Shilen hunting trigger rehab

[Al Nyhus]

Picked up a used Shilen standard hunting trigger for a vintage 700 ADL 243 project I'm doing. Long story short, it was a mess....I could see why the seller removed it ( "It might need to be cleaned". ).

Disassembly showed the trigger pull weight spring to be mushroomed and jammed tight in the hole and the trigger lever was tight between the side plates. After a dunk in the ultra sonic cleaner, I still couldn't get the trigger lever to pivot cleanly on the cross pin. Under a 30X loupe, the cross pin finish looked like it had been gnawed on by some angry beavers. In went a nice stainless ground pin just long enough to put a push lock nut on each side. Problem #1 solved. Rummaged around in the box of trigger parts and came across a Holland Rifles reduced pull spring for the 700's. In that went..perfect fit.

Shilen advertises these as going to 1.5 lb on the bottom end. After the tweaks, this one can go well below 16 oz while still having a bunch of sear engagement. The side plates are nicely polished inside, the sear connector is machined steel and sharply profiled and the trigger lever is hard coated.

There's a 700 clone action headed this way for a light-ish 308W hunting rifle build, It's got a trigger hanger so it won't be a biggie to take the trigger out and adjust it from 'load testing mode' to 'hunting mode'.

For what it's worth. -Al

 

[alinwa]

After having spent over two grand buying, testing every new hotrod trigger on the market I'm more and more impressed with the old "3-lever" systems. I've never messed with a Shilen Hunting trigger but I'm pretty much back to using Jewell....... or an old Shilen 3-lever conversion

That said, some of the modern hunting triggers are fine... I've got Calvin Elites, 510's, Triggertech's, Rifle Basix' that work smoothly in the 1.5lb range BUT....

good find

fun

 

[Al Nyhus]

Honestly, the Shilen BR trigger has always been an under-the-radar gem....way less finicky and the sears are consistently done. Anyone that ever struggled with that issue in a Jewell knows what thats about.

I've got a new Shilen BR on an Atlas 22BR and love it. -Al

 

[alinwa]

Honestly, the Shilen BR trigger has always been an under-the-radar gem....way less finicky and the sears are consistently done. Anyone that ever struggled with that issue in a Jewell knows what thats about.

I've got a new Shilen BR on an Atlas 22BR and love it. -Al

All true.... re Shilen, do you use SS or CM?

Regarding all the newest high-dollar offerings??? Sorry, Jewell has some problems but not on the scale of these new roller bearing triggers where it feels like I'm running a quarter mile instead of just trying to get the trigger to break. When I use a trigger where I pull and it moves...... get off it, pull and ot moves AGAIN!! ...... now I'm scared to touch it....... but finally BOOM! ...... just doesn't suit me.

prolly be fine for guys who shoot off their hindfeet

 

[GeneT]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding...

All true.... re Shilen, do you use SS or CM?

Regarding all the newest high-dollar offerings??? Sorry, Jewell has some problems but not on the scale of these new roller bearing triggers where it feels like I'm running a quarter mile instead of just trying to get the trigger to break. When I use a trigger where I pull and it moves...... get off it, pull and ot moves AGAIN!! ...... now I'm scared to touch it....... but finally BOOM! ...... just doesn't suit me.

prolly be fine for guys who shoot off their hindfeet

...are you saying you want a trigger that you pull, partway, then let off of, and it doesn't go back to 'start'? I'm all about "the shooter is the ultimate safety", but that sounds like a recipe for disaster - but a great test of how well your mechanical safety engages!

I'm a reluctant fan of the Bix-n-Andy ball-bearing, too-fancy-by-far, trigger, but not so much that it's the end-all, be-all. The '3-lever' wins the day for anything outside of bench shooting. I don't even know how the trigger in my Steyr Scout works (probably time to find out), but it's magnificent at its 3.5# pull. Don't know if that could translate to a nice trigger at lower weight or not. Outside of benchrest demands some very simple systems produce some very excellent triggers.

GsT

 

[Butch Lambert]

...are you saying you want a trigger that you pull, partway, then let off of, and it doesn't go back to 'start'? I'm all about "the shooter is the ultimate safety", but that sounds like a recipe for disaster - but a great test of how well your mechanical safety engages!

I'm a reluctant fan of the Bix-n-Andy ball-bearing, too-fancy-by-far, trigger, but not so much that it's the end-all, be-all. The '3-lever' wins the day for anything outside of bench shooting. I don't even know how the trigger in my Steyr Scout works (probably time to find out), but it's magnificent at its 3.5# pull. Don't know if that could translate to a nice trigger at lower weight or not. Outside of benchrest demands some very simple systems produce some very excellent triggers.

GsT

Gene, I think you are misreading Al.

 

[Wayne Shaw]

Nothing wrong with a Shilen trigger, it just needs to be kept CLEAN, OFTEN. Keep lighter fluid handy.

 

[alinwa]

...are you saying you want a trigger that you pull, partway, then let off of, and it doesn't go back to 'start'? I'm all about "the shooter is the ultimate safety", but that sounds like a recipe for disaster - but a great test of how well your mechanical safety engages!

I'm a reluctant fan of the Bix-n-Andy ball-bearing, too-fancy-by-far, trigger, but not so much that it's the end-all, be-all. The '3-lever' wins the day for anything outside of bench shooting. I don't even know how the trigger in my Steyr Scout works (probably time to find out), but it's magnificent at its 3.5# pull. Don't know if that could translate to a nice trigger at lower weight or not. Outside of benchrest demands some very simple systems produce some very excellent triggers.

GsT

I have two Flavio's Fare's.....a 'real' one and a 'fake' one
I have several Bix-N-Andy
I have Hare
Jewell
Shilen
I have Huber-Giesselle-Timney-Rifle Basix-TriggerTech/Calvin Elite/Diamond

Without explaining, I'm just saying that right now I am back to choosing Jewell, NOT because I have a drawer full of them but because I'm taking off some wikkid spendy triggers and they're going in the drawer. Some I can't even USE....

 

[CYanchycki]

I am by far

No expert in the trigger area but what I do know and love,

The simplicity of a Jewell BR trigger. Every one that I put on I tweak the best I can. It begins and ends with polishing the insides. Does not take a lot of elbow grease to take it from good to GREAT. If it does not feel great after, and I have one of those, one of the levers is just not quite right.

Touch wood I have yet to open up and clean one since I disassembled and reassembled. I am so anal when it comes to keeping solvent, powder and dirt out of that key component.

 

[Pete Wass]

I've used em

Honestly, the Shilen BR trigger has always been an under-the-radar gem....way less finicky and the sears are consistently done. Anyone that ever struggled with that issue in a Jewell knows what thats about.

I've got a new Shilen BR on an Atlas 22BR and love it. -Al

over the years and I always thought they were the very best. I've kept track of the Jewels I've seen fail at matches over they years and it's 14. Mostly the bottom of one of the levers breaking off. I even had that happen to one myself. I still use e'm but think Shilens are every bit as good. I will say, the Jewell trigger I have in my newish 700 Hunter gun with the built in bolt release is lovely.

Pete

 

[Al Nyhus]

Pete, the Shilen BR triggers are my favorite. Very consistent and trouble free. -Al

 

[Dans40X]

2 early Shilen's to date.
Both housings were .014"+ narrower that the receiver's machine work.

The above would bind the striker/cocking piece w/ trigger group in hand.

Receiver machine work was in specifications.

2 strikes...both returned for a refund.

 

[parshal]

... it feels like I'm running a quarter mile instead of just trying to get the trigger to break. When I use a trigger where I pull and it moves...... get off it, pull and ot moves AGAIN!!

That describes the trigger in my S&W Shield Plus. And, that trigger is supposedly an upgrade over the older Shield model!