" 1075. Reasons, I want a bit thinner and I want to be able to heat treat it. Case hardening seems simple enough but I'm better equipped to harden and temper. I'm also thinking it might be a better choice for set triggers although singles are the immediate project.

 

[TDM]

1075 is a good choice for your trigger project.

 

[user 34300]

I use whatever I have handy. I do not try to beat a trigger shoe into thin stock any more. I have a milling machine. So, I remove stock to make the thin part and start with a piece of material the width of the trigger shoe. For me, it is just faster and neater. I use a lot of hardware store mild steel. It is terrible stuff. I have played with leaded alloy from a junior college machine shop class. It cuts like a dream.

 

[TDM]

Always wanted a decent milling machine.