# Trigger job gone bad



## tbrown913 (Jun 29, 2009)

About 4 years ago I had a trigger job done on my Savage .270 by who i thought was a good gunsmith.  The guy was highly reccomended by several folks, so i got him to do it.  Anyways, I am taking my girlfriend hunting for the second or third time, and i close the bolt and BAM!  the round goes off tearing through the trees.  Im stunned, she is scared.  I unload the gun and start checking it out and every time the bolt is closed, the gun fires.  Well, the gunsmith i used apparently fell off the face of the earth, so now i have a gun i cant use.

Who should I go to to get a new trigger put in?  The gun is too old for the new accutrigger to fit.  ANy ideas?


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## SmokyMtnSmoke (Jun 29, 2009)

Savage Three Screw Trigger article...
http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage110trigger.html

If you can turn a screw driver then you can most likely do this adjustment yourself. Study this article thoroughly to learn how to adjust the Savage Three Screw Trigger. My guess it that over time these screws have back out of adjustment. If not then print this article to take to a local smith.


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## Wild Turkey (Jun 29, 2009)

If you cant fix the trigger replace it with a new trigger availiable thru cabelas that is fully adjustable $80.00


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## HandgunHTR (Jun 29, 2009)

Most "gunsmiths" do a trigger job that only consists of changing the sear engagement.  They make it so that there is very little engagement but they do not polish the surfaces.  Friction holds the two pieces together.  This only takes a couple seconds and they charge $50 for it.  Well, every time you pull the trigger that metal to metal contact between the sear and the trigger causes those surfaces to polish themselves which reduces the friction between the two.  So after a few hundred rounds what you end up getting is two polished surfaces without enough friction to hold them together.  That is when you have the problem that you are describing.  All you need to do is add a touch of sear engagement and you will be just fine.  The link that Smokey posted will tell you how to do that.


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## CAL (Jun 29, 2009)

What HandgunHTR said! May I just add that after you have adjusted the trigger,close the bolt hard and fast to make sure it stays set,very important!Should it not hold,it is set too light!


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## bighonkinjeep (Jun 29, 2009)

Back off the sear adjustment screw. The trigger if properly adjusted was probably not loc tited. This is a necessary step to keep recoil from making further adjustments over time.
 If there is no sear adjustment screw and the trigger was filed down to do the "trigger job"the hardened surfaces have been removed and you're gonna need a new trigger. You should be able to get a factory 3 screw for about $30.
 Here's a link that I think is better with color photos of each step to a successful trigger job. 

http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage/

Just be sure and check and recheck and loctite that screw with some blue loctite when you get it right.

P.S. An accutrigger can be installed with a little modification but I find the 3 screw trigger much more to my liking.
BHJ


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## tbrown913 (Oct 11, 2009)

HandgunHTR said:


> Most "gunsmiths" do a trigger job that only consists of changing the sear engagement.  They make it so that there is very little engagement but they do not polish the surfaces.  Friction holds the two pieces together.  This only takes a couple seconds and they charge $50 for it.  Well, every time you pull the trigger that metal to metal contact between the sear and the trigger causes those surfaces to polish themselves which reduces the friction between the two.  So after a few hundred rounds what you end up getting is two polished surfaces without enough friction to hold them together.  That is when you have the problem that you are describing.  All you need to do is add a touch of sear engagement and you will be just fine.  The link that Smokey posted will tell you how to do that.



THANK YALL SO MUCH!!!!  You were right!  i finally got my gun this weekend and I figured what the heck, i will give it a try!  I pulled the stock off, tightened the screw all the way down, that didnt work.  so i backed the screw out almost all the way, and that didnt help.  so after i cocked the bolt, i tightened the screw all the way till the gun "clicked" and backed it out 3/4 of a turn.  now the trigger works great, and i didnt have to pay anyone!  even better still, it only took five minutes!  Thanks again to all you with the help!


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## HandgunHTR (Oct 11, 2009)

tbrown913 said:


> THANK YALL SO MUCH!!!!  You were right!  i finally got my gun this weekend and I figured what the heck, i will give it a try!  I pulled the stock off, tightened the screw all the way down, that didnt work.  so i backed the screw out almost all the way, and that didnt help.  so after i cocked the bolt, i tightened the screw all the way till the gun "clicked" and backed it out 3/4 of a turn.  now the trigger works great, and i didnt have to pay anyone!  even better still, it only took five minutes!  Thanks again to all you with the help!



Glad it worked out for you.

Make sure that you do all of the tests described in the article, as in trying to "bump" the gun to see if the sear holds.


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## bighonkinjeep (Oct 12, 2009)

Just make darn sure you have enough tension on the trigger return spring.  Many times those who don't know will back out the screw to "lighten the pull" leaving them almost flat which is very dangerous. they do this in cojunction with adjusting the sear.A lighter weight spring with tension (bent in an arc) is safe but a factory spring without tension (flat) is a slamfire waiting to happen. also close the bolt hard repeatedly with the barreled action out of the stock to make sure you got your sear adjustment right. I've found this method to tell the tale better than just bumping it. also please make sure and read this link. http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage/
Good luck and stay safe.
BHJ


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## tbrown913 (Oct 15, 2009)

well when i adjusted the screw i put the stock back on and i did all that i could to make the trigger go but it never did until i pulled on it.  I did slam the bolt closed and work it as hard as i could, but i still got a click when i pulled the trigger.  I guess that is what yall are talking about.  I guarantee that before i put a round in there i am going to try to make it go off again without pulling the trigger!  it used to be that even as lightly as i could close the bolt the gun would fire.


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## bighonkinjeep (Oct 15, 2009)

It sounds like ya got it. Be sure to put some blue loctite or some nail polish on the screws to make sure that recoil doesn't make further unwanted adjustments and a repeat problem.
BHJ


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## germag (Oct 15, 2009)

Also hold the rifle upside-down take the heel of your hand and whack it real good and work the bolt while holding it upside-down. If you can't make it fail like that, then you should be good to go.


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## tbrown913 (Oct 18, 2009)

well i took it out this weekend and i didnt have a miss fire!  i did shoot 3 does with it though!  thanks again yall!


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