Set trigger

[eagles]

I am sure everyone knows one of the most popular options on the 76 was a single set trigger . I have tried for years to find any gunsmith in the country good enough to fabricate one of these , that were common so long ago for my rifle . I have tried for the 86 , the 71 and now the 76. They also had them in the day on the 1873. I held one in my hands a few days ago at a gun show that still worked perfectly in the gun. Does ANYONE know a gunsmith who is really a gunsmith ( not just a guy who puts ready made stuff together and calls himself a gunsmith ) that can fabricate one for a 76 ? It CANT be impossible . I am not sure why the repos dont offer them as set triggers abound on sharps, muzzloe loaders etc .

[OKDEE]

Hey Eagle,

Give Alan Harton of Single Action Service in Houston, Texas a call.    He is a great person to talk to and he is the real deal!

713-772-8314

Sincerely
Oklahoma Dee

[eagles]

Thanks,  will try him tomorrow and report . If he thinks he can do it I will be the experiment !!!!

[Grizzly Adams]

Hey Eagle,

Give Alan Harton of Single Action Service in Houston, Texas a call.    He is a great person to talk to and he is the real deal!

713-772-8314

Sincerely
Oklahoma Dee

Great tip, Dee!  Thanks.  I have been looking for the same thing myself.

[eagles]

OK I called him and at first he said he had no experience with making any , had plenty of the old guns in to work on but the trigger was never an issue , so he never looked at any of the triggers on the inside . It ended up where he is interested but needs one to make some blue prints from to make the copies .  He IS interested .  SO, does anyone know of a winchester set trigger assembly OR orriginal Winchester schematic from some book that could be given to Alan so he can make them ? Even if he could get an orrigianl gun in I am sure he could remove the trigger and make some blue prints with no harm to the gun . Perhaps if anyone knows a junker , parts gun that happens to have a set trigger ?

[larryo_1]

Eagles:  Years ago, I rebuilt a single-set on an '86 for a friend that I knew.  The worst part was the setting of the springs.  The data that I had, at the time, was from a copy of a chapter in a book entitled "The Winchester 1873 Handbook" by George Stone.  I cannot remember how I got that chapter, which by the way, is Chapter 4 "The Set Trigger and How it Works".  That book, now is worth from $95.00 up to $250.00.  So if you can find a copy somewhere, then have that chapter copied for you.  The big thing, I fear, in your case is the fact that although the set trigger parts are interchangeable between the 73,76,86,92 and 94, they all are built around the trigger/mainspring setup on these original rifles.  The new 76's have a different trigger assembly in them as many of us who have tried to lighten up the trigger pull have found out.  Therefore, unless you have someone who could re-machine that part of the frame, you might just be out of luck.  As I stated, if all the set trigger parts are in great to perfect shape then the spring tension is enough to drive one nuts in getting that set.  If you go on the net and query for Winchester rifle parts, you will find a whole list of folks that deal in antique parts for these rifles.  A couple that come to mind are" Buckinghams, Bob's Winchester Parts just to name a few.

Hope this has helped out a bit.

[Hell-Er High Water]

Eagles,

The book "Winchester Lever Action Repeating Firearms, Volume 1", softbound and available from amazon.com for $19.95 + shipping, has a description of the set trigger assembly as used on the M'73 & M'76.  It is stated that they were identical for both models.  There are descriptions of the parts, explanations as to how they work and interact with each other and drawings, but no dimensions for manufacturing.

This might be a place to start.  This book has a wealth of information in it on the various pieces and parts for the M'66, M'73 & M'76 rifles.

HHW

[larryo_1]

The book and chapter that I referred to has scale drawings in it and I had to use a couple of them to make a couple of new parts for that '86 set trigger lash-up.  I think you would be better off to find some original ones though if that is your wish.

[eagles]

All great info !!! Larryo , do you still have those drawings ? If you do can I get a copy , or find out where you got them from ? I only need that page and dont want to spend a few hundred dollors for an entire book , since you allready had access to the drawing , maybe I can see it also ?  I tried years ago to buy a winchestrer set trigger at the parts people . One guy claimed to know where one was but he never got back to me . All types of set triggers are made for Muzzle loaders , singel set , double  set , double set double throw on an on . I cant help but think with an orriginal in hand or a good schematic someone could fabricate either one that would fit how the trigers are now, or modify the current ones to be like the orriginal . How far off are the new triggers anyway ? I thought most of the parts were interchangable , or real close to the orriginal guns ? My flint lock set triggers are not hard to adjust at all , so Im thinking the orriginals could not have been to bad or they woould not have made them for as long as they did. At one time the 76 etc with its fine wood and set trigger and peep site was the epitome of a fine long or short  range hunting rifle . Once we lost the set trigger , then the fine wood and the peep site generations only saw the model 94 as a poor mans brush gun for deer when I was a kid . Its to bad Winchester let the lever gun slip the way they did .

[larryo_1]

   Eagles:
First off, these new rifles have triggers that are in two pieces not like the originals that had the trigger and the hammer and that was it.  As far as set triggers went, there was some additional machining involved.  Were it possible, I would get rid of that two piece setup and go back to the hammer- trigger combo like on the originals.  But-oh well.  I suppose that these are "Lawyer Proof".

Yes I still do have those plans and would be glad to send you a copy.  Send me your e-mail address and I will see what I can do.  My address is: 28723577@montanasky.net.  And we will see what can be done.  I just hope that the scale isn't distorted when they are copied.

[larryo_1]

   Eagles:

Or, I could just mail them to you also and that would elilminate the chance of inteernet distortion. Huh!

[eagles]

Great ,I sent you my email address we can try it first . Maybe I can have the entire assembly redone like the orriginals.

[Buck Stinson]

To all those who have posted, making a plain trigger Winchester into a set trigger gun is going to be a very difficult, if not impossible job.  I have several original set trigger guns in most of the Winchester models.  I also have a number of set trigger parts for various models.  On an original 1873 or 1876 model Winchester with plain trigger, there are only two parts, the sear and the trigger.  The 1873 and 1876 did not have a one piece trigger assembly.  There are eight different parts that make up the single set trigger on these two Winchester models and not a single one of these parts is a carry over from the plain trigger assembly and that includes the main spring.   Unless a gunsmith is extremely familiar with these set-ups and actually has jigs for each of these parts, he'll be spitting in the wind, trying to duplicate this feature on a Winchester.  Another problem is the lower tang.   On a set trigger gun, the lower tang is machined entirely different than one for a plain trigger.  If all of this isn't enough, you'll never be able to duplicate the hammer and fly.

Adios,
Buck

[larryo_1]

Buck:

I agree with you.  That '86 that I worked on 25 years ago had a removable lower tang and the parts, for the most part were already there.  I only had to make the ones that were missing and make new springs.  I have sent Eagles copies of that chapter that  has the drawings for all the parts but I also told him that it would be a real chore if, in fact, it could be done at all as the '76 is a solid frame unlike the '86 so guess we will see what happens.

[Grizzly Adams]

To all those who have posted, making a plain trigger Winchester into a set trigger gun is going to be a very difficult, if not impossible job.  I have several original set trigger guns in most of the Winchester models.  I also have a number of set trigger parts for various models.  On an original 1873 or 1876 model Winchester with plain trigger, there are only two parts, the sear and the trigger.  The 1873 and 1876 did not have a one piece trigger assembly. There are eight different parts that make up the single set trigger on these two Winchester models and not a single one of these parts is a carry over from the plain trigger assembly and that includes the main spring.   Unless a gunsmith is extremely familiar with these set-ups and actually has jigs for each of these parts, he'll be spitting in the wind, trying to duplicate this feature on a Winchester.  Another problem is the lower tang.   On a set trigger gun, the lower tang is machined entirely different than one for a plain trigger.  If all of this isn't enough, you'll never be able to duplicate the hammer and fly.

Adios,
Buck

The Uberti and the Chapparal replicas both have the same two piece trigger as used in the originals.  The two piece trigger design was a necessary part of the trigger safety bar (trigger block) on both models.  That safety is disengaged when the lever is fully closed, allowing the arm to be fired. 

[Grizzly Adams]

Buck:

I have sent Eagles copies of that chapter that  has the drawings for all the parts but I also told him that it would be a real chore if, in fact, it could be done at all as the '76 is a solid frame unlike the '86 so guess we will see what happens.

This sounds like an interesting project.  Hope it works out!

Check out the pics Two Flints posted. 

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,18745.10.html

[Lowdown Highwall]

I have an original 1876 with a single set trigger that I have never ventured to dis-assemble ....at least on purpose.   If I knew of someone in my area[southern Illinois] that had the ability to take it apart to photograph the internals I might attempt it. The reason that I am hesitant to do this myself is I have a Ballard with double set triggers that don't function as they are supposed to,and I need to have this rifle adjusted also. Lowdown Highwall

[eagles]

If you could have that done it would be great . I have man right now who has the drawings Larry sent and is working on a price for me . I found some one more reasonable  than the first guy . The more details  some one has to work with  the better . THANKS !!!

[rustyrelx]

Howdy all. My first post. The set trigger assy on a 76 is the same as a 73. They used the same parts.  Set trigger parts show up on ebay all the time on a 73. Of course the hammer would have to be cut for a fly and the mainspring is thinner on the side to accomodate the set trigger workings. I can't find the classifieds on here but I do have a hammer and 2 set trigger mainsprings.
  Don



SFC USA ret.
76Y,45K,45B,63H

[john boy]

I knew I saw it somewhere ... http://www.leverguns.com/articles/1876.pdf
Scroll down to page 6 and there is a picture of the set trigger for the '73 and '76