Trigger Gauges

I

Independent George

New member
I've got a Ruger GP-100 due to arrive at my FFL any day now, and because I'm OCD, I thought it would be fun (for a given definition of the word) to start measuring how the DA trigger pull changed as I dry fired it to break it in.

The problem is that all the trigger gauges seem to measure up to 8, 10, 12, or 25 pounds. That seems less than useful to me.

8 and 10 pounds is much too light - plenty of guns out of the box will have a DA pull in the 10-11 pound range, which would max out the scale. Even 12 pounds seems too low - I know DA revolvers (and Rugers in particular) often start out around 12.5 pounds or more. But the next level up is 25 pounds, which seems too high. I don't think I've ever even heard of a trigger over 15 pounds - I don't know that I'd even be able to pull one.

I don't want to spend $60 on a Lyman digital trigger gauge if my new Ruger will max out at 12 pounds. But how useful is a 25 pound RCBS or Timney trigger gauge that's only accurate to the nearest 1/2 pound?

What's my best option? I'm completely ok with an analogue scale - in a lot of ways, I'd actually prefer it. Ideally, I'd have a gauge up to 15 pounds, accurate to within 2 ounces, for $60 or less. What comes the closest? Or should I just get the 12-pound digital gauge, and just categorize anything over 12 pounds as "too dang heavy"?
 
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My Ruger SP101 in .22LR had a DA pull over 15lbs. My Walther PPK DA pull is also over 15lbs.

If you're ok with fiddling/tinkering and are willing to forgo some accuracy at the higher trigger pull weights, here's an option that might satisfy you. I will tell you up front that it is NOT an ideal solution but it is fairly cheap and will give you reasonably accurate numbers.

This is what I did.

I bought an inexpensive spring-type trigger pull gauge. This one from Wheeler Engineering.

It works great and gives reasonably accurate (to within a couple of ounces) readings from 8oz to 8lbs.

Then I bought this little scale. It has enough accuracy to be used as a postage scale for relatively light weights and enough capacity to work well as a luggage scale.

With a little fiddling, you can figure out how to use it as a trigger gauge for heavier triggers. My quick & dirty solution was to take a length of cord and tie loops in each end. Then the middle goes through the trigger and the loops go through the hook on the scale. Since it's not a true trigger gauge, you have to pull slowly and watch the display to see what the scale is reading when the trigger breaks.

You certainly won't get accuracy down to the ounce with this technique, but I've been able to convince myself that I'm getting numbers accurate to about half a pound or so with a little work.

So for about $50, you can get good accuracy up to 8lbs and decent accuracy above that.

On top of that, the Jennings makes a good luggage scale. If you travel much, the first time the scale keeps you from going overweight on a checked bag, it will have paid for itself about twice over.

And I've found other uses for it. I set up a homemade spring force test setup using the scale and I've been running an experiment with a couple of pistol magazines for the past year or so to see whether or not they actually do weaken from being left fully loaded.
 
I am in the "to dang heavy" group for anything over 12#. Being the cheap bastard that I am, before I bought a Lyman digital, I used a wire hook over the trigger, a Wal-Mart bag, and added stuff of known weight to get a fairly accurate [I think] idea of pull weight.
 
A fishing scale is pretty much the same thing.
Any new firearm requires a trigger job due to frivolous U.S. law suits. However, a trigger that is smooth is far more important than one that is light. Light can be done by simply changing the springs.
One advantage to the GP is the SS used in the innards. Really easy to do a trigger job on a GP. It's done exactly the same way a .45 Government is done. Polish the mating trigger parts, plus the sides and clip a 1/4 turn off the mainspring. Does nothing to the DA pull though. Change the springs for that. Wolf Springs.
 
You can also use a cooking scale, or, for something as coarse as DA trigger pull, your bathroom scale. That's what I did early on. I took a couple of scraps of 2×4 and nailed them into an L-shape, with the bottom of the L being the base. The upright, or spine of the L I drilled for a 'trigger finger' dowel at the top, the protruded in parallel with the base. After double-checking that the gun was devoid of ammunition, I set the base down on the scale and zeroed it. I then slipped the trigger guard over the dowel and, gripping the frame, pushed down until the hammer dropped.
 
It is possible to make an accurate trigger pull gauge from a water bucket and a hook to go from the bail on the bucket to the trigger. Fill the bucket with water until it pulls the trigger, then weigh the bucket, water, and hook on a postal, produce, or baby scale.

Bill Jacobs
Bolt&Barrel Gunsmithing, LLC
 
Trigger weights I've used had a 1 pound weight with a long hook then extra 1/4, 1/2, 2 and 4 pound weights that slid on the hook wire. Any weight between 1 and 7-3/4 pounds could be set up. Bracket and halving weights hung on triggers then the weapon lifted over a 1 second time lets one easily measure trigger pull weights.
 
My fish scale reads the same as the one my gunsmith uses. I test it occasionally with meat from the grocery store.
 
Doesn't a 25 pound gauge measure UP TO 25 pounds, not 25 pounds as a minimum?

Folks who consider a 12 pound pull too heavy should never, ever, own a trapdoor Springfield! (And they are not double action.)

Jim
 
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