Over the years I have gotten a lot of emails on how to do a trigger job on a 99 Savage, recently I discussed this with one of our posters... I normally suggest the best approach is to shoot it as is and learn to deal with it. Millions have..self included, but I have done a few of mine and quit a number for friends and relitives, Won't do it commercially as too many frivioulas law suits out there, and triggers are the demon 99% of the time..but the 99 lends itself to those who are talented to a degree. and to those who feel they cannot live with a 99 trigger here has been my approach.

The 99 sear is a two part sear, the bolt has an extension that serves as a sear release or lets call it a bolt sear for clarity.. The trigger has an extension with the trigger sear, its pretty tinney..so to start with take off the stock and cock and dry fire the rifle so you know whats going on..It's very simple firing mechanism and becomes obvious when you watch it work.

The bolt sear faces downward, the trigger sear faces upward, so that when the trigger is pulled the trigger sear moves down and disengages the bolt sear and fires the rifle..

The trigger sear is what you need to cut. It has roughly 1/4 inch of contact and that's a bunch..cut it down and try as you go..Do not try to get a 2.5 to 3 lb. trigger just get a decent trigger pull, like 3.5 or 4 lbs. that breaks clean..I cut the trigger sear down but leave sufficient contact and that is considerably more so than the contact on a bolt rifle, then be sure the top edge of that sear is sharp and square and contact area is polished, then I may polish the bolt sear contact surface, notice I saed may, but only if needed.. I only polish the contact parts..Mostly I just want to get rid of most of that long creep from too much contact and wire edges that often exist on the stamped trigger.

If you go too far you will get slam bang, you will then have to replace the trigger of tig weld it and recut it and start all over..that said the tigged sear is harder, and polishes up better, and actually will give you a better trigger and trigger pull.. When finished I bounce the butt stock off my cement shop floor to be sure it won't go off, If it doesn't have a recoil I have slip ons for that exdercise.

The advice Ray gave me on my model 99 in 250-3000 was very good..
I thought maybe I would just polish the trigger sear which I did.It did help but more I tried it more I could stop trigger with creep thing.

So i measured the trigger sear contact on bolt face it was 3/16 inch or about .008 on my caliper roughly.

Took trigger sear and put in vise.I used fine file and took top of sear off slowly while trying it in gun..i went from the face on top of sear out not in so a edge would not develop on top of sear.

after few tries I got it where I like it.
then took a lansky fine stone and used it on face of sear to get sharp edge..
Then dremel tool buffing wheel with no.6 buffing compound and face looks like chrome bumper..

53 years using gun and that trigger is great now ..what improvement.
Like Ray said take it easy and do not remove too much just little and try it then just hair more try it etc.

Thanks RAY for your info ....

The 99 isn't a target gun many dozens of white tails have died to mine using the stock trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
The 99 isn't a target gun many dozens of white tails have died to mine using the stock trigger.

So......most hunting rifles aren't "target guns" and many hunters like to improve the triggers on them. Just because something works, doesn't mean it can't be improved.

I have several 99s, including one that shoots 1/2 inch groups, but all of them could use better triggers. OTOH, I doubt that I'll be taking any of mine apart and working on the trigger. Too old, too lazy.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
The 99 isn't a target gun many dozens of white tails have died to mine using the stock trigger.

So......most hunting rifles aren't "target guns" and many hunters like to improve the triggers on them. Just because something works, doesn't mean it can't be improved.

I have several 99s, including one that shoots 1/2 inch groups, but all of them could use better triggers. OTOH, I doubt that I'll be taking any of mine apart and working on the trigger. Too old, too lazy.

Its easy to do sear trigger ..just use file fine one and file top in vise...then smooth the face with lansky stone ..just take a little off at time ..after stock is off you only remove the screw on side the trigger sear drops right out..

It was mentioned its hunting gun do not mess with trigger..Well you are right my 250 killed 100 deer but I wish what I know now thanks to Ray I had known in 1960 all those years with creepy trigger now its just GREAT..

Some guns are easy and well worth messing with others not so much with the 99 are not that easy and hard to fix if one screws it up.

Have at it if you well but I get along just fine with mine the way it is.

I have plenty of rifles with really light pulls but I have no trouble killing game with my 99

P dog,
Many 99s simply have too much sear contact by design, cutting off a protion will improve the trigger geatly but it will never be a match trigger or a 2.5 lb.trigger...

If you cut too much off buy a new trigger, they are cheaply made and not costly, or simply tig a dot back on the trigger and recut it with a file..the 99 is one simple action with few working parts and can be viewed as you work on it..As a matter of fact the tig weld is much harder than the original trigger and will improve the trigger even more..I did my first on as a junior in high school, with no gunsmithing experience at all, and its still working..Give it a try..

quote:

So i measured the trigger sear contact on bolt face it was 3/16 inch or about .008 on my caliper roughly.

Sproulman, normally I don't nitpick but since we're talking trigger jobs and safety, did you mean 3/16 (0.1875) or something different?



thanks,

Rob

quote:

Originally posted by Recoil Rob:

quote:

So i measured the trigger sear contact on bolt face it was 3/16 inch or about .008 on my caliper roughly.

Sproulman, normally I don't nitpick but since we're talking trigger jobs and safety, did you mean 3/16 (0.1875) or something different?



thanks,



Rob

Rob, my contact on trigger sear was 3/16 I only hand filed a little off the top ..Like ray said you do not want to go to far.I would take a little ,try it .little more try it and stopped .i used lansky fine stone to smooth surface real shiny and now NO CREEP ..nice crisp pull..

it was very easy to do with just fine file ..

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Some guns are easy and well worth messing with others not so much with the 99 are not that easy and hard to fix if one screws it up.

Have at it if you well but I get along just fine with mine the way it is.

I have plenty of rifles with really light pulls but I have no trouble killing game with my 99

Its very easy to do trigger on model 99 .I did 5 this week ...placing sear in vise is easy.small fine file..file top very slowly TRYING it in gun before moving on too take more off...I am no expert on triggers etc or gun repair if not for RAY I would not even tried it..ITS EASY TO DO.. just do not take too much off .take little try it and little more try it and stop...Creep will be gone...

using lansky fine stone on sear I think helps also real shiny surface ..