I recently bought an older (1988) 700ADL and I found some instructions on Quarterbor.com and procedd to do some trigger tuning on it. Everything went great except setting the sear engaugment, the directions said to turn the screw in until the trigger broke and then back off 1/2 turn, this left the trigger with a fair amount of creep. As such I tried 1/4-1/3 turn off and it is much more satisfactory. It passed the bolt slam and trigger pull with safety on then switch off test, but I am still wondering if this is too little sear engaugment, and what is the norm, Thanks.

I don't know what your "test" was for sufficiency of sear engagement, but if it was not performed with the rifle in the stock and torqued tight, just as you plan to shoot it, you need to try that also. I have had Remingtons which tested fine when out of the stock, which proved unsafe and unreliable when torqued down in the stock.

As to how much of a turn to move that engagement screw, I doubt anyone CAN tell you that with 100% safety...especially in these litigous days. That's one reason Remingtons (and many others) come from the factory with so much sear engagement and heavy pulls. If you haven't worked enough with rifle triggers to feel you know what is correct, then you probably need to have it done by someone who has (and who you trust).

You may or may not have the opportunity to watch them do it, and ask what they are doing and why at each step, but otherwise it is just cheap insurance to have it done by a pro and decrease your liability by that extent. Otherwise, you probably should leave it as the factory set it up.

Others will no doubt disagree, but that's my view.

Well, my "test" was performed with the rifle put back together. Basically I took the rifle off safe and slammed the bolt home hard 20 times, each time checking to see if the fireing pin dropped; It never did. The other test (also preformed 20 times) was moving the safety to "safe" and pulling the trigger, then moving the saftey to fire, and watching to see that the fireing pin did not drop, it also passed this test. Basically, ths is the first time I have done a 700 trigger, and I am looking to see if 1/4 turn of sear engaugment is normally acceptable for a hunting rifle. Just a little first time jitters I suppose.

Before you go to a gunsmith and lay out a lot of money you might consider checking out a Jewell trigger they are excellent in my opinion and not hard to install.

Midwayusa Jewell mod 700 trigger
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=706845

http://www.brownells.com

Swede, I've got a jewell 2oz on a 722 target rifle, absolutly beautiful trigger, But all I'm after is a crisp 3lb hunting trigger

quote:

Originally posted by cmb3366:
Swede, I've got a jewell 2oz on a 722 target rifle, absolutly beautiful trigger, But all I'm after is a crisp 3lb hunting trigger

The trigger on the link lets you install different springs making it go from 1 pound like the one I have to 2, 3, or 4 pounds and still be a very safe trigger.

Just my opinion...but before anyone starts messing with the adjustments on a trigger (especially the sear engagement setting) they had best know what they are doing.

Someone on here awhile back posted the URL of a company doing full blue-printing and adjustments of Remington triggers for about $30.00! That, in my opinion, is money well spent to have it done properly and safely.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
Just my opinion...but before anyone starts messing with the adjustments on a trigger (especially the sear engagement setting) they had best know what they are doing.

Someone on here awhile back posted the URL of a company doing full blue-printing and adjustments of Remington triggers for about $30.00! That, in my opinion, is money well spent to have it done properly and safely.

I agree with you 100%

If a Remington trigger is not properly adjusted it will become a serious safety issue. Not an easy job to do, but I have adjusted several. One was on a varmint rifle I had down to 16oz it was one of the older style triggers, but still a PITA to adjust. The last one I adjusted on my 300 Win Mag I set it at 4 lbs it is plenty light enough for a hunting rifle that I will be shooting freehand. The way it was set from the factory was so heavy a pull I couldn't keep it on target.

The Jewell trigger is very easy to install and a lot smother trigger pull. My 1 lb trigger is so smooth you can’t feel any movement before it goes off and it was set from the factory.

Hi Guys,
After reading several how to adjust the Remington trigger pages, I still don't know if "a turn" was meant as 90, 180 or 360 degrees. It has not been stated.
How many degrees have others asumed it refers to?

I'm pink ergo I'm Spam

quote:

Originally posted by oldun:
Hi Guys,
After reading several how to adjust the Remington trigger pages, I still don't know if "a turn" was meant as 90, 180 or 360 degrees. It has not been stated.
How many degrees have others asumed it refers to?

I'm pink ergo I'm Spam

Don’t know about the instructions you have read...but one full turn of a screw or a bolt has always meant 360 degrees to me.

How about rephrasing the question, is 1/4 turn (90 degrees) back from "fire" a reasonable amount sear engagment on a remington trigger.

The person referred to with the $35 Rem trigger blueprinting is the "triggersmith" up in Wyoming. He does great work.
I was sent through the Rem armorers training years ago by the Air Force. I've adjusted most of my hunting triggers down to 3lbs with no problems. Even with this experience and training, when I find one now that's difficult, it goes to WY for the blueprinting.

That's going to vary with the individual trigger. I find 1/2 turn more comforting. In any case, sear engagement has nothing to do with "creep" (take up) with is adjusted with a different screw.

http://quarterbore.com/library/articles/rem700trigger.html

quote:

Originally posted by cmb3366:
Well, my "test" was performed with the rifle put back together. Basically I took the rifle off safe and slammed the bolt home hard 20 times, each time checking to see if the fireing pin dropped; It never did. The other test (also preformed 20 times) was moving the safety to "safe" and pulling the trigger, then moving the saftey to fire, and watching to see that the fireing pin did not drop, it also passed this test. Basically, ths is the first time I have done a 700 trigger, and I am looking to see if 1/4 turn of sear engaugment is normally acceptable for a hunting rifle. Just a little first time jitters I suppose.

Sounds like you did everything as you should. Be sure to dab some kind of glue on the screw heads. Clear Fingernail Polish works fairly well. Just get the cheapest you can find(and take your wife or girlfriend with you when you go to get it ).

I'll share a little known "secret" about ALL the GunSmiths that do Trigger Jobs - they all had to do their "First One" at some point in time. Now that you have it done, Dry Fire it a lot and take it to the Range. The more Trigger Time you get with it, the more confidence you will have in it.

And as usual, treat it as if it is Loaded ALL THE TIME - just as if you had sent it to a GunSmith.

Here’s the guy I was referring to :

http://www.triggersmith.com/

The instructions I read were on Quarterbore,
it states and I quote;

"From this point back the screw out a half turn."

I don't know what assumptions any one else might bring to reading that, I have none, hence my question.
What constitutes a turn? Is it 90 etc.

One half turn would be 180 degrees.

quote:

Originally posted by cmb3366:
Well, my "test" was performed with the rifle put back together. Basically I took the rifle off safe and slammed the bolt home hard 20 times, each time checking to see if the fireing pin dropped; It never did.

Exactly the test I anticipated. In my opinion (and it is just my opinion, not God's direct word), that is not an adequate test. I suggest when you have the trigger set where you want it, and the barreled action out of the stock,you do the following.

1. Cock the barrled action with a DUMMY (inert)round in the chamber.

2. With a plastic hammer, whack the rear end of the upper tang. That fairly well simulates the shock the barreled action will get if you drop it butt first in the field. (Or if you drop it and it hits a rock with its tang.)

Quite often, no matter how hard you slam the bolt when you close it by hand and it doesn't fire, the rifle will still fail the plastic hammer test. If it does fail the hammer test (fires when the tang is whacked by the hammer)), it is time for more sear engagement.

quote:

Originally posted by oldun:
The instructions I read were on Quarterbore,
it states and I quote;

"From this point back the screw out a half turn."

I don't know what assumptions any one else might bring to reading that, I have none, hence my question.
What constitutes a turn? Is it 90 etc.

Oldun,

I don’t know how to say this any way but directly and right to the point...so please forgive me in advance.

It does not appear as though you have the mechanical background and expertise to be playing around with something as critical as the trigger on your rifle.

The accuracy of those instructions not withstanding, just about anyone used to working with hand tools on mechanical devices would have no problem understanding the directions that you have described as confusing.

rick 0311
You will I think forgive me when I say that I did not put anything to paper which indicated I was confused, I asked for clarification.

Heaven forbid that I should, as you put it, "play around with a trigger".

I was not offended by your words they were, I think, well intended and kindly put.


I'm Pink therefor I'm Spam

quote:

Originally posted by oldun:
rick 0311
You will I think forgive me when I say that I did not put anything to paper which indicated I was confused, I asked for clarification.

Heaven forbid that I should, as you put it, "play around with a trigger".

I was not offended by your words they were, I think, well intended and kindly put.


I'm Pink therefor I'm Spam

oldun,

Got your PM...

We ‘Amuricans’ talk funny sometimes (just now noticed where you’re from) and I guess what’s common terminology here may not be elsewhere, and visa-versa.

A “little bit“ of experience can sometimes be really dangerous was all I was trying to point out and meant no offense. I would just really hate to see anyone have an accident that might have been easily prevented.

Being a left handed shooter, a majority of my rifles are Rem 700LH's. I have found them to be very accurate and they have plenty of aftermarket support. The triggers have always been a problem for me. Stock, they are a stiff trigger.

I have tried the methods available on the internet. For me, they resulted in a lighter pull with an increased creep which I really found unpleasant. Multiple adjustments later, I never had a trigger that I liked. The mechanism itself, on todays terms, is crude and sloppy.

I have replaced all of my 700 triggers with Jewels. This is a precision engineered product up to modern standards. Just call the factory and they will set you up. Installation is easy and any adjustments are made with the stock on. If you buy one you will probably end up replacing all your 700 triggers. The results will be that all your rifles have triggers which are consistantly very simular to each other which results in improved shooting.

These triggers are fairly expensive but you do get what you pay for.