Model 14/141 Trigger Pull

[nambujim]

Let's be clear about one thing, I'm not a hunter so I don't know what a hunter desires in the way of trigger pull. My background from the time I was about eight (8) was marksmanship (competitive target shooting smallbore & high power rifle). I earned my Junior Distinguished award when I was 14, also have "other" distinguished rifleman awards using a custom 52 Winchester, later on a 1413 SM54 Anschutz. Virtually all my high power awards were won with a Mark I Springfield that was customized with things like a Canjar Trigger, Fajen Target Stock, Douglas Air Gage Barrel, and Redfield Micrometer sights....................it was super bloody accurate. The point I'm making is that competition shooters know triggers and the need for a good crisp trigger.

The model 14/141 trigger is about as far from a competition trigger as you will ever get and I continually remind anyone that will listen "its the latest in 1910 technology". Despite my advice the owners of these rifles (hunters) at some point try to improve the trigger pull, its a bad idea that usually results in a "slam-fire" or end up not cocking at all. Stay the hell away from the trigger system except for cleaning it and to that end a good polish to the trigger bushing will usually be of some help but requires dis-assembly of the trigger/safety which can be a can of worms if you haven't done it before.

Many years ago when I owned a LOT of 14/141's I tested fifty (50) to see what the average trigger pull was, turned out to be about 9#, a couple were almost 12#, and the lowest about 7.5#. Again, not being a hunter I would think for safety purposes a 9# pull would be OK for use in the field and its probably less than a Model 94 Winchester. It seemed that when I got a 14/141 in for repair the owner would almost always ask "anything you can do with the trigger pull" and all I could do was to take it all out, polish/clean all the parts, and put it back together.

Bottom line is a full clean/polish may lessen your pull by one (1) pound but trust me when I say you won't notice the difference. Keep in mind the trigger pull on my Anschutz was two (2) ounces and the Canjar on my Springfield could be dialed down to less than eight (8) ounces and at that level it was more the "feel" of the trigger that mattered. To give the trigger better feel you need to make it wider, target triggers on both rifles/handguns are twice the width of a Model 14/141 so I thought "what the hell" and installed a trigger shoe on a couple of my rifles.

I was impressed with the better "feel" the trigger had and the excessive trigger pull didn't seem as bad. This was some years back but I took four rifles to the range and met up with my "Gun Writer" buddy "Charlie Petty" and two other long time friends who had a lot of experience with both handguns/rifles. I had two Model 14's in .30 caliber that had the identical trigger pull along with two Model 141's in .35 Caliber that had the identical trigger pull BUT we installed a "shoe" on one rifle in each pair.
All of us felt the rifle with the shoe felt far better than the one without the shoe but then that's just four guys but it was four guys with over 200 years combined rifle shooting experience including one who tested rifles for a living.

So if you clean up the trigger system and install a "shoe" you might just like it better, its easier, and more importantly won't mess up your rifle. I pass this crap along based on my experience doing repairs hoping it will work for you and keep somebody from screwing with the sear.

Jim Peterson
Charlotte, NC