(1) Suggested Ways on How to Lighten the Spencer Trigger Pull

[Two Flints]

Hi SSS,

I went through all of the posts pages 1-10 dealing with the various ways of adjusting the Spencer trigger pull.  I did a copy and paste job and combined all the different ways in this one post, and gave credit to each SSS member who offered the suggestion. Each suggestion is enclosed in brackets followed by the SSS member's alias who offered that particular suggestion. If anyone objects to my using their alias along with their suggestion, please let me know by Email at fsgrand2@pivot.net, or send me a PM, and I will delete your alias (only).  I'm hoping this post and others like it will be of value to new and present SSS members. Please let me know what you think of this posting idea via Email or PM? I have locked this post.  Two Flints

The Trigger Assembly:   [Anybody else have a HEAVY trigger pull on their Taylor's Spencer? Any suggestions on hot to lighten up the trigger pull without fooling fith the sear or tumbler?]   By Bushwack Bill

[I know this topic was brought up awhile back, but I have some more info. When I got my current 56-50 Taylor's (momma felt sorry for me selling my first one to Yankee banddit for part of a new roof) It had about a 20+ pound trigger pull! I popped off the lock plate (easy, 2 screws) and found the problem. With all three of the lockwork arbor screws tightened, the sear was bound up. The smooth shank on the screw through the sear was about .oo1 too short. I loosened that screw a quarter turn, and left the others tight. It worked perfect. I called Tammy and told her. She will make sure that this is checked. I will eventually stone down the whole sear so I can tighten the screw. Taylor's would have fixed it, but I figured I could do it (took 5 minutes) so why bother.  I just lightened the trigger spring portion of the main spring by grinding lengthwise on the sear portion only. I carefully took off less than 20% of the material Works great. Nice crisp trigger pull.]   By Tuolumne Lawman


[This was done about a month ago. I'll try to set it in order as I worked on it.  The trigger pull on my Taylor's Spencer was in the order of 25 pounds or so. When I asked about how to lighten the trigger pull I was informed to thin the mainspring.  Taking the Spencer into my work shed, I removed the lock from the stock and employing a mainspring vice, removed the mainspring. Having had to thin replacement mainsprings on a pair of 1860 Conversions, I broke out the Dremmel and a sanding drum and a grinding stone and proceded to remove metal from the main spring. I quenched often so not to lose the temper of the spring and repeatedly reassembled the lock to test the trigger pull. When I got it down to where I was comfortable with it, I polished the spring with a fine grit drum to rid the surface of grind marks. Not only did I have to reduce the thickness of the spring where it bore against the sear, but i had to reduce the width in that area as well.  If you are going to do this I would suggest you work slowly and check your progress often. The old saw that "you can remove metal but you can't put it back" holds very true on a project like this. Don't forget to cool the spring often by quenching it in water, even if it doesn't feel all that hot. Better to be safe than sorry. I'd rather waste a little time doing it slowly and RIGHT, than have to buy a new mainspring because i got impatient.]   By Grapeshot

[When I first got my Taylor's Spencer in 56-50 it had what my gunsmith and I could only estimate to be about a 20 lb trigger pull. Not the best for accurate shooting. He reworked the mainspring, which is a combination mainspring and trigger spring, as well as the sear engagement, and it now has a reasonable 5 lb trigger pull. Not the best, but reasonable. Needless to say accuracy has improved dramatically.  I also purchased a replacement rear sight leaf from Taylor's and reworked the sight notch for a better sight picture.  One other thing that I have also done is to purchase from Taylor's a complete replacement set of all springs and small screws. Might as well have them on hand and the cost is not that much. No need to have to wait for them when you need them, and sooner or later one or more will be needed.  With my Spencer there was included an Owner's Manual. In it there is an illustrated parts breakdown (exploded view) with part numbers. The exploded view is correct in most, but not all cases, for the 56-50 version, but was OK for what I wanted.  I was in contact with both Tammy & Sue at different times. The phone number is 540/722-2017 or you can get their E-Mail address off of the Taylor's web site.  I purchased 1 each of the following: Main Spring, Rear Sight Base Spring, Rear Sight Slide Screw, Firing Pin, Stirrup, Sear and Rear Sight Ladder. The total cost, including shipping, was $56.75 in September of last year. I based my list on things that I have seen fail on Sharps actions in the past as well as some other parts that I felt I wanted. The lock work on these is basically a Sharps lock and I understand that Sharps actually made some original locks for Spencer.]   By Hell-er-High
Water

[I know this topic was brought up awhile back, but I have some more info. When I got my current 56-50 Taylor's (momma felt sorry for me selling my first one to Yankee banddit for part of a new roof) It had about a 20+ pound trigger pull! I popped off the lock plate (easy, 2 screws) and found the problem. With all three of the lockwork arbor screws tightened, the sear was bound up. The smooth shank on the screw through the sear was about .oo1 too short. I loosened that screw a quarter turn, and left the others tight. It worked perfect. I called Tammy and told her. She will make sure that this is checked. I will eventually stone down the whole sear so I can tighten the screw. Taylor's would have fixed it, but I figured I could do it (took 5 minutes) so why bother.  I just lightened the trigger spring portion of the main spring by grinding lengthwise on the sear portion only. I carefully took off less than 20% of the material Works great. Nice crisp trigger pull.]   By Tuolumne Lawman

[I did two things to lighten the trigger pull.  First, the screws holding the arbor or yoke on the back side of the lock platre did not have a long enough unthreaded shank. Tightened down, they bound up on the action. I loosened them a tad (using locktight to hold them) and it lightened up quite a bit.  Next, I trimmed off about 1/3 of the side of the bottom of the mainspring. which engages the sear. DO NOT CUT ANY OFF OF THE HAIRPIN END, BUT START FROM THE SEAR END BY THE SEAR, GOING TO JUST SHORT OF THE PIN THAT ENGAGES THE SIDE PLATE. THis is usually more than enough.  This is easier and safer than thinning the spring, which if done un-evenly will cause the spring to stress in the thinnest spot and sometimes snap. If you do thin the spring, USE A DREMMEL AND AN EMORY SANDING DRUM, continually moving it back and forth, keeping it even.]  By Tuolumne Lawman

[The Lock:  I finally removed the lock. If you want to do that, be very careful, there is some thin wood around the edge of the side plate.  I coated the wood inside of the inletting with tung oil to harden the wood fibers.  There was absolutely no grease in the lock. It was dry as a bone. Trigger pull on my fisning scale with the lock in this condition was 18+ lbs. Parts were smooth & well fitted other than that little lubrication problem. The sear engagement was just fine. I won't monkey with mine & suggest you leave yours alone, too. I greased the lock, reassembled & tried trigger pull again. Cocked smoother, but pull still about 18 lbs. If you don't understand the heat tempering of springs, nor understand how tool marks can cause zones of weakness causing premature spring failure, if you don't know the proper way to work down a leaf spring, read no further. Take the gun to a gunsmith who understands side-lock actions.  The outer 1/2 of the bottom spring leaf is the trigger return, it was contributing 8 lbs to the trigger pull. I removed enough spring material to reduce the trigger return to 6 lbs.  I then workd down the top leaf, which controls the hammer fall, about 15%. Reassembled. Trigger pull is now a crisp 8.5 lbs, with smooth travel thanks to lubrication. I might work down the spring some more before I do final polishing.]  By Back Strap Bill


[What you want to do is easy but time consuming. The main spring and the sear spring are both the same spring. The sear spring portion of it is on the bottom and rides on the sear. You need to remove the main/sear spring. I used a dremeltool with a grinding stone and thinned out that portion of the spring that is the sear spring. You need to completely reassemble the lock into the gun to try the trigger pull. If you didn?t get enough off the first time you need to do it again until you get it down to the desired trigger pull. I suggest no less than 3 pounds. It is better to go slow and don?t take too much off at a time, because once it is off you can?t put it back on.]    By  Major

[Just a comment or two: The portion of the mainspring that functions as the trigger return spring is in front of the screw in the lockplate supporting the mainspring at the bottom. You will very likely find that it is better to reduce the width of the spring in front of this screw, that bears on the trigger. It works well to remove most of the material from the side away from the lockplate. Take just a small amount from the side next to the lockplate. Do not leave to abrupt a corner- transition the width in a gradual curve. Polish all tool marks out of the spring, and take care to leave no tool marks that go across the spring at right angles to the length of the spring. If you leave marks, you are asking for metal fatigue to cause the spring to
fail where the mark is. Go slow and keep the spring from getting too hot. Quench it frequently.]   By French Jack

[Well, I took out the old dremel tool and thinned the main spring and was rewarded with success. Now the trigger pull is arouind 3 to five pounds. I took it out to the range to shoot.]   By Bushwack Bill

[My groups with my Spencer are not nearly as nice as I would like.  The trigger needs help ....SERIOUS help.  I had 2 light primer strikes. Re-cocked and they went bang. (Winchester primers...might switch to Federal).  Has this happened to anyone? I am assuming this is because everything is so tight and such.] By Dakota  Widowmaker

[As heavy as the mainspring is in the Spencer, if you had light hits here is what I experienced: Pull the breech block out and check the screws (2) holding the firing pin slide to the firing pin. If they are loose, you will get light hits. Locktite them and tighten them down. Check every time you remove the breech block for cleaning. Also, if the inside of the hammer is not bevelled and is striking the edge of the breech block next to the firing pin slide, you may not be getting a good hit. Check to see if the hammer screw is tight, Locktite it, and make sure the hammer face is not coming to rest on the breech block. You want it to bear on the firing pin slide and bottom out on the hammer cutout on the receiver when fired.] By French Jack

[I find an easier way to lighten the trigger pull. Place a small thin piece of aluminium (cut from coke can) or thin hard plastic between the trigger spring and the screw that was just below the trigger spring. Try it, if the trigger is still heavy, fold the aluminium or plastic and test the trigger again. I was able to lighten the trigger pull by a third.

Be careful not to put raise the trigger spring too high, if u overdid it, the trigger won't engage any more. If that is the case, cut the thickness of the aluminium back. Hope this help!] by
Four Sixes