Problems Squeezing the Trigger

[KnowNothing]

I decided to purchase a cheapie air pistol at WalMarty. It is a Corossman CR357. It shoots both BB's and .177 pellets. I'd had it in the box for three weeks or so while I recovered from open heart surgery.

But today I finally did what I wanted to do, and went out into the back yard with my little pellet trap, and shot at about 15 feet, or at least tried. The first difficulty I found was that when the hammer is in the closed position, I cannot squeeze the trigger, and still keep a semblance of an aim. The trigger is just too stiff. I had to cock the pistol in order to squeeze the trigger, and even then I had a lot of difficulty.

But I got my six shots off, with the grouping all around the target center, about a two inch circle. One hit near dead center, but that was probably luck.

Does anyone have an idea how I can make the trigger easier to squeeze. There doesn't seem to be a trigger adjustment. I am guessing that oiling the trigger area might help a bit. But I get the feeling that I will have to cock the pistol each time I want to fire it.

I've fired a .38 pistol while in the Air Force, and I do not remember it being so hard to squeeze the trigger. Maybe it's the nearly 30 years since I fired a weapon.

 

[biohazardman]

It is a dirt cheap gun so you get what you get. You can tear it all apart be sure you don't have a cart in it, or parts will be everywhere, ;^) and polish and lube up the trigger and sear surfaces a bit and make the trigger marginally better. It will get a bit better by itself as it wears in. Best bet is to pull back the hammer as you have been doing. That's the way I shoot mine. The pic is of a gun modified by the late Hoyt Vandenburg I believe it was. Got to love what some people do when they are bored.

 

[KnowNothing]

Well, I knew it was cheap, but not that cheap. It's just to get me started. I also had a bunch of bb's I purchased many years ago for free flight model airplane ballast, it this pistol will help me get rid of them.

I guess I kind of knew the solution, oil, to the problem, but I always tend to ask those who know much more than I. I did not take apart the pistol, as I know I would have parts left over. I did squeeze the trigger a bunch of times looking at all the various areas that moved during the squeezing process. Once I new where all the movement was, I just put a drop of oil in each area, and continued squeezing the trigger until I was satisfied all the parts were lubricated. Seems the manufacturers do not put much oil, if any on these weapons befor they ship them.

Anyway, the trigger is now loose enough that I do not have to cock it to fire the pistol. It actually takes very little pressure to get the trigger to move. So, problem solved. Maybe I can now concentrate on sighting the weapon, instead of dividing my attention to having to pound on the trigger to move it. Maybe my grouping of hits will get smaller at 15 feet so I can move back to 25 feet, and eventually to 10 meters (about 33 feet).

You know that gun pictured there looks more like a short stock rifle. That thing is loooonnng.. I guess that with the longer barrel it is more accurate.

 

[biohazardman]

I forgot to take the cart out of mine before dismantling and it blew apart in many pieces that flew everywhere! Took me forever to find them then figure out how to put them back into one gun. They are fun little guns to plink with for sure. Glad you were able to get your trigger worn in a bit. The long gun had a soda straw barrel from a rifle in it I don't remember how he said it shot too many years ago.

 

[marflow]

your difficulty in pulling the trigger will not go away in the double action mode and if you tear in to it and polish this and that it might make it feel better

but i'm also guessing this might be over your mechanical comfort level 

reality tell me after your surgery you are lacking some strength, so I would work on that, tennis ball or something

all revolvers are busy in the trigger area

they are cocking the hammer, rotating the cylinder and at the last striking the valve 

now the other reality is that trigger has no more then 9 pound resistance

so there is no easy fix other then buying a co2 gun that the trigger doesn't rotate a mag or is just a single shot or strengthening your hand 

just my opinion

take care and get well

mike

 

[Duckfish]

Crosman custom shop, you can get a 2300 all decked out for about $250.

 

[KnowNothing]

Thanks, but I don't plan on shooting pistols that much. I got this as an interim solution, so I could start shooting. I still do not have a shooting range set up in my backyard. This is low velocity, and requires less range setup to start shooting.

I just wish it would cool down so I could get out. It is almost uncomfortable at 7 AM, and by 9 AM impossible, because of the heat. I'm probably just whimpy. But the tiny gnats are out in force now, early in the morning, so I cannot go outside and shoot. I'm allergic to these gnats. They leave red welts on me.

 

[KnowNothing]

Still not able to squeeze the trigger when the hammer is in the closed position. Looks like I will just have to cock the hammer. It isn't that difficult to do that, and I do get off my shots a lot better. Now if I can just get my hands to stay still. Probably old age.

At 15 feet I am hitting the target that is normally used when using a 10 meter air pistol. Out of 35 shots, I have managed to keep 30 of them just inside the 1 ring, and 12 of them inside the 6 ring. I think my two problems are my hands not staying still, and the occasional pull on the trigger, instead of squeeze. I am standing shooting, but using two hands, pretty much the way I've seen on instructional videos.

I may switch to left hand shooting, as I am pretty much ambidextrous. Have to try that tomorrow morning, and see if I can squeeze the trigger when the hammer is in the normal position. Just maybe shooting this way may also calm my hands. I know I need lots more practice. 40 some odd shots is definitely not enough.

Anyway, after nearly 30 years of not having picked up any kind of firearm, I feel I am not doing to bad in my old age. At least I am confidant that if I have to point it in self defense, I can hit what I am aiming at from about 25 feet. I doubt this pistol would do much damage, but it sure would get the bad guys attention. I hope I never have to point it at anyone.

 

[KnowNothing]

Duckfish, I went to the Crossman Custom Shop to just play around with the options. Definitely can create some unique looking pistols. Thanks for the tip