Dear Sirs:


I intend to install a jewell trigger to my Winchester m70,
Do you know what is the range of weight adjustment? Can be easily installed or it need a competent gunsmith?

The Model 70 comes with the best trigger around if properly adjusted by a good gunsmith. Just my .02 worth.

The Jewell comes with 3 different springs - each offering a different adjustment interval. I can't remember the exact numbers, but this is as close as I recall: spring 1: 2oz - 8oz, spring 2: 8oz - 24oz, spring 3: 24oz - ?? (2-3 lbs maybe, way too heavy to bother with a Jewell IMHO).

I have never personally installed a Jewell on a M70 (my smith installed mine), but I managed to install one on a M700 once, and it worked OK - which is somewhat surprising given my general "skill level" at gunsmithing...

- mike

mho,

What's your opinion of the Jewell on the Model 70. I have a Win. factory trigger that is very inconsistant. It was adjusted by a well know 'smith twice and still has issues. It varies a 1/2 lb on some pulls. Drives me insane!!

I have a Jewell on a 700 and like it a lot so I that's why I'm considering just throwing money at the problem and getting the Jewell. But it seems that most of the time when someone mentions this everyone jumps on the factory trigger bandwagon, but no one can tell me what's wrong with mine.

Wyatt,

I come from a part of the World where triggers are shot a fair bit lighter than is common in the US. I don't shoot set triggers myself (in fact I hate the darn things), but even single stage triggers are typically set fairly light in Germanic Europe (and, I'm sure, in other parts as well).

For that reason, I've always had problems getting my M70 triggers to be as light as the triggers on rest of my rifles. Pretty much any trigger weight is fine (provided you practice enough), but I find it hard to change between light and heavy pulls. So I try to standardize as much as possible.

The Jewell I used on my M70 (actually an MRC M1999, but it was a M70 aftermarket trigger) was absolutely fabulous. In Montana a couple of years back, a friend and myself did a long belly crawl on a bunch of antelope only to find ourselves 400 yds out, and not a hint of cover beyond the low ridge we were on. We were running out of time, and had not seen many antelope for a few days, so we were ready to try something different. We decided to do the old "1-2-3-shoot" routine, in an attempt to both score. I don't know if you have ever attempted this trick, but it has its issues. One is that you have to shoot on "shoot", and you had darn well better be ready when the time comes, not when you happen to get everything right (sigh picture, heartbeat, rest etc etc) at your own time. Let's just say it's a challenge... I remember lying there in the sagebrush thinking of how happy I was, that I had a trigger light and consistent enough to not have to disturb the rifle when I needed to finish my pull. Every trigger pull disturbs the rifle, but the lighter the pull, the less disturbance (probably because less muscle movement is needed to get to the point where the trigger breaks). I'm not saying you can't do this with a well rehearsed pull on a heavier trigger - the trick is probably to "load" the trigger to the point where any further pressure will cause it to break. But I still think a lighter pull makes it easier.

A valid argument for the M70 standard trigger is its simple and rugged construction. It might well keep ticking in an environment where an aftermarket trigger (Timney, Jewell etc) may pack in - cold, snow, ice for instance. A truely well adjusted M70 trigger is not bad, and some smiths seem to be able to get very good pulls out of them (Dennis Olsson of Plains MT springs to mind). Still, in general a M70 trigger can not be set as low as I personally like it.

All in all, I have been very happy with the Jewell on my M1999 (M70). So happy in fact, I have one planned for my next M1999 project.

Oh, yes, when we finished the count on that afternoon on the MT plains, we both fired on the "shoot" command, and both took antelope. I personally think my Jewell helped me on that day.

- mike

My factory trigger is set just a bit under 2 lb and at that weight the ½ lb variance is very noticeable. I agree with everyone in that the simplicity of the factory trigger is a big plus and simple is good. I’ve planned to spend some more bucks on this rifle restocking and giving it some type of all weather finish but this trigger issue has held me back. I’m just not sure if I should send it off to a different ‘smith and start all over with the factory trigger or go aftermarket.