Adjusting the Remington 700
Trigger
by Tom Grover
DISCLAIMER - changing any
setting on a factory trigger is an inherently dangerous thing. The
recommendations herein are an attempt to provide a safe method for
performing these adjustments on this model only. If you have any
doubt whatsoever about this process, take it to a gunsmith. If you
are about to embark on this, make sure you know a good gunsmith
who can fix it if you goof it up. Consider taking the finished job
past a good gunsmith once you're done to check if the work you've
performed results in a safe trigger. And make REALLY sure that the
chamber is empty. The author, newsgroup moderators, and all others
who may pass this information along cannot evaluate your skill level,
and take no responsibility for the results of following these instructions.
Also, this applies to the trigger on the factory Remington 700,
using my 1968 vintage rifle as the prototype. I have no idea if
it needs to be modified for the Model 7, 40-XB, XP-100, etc.
Now that that's out of the way, on to the
educational part ;
The Remington 700 trigger group consists
of the trigger, a trigger connector bar, a sear which rests upon
the trigger connector bar and holds back the cocked firing pin,
and a set of three adjustment screws and assorted springs and pins
which hold it all together. The safety lever is attached to the
trigger group, and blocks the sear motion. It does not block the
firing pin, and so the safety is completely reliant on the soundness
of the trigger group to properly perform it's function. An important
piece of equipment you will need is a trigger pull weight scale.
One can improvise by hanging known weights (e.g. a coffee can with
3lbs of sand in it) by wire from the trigger while pointing the
muzzle at the sky. If using the latter, the trigger pull will be
roughly equal to the lightest weight you can hang on the trigger
which causes the trigger to fall.
Two screws are on the front of the trigger
assembly, and one on the rear. The top front screw is the trigger
stop screw. This controls the trigger overtravel after sear disengagement.
The bottom front screw is the trigger adjustment screw, and controls
the "pull weight", or the spring pressure holding the
trigger in position. The trigger engagement screw is on the rear
of the assembly, and controls the amount of the sear supported
by the trigger/trigger connector.
After removing the action from the stock, and identifying these
adjustment screws, try giving the mechanism a thorough cleaning
with a cleaner spray and lubricate the mechanism lightly (see your
owner's guide). Sometimes this is all that's required to blow out
leftover assembly grit, or dirt from extensive field use, and can
result in a perfectly acceptable trigger pull. Note that the adjustment
screws will likely be covered with a locking compound and may not
be immediately obvious.
If anything is not clear and apparent at
this time, or at any point along the way, reconsider taking it to
a gunsmith. Safety is paramount.
Okay, here we go:
Remove the trigger guard assembly, and remove
the action from the stock. Cock the bolt in the receiver. The trigger
pull weight is adjusted by turning the trigger adjustment screw
(bottom front): clockwise increases the pull, counter-clockwise
makes it lighter. It doesn't take much, try 1/8 turn to begin with
and then test the pull weight. It is STRONGLY recommended that you
DO NOT attempt a trigger pull of much less than 3 pounds. The stock
Remington mechanism is not (in my humble opinion) intended for a
target-style 2 pound (or less) pull weight. There are readily available
aftermarket triggers if that is your desire. Apply a light coat
of loctite, fingernail polish, or other locking compound to the
screw head when done.
The overtravel of the trigger may be reduced
by turning the trigger stop screw (top front of the trigger group)
clockwise until the firing pin doesn't fall when you pull the trigger.
Then hold the trigger back, and turn the trigger stop screw counter-clockwise
until the firing pin falls. Turn about 1/16 turn further and stop.
This is about the least overtravel which still maintains margin
for hunting in the field. So long as this minimum is established,
some may prefer more overtravel, this can be adjusted out further
to personal preference. At this point, most shooters should find
the trigger is quite acceptable. As before, cover the screw head
with a locking compound to prevent it from moving accidentally.
Some may have a rifle which has some "creep" in the
trigger before let-off. The key to this adjustment is in the trigger
engagement, however, in this writer's opinion adjusting the sear
engagement is best left to a gunsmith. I believe this is the most
critical adjustment in terms of safety, and I don't intend to mess
with it. Even Remington's earlier users guides (pre-liability-suit
days) which included trigger adjustment instructions state to leave
this adjustment alone. If someone out there wants to take a pass
at writing for this part, be my guest. Most people (including myself)
should probably only touch the bottom front screw, the Trigger
Adjusting Screw.
After any messing around (including simply
cleaning the trigger assembly) you should probably test as Remington
recommends, by closing the bolt "smartly" at least ten
times. The firing pin should not fall while doing so, but must fall
every time the trigger is pulled. Another method, which requires
a good recoil pad or a carpeted/padded floor, is to verify the chamber
is empty, cock the bolt, then bounce the butt firmly on the floor.
Either of these methods should get the firing pin/sear/trigger combo
bouncing around pretty well, and test if the rifle is likely to
discharge accidentally on being bounced, bumped, etc. Verify that
the firing pin does not fall during any of this, including cycling
the safety on & off prior to pulling the trigger.
A couple more comments:
- If you hunt in cold weather, gloves can
really interfere with trigger feel. Consider going to a 4-5lb
pull for that scenario, to prevent accidental discharge.
- Do NOT touch the trigger while pushing
the safety to "fire". This applies to ALL firearms,
but it's definitely possible to pull the trigger unintentionally
while pushing the safety off on the Model 700 (and probably others
on which you can operate the safety without taking your shooting
finger out of the trigger guard).
Good luck, and safe shooting!
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