Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Mauser timney troubles

Dwayne, a appreciate your advice and experience, which is greater than my own. I suspect that you're correct about the receiver window. I tried the approach with the cocking piece because once I modify the receiver, there's no going back. I probably got away with what I did because the parts were very close to functional to begin with.

I share your hesitation to reduce sear engagement. I'll evaluate it thoroughly, and if I can ever make it malfunction I'll replace it. So far, I cannot find anything that will make it fire without a trigger pull.

MTDan:
Good morning to you sir, I hope the week is starting as bright and clear in your part of the world as it is here in southern BC.

When I ran into the issues with the Mauser triggers, it was an issue of the trigger being incompatible with that particular cocking piece. I can't recall ever modifying the receiver window on any Mauser - 96 or 98.

Going off of faulty memory again, the type of trigger you have will allow the sear to pop up before the cocking piece clears it and in the military stepped type of cocking piece it's enough to drag on the cocking piece and prevent it from firing. When one uses the flat bottomed cocking piece, the sear can't pop back up and prevent it from firing.

Sorry if that didn't make sense, but without tearing a couple rifles apart that's more or less how I recall it taking place.

Hopefully that made sense and was useful for you or someone out there. Again good luck with your project and all the best to you this summer.

Dwayne

Does the sear drop completely when the trigger is not installed?

If one's expertise is such that he needs help, the unit should go to smith. One does not trust chance when it comes to triggers and a safety. The margins can be pretty fine in those workings.

I don't disagree, but how else does one build expertise besides practice?

I had:
1. plan of attack (check function every 3-4 thousandths removed- took me three checks before success). I was VERY careful not to change the geometry of the sear face.
2. A way to test function and safety. I'm going to oil the sear (which I would NEVER do to a rifle for use) and hit the action from every angle I can think of with a hard plastic mallet. If it clicks, cocking piece gets replaced. If it doesnt, I'll clean off the oil and continue on.

I understand the hesitation, but I did plan my approach carefully and work with extreme caution. I honestly never thought I'd get this much criticism for a successful result!! My trigger works. My rifle is safe as best I can tell (soon to be even more verified when I get home.

If it clicks, I'll be the first to eat crow, but until then this is a success.

"I don't disagree, but how else does one build expertise besides practice?"

For something that has significant safety implications practice should come after thorough instruction by competent teachers.

Did you give JRGunmaker an answer to his question?

Sorry JRGunmaker, I missed your post. The sear does seem to drop completely without the bolt installed. I can't see it binding on the window.

Also, I oiled the sear and beat it from every possible angle with a hard plastic mallet. No click.

BUT.... I reinstalled the factory trigger. Again, no unintended discharges, but it takes less force to record the rifle from a fired position than with the timney. The timney isnt hard to cock at all, but the factory trigger is very easy. Is this an inherent thing with aftermarket triggers, or could there be a catch somewhere like the sear window?

So looking at trigger geometry, it seems like the original has a bevel on the front edge that matches up with the cocking piece. The timney does not have that, which could explain the harder cocking motion. The timney sportsman trigger does though. The sear on the sportsman also looks smaller, so I wonder if it would have less difficulty with the sear window being too small.

I'm considering just returning the featherweight and getting a sportsman.

You really should post some GOOD pictures of your parts. Beveled cocking piece????? I have seen an FN trigger that resembled a M70 trigger that had contact surfaces that were similar to M70. Cocking piece would NOT work with an after market trigger. The pin for the trigger was in the trigger guard and the sear was pinned through the rec tang.

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Response to MTDan: { I'm considering just returning the featherweight and getting a sportsman. }

I tried a featherweight Timney once. Ended up going with Sportsman triggers (bottom pic) or the equivalent from then on. I just like the sear design much better. There may have been some other reason, I can't recall.

not the pictures I was looking for

Post updated JR.

Thanks for the pics custombolt. That shows it really well. The bevel on the front edge of the timney sportsman is what I mean.

On the cocking piece, I'm talking about the angle between the two "prongs" of the military style one (vs a flat bottom commercial unit). The interface with the sear is NOT beveled. 100% flat and true contact. I'd post a pic, but it looks like any other military Mauser cocking piece.

Did you mean the bevel on the sear of the featherweight trigger (top pic) ? I don't see any bevel on the sportsman sear.

Some hands on schooling by an experienced smith might be a good beginning.

Not all of us have that luxury.

MtDan,

You have one of the finest gunmakers in the world asking you for photos of your trigger group so he can help you. Post some photos and we can all learn something.

^^^^^^^^^^
This. Seriously, folks ask for help. Then when those in the know ask for pics or more info, the OP usually never responds. Never understood that.

OK update: sorry I have not tended thus thread. Life has gotten crazy.

Well, it's my turn to eat crow. It was the sear window that was causing my problem. The sear on the featherweight (thanks custombolt for the pics) is longer and wasn't depressing completely. I replaced it with a sportsman that works fine. I'll send the featherweight back to midway.

Thankfully, I didn't screw up my cocking piece. I think I got lucky on that.

So thanks again for all your advice. I haven't posted pics because I haven't found a good hosting site since photobucket capped out, but I'll find one and post some of the project so far.