MBFields Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Have a pair of Pieta deluxe grande Californians. Beautiful engraved with smooth action except for trigger pull. 6 lbs. Have tried wire springs and lightened flat springs to no avail. Stays the same. Wondering if trigger/hammer sear engagement is culprit? Out of ideas right now. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45 Dragoon Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 How heavy is the hammer pull? If you have a gauge, measure the pull from the hammer face (roughly the same arc as your thumb). The main spring is the biggest "influencer" of trigger pull along with overly positive engagement. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 My gauge says 6 lbs. Hammer spring is lightened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 Sorry misread, thought you said trigger pull. Thinking has to be the Sears are "over engaging" if that can happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 A poor angle on the sear tip leads to heavy trigger pull. The angle that causes that is called a positive sear angle. For best results the angle is stoned to a very slight positive sear angle. (The angle on the sear and the angle on the hammer match up to within about 2 degrees, with just enough angle difference that the hammer slightly (a thousandths of an inch or two) moves to a more full cock as the sear tip is pulled off of the hammer's "notch") Going too far gives a negative engagement angle, meaning either trigger won't even hold the hammer, or you have an hair-trigger (ultra-light) pull that is dangerous to use. If you have not done trigger work, best to take the gun(s) to a cowboy gunsmith and have him lighten pull (to about 2 pounds on a SAA) and remove any creep and also smooth rest of action. Lighter springs need to have smooth parts engagement or else the springs are not strong enough to get past rough spots. Pietta makes fine guns, but due to liability concerns, they (and Uberti too) usually leave a large positive sear angle that gives a heavy trigger pull. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 Thanks. My other guns are all around 2 lbs but these have been hard to figure out. Think will have to send off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 I don't know how old your guns are, but several years back Pietta put out some guns with really bad triggers, wrong angles I think. It would actually sting your trigger finger when the hammer dropped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 That is what it feels like, the trigger basically snaps when hammer let's go. These are new, bought in Jan this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Also, drag a fingernail across the full cock ledge, from back to front. You may feel a slight hump at the front edge. There should NOT be a slight hump and any hump will need to be stoned off. It is really really easy to screw up the Sear angle without a dedicated Jig. I'm with Garrison Joe. If you're not real conversant with the angles and dangles of the SA trigger, best to find a Cowboy Smith with a Jig for this stoning job. I personally prefer about a 3lb trigger. Of course, your guns, your preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 Never worked on sear angles so advice well taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Did you call emf? Worth asking them to see if they’ll take them back and fix them for you. They have great customer service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Graybeard Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 MB...whatever you do...DON’T listen to anything that old binder mechanic up by you tells you to do...or let him try to fix them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G W Wade Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 51 minutes ago, Old Man Graybeard said: MB...whatever you do...DON’T listen to anything that old binder mechanic up by you tells you to do...or let him try to fix them... Well looks like you have 3 choices. Shoot it like it is. Send it to your gunsmith OR Try to fix it yourself, then send it to your gunsmith HA-HA GW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 I thought you were my gunsmith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G W Wade Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 33 minutes ago, MBFields said: I thought you were my gunsmith. Smart enough to NOT mess with angles GW= the binder mechcanic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 Update, pulled Trigger from one of my 3rd gen colts and compared to pietta by putting pin through hole and checking sear angles. Pietta is very negative compared to colt, so then installed colt trigger on the pietta and solved problem. So now am going to match pietta angle to colt and should be good, if I goof will have to get another trigger no big deal. " Live, try, learn". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 24 minutes ago, MBFields said: Update, pulled Trigger from one of my 3rd gen colts and compared to pietta by putting pin through hole and checking sear angles. Pietta is very negative compared to colt, so then installed colt trigger on the pietta and solved problem. So now am going to match pietta angle to colt and should be good, if I goof will have to get another trigger no big deal. " Live, try, learn". Get the trigger first..... OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 What fun would that be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach Taylor,SASS#14359 Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Have the exact same gun with the same problem , the back of the trigger should not be square, should be like a knife edge ,lightly file it until it's how you want it, the gun comes with a wolf hammer spring , you also should polish the hammer notches. These are things you can do yourself, VERY SLOWLY, you might have to take it apart and do this more than once, again slowly. The hammer spring is light enough. You can also change the trigger bolt spring to a wire one, this will also help , but it really won't lighten the trigger much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 Did you have any timing issues once trigger was where you wanted it? Think I have taken apart 3 or 4 times already trying to get trigger angle right. Trying to match my colt trigger profile as that trigger in this gun resulted in a 2-2 1/2 lb pull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach Taylor,SASS#14359 Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 There was no timing issues as the knife edge of the trigger sear was not excessive, only a slight angle was necessary to lighten the trigger pull. Matching one trigger against one from another gun will not necessarily work as the angles in single actions are not always the same. Parts of the same make gun are not always inter changeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 You are correct, but installed my colt trigger in the pietta and it fit and worked perfect, gave me Roughly 2.5 lb pull so that is why trying to duplicate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Is there a difference in length of the colt trigger from the pivot screw hole to the tip of the sear surface when compared to the other trigger? OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBFields Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 Yes. Now I am not a smith so cannot tell you how many thousandths but pieta trigger was a smidge longer. Have finished both of them now and when the trigger pull was finally 2-2.5 lbs with a crisp not mushy break, they were the same length as the colt, getting the angle as close a s possible. Also did not want to take to much off at a time so probably took apart 7 or 8 times trying to not over do it. Checked timing when finished and seems to be fine, dropping in the flute just before the bolt lockup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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