trigger pull weight

pauln · Post by **pauln** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 10:12 pm

Hi , any ideas what can be used as a weight for a home made trigger gauge for air pistol

Thanks
Paul

rmca · Post by **rmca** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:16 pm

Here's a couple of ideas

- Melt some fired lead pellets in a can and bend a small metal rod into the shape of the "original" test weight and sink it into the melted led. This is how I made mine. Do this outdoors and don't breathe the fumes as they are very poison.
- Bend a small metal rod into the shape of the "original" test weight and solder some metal to the bottom part.
- Bend a threaded metal rod into the shape of the "original" test weight and add nuts and washers to the bottom part to get it to 500 grams.

The simplest of them all:

- A bottle of water (0.5L = 500 grams) and a string. (Isn't the metric system great! Sorry could resist...)
- Borrow a test weight from a friend/club.

Hope this helps

Rover · Post by **Rover** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:05 am

Tape two cans of pellets to a bent piece of coat hangar.

Viola!

conradin · Post by **conradin** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 12:27 pm

Glass Jar, filled with pennies. Lid cut open to put in a hook like device. I hope you get the idea.

pauln · Post by **pauln** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 1:47 pm

Rover wrote:Tape two cans of pellets to a bent piece of coat hangar.

Viola!

So two full pellet tins are the correct weight ?

Thanks for all the suggestions , my problem is since i gave up reloading i dont have any scales accurate enough to weigh things eg the pennies, or the bottle that the water is for example

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:19 pm

Checking with my triple-beam balance I find that 2 full, sealed tins of RWS Hobby 7gr pellets weighs about 515grams, which would be about right for a safety margin over 500 for a match. Add a wire to hook to the trigger and you're probably over 525grams.

conradin · Post by **conradin** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:50 pm

I would also like to chime in that the Lyman trigger pull weight works well. Unfortunately thanks to ISSF changing some technicality concerning the instrument, it is no longer "legal"; however you can make it legal by getting rid of the rubber part of the hook. The gauge has both US and Metric setting.

If you have multiple pistols, not just including air pistol, it is well worth the money. The only pistols which I cannot measure are my revolvers, as 12 pounds is the maximum. You can get it for around $50 in retail. The 9V battery will last you forever as long as you take it out every time you finish using it.

Hope this helps.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tool ... -gauge.php

C. Perkins · Post by **C. Perkins** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:02 pm

IMHO you will never see an official trigger weighed with a contraption like a pull gauge.
Only a free weight hanging on the trigger.
Reason is it is a more accurate way of doing it.
I just take a plastic zip lock bag filled with the amount of weight with a bent coat hanger attached.

Clarence

Spencer · Post by **Spencer** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:50 pm

conradin wrote:I would also like to chime in that the Lyman trigger pull weight works well. Unfortunately thanks to ISSF changing some technicality concerning the instrument, it is no longer "legal"; however you can make it legal by getting rid of the rubber part of the hook. The gauge has both US and Metric setting.

If you have multiple pistols, not just including air pistol, it is well worth the money. The only pistols which I cannot measure are my revolvers, as 12 pounds is the maximum. You can get it for around $50 in retail. The 9V battery will last you forever as long as you take it out every time you finish using it.

Hope this helps.

for Equipment Control at a competition, a trigger weigh is a trigger weight; a trigger pull device is not.

8.4.2 The weight of the trigger pull must be measured, with the
test weight suspended near the middle of the trigger...[/url]

rmca · Post by **rmca** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:55 pm

conradin wrote:I would also like to chime in that the Lyman trigger pull weight works well. Unfortunately thanks to ISSF changing some technicality concerning the instrument, it is no longer "legal"; however you can make it legal by getting rid of the rubber part of the hook.

Sorry to contradict you again, but...

"Rule 8.4.2.1 Testing the weight of the trigger pull must be done accoring to the diagrams below. A weight with a metal or rubber knife edge must be used. A roller on the trigger weight is not permitted. A dead weight must be used with no springs or other devices."

Although it serves to see how much weight a trigger has, for ISSF, you should use a dead weight, as it is more reliable, and it is how it will be tested when you compete.

Don't set your trigger to close to the 500 gram mark, a 510 to 520 gram trigger will operate just as easier and you don't need the hassle of adding weight to your trigger in EQ, just before a match. I've seen people who had to do it and it's enough to ruin a competition...

Before I made mine with melted fired lead pellets, when I borrowed the test weight from the range it will always come with a nut in the metal rod. That nut was there to get it to the 500 gram mark so we were told. In fact I later found out that it was there to assure that the shooters didn't get there triggers to close to the limit, and so no one would fail the test in the match day.

I still set my triggers 10 to 20 grams more than required, and this gives me peace of mind on the competition day, since I never had a gun fail.

Hope this helps

I was writing when Spencer posted...

Spencer · Post by **Spencer** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:03 am

Spencer wrote:
conradin wrote:I would also like to chime in that the Lyman trigger pull weight works well. Unfortunately thanks to ISSF changing some technicality concerning the instrument, it is no longer "legal"; however you can make it legal by getting rid of the rubber part of the hook. The gauge has both US and Metric setting.

If you have multiple pistols, not just including air pistol, it is well worth the money. The only pistols which I cannot measure are my revolvers, as 12 pounds is the maximum. You can get it for around $50 in retail. The 9V battery will last you forever as long as you take it out every time you finish using it.

Hope this helps.

for Equipment Control at a competition, a trigger weigh is a trigger weight; a trigger pull device is not.

8.4.2 The weight of the trigger pull must be measured, with the
test weight suspended near the middle of the trigger...

plutone · Post by **plutone** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:59 am

I made my 'official' weight with a very old film canister (5m FP4 Ilford film, survived from '70th!) filled with 0,5 mm lead balls, a magnetic hook (I had only that) and a piece of coat hanger properly bent. The total weight is 517 gr.
But, be careful: the coat hanger is not to much good because it is a bit elastic and that make the difference with the actual official weight.
I can't understand why, but with my weight the check passed, with the official weight didn't, also with a very slow lifting of the pistol.
If use a coat hanger, use at least two pieces twisted tightly together; it must not flex under weight.

conradin · Post by **conradin** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:10 am

My trigger weight is set ever since I started. I don't mess with them. Both pistols were set by Pilk's Buck.

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:12 am

conradin wrote:I would also like to chime in that the Lyman trigger pull weight works well. Unfortunately thanks to ISSF changing some technicality concerning the instrument, it is no longer "legal"; however you can make it legal by getting rid of the rubber part of the hook.

It isn't legal, never has been legal and cannot be made legal (without a total, drastic, re-design).

conradin · Post by **conradin** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:15 am

The ISSF sells official equipment for testing weights, they are awfully expensive. Ahg-Anschutz does the same thing, just as expensive. (and by the way, the Lyman I suggested is only an estimation for oneself, it does not count in official checking anyway). If My Lyman says I am above certain weight, I am pretty sure I will pass, since I did not set mine at 500mg, but much higher. Of course if you are dead set to have your trigger weight at 501g, then you will really need an official weight, I won't even suggest anyone doing a home made penny/pellets/jar/can/hook combination.

brent375hh · Post by **brent375hh** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:44 am

conradin wrote:My trigger weight is set ever since I started. I don't mess with them. Both pistols were set by Pilk's Buck.

They can lighten with wear and use.

brent375hh · Post by **brent375hh** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:52 am

If you have access to a digital scale with check weights and a welding shop, you can make a mighty fine looking stainless set of weights with a nice stainless hanger from the scrap pile of various stales rounds with washers on top ground until they are right at what you need. Bullets of a known weight (X quantity) in a plastic bag with a wire hanger where my prior method.

pauln · Post by **pauln** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:53 pm

Thanks for all the input Guys

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:50 pm

brent375hh wrote:
conradin wrote:My trigger weight is set ever since I started. I don't mess with them. Both pistols were set by Pilk's Buck.
They can lighten with wear and use.

Or get heavier. Weird experience I had the last time I competed with my Baikal 46m. I went to get it checked at the official's table and the guy had a REALLY hard time getting the thing to fire with the 500gram weight. He had to yank the pistol up sharply. His estimate was that it was set at over 900grams. I'd felt that it was getting harder, but thought perhaps I was imagining it. How could it creep up to a heavier weight? Anyway, I grabbed a screwdriver and adjusted it way down. He re-tested and it was still hard, but I didn't want to get it too much lighter just before a competition. When I got home I made my 500gram weight with melted used pellets in a pellet tin with a 5/16" steel rod going through it and bent into a hook at the top. Won't win any beauty contests since I don't care what it looks like and didn't spend the time, but it's functionally identical to the $75 ISSF-sanctioned versions. Ground to a dull knife edge for the trigger. I decided to put the weight to 540grams, since I don't mind a bit of extra trigger weight and I'd rather have that bit of a hedge so there's no concern come match days.

jcar · Post by **jcar** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:55 pm

Do an ebay search for "1000 gram tension gage". A Swedish made Haldex that originally sold for $350, can be had for less than $50 shipped.