Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Shilen trigger...first impression not good

Yeah, I'm not going to mess with it. As to the question about torquing the action screws, I didn't mean to imply that that's what caused the problem, just that it's hard to really work a bolt with much effort when it's out of the stock.

I'll be the first to admit I polish a lot of triggers to get them working the way I want, but I'm also a OCD freak when it comes to this stuff.

My best working 2oz Jewell trigger has been torn apart and totally stoned and polished (it was dragging when new). I agree that you should never have to do that, especially to a Jewell with their price point.

My Jewell was the same way Eddie until it got polished. Like I said in previous post, custom rifle components do not always arrive in perfect cond. And I'm sure you see this constantly being a rifle builder.

All triggers slide on the sear and shoe if they did not the trigger would have no engagement and just go off when the bolt is shut. If the trigger works fine out of the stock and when installed back into the stock something has stressed the action or the trigger might be hard on the stock. I like shilen triggers very much also. Let us all know what you find out.

Try this for your Jewell.

Jewell Trigger Improvement Tips...
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John,
OK... Here's your trigger improvement tip for the day from my new weekly anal Reloading Show on PBS network!

DISCLAIMER: Do Not Use Bullseye Powder to fix your trigger! (Sorry, Jackie... I saw the shot and I took it!)

First... get a clean white towel (please avoid taking the nice new bathroom towel with your bride's name on it to use for this operation....trust me here, guys!)
Lay your grit-filled trigger on your clean white towel (You can see the little parts better a white towel... just a tip from the trades) as it will help to keep all the parts from bouncing underneath your workbench

Next.... You must use a proper fitting Phillip screw driver (I bought a Husky Pro #544-572 #1 tip Phillips screwdriver from Home Depot that fits the screws in the Jewell perfectly, this is extremely important, so you don't turn your Jewell BR trigger Phillips-heads into Allen-head screws!) and take the trigger completely apart and clean it with Lacquer Thinner (also available at HD, if I didn't already buy it all!)

Please take note to see if your trigger hanger came off your trigger with SOME drag or tightly(Most do!), it is caused by 1 of the small Phillips screws slightly protruding above the surface of the top trigger-plate, which causes rubbing on the inside of the trigger-hanger). If left unchecked, this protruding Phillips screw may cause your trigger plate to slightly pinch and bind your top-lever of your trigger, just a tiny amount, to cause drag, which creates poor ignition (big damn groups!).

This can be fixed, if you carefully hold the screw and rub it on some 600-800 grit metal sandpaper, attached to a flat-surface (kitchen counter top is ideal surface.... especially if your less than BR understanding wife is over at her mother's house!) with some double-sided tape. Lightly sand just enough to de-burr the top of the Phillip screw, so when you put your trigger back together the trigger hanger EASILY slides over the side-plates of your trigger. Aaaaahhh Nice!!

It's probably important now to tell you to please take care to not lose the small spring behind the trigger shoe when you remove it from the dowel pin that holds it in place. (If anyone should need replacement Jewell trigger spring, please feel free to call Joe Krupa to have him ship you one, at N/C, as I have given him at least 11 replacement springs and misc. Jewell parts...over the last 2 years....%$#@!)

If you're unsure of the state of the operation of your Jewell BR trigger and its effect on your ignition, look at the inside of each side plate. If you are seeing deep radius scratch/drag marks, from where the top-lever is rubbing, this is definitely NOT helping your guns agging potential!! I humbly believe my advice could very much improve your ignition, through eliminating some unexplained lost and stupid shots out of your groups!

Next, HAND polish (no rasp file needed here, guys!) the inside trigger side-plates and top lever with Flitz (available at better stores everywhere, but never close to your house...?) on a polishing cloth, wrapped on a piece of flat bar-stock (or get a piece of glass-plate and LIGHTLY rub the side plates on a polishing cloth (with Flitz) laid on top of the glass plate. This will make your Jewell side-plates silky smooth! (and also make huge mess!). Note, this VERY important as your cocking piece on your bolt is pressing the top lever in your trigger slightly to the left, as your bolt is being cocked. Polishing the side plates of the inside of your triggers will reduce the friction from the force of the cocking piece and promote quicker lock-time/ignition... Also check your internal small levers and the top lever for burs, again, LIGHTLY polish with Flitz... (Show sponsor, what can I say?)

THOROUGHLY clean with Lacquer Thinner (while being very careful not to spill the whole damn can of Lacquer Thinner while neck-turning at 3:00AM (are you listening Allen Tucker?)on the nice, new Cherry finished Desk in your hotel room (Please e-mail me for a picture), and removing ALL of the beautiful Cherry finish, like room #726 at the lovely new Holiday Inn Suites Hotel, in Charlottesville, VA (That's another story we'll save for later on....)

Anyway, once you have thoroughly cleaned all of the parts, take some LIGHT oil, yes, I said oil, NOT lighter fluid..... Tom Meridith's new TM oil is perfect! (Potential show sponsor)) and VERY LIGHTLY coat both sides of all of the trigger parts with oil and put it back together, CAREFULLY (being careful not to have any left-over parts!) The diagram that came with your trigger is easy, even for me, to follow (I like pictures!)

Take a minute to test your new super-slick trigger, before you put it back in your gun, to ensure the top-lever drops with no resistance or dragging when you press gently on the trigger!

Not trying to open Pandora's box here.... but, some of today�s scope problems can be amazingly fixed with better ignition derived from a proper working trigger!

Replace back in your BR rifle. You may possibly need to make only a slight adjustment to the pull weight... Now go out and win some 2-guns with your improved Jewell Trigger!


Good Luck!

Clark, the people at shilen are great and will take care of you. I have a buudy that put them in all 7 of his rifles and he had the same problem your talking about with one of them. He took it up to shilen, still instaled on the rifle, and come to find out it had something to do with the stock not fitting right and putting pressure on the trigger. Good luck!!

The most common reason is putting in the trigger pins and missing. You will squeeze the side plate and bind the sear. Be sure and bring it installed. You need to call Shilen the day before and talk to J. She will make sure the triggerman is waiting on you. Wade will be gone to the NRA convention in Pittsburg.

Jewell!!!

Were 'talkin trigger's Jeff, not the favorite earrings you wear.

This thread did not ask what trigger to buy for the application. It was about the Shilen trigger and some problems he was having with his particular trigger...I think he has received some good advice; however, I feel this has nothing to do with folks offering up the need to purchase a Jewell..

Thanks Butch. I'll spend a little time with it this weekend and see if something isn't binding, or that the trigger isn't rubbing somewhere like caddokiller said. I've had that problem before and know it'll wreak havoc. But, I did pull it out of the stock and was able to replicate the slam fires, so I don't think that's the issue.

While it is in the stock pull the bolt. Take a screwdriver and twist it between the plates to slightly widen them at the sear. I bet it wont slamfire with a fired round in it.
Butch

I agree with that, but if I'm going to use the stones I might as well clean up a factory trigger and throw a Holland kit in it for like effect. For aftermarket, it should be miles beyond the stock factory.


It could very well be the trigger is binding somehow, too.

And now PTG too? Damn!

there is a learning curve to life, don't bitch.

I was trying to decide between Shilen and Timney also for a few rifles. Think I'll go with Timney trigger block set. I believe the trigger housing on this Timney is made out of 1-pc. aluminum barstock.

I have several Jewells, no Shilens. The clue about it being worse when you torque down the action screws raises the probability of a pressure problem. Make sure the stock and action parts are clear of the trigger housing. If it works OK on the action while out of the stock and causes problems with the gun assembled and the action screws torqued, then that would be my first thought.

DF

Installed a Shilen on a 700 in .244 today. A 15 minute operation at most. Right out of the package the trigger had an extremely clean and crisp 1.5# pull. I increased the pull to 2# (a walking around varminter) and performed the usual bolt-slamming & thumping of the butt on the bench with no problems.

This has been the fourth Shilen I have used in recent years - they have all been absolutely great.

+1

There is something in a bind when the trigger is ok, then when you put it in the stock and torque screws down, the trigger changes....

either the trigger housing is touching something or the rifle is badly out of bed and the action is being warped by tightening the screws.

When ever you get a new trigger from any company, you should never expect it to be perfect for your particular wants/needs...learning curve is coming into play.

Shilen folks are really great to deal with in all of their products.

Looks like Shilen has lost it's chance as far as making a good first impression.
My latest has no such issues.
Hope this works out for you Dan.

FVA,
How do you figure? Do you know it is a trigger problem? Shilen was waiting on him to fix whatever his problem was and he didn't make it by there. He said he had other commitments come up. I sure couldn't fault Shilen.
Butch