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

Hey everyone. I just picked up a timney featherweight for a Mauser project. The rifle is a 1954 FN commercial action. The trigger installs just fine, but when pulled only releases the cocking piece about 1/8 inch. I assume there is too much sear engagement somehow, but the sear adjestment screw doesn't change anything.

Any ideas where I'm screwing up? I've got three other timneys and have never had this problem before!

Check out the safety on the bolt.
They can have real trouble with aftermarket triggers.

Dan, loosen the screw that draws the trigger up tight and put a shim under the other end and re-tighten. Something like the thickness of two scope shims and see if it works. Sometimes, the use of a solid bottom cocking piece is needed. They make two different Model 98 triggers. powdr

sear window too small?

If this happens with the action out of the stock - loosen your overtravel screw just a hair. It sounds like the trigger might not able to travel quite far enough to fully release.

Of course, if it only happens with the stock installed, check the inletting to make sure it's not binding on some part of the trigger assy.

It can be a number of things but a common one is that the overtravel is adjusted too tightly. Back that screw off a tad.

Check the window like Jim suggested as well.

Did you
Good one Jim,
MTDan:
I'd set all 3 adjustments first following instructions to a T and especially make sure the internal trigger sear is clear of the upper sear face both when the safety is ON and after it has been test fired (on an empty chamber of course).
No offense intended to other posters.
CB

Thanks for the input everyone. I confirmed that the sear moves freely in the slot. Then I started shimming the back of the trigger unit opposite the tightening screw. I had to shim quite a bit (8 thicknesses of aluminum soda can.... yes I'm a little low budget...) but the trigger is now working as advertised.

Thanks everyone for their help

I'm not sure I understand the shimming. Does your trigger not have an overtravel screw?

Powdr was wrong and JRGunmaker is correct. The shimming only allows for less sear engagement which results in the trigger sear not having to move as far top clear the cocking piece. The sear window is not allowing the sear to retract. Pretty common problem really

I just have a question. What is the difference, besides the weight, of a Timney Featherweight trigger and the other triggers that you have? You say you have three other triggers and they all work fine, but the featherweight trigger does not. So I am just curious what the difference is.

I don't know Dan. Something about shimming a brand new Timney trigger (lowering the trigger position) doesn't seem right. Shimming the trigger suggests that now less of the sear will be contacting the cocking piece face. Jerry-rigged?
DID you set the overtravel?

My other timneys are a feathweight and sportsman. They worked just fine in my other commercial mausers. I DID adjust the overtravel. There is no setting that would let the cocking piece fall. I think it may be the cocking piece at fault. It's one of the military style instead of one of the flat bottom commercial units.

I'm not thrilled about the idea of having to shim my brand new trigger either. I'm debating replacing the cocking piece vs sending it back to try something different.

Glad you covered all the bases with regard to the trigger adjustments. The only other thing I can think of is to pull the firing pin and see if the notched end fits nicely into the cocking piece. If it's sloppy, might be time for a newer one. Another way to check for wear inside the CP is to cycle the bolt and put the safety on and see if it tilts up or down.
You'll get it. Thanks for the heads up on the progress. Never too old to learn, I say. See ya.

Ok, update: I just didn't like the idea of a bunch of shims in my rifle. I took about 13 thousanths off the bottom of the cocking piece with a fine file braced against the workbench. It now functions with no shims, and the rifle won't go off even tapping it hard with a mallet.

sear window?
Does the sear drop completely when the trigger is not installed?
push it down with your finger and pull the trigger.
How far does it drop?

That was the wrong thing to do. Now you won't be able to get Timney to stand behind it, There was nothing wrong with your trigger. All you have now is an altered trigger with minimum sear engagement. I think you are just too stubborn to admit you were wrong. The problem is still with the sear window

Well, I didn't alter the trigger. I altered the cocking piece of the bolt. It wasn't one of the flat bottom commercial units, and Mauser cocking pieces are readily available and fairly cheap if I mess up. I'm a big believer in "modify the cheapest part" and my receiver and timney are both substantially more than a cocking piece.

I don't understand what you mean by sear window. You mean the slot in the receiver? The sear on the trigger appears to be moving freely and through full range of motion.

You may be right, and I may have messed it up, but for right now it appears to be functioning as it should. I removed a very small amount of material, and I cannot make it go off without pulling the trigger. I've even tried tapping upwards on the underside of the cocking piece with a brass hammer. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a professional, but this seems to have worked.

THAT'S TWICE THE DUMBASS HAS POSTED IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES W/O READING THE POSTS. THE DAMN SEAR HAS TO BE MESSED UP PRETTY BAD FOR THE GUN NOT TO FIRE. GUN GUILD MY ASS! STICK TO BB GUNS JKOB...YOU [bleep]. powdr

MTDan;
Good evening to you sir, I hope the weekend treated you well.

With the understanding that I'm not a trained smith, just a serious student who has played with a couple dozen Mauser projects - and I'm cognizant that's not a whole bunch compared to some.

Anyway I've run into exactly what you've described - I want to say once with a Timney and once with a commercial Mauser trigger - a Mark X back in the day actually. The cure both times was installing a flat bottomed commercial cocking piece.

I'm not sure I'd feel entirely comfortable with the reduced bearing surface you've got on the the military cocking piece/trigger sear now - so as you mention the cocking pieces aren't tons of money and is likely a safer option as well?

Good luck with your project whichever way you decide and all the best to you this summer.

Dwayne