Woodsmoke
Well-Known Member
I have a problem. One that's only recently come to light. And one that gave me absolute chills when I realised what was going on.
My latest rifle (a 1965 Husqvarna 1640) is completely original, but had an absolutely hideous trigger pull. Not unknown with these rifles apparently, as they're derived from the 98 Mauser. The 98 Mauser has a flag safety which blocks the trigger, and the Husqvarna shares the basic layout, but has a slide safety that engages a pin on the sear to prevent the trigger moving.
Normally, the sear engagement is sufficient to allow for a tiny amount of movement on the trigger to take into account wear on the pin, machining tolerances, etc. Now, I checked the safety when I got the rifle, and it appeared to work correctly. The trigger pull was horribly heavy though, so after a couple of trips out I decided a polish would make a difference. And it did! The trigger now has a beautiful crisp release, at about 3lb.
Trouble is, the safety catch now doesn't work! Sure, it holds the bolt right enough, but regardless of position it now doesn't prevent the trigger from being pulled! Luckily (thank Christ!) I've only had the rifle out for practice since the sears were polished. On further inspection, it transpires that whoever had the rifle (at some point) before me didn't like the trigger either. But instead of using even one of his two brain cells and either taking the rifle to a smith, or replacing the trigger, he decided instead to file material off the sear to reduce its engagement
It wasn't until I started looking at replacement Mauser triggers that I realised the profile was incorrect . . . .
A Mauser 98 trigger showing the correct sear profile . . . .
Unbelievable stupidity and incompetence. Absolutely unbelievable. The only thing preventing an accident was Gods own provenance and the fact the trigger pull was gritty and heavy.
Anyway, now that I've found it, and no harm has been done (by the grace of God!) I can get on with making it safe. My original thought was to replace it with a Timney Featherweight Deluxe, but none are to be had in the UK, and none are due in the foreseeable future.
I could replace it with a used 98 trigger, but this would convert it to a two-stage by default, and also mean I would have to drill and insert a pin to restore the safety detent. The advantage of this would be an original part, with no messing about with the metal heat treatment. I've sourced one from Romania at a decent price so that's a viable option.
Third option is to build up the sear with a weld, and regrind and polish to a good finish, and a safe engagement. I have some 1.6mm rods, and a decent inverter welder so this is the quickest option, as well as keeping the rifle completely original.
I'm not sure which option to take at the moment, but the rifle is off-games until the issue is sorted out.
I guess the moral of the tale is that no matter how competent and sensible you are yourself, there is always the chance that some moronic, half-witted, incompetent, and over-confidant mouth-breather is out there ready to f*ck up your day in the worst way . . . . .
My latest rifle (a 1965 Husqvarna 1640) is completely original, but had an absolutely hideous trigger pull. Not unknown with these rifles apparently, as they're derived from the 98 Mauser. The 98 Mauser has a flag safety which blocks the trigger, and the Husqvarna shares the basic layout, but has a slide safety that engages a pin on the sear to prevent the trigger moving.
Normally, the sear engagement is sufficient to allow for a tiny amount of movement on the trigger to take into account wear on the pin, machining tolerances, etc. Now, I checked the safety when I got the rifle, and it appeared to work correctly. The trigger pull was horribly heavy though, so after a couple of trips out I decided a polish would make a difference. And it did! The trigger now has a beautiful crisp release, at about 3lb.
Trouble is, the safety catch now doesn't work! Sure, it holds the bolt right enough, but regardless of position it now doesn't prevent the trigger from being pulled! Luckily (thank Christ!) I've only had the rifle out for practice since the sears were polished. On further inspection, it transpires that whoever had the rifle (at some point) before me didn't like the trigger either. But instead of using even one of his two brain cells and either taking the rifle to a smith, or replacing the trigger, he decided instead to file material off the sear to reduce its engagement
It wasn't until I started looking at replacement Mauser triggers that I realised the profile was incorrect . . . .
A Mauser 98 trigger showing the correct sear profile . . . .
Unbelievable stupidity and incompetence. Absolutely unbelievable. The only thing preventing an accident was Gods own provenance and the fact the trigger pull was gritty and heavy.
Anyway, now that I've found it, and no harm has been done (by the grace of God!) I can get on with making it safe. My original thought was to replace it with a Timney Featherweight Deluxe, but none are to be had in the UK, and none are due in the foreseeable future.
I could replace it with a used 98 trigger, but this would convert it to a two-stage by default, and also mean I would have to drill and insert a pin to restore the safety detent. The advantage of this would be an original part, with no messing about with the metal heat treatment. I've sourced one from Romania at a decent price so that's a viable option.
Third option is to build up the sear with a weld, and regrind and polish to a good finish, and a safe engagement. I have some 1.6mm rods, and a decent inverter welder so this is the quickest option, as well as keeping the rifle completely original.
I'm not sure which option to take at the moment, but the rifle is off-games until the issue is sorted out.
I guess the moral of the tale is that no matter how competent and sensible you are yourself, there is always the chance that some moronic, half-witted, incompetent, and over-confidant mouth-breather is out there ready to f*ck up your day in the worst way . . . . .
I've actually just bitten the bullet and thrown caution to the winds as it happens! I know I can modify the 98 trigger to suit if needs be, so I turned the current way down and added some material to the sear. A quick check in the rifle proves the trigger to be safe, although I still have some cleaning-up, polishing and rebluing to do
I don't really see much point in getting into a bun fight with him over it, or even letting him know about it. You're right though, never assume any rifle is 100%, especially when buying remotely, and make certain you get a condition report in writing. This rifle was from a well-known NE dealer (I won't mention him), and to be honest I should've asked a lot more questions than I did. Truth be told though, I would expect any dealer to at least inspect the rifle thoroughly prior to sending it, especially if they claim to offer a years warranty with every rifle, and the safety catch is a pretty fundamental component. I wanted to speak with him directly, but each time I called I ended up speaking with (I assume) his daughter who relayed my questions and responded with his rather vague replies. Lesson learned, and from now on I intend to be the most awkward and demanding bastard of a customer that any RFD could think of meeting
