Tech Tip: Blue-Printing Triggers
Trigger Blue-Printing — Why It Can Be Important
by Thomas “Speedy” Gonzalez
To Blueprint or Not? That is the Question.
I often get asked is it really necessary to blueprint a custom match trigger. “Abolutely” is my answer. Here is an example that demonstrates why. After I completed a recent rifle project, the gun’s owner and I took the rifle to the range to break-in the barrel. But we quickly noticed a problem. The owner Alex L’s first statement was: “This trigger sucks — better blueprint it when you get back.”
Not only did the trigger feel rough and scratchy, but it failed to hold the cocking piece 2 out of 10 times when cocking the rifle for the next shot. Not good.
No matter what we tried at the range, the problem persisted. As soon as we returned from the range, I had to take the trigger apart to solve the mystery.
As soon as I opened her up on the operating table it was evident to me where the problem was. I have only seen the inside of about 3000 of these rascals and the head of the Over-Travel Screw stuck out like a sore thumb. The head of the Over-Travel Screw was nearly twice as thick as its other brothers and sisters. This caused the relationship between travel adjustment and sear engagement to be nearly impossible to adjust. And that, in turn, created a serious safety issue.
To remedy the situation, I replaced the screw with [another screw with] standard head thickness and ALL PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED… Amazing! Had I blue-printed this trigger before going to shoot, this never would have happened.
So, should one blueprint a trigger? I say “Hell yeah” if you are serious about competiting and winning. Otherwise be prepared for the worst. — Speedy
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Tags: Gunsmithing, Jeweel, Speedy, Thomas Gonzalez, trigger
This is a poorly executed article. WTF! is blue printing? Something to do with overtravel screws? Come on, everyone who comes to this site comes here for information from well educated sources. This is a waste, should have titled this check your trigger hardware.
The terminology used by Speedy is absolutely correct. He also happens to be a very well respected, experienced, and “well educated” person.
Blueprinting is the truing/straightening of the components. Actions of which this article does not discuss. Richard, I’m not questioning the credibility of the source, however the editors/publishers of this site should do a better job of ensuring adequate content before posting articles like this. Hardware replacement is not blueprinting, this article is poorly titled and misleading. Less informed individuals would read this article and learn nothing about blueprinting. Everyone comes to this site for science, information, and technology… this article hosts none of them. It doesnt even inform the reader about the hardware issue: What sizes were the bolts? Which one is the correct size? How did the incorrect bolt get in there? Was it from factory!? ect.
sepaengineer, blue printing means more that truing/straightening actions.
The article is correct, it asks the question “should you blueprint triggers” and it gives the answer “yes”
Quite simply put don’t leave anything to chance even if it is a “custom” item when it comes to competition …..or anything else.
Sepaengineer, I too expect to receive science, technology and information of any grade here but I also expect decorum. Please leave the (WTF!)
For those ninja forum sites.
I’d say “correct” information, but it does not tell readers what else is in a really good blueprint and how this piece fits in the rest of the things you should make sure are being looked at with a rifle being built or rebuilt.
So, it is fair to say it is not sufficient compared to the title.
I think the point of the article is that if you are building a leave no stone unturned rifle project,having the trigger blueprinted would be one of those stones. I believe that many shooters would not have thought of looking into that detail. That is the utility of the article. Trigger issues can affect accuracy, even when they are not malfunctioning as the one mentioned in the article was. People who are at very different levels of understanding, insight, experience, and skill read these articles, many many of them should probably should leave their triggers alone, and pay someone with the requisite skills when they need attention. I wish that I could tell you the number of times some idiot has told me of how proud he was of the work that he had done on his trigger, and that it required careful handling when cocked and loaded because it would discharge if the bolt was closed briskly.