Ok, finally got down to working on the trigger this afternoon for the EQ.
Initially, without doing anything but using the four adjustment means, I was able to get it to 2lbs and small change. As I've mentioned, I come from Service Rifle competition and minimum there is 4.5lbs. 2lbs feels really light to me. However, I didn't like the long 1st stage and there was a bit of bumpy creep just before the break.
I ran about 500rds thru it @ 2lbs before nearly total disassembly (in another thread). The regulator is creepy (down...which is different from everybody else's comments) and I wanted to address the trigger.
I've gone on record here stating that factory triggers nearly always need work...and that the roughness in the EQ trigger is just a by-product of their production line. Buy a $$$$$ rifle and you're probably still going to have your favorite smith work on the trigger. All my competition rifles and pistols have had that done...some by myself. Makes a big difference.
Got the sear out, no problem. Here's what the sear surface looked like. Typical transverse machine marks across the face. Lumpy-Bumpy!
Here's what it looks like now, after very careful stoning (I think my finest Shapton stone is 5000 grit). Only the barest minimum of the left edge is the actual sear surface when engaged. I looked at the adjacent surface on the hammer bar and it actually looked OK. When I start working on the hammer and spring, I may touch that surface up...maybe.
And here's the result:
Way too light for me...but very crisp! I bumped it up to 1lb 4oz, just because I had trouble feeling the 2nd stage wall at 15.5oz. The trigger return spring (1st stage) runs around 9oz, depending on the length of pull you set. Shorter pull, lighter 1st stage, etc.
Here's a picture of my modification to the trigger bar and return spring.
The bar is simply a piece of 1/8" rod with some rolled grooves on either end and then three grooves where the trigger return spring has an e-clip (they're not threads but they look like threads). Each end has a block with a grub screw and the bar can be variously positioned to adjust the trigger position. The three tiny grooves and the e-clip allow a tiny amount of adjustment to the 1st stage weight. I musta dropped that *&$^#(@!! e-clip about a half-dozen times, fished it out from under the bench with a magnet, etc., etc. Being an old aero-modeller, I knew I could fix that with a 1/8" stop-collar. You can get them from Du-Bro, they're sold as "wheel collars". It takes a 0.050" allen wrench.
The trigger has to have a return spring to push the trigger forward when the sear is reset during cocking. The damned thing looks like it came out of a ballpoint pen...and I'm sure one could find lighter, heavier, shorter and longer versions if you really wanted to play with it.
My procedure was to fix the trigger bar into the rear block with about 4 grooves showing forward of the block. Then I adjusted the forward end of the bar into the trigger until I got pretty close to the 1st stage length I wanted. At least, that was my starting point. Then, I adjusted the trigger return spring to as light as it would go. Dry fire the rifle (safety first!). Adjust one end, adjust the spring if needed, dry fire. Lather, rinse and repeat.
This procedure is really fiddly. There's no screw adjustments, you have to loosen the grub screw, shift the rod a tiny amount, retighten, check...try again. Eventually, it comes together as you learn what does what. If I get really frustrated with it, I think I'll get a few pieces of 1/8" ID brass tubing and use a pair of stop collars on the aft end of the rod. The tubing would space the adjustment collars away from the sear housing (easier to get to). When you have two collars, you can use a feeler gauge to move them around, make tiny adjustments, etc.
More than one way to skin a cat. There are other ways to get it done.
Initially, without doing anything but using the four adjustment means, I was able to get it to 2lbs and small change. As I've mentioned, I come from Service Rifle competition and minimum there is 4.5lbs. 2lbs feels really light to me. However, I didn't like the long 1st stage and there was a bit of bumpy creep just before the break.
I ran about 500rds thru it @ 2lbs before nearly total disassembly (in another thread). The regulator is creepy (down...which is different from everybody else's comments) and I wanted to address the trigger.
I've gone on record here stating that factory triggers nearly always need work...and that the roughness in the EQ trigger is just a by-product of their production line. Buy a $$$$$ rifle and you're probably still going to have your favorite smith work on the trigger. All my competition rifles and pistols have had that done...some by myself. Makes a big difference.
Got the sear out, no problem. Here's what the sear surface looked like. Typical transverse machine marks across the face. Lumpy-Bumpy!
Here's what it looks like now, after very careful stoning (I think my finest Shapton stone is 5000 grit). Only the barest minimum of the left edge is the actual sear surface when engaged. I looked at the adjacent surface on the hammer bar and it actually looked OK. When I start working on the hammer and spring, I may touch that surface up...maybe.
And here's the result:
Way too light for me...but very crisp! I bumped it up to 1lb 4oz, just because I had trouble feeling the 2nd stage wall at 15.5oz. The trigger return spring (1st stage) runs around 9oz, depending on the length of pull you set. Shorter pull, lighter 1st stage, etc.
Here's a picture of my modification to the trigger bar and return spring.
The bar is simply a piece of 1/8" rod with some rolled grooves on either end and then three grooves where the trigger return spring has an e-clip (they're not threads but they look like threads). Each end has a block with a grub screw and the bar can be variously positioned to adjust the trigger position. The three tiny grooves and the e-clip allow a tiny amount of adjustment to the 1st stage weight. I musta dropped that *&$^#(@!! e-clip about a half-dozen times, fished it out from under the bench with a magnet, etc., etc. Being an old aero-modeller, I knew I could fix that with a 1/8" stop-collar. You can get them from Du-Bro, they're sold as "wheel collars". It takes a 0.050" allen wrench.
The trigger has to have a return spring to push the trigger forward when the sear is reset during cocking. The damned thing looks like it came out of a ballpoint pen...and I'm sure one could find lighter, heavier, shorter and longer versions if you really wanted to play with it.
My procedure was to fix the trigger bar into the rear block with about 4 grooves showing forward of the block. Then I adjusted the forward end of the bar into the trigger until I got pretty close to the 1st stage length I wanted. At least, that was my starting point. Then, I adjusted the trigger return spring to as light as it would go. Dry fire the rifle (safety first!). Adjust one end, adjust the spring if needed, dry fire. Lather, rinse and repeat.
This procedure is really fiddly. There's no screw adjustments, you have to loosen the grub screw, shift the rod a tiny amount, retighten, check...try again. Eventually, it comes together as you learn what does what. If I get really frustrated with it, I think I'll get a few pieces of 1/8" ID brass tubing and use a pair of stop collars on the aft end of the rod. The tubing would space the adjustment collars away from the sear housing (easier to get to). When you have two collars, you can use a feeler gauge to move them around, make tiny adjustments, etc.
More than one way to skin a cat. There are other ways to get it done.