Need some opinions

[Lenard]

Since so many of you shoot super accurate guns and no doubt, have a lot of experience with various triggers.

I have it in my head, that a two lb pull on a trigger does not really tell us everything about the trigger. Even if they have no slack or take up, some of them just break easier than others. Some feel gritty and others are smooth as can be. I am sure it has to do with how well they are polished. I wonder if stainless steel triggers, require more work to get them smoothed out,than regular steel normally used.

I have had and adjusted many Remingtons over the years and they always felt very smooth. This discussion is dealing with two lever triggers, as I have no experience with the 3 and 4 lever models.
Opinions are welcome.

Lenard

[Rick in Oregon]

Lenard: Opinions? We've got lots of those! I can't answer with any degree of authority, but can only say that with a lifetime of working metals, just by the nature of both stainless and carbon steel, anything fabricated from stainless usually requires a bit more work to get mating surfaces to "glide" on each other properly than carbon steel.

In the early days of stainless autoloading handguns, it was a real learning curve before it was realized that the frame and slide had to be fabricated from different (disimilar) grades of stainless steel to avoid gaulling. Carbon steel is much easier to work, especially back then prior to the advent of ceramic and advanced grades of carbide tooling, which I'm sure Hawkeye will attest to.

Sorry I can't answer your trigger question though, but the material issue was the first to come to mind. The other issue related to how easily they "break", would be their lever design and mechanical advantage....that really defines how crisp they feel.

[Lenard]

Rick

I had read that SS was a little more difficult to work with than carbon steel. When my new trigger gets here, I will be taking the SS trigger apart and try and diagnose what was going on with it. I have worked on triggers on o/u shot guns and found angles do make a difference and how well they are polished. Never worked on SS before.

I would like to hear other opinions, but I think you have probably been right on.

Thanks

Lenard

[OldTurtle]

I know that in our match pistols, the case hardened steel will hold a better (smoother) mating edge than the stainless steel ones do..

Even after getting a 'good' surface between the two pieces of stainless, it doesn't seem to take too many rounds and they have to be touched up again.. whereas the case hardened last for years of shooting..

[Hawkeye Joe]

Lenard: the advent of ceramic and advanced grades of carbide tooling, which I'm sure Hawkeye will attest to.

Ahh yes, indexable carbide inserts are the life and blood of our shop. We machine 316/L and numerous nickel base high temp superalloys. I stock well over 200 different styles and grades with each having its own little niche. We're actually kinda busy even with the economy being down. I think we're one of the few to add new machinery this year, a "made in USA" Haas VF2 mill. Hey,somebody needs to pick up the market share when others fail .
The number one issue with stainless being used for mechanical parts is DEFINITELY galling. Another issue that comes to mind is with CAST stainless. The amount of impurities in cast parts is horrendous. A result of these impurities is hard spots which eventually become high and low points when machined. I can just imagine what kind of foundry floor sweepings trigger parts made of.