Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing J.C. Higgins Model 50 - Timney Trigger

So, I just got a J.C. Higgins Model 50. I got a Timney Featherweight trigger. When I installed it, I found the top of the trigger sear touches the bottom of the bolt making it almost impossible to open the bolt. Is the proper fix: (a) shim the trigger housing, or (b) remove material from the top of the sear? Timney tech support advised to remove material from top of sear. This gives me concern. I would not want to remove too much and bugger the trigger. Anyone have experience with this problem?

Know nothing about installing the trigger, but I wouldn’t remove metal from the top of the sear. My sense is that it wouldn’t take much to make it unsafe. I have the original trigger on my M50.

That’s what I’m thinking too!

If Timney is OK with removing some material from top of the sear, I'd go for it, just do a bit at a time. I'd do that before I'd shim the trigger housing.

I installed a Timney in an HVA and had the opposite issue, sear not tall enough, action web too thick, striker would jump over the sear when closing the bolt. Timney sent me another sear to try. I ended up taking some metal off the top of the trigger housing to allow the housing and the sear to ride slightly higher. Worked great.

Timney will send you another sear if you mess up. They're good about that.

DF

I looked at the sear again and observed that the front end of the top of the sear is higher than the rear end that holds back the cocking piece. So, I reckoned that I could grind some material off the front half of the top of the trigger sear without affecting the contact with the cocking piece. I took off a bit at a time until I got the rifle to function properly, including the safety. Did the hard closing of bolt test amd dropping the rifle on the butt test, etc. Seems to be working perfectly. Also removed wood from the stock to get trigger housing to fit. I did not have to file or alter the trigger guard at all. The whole job took less than an hour.

Good deal.

Don't ya just love it when a plan comes together...

DF

I have had that similar issue with both JC Higgins model 50 and Timney Featherweight triggers. I have shimmed between the trigger housing and receiver flat. I have also changed to military mauser cocking pieces. Some needed metal removed to enlarge the opening in the slot for the cocking piece. I have also sent triggers back to Timney for a different sear. All worked fine.

I almost always had issues with Timney Featherweight Triggers for Mausers. The Sportsman Triggers were usually simple drop-ins!

The Sportsman Triggers were usually simple drop-ins![/quote]

There is your answer. Send the Featherweight trigger back and get the Sportsman It will work fine in a hunting rifle and is a direct drop-in, with my experience with the two I have installed in Model 50's.

For some unknown and stupid (IMHO) reason, Timney has decided to discontinue the sportsman model trigger. I gone through literally dozens of them in the past. You might still be able to find them on the internet.

Bold used to made a replacement trigger for it too.

The trigger in the pictures on Timney’s website shows a safety lever. If you want to continue to use the factory safety lever how does that work?

Get the Timney without a safety.

Thanks

And then we have that small minority of loons who prefer the original trigger tuned and polished. Me.