Has anyone done a trigger job on their GP100. Mine is a 4" SS gun. I fire about 100 rounds a week mostly double action. I'm not sure that I need one so how do I tell if it will help. I've seen a few videos on it and I think that I can do it during a winter snow storm. If you've done it I'd like to know how you made out. There's nothing like learning from someone else experiences. Thanks.
TRIGGER JOB
- Thread starter fshfindr
- Start date
g.willikers
New member
Eh?
If there's doubt if the gun needs trigger improvement, then it's more than likely that it doesn't.
Most problems that folks have shooting a double action revolver isn't gun related.
It's shooter caused.
If there's doubt if the gun needs trigger improvement, then it's more than likely that it doesn't.
Most problems that folks have shooting a double action revolver isn't gun related.
It's shooter caused.
PM GP100man
It's been a long time since I did one, on a 4" and there was no doubt that it needed one and really made an improvement. It's fine to brag on a Smith and I sure bragged on my GP, before I sold it to a buddy who still enjoys it.
Now then, is you do a historical search on these, you will find a real expert by the name of GP100man. Can't say how many he has done .....
Be Safe !!!
It's been a long time since I did one, on a 4" and there was no doubt that it needed one and really made an improvement. It's fine to brag on a Smith and I sure bragged on my GP, before I sold it to a buddy who still enjoys it.
Now then, is you do a historical search on these, you will find a real expert by the name of GP100man. Can't say how many he has done .....
Be Safe !!!
If you've been shooting yours a good deal already, it's not likely to have as much effect as if it were fresh out of the box.
There are a couple of spots that really benefit from some polishing.
The inside surface of the trigger return spring housing is usually pretty rough. If you can roll up a piece of sandpaper and smooth the inside of the housing that can make the trigger feel much better.
If you have some fine ceramic stones, it usually doesn't hurt to very carefully smooth the openings in the frame where the trigger and hammer move. Those can be rough sometimes and cause a little bit of drag on the hammer & trigger.
I usually try to polish the top of the hammer strut to make sure that there's no roughness or grittiness in the cocking motion of the hammer.
When you're done with all that, the odds are that your trigger won't be significantly lighter if you measure it with a gauge. But it will feel much better.
There are a couple of spots that really benefit from some polishing.
The inside surface of the trigger return spring housing is usually pretty rough. If you can roll up a piece of sandpaper and smooth the inside of the housing that can make the trigger feel much better.
If you have some fine ceramic stones, it usually doesn't hurt to very carefully smooth the openings in the frame where the trigger and hammer move. Those can be rough sometimes and cause a little bit of drag on the hammer & trigger.
I usually try to polish the top of the hammer strut to make sure that there's no roughness or grittiness in the cocking motion of the hammer.
When you're done with all that, the odds are that your trigger won't be significantly lighter if you measure it with a gauge. But it will feel much better.
Whirlwind06
New member
I put shims into my GP used the reduced spring on the trigger return, tried the reduced hammer and got light strikes. Mine was pretty much NIB. And I did a fluff and buff like John suggests.
Happy with the results.
Happy with the results.
Jimbo-Indy
New member
Followed one of the popular on-line trigger job instructions on my GP-100 (6") a few years ago. The gun had several thousand trigger pulls already but the work did help the overall smoothness. Basically, it's all about smoothing mating surfaces, removing burrs and the like. Used a lighter trigger spring with stock weight main spring to assure ignition. The result was a much smoother action with sharper break point. If you are reasonably mechanically inclined, you should be fine. Just remember, it's all about polishing, not removing metal. Completely enjoyed mine after the "job".
It will benefit greatly from a little TLC. That being Springs, Shims, and some careful polishing/smoothing.
To start I would get some wide Craft Popsickle Sticks, Adheasive, and some Fine sand paper for Automotive body work. You can get it down to something like 2000. I use 400, 800, and 1000. I cut the sand paper into pieces the width of the popsickle stick, and 3 inches long. Glue on the end of the stick, and let dry. Mark the stick with a Majic Marker.
Down Load and Print off the 2 following Articles:
http://www.sp101trigger.com/index.html
http://gunner777.wordpress.com/2008/08/24/ruger-gp100sp101book-of-knowledge/
Read both of the above Guides a couple times.
You will need the Wolff Springs (Revolvers Shooters PAK Ruger GP100 Series.
And Shims.
http://www.triggershims.com/ruger_double_action.html
You can get Springs and Shims from TriggerShimsDOT Com.
I normally use .005 Hammer Shims, .003 Trigger Shims, and .002 and .005 Hammer Dog Shims.
I have the following Drill Bits with Hex Head to clean up the holes BY HAND. 5/64, 3/32, 13/64, aned 1/4.
I also have a 1/16 Punch, and Feeler Gages.
You will also need a Flat File to work over the Hammer Spring Strut before polishing on a Buffing Wheel.
And I would order some Wood Handle Q Tips from Midway or Brownells. I use them in a Drimmel Tool with polishing compound to slick up the Latch Spring/Trigger Return Spring Hole.
The Latch Plunger Tool sold by a member on this forum is pretty handy also.
Get some tools, and read the above posts, and you can have a very slick GP100 or SP101.
Bob R
To start I would get some wide Craft Popsickle Sticks, Adheasive, and some Fine sand paper for Automotive body work. You can get it down to something like 2000. I use 400, 800, and 1000. I cut the sand paper into pieces the width of the popsickle stick, and 3 inches long. Glue on the end of the stick, and let dry. Mark the stick with a Majic Marker.
Down Load and Print off the 2 following Articles:
http://www.sp101trigger.com/index.html
http://gunner777.wordpress.com/2008/08/24/ruger-gp100sp101book-of-knowledge/
Read both of the above Guides a couple times.
You will need the Wolff Springs (Revolvers Shooters PAK Ruger GP100 Series.
And Shims.
http://www.triggershims.com/ruger_double_action.html
You can get Springs and Shims from TriggerShimsDOT Com.
I normally use .005 Hammer Shims, .003 Trigger Shims, and .002 and .005 Hammer Dog Shims.
I have the following Drill Bits with Hex Head to clean up the holes BY HAND. 5/64, 3/32, 13/64, aned 1/4.
I also have a 1/16 Punch, and Feeler Gages.
You will also need a Flat File to work over the Hammer Spring Strut before polishing on a Buffing Wheel.
And I would order some Wood Handle Q Tips from Midway or Brownells. I use them in a Drimmel Tool with polishing compound to slick up the Latch Spring/Trigger Return Spring Hole.
The Latch Plunger Tool sold by a member on this forum is pretty handy also.
Get some tools, and read the above posts, and you can have a very slick GP100 or SP101.
Bob R
Spring/Trigger Job
I did the online video that was suggested along with the instructions for doing the trigger job. Well, it didn't work out so well for me... Got it all done easy enough. Has a nice sharp release at about 4 1/2 lbs on the trigger in single action. My problem is now with the double action side of things.
Before it was just stiff and sort of hurky jerky... and had a very heavy trigger pull. After changing the two springs and buffing some of the contact points, it now hangs when trying to fire using the double action. The hammer will come back about 1/4" off it's rest point, then stop. Then with a lot of effort from the old trigger finger I can get it to continue the cycle. Something inside the trigger package hangs at this point. I've researched everything I can find but there is nothing related to this problem... So, I pull the trigger... hammer starts back, then hangs after moving about 1/4" off it's rest point. Then, continuing to pull the trigger, with considerable effort, it will continue the cycle until the hammer drops. Any ideas on what parts aren't cooperating in the trigger package?
I did the online video that was suggested along with the instructions for doing the trigger job. Well, it didn't work out so well for me... Got it all done easy enough. Has a nice sharp release at about 4 1/2 lbs on the trigger in single action. My problem is now with the double action side of things.
Before it was just stiff and sort of hurky jerky... and had a very heavy trigger pull. After changing the two springs and buffing some of the contact points, it now hangs when trying to fire using the double action. The hammer will come back about 1/4" off it's rest point, then stop. Then with a lot of effort from the old trigger finger I can get it to continue the cycle. Something inside the trigger package hangs at this point. I've researched everything I can find but there is nothing related to this problem... So, I pull the trigger... hammer starts back, then hangs after moving about 1/4" off it's rest point. Then, continuing to pull the trigger, with considerable effort, it will continue the cycle until the hammer drops. Any ideas on what parts aren't cooperating in the trigger package?
I did it. I followed the instructions on line. It was simple enough. The only problem is getting the trigger assembly out. I smoothed all of the surfaces mentioned in the instructions which was more than I had thought. It probably took about two hours and I was careful to get it all and some more. Like I had said, there were more than 2000 rounds through the gun so it was well broken in. I must say that the trigger feels very smooth (but no more I think than it did before) the trigger job. I'm disappointed in that it does not feel a lot better, but I have to remember that it felt good before. I did find that the edge of the hand was rough. I polished it but I don't think it is significant. The trigger return spring hole got the treatment with a round file. I smoothed it I but I may go back to smooth the top of the trigger spring housing. I did not think it was important but thinking about it later the bottom of the hammer may rub on it. I will probably go back and do that again.
And then I changed both springs:
Factory trigger return spring is 12 lbs 7/20/14 Replaced it with a 10 lb spring.
Factory hammer spring is 14 lbs 7/20/14 Replaced it with a 12 lb spring.
Both from Wolfe.
The action now is as smooth as a babies ___ss
I neglected to say that I did a lot of work on the bar that holds the main spring. The main spring rubs on it and I think it is very important even thought it was not mentioned in the instructions.
And then I changed both springs:
Factory trigger return spring is 12 lbs 7/20/14 Replaced it with a 10 lb spring.
Factory hammer spring is 14 lbs 7/20/14 Replaced it with a 12 lb spring.
Both from Wolfe.
The action now is as smooth as a babies ___ss
I neglected to say that I did a lot of work on the bar that holds the main spring. The main spring rubs on it and I think it is very important even thought it was not mentioned in the instructions.
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Be sure to THOROUGHLY test the gun with any ammunition you plan to use in the revolver. Pay special attention to double-action firing to insure that the lighter hammer spring doesn't compromise reliability. The DA hammer strike in most revolvers is lighter than the SA strike so testing in DA is critical.