Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Timney Trigger

Well, this goes back to 2003...For my sons graduation I bought/gave him a Ruger MkII 30-06 with a VX2 3x9. He doesn't shoot as much as he should so I always thought his 3-4" groups were a result of lack of practice. I shot the rifle this weekend and the trigger really, really, really sucks (he still needs to shoot much more tho). Midway has a Timney, what are your thoughts, and yes I know it won't replace practice <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

All my Timneys are old ones, made when the elder Vehrs were alive, running the front office, and their son Paul made the triggers back in the shop. I doubt that John Vehr now makes 'em any less excellent than Paul did and wouldn't be surprised to learn that he's even making 'em a bit better somehow. None of the Vehrs struck me as corner-cutters.

One thing that I like about the Timneys is that I can safely tune 'em for top performance.

They are great for Rugers, but they require a little work to install. You have to file down the back of the trigger so the factory safety selector will slide over it. Other than that, they are very easy to adjust. You have to be careful adjusting the overtravel screw because if you adjust it too much there will be tension on the sear which will rub against your firing pin.

If you want heavier than two pounds you use the factory trigger spring, if you want up to two pounds you use the Timney spring. I have 3 of them in my Rugers.

Knowing how the MkII trigger system works and having installed my share of Timneys on them, I'm trying to picture in my mind just what it is you are describing. Could you possibly go into a little more detail?

I was trying to get one for my M77 MKII last week and everywhere I checked (Midway, Midsouth Shooter, Brownells, Cabelas and a few Canadian sources) were all out of stock for the Ruger. Can't wait for backorder and the gunsmiths in the area are all busy with hunting season to tune the factory one. I'll have to live with the heavy factory for this season. It still shoots 5/8" groups with 225gr TSX handloads (custom .35 Whelen) with the heavy factory so I can't complain too much. I finished today's range session by nailing, dead center, a 12g hull at 100yds with it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. That always help the confidence <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

BCSteve--

The Ruger Mark II trigger is one of the easiest to fix on the market. A good gunsmith should be able to do the job in about half an hour. I know this because I ain't the greatest gunsmith, but can do it in that time myself.

Ken--

The latest Timneys are indeed even better than the old. John Vehr has made quite a few improvements in the past several years, and I am very impressed with the newest versions.

John B.

About 40yrs ago I put a Timmney trigger/saftey on a sporterized 98 Mauser and adjusted it down to a decent pull following directions. Used the gun for some time,but one day while hunting I just got a strange feeling that-tho the saftey was "on"- the gun would fire. So I pulled the trigger and ..yep it went off with the saftey "on"! Further checking showed the 'saftey' didn't work at all.

I returned it to Timmey got it back some time later with locktite all over it and a note that said it was my fault the saftey didn't work because I tried to adjust the trigger!!!

Haven't been a big fan ever since. Anyone else have a simular experience?

Well...I went ahead and back ordered the Timney and will apprise you of a neophytes experience when it arrives and is installed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

Please let us know. It will help me decide if I should go the Timney route or have the gunsmith tune the factory one.

OUTCAST--

That's sure weird.

I must have installed a dozen or more Timney triggers over the years, and have also owned quite a few rifles that came with Timneys, notably the fine rifles from New Ultra Light Arms. I haven't had a problem with any of the triggers.

John Barsness

Rifle Basix makes a excellent MK II replacement trigger. I never have tried the Timney but know they advertise as perhaps needing a little fitting in the safty area. I did that with a Spec Tec trigger for a 77/22 and you have to do a good job keeping the surface perfectly flat so both of the two safe positions are the same.
I went with Rifle Basix for my sons as they advertise being drop in, and it was. My guess is it brought the weight down to under 3 lbs. and it is crisp as all get out. As a matter of fact I installed it and a Jewell set at 3 lbs. by Jewell and the Rifle Basix made the Jewell feel like chit. Backing the Jewell down to 1 3/4 solved that problem as they seem to have a little creep set over 2 pounds in mine and others experience.

Probably, the problem wasn't so much that you tried to adjust it as how you adjusted it. There are limits that you have to honor, margins that you have to retain.

Also, the Timney trigger of forty years ago wasn't the same trigger that bears that name today, and it wasn't made by the same person who makes 'em now. IIRC, a fire destroyed the original Timney plant about thirty years ago, and the elder Vehrs bought the company a year or so later. Now, they've both died, and their son Paul (who made the Timney triggers that I have) has long since gone on to another company. John Vehr makes the Timney triggers now, and he doesn't deserve to be subject to a forty-year grudge against someone else.

Well put, Ken. I will also add that all the Timney triggers I have installed have been made in the last 25 years or so.

John B.

I installed one on a 03 Springfield in the 70's and it worked fine but was a little long no BFD. I have several on Ruger and Mauser rifles but did not install them. The trigger on my Mark II is not that bad just a little slack or take up then it breaks clean at 2 1/2 lbs. If I cant fix it I will get a Timney. Damn nice rifle but a little heavy.
-Doc-

Have installed a few Timney Sportsman triggers on M98s. The oldest installation is probably about 20 years old and still works fine. As long as one follows the directions and has enough ability to perform the tasks necessary to install one, I see no problem with them.

I remove the barreled action from the stock on most of my bolt action hunting rifles at least once a year anyway, so it's a handy time to check the triggers for proper adjustment, lubrication and to make sure all locknuts are tight.

As I recall things now, the most involved operation was modifying the M98 cocking piece so that the Buehler-type safety functioned properly after the Timneys were installed. I did both installations at the same time though, trigger and safety.

Was at the PA Cabela's recently and noticed several adjustable aftermarket triggers for Mk II Rugers in the Bargain Cave, but don't think they were Timneys.

Dr. Howell,

A 'forty year grudge' is way too strong. It was simply an experience I had that shook the be-jabbers out of me, being about 17 at the time.

Years later, while teaching numerous Hunter Saftey classes, I repeated the NRA mantra many times with feeling ,"A saftey is a mechanical device that can sometimes fail". I did not use the ocassions to trash any manufacturer.

This being an open forum, I threw out my experience thinking it perhaps unique, to see if anyone else shared a simular experience. Yes, 40yrs is a long time - I feel it every morning.

Mule Deer,

Yessir. It was weird,which is why I related the story. Never understood why adjusting the trigger would affect the sliding saftey- not then - not now. Probably I had your classic example of one. However, the story is true as I remember it.

I t seems if there is an exception to the rule out there flying around, it lands on my shoulder. Never heard of anyone else ever having a problem with a Timney except of course me. Guess that's why my user name it Outcast <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I didn't doubt your story. I have had trigger-block safeties refuse work correctly after adjusting some other triggers! Just haven't hed the problem with a Timney.

Since my earlier post was out sighting in my Wby, Vaguard in .257 Roy for an upcoming hunt. The factory trigger isn't bad, but I installed on the recent Timneys a few months ago, and it is pure pleasure to pull!

JB

Yeah, the trigger part was O.K. with mine and it wasn't set all that light...just the saftey thing. From that day to this I've never bought a replacement trigger. Tend to prefer older guns anyway and most of them came with user friendly adjustable triggers.

For off-hand and other precarious shooting, nothing else is as good as a good set trigger � once you get the hang of it.

I love the retrofit trigger on my Nesika .220 Howell varmint rifle � a Remington 700 trigger retrofit with a Kepplinger (Austrian) finger-piece replacing the original. It allows normal use of the Remington trigger unset and adjusted for ordinary shooting. For delicate trigger-control, I just have to (a) push the finger-piece forward to set it, then (b) just barely touch it to fire.

The click-beetle snap of the Kepplinger finger-piece snaps the Remington trigger. Only a little more than a hint or a whisper releases the Kepplinger, which then applies a hearty whack to the Remington sear.

Brownell's has 'em as well as complete triggers (pages 7 and 8 in their Catalog 59) for several rifles.