TC Cherokee heavy trigger pull!!!

[eka]

I just got a TC Cherokee and it's a real beauty. Wow, it sure is a lot lighter than my Renegade with the Green Mountain .32 barrel. But, I'm not complaining about the GM accuracy. The thing about the Cherokee is that I took it out for a test drive and it no joke has a trigger pull of about 12 to 14 pounds. This rifle has a single trigger. Don't know if there are any other configurations. I managed a one inch four shot group at 50 yards with 25 grains of FFF Goex and a .310 ball, but it's no telling what the little rifle would do if the trigger would give it half a chance. My question is, can a nice double trigger be fitted to this rifle? If so, what is the recommendation. I'm not much on changing things, especially when it comes to rifles that aren't being made anymore and so forth, but this is not useful the way it is. I don't think I would have that same success in the field as I did off the bench with that trigger. Also, as a side note. The cup around the nipple has a razor sharp edge on it that I would be proud to have on any of my knives. And I'm sporting a nice gash on my right thumb to prove it. Now, that I know it's there it's not so much of a problem, but it did make for a painful surprise.
Thanks for any ideas.
Keith

 

[Billnpatti]

Take a look at this site www.redaviscompany.com/triggers and maybe contact them to see if they have anything that will fit your rifle. R.E. Davis triggers are top of the line triggers and if they have one that will fit your rifle, it will make a big difference. If they don't offer a trigger for your rifle, you can always take it to a gunsmith and have him do a trigger job on it.

 

[ohio ramrod]

That gun is a HAZARD Just mail it to me to remove the hazard!
Seriously it is a simple fix if you have a steady hand and good tool stone. The angle on some T C sears was off and you actually are pulling against the main spring to get the sear to release. Just hone the sear notch to the proper angle. Just becareful not to change the angle to much. My youngest boy had a early Cherokee and I reworked the lock and added spring for the trigger in about two hours.The biggest mistake I ever made in muzzle loaders was selling that gun ! But I let a little girl convince me to sell it. The bad part is she only shot for one year and quit, but her dad won't sell me the gun back for my grandson!

 

[Rat Trapper]

My cherokee had a single trigger, but when I traded stocks with a member here to get a longer LOP, I had to up grade to a double set trigger. My old single trigger pull was just fine, but I like the double set much better. A four shot group at 50 yards is impressive! What patch thickness were you using, what lube? Were you cutting at the muzzle?

 

[FJTBONE]

I also have the heavy trigger pull problem on my
cherokee. How do you know what the correct angle is to stone it to? Thanks TBONE

 

[eka]

I emailed R. E. Davis and they said they did not make a trigger for the Cherokee.

I have a rifle maker close by that I'm friends with. I'll run it by and let him have a look at it and see if he can offer up any suggestions. If so, I'll report back.

Thanks,

Keith

 

[FJTBONE]

Thanks eka, I appreciate it. :hatsoff:
TBONE

 

[ohio ramrod]

The angle you want can be deterimined by observation. You want the angle of the sear face to be 90 degrees with the sear. So that the sear tip slides along the face of the tumbler when you pull the trigger against the sear. Less than 90 degrees the sear has to "push" the tumbler to release. Greater than 90 degrees the tumbler will push the sear off and not hold.Sometimes all that is needed is to remove a burr on either the tumbler or sear tip. Many early CVA,s also had this problem.

 

[FJTBONE]

Ramrod, Thanks loads. TBONE

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you remove the tumbler, and then draw a line( with a scribe) from the center of the tumbler, to the outside edge, you should get a 90 degree angle for the Full-cock NOTCH. The nose of the sear should be polished and cut so that it married to that notch with all of its bearing surface touching the notch. ( Ie., no gaps, when the two are held up to a light.)

 

[gonpce]

I have an older cherokee and it has double set triggers. I don't know if there is someplace to purchase parts for the older guns, but they were made with the double triggers

 

[Walks with fire]

I have never seen the TC percussion lock so I don't know how close the inards are compared to the flintlock so I can't be sure this will help you.

I have found that most of the heavy pull can be taken away without messing with anything other than replacing the sear return spring with one that is lighter. The spring is in a small hole above the sear arm. I replace that with a ball point pen spring that is much easier to compress than the standard spring. You might need to take a few pens apart to find just the right length and strength and you do need one that has enough strength to return the sear arm.

The TC is designed so that the trigger bar pushes up on the sear arm which must compress the spring in the hole above the arm. Ligher strength spring = less lbs. of trigger pull. Some make that spring shorter but I prefer a lighter spring. You can use it without the little slug that extends to the bar or go without it; or fashion your own.

My rifles are single trigger models that have little slack and about 3-4 lbs. of pull. A huge improvement over that stock spring. I am not recommending you modify your lock like I did for obvious reasons but it works well with mine. Trigger work should be done by a qualified gunsmith.