Trigger weight testing with what you have

B

Boyd Allen

Active member
Recently, I have been evaluating a very good new bencrest trigger that came set very light. When I first installed it, I was a little intimidated. Later, at the range, I quickly grew used to it, and it was a real pleasure to use. I found that I could manage the lighter weight, because it felt exactly the same for every shot. Later, I decided that I wanted to know what I was working with, but I don't have a gauge that will work for a trigger that light, so I had to improvise. I knew that 30 grams is about an ounce, and a satisfactory way to weigh things to a tenth of a gram, I turned to the problem of how to hang a weight on the trigger. What I came up was a short section of "finger" made of modeling clay, carefully laid on the finger piece of the trigger, with the action cocked, and the rifle's muzzle pointed straight up. It turned out that my guess was pretty close. The trigger was set at slightly under 1.1 oz. I have to tell you though, that this technique takes practice to get to the heaviest possible reading. It is easy to set the weight down a little too hard. In case you are interested, the "official" adjustment range of this trigger is from one to twenty five ounces, depending on which of three springs is used, and the internal "works" are like nothing that you have ever seen...really.
 
Sounds like the new Kelbly trigger. Its the only triggers I have that will go almost to zero and still function as it should.

One thing I have done to weigh extremely light-setting triggers is to use a short section of a milkshake straw and fasten it to the trigger with a piece of a short piece of plastic tooth pick sticking in from both sides. Then, if needed I add weight to the inside of the straw with the straws end blocked off with transparent tape. This little thingy weighs 0.0013714285714 ounces (or 0.6 grains). Then I can add granules of case tumbler media, or you can use kitty-litter stuff, but I don't do cats.

I have one Kelbly trigger that goes to a number I will not say here!!

Pretty scientific, huh?
 
I was supposed to get a Farley to try and write about, but have yet to see it. I guess that they have been busy.
 
Yes, I have heard of it, but I can hardly complain since no money has changed hands. It would seem that their products compete for limited production time, and that the rests pay most of the bills.
 
I've used zip lock bags and added bullets to the bag to get the weight that I want. Pretty simple. 7000 grains per pound divided by 68 gr bullet is about 103 bullets to the pound. 103 divided by 16 = about 6.5 bullets to the ounce.
 
Mike Bryant said:
I've used zip lock bags and added bullets to the bag to get the weight that I want. Pretty simple. 7000 grains per pound divided by 68 gr bullet is about 103 bullets to the pound. 103 divided by 16 = about 6.5 bullets to the ounce.
Click to expand...

Yup, or ZipLok and a string and a water dropper..... weigh the whole mess when the trigger trips.
 
The trigger that I tested is in a rifle (with a glued in action) that has a pistol grip and trigger guard, and I was trying my best to apply the weight in the correct direction, and not have anything rub. By simply balancing a segment of clay "finger" on the trigger, in the same place as my finger would make contact, with the rifle oriented so that the force of gravity was in the needed direction, I was able put weight on the trigger in a manner that was similar to when it is pulled, correctly. This method would probably be impractical for weights much above 2-3 oz., but in the range that I was working in, it seem to have done the job very well.

As it is often is, there is more than one way to do this. Thanks for sharing other ways.
 
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