When will it be "right" to do a trigger job?

[melchloboo]

I have been shooting regularly (daily in some form: range, airsoft, dryfire) for about three months now, and getting advice from local club members, I am using a Ruger MKIII 22/45. I have not tried any club matches yet, but my goal is to compete casually in the various bullseye competitions the club hosts.

Of course, everyone in the club suggests that a trigger job will help. I have tried other club members' rugers with the volquartsen work done, of course it is crisper and lighter. But I am resisting it for now because my theory is that I will learn better technique on the heavier/sloppier stock trigger. I would rather take my time, and get to the point where I am out-shooting the gun, so to speak.

I guess the question is based on say...groupings at a particular distance, or some other measure, when will I know that I've taken the stock trigger as far as I can?

[Bullseye]

You can add more initial pressure to a heavier trigger to take up the extra trigger weight. This technique is applied by adding as much pressure as you feel comfortable with, just enough to keep the pistol from firing and hold it. Next, you slowly increase pressure on the trigger until the pistol fires. Example - a four pound trigger has three pounds of initial pressure applied, the operator has to just slowly add one more pound of pressure to fire the pistol. By using this technique you can take up a lot of weight instantly and then have a smooth trigger let-off. The key to this process is you'll never get an exact amount of initial pressure so the trigger break will always be a surprise.

A heavier trigger pull will be most evident when you are competing in the sustained fire events - timed and rapid fire. When you start finding that your shots are mostly in the middle of the target, but you're struggling to make 5 shots in the allotted time, then you're skills have exceeded the capabilities of the heavy trigger.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

[melchloboo]

Yes, makes a lot of sense. Along those lines with that technique, on subsequent shots does it make sense to allow the trigger to come all the forward as if I'm taking my first shot...or stop the return travel as soon as the sear resets (or whatever that "click" is when the trigger returns and the pistol can be fired again...i'm just saying what I think is going on inside...)? Because I'm thinking that the point at which slack is gone on a trigger pull starting from all the way forward is not necessarily the same point where the sear resets when letting the trigger come forward again...or am I wrong on that?

[Bullseye]

On some pistols that feeling of the sear resetting through slow release during subsequent shots of sustained firing seems like less trigger pressure makes it fire. The trigger travel is definitely shorter using that method. You do not have to release the trigger all the way forward during this type of firing, that would be wasted motion. When the sear resets it is in the same position but your hand has more tension on it and that's what makes the trigger feel lighter. Actually the disconnector has isolated the sear and hammer and they reset in the same place as they would if the trigger was released fully before squeezing it again.

Not everyone holds the trigger rearward when firing and then letting off until the sear resets. With a rimfire pistol this technique is easy, but with the stiffer recoil of a larger bore centerfire pistol that technique is more difficult to employ with the stronger recoil. I realize that you're just talking about rimfire shooting but later you may branch out to two or three gun bullseye competition.

R,
Bullseye