AR Sponsor
Posted: 2/28/2006 3:59:17 PM EDT
|
I bought a RRA AR15 through ar15sales.com last fall, and have only had a couple times to take it out shooting. I've cleaned and loved it properly after each shooting. I went out shooting this afternoon and, after expending several hundred rounds through her (a lot for me) did a thorough cleaning. After re-assembly, the trigger was perceptably lighter. My friend who went shooting with me agreed: it indeed felt significantly lighter. Not knowing about trigger weights too much, I'd say the trigger was originally around 3 or 4 pounds (whatever is stock for Rock River), and then after reassembly and testing the trigger is probably around 1.5lb or so - at least, it's quite similar to my feel to triggers that are said to be in the 1.5 - 2 pound range. When I did the disassembly, I just did the "standard" breakdown and cleaning; I left the trigger group alone. I've gone through the manual again several times to make sure I didn't do something wrong, but I can't find anything that I might have done incorrectly. I don't believe I touched anything in the trigger group, but I did wipe down and clean the parts of the trigger group which are visible without taking it out of the lower. Might I have bumped a lever or nob while cleaning? I preferred the way the trigger was before, as this is just a carbine mostly for plinking, not a long range praire dog blaster. Might there be something else that I changed which would cause this differential? Thanks for any help. |
|
No, I'm not sure... if I had any way to figure out how to determine such a thing scientifically (and without a special tool), I'd do so. A better question might be: what might I have moved, and can it be moved back? And, could this simply be a case of the trigger 'breaking in', as is common on (say) 1911 pistols? |
|
The RRA two-stage FCG can be a little funky. Around 750 to 1000 rounds, the parts mate in, and the disconnector spring takes a set, with worst-case scenario, you loose all the feeling/tension of the second stage. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the RRA trigger, it just you have to understand what is going to happen, and how to deal with it. From the start, you need to figure if you are going to have the FCG worked over (polished) out of the gate, or just wait for the parts to mate in on there own. Since you have done the latter (to some existent), you may now need to reset the tension on the hammer spring to set the overall break weight. Also, not really sure with your low round count, it may be time to replace the disconnector spring if you are loosing the second stage feel as well*. ___________ Basic run down is to pull the FCG, and get all the parts clean, and then to reinstall the CLP lubed FCG for testing. First test will be the secondary pull on the trigger. While using something to prevent the hammer from striking the front of the receiver, pull back on the trigger to take-up the first stage creep, then once you hit the wall (second stage), feel the amount of creep needed to make the glass rod break (the hammer release), and the amount of addition tension needed. The creep should be minimum, and the addition second stage pressure needed should be in the 1.5 or more range. Since reworking the creep out of the second stage is a bit more smithy, least just focus on the second stage pressure needed. If you find that the additional stage pressure is less than 1.4 LBS, then the disconnector spring needs to be replaced with a new unit. OK, once have the second stage breaking at Plus 1.5 lbs over the first stage pull, it time to set the hammer spring for the over-all break weight (first stage and second stage). Pull the hammer, and remove the hammer spring. Now while grabbing the hammer spring with a set of needle nose pliers (at the coils) bend the spring legs (at the begging of coils) to add more tension to the spring when it is installed (bend both legs the same and you may have to do this a few times, so work in little bending/testing steps). Reinstall the hammer with spring, then again blocking the hammer from making contact with the front of the receiver, and test the FCG for overall break weight. If you are setting up the FCG for service match shooting, the trigger has to pass a 4.5 pull test, so set the spring leg tension in the 4.7 break range (again making small tweaks/testing to the hammer spring legs to add tension). The reason for this weight is you will be fitting a battle between the springs loosing tension (less trigger break weight), the sears polishing in/breaking down (again less break weight), and the parts/pins fouling (adding trigger break weight tension). ____________ *Ok, since now you may be thinking that its time to beak out the slide ruler since the project may become rocket science, the gods may be smiling on you if the trigger is not being used on a service match rifle. With your low round count, the problem of the reduced trigger break weight could as simple as you just lost tension on the second stage due to fouling/foreign debris being stuck under the front of the disco, and simple pulling the FCG, cleaning it, and reinstalling the FCG could all that is needed to get the break weight back up to around the old weight that it was before. |
I'll trade you.
AR Sponsor