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Ruger Super Blackhawk trigger job?

25K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  Iowegan 
#1 ·
Does anyone know how to or even IF you can lighten a new model Super Blackhawk .44mag?(NIB) Thanks if anyone knows! SgtRock:confused:
 
#10 ·
grob, Just stating some facts that many people overlook. First, I doubt if any shooter enjoys a harsh, heavy, or raspy trigger pull. What you don't want to do is sacrifice other accuracy attributes just for a lighter trigger pull. This is especially noteworthy for SA revolvers because of their long lock time.

Before decent accuracy can be achieved, the shooter must get a precise sight picture while holding the gun very stable, squeeze the trigger without moving the muzzle, and hold the sights on target until the bullet exits the barrel. The first two things ... sighting and trigger pull ... happen before the sear releases the hammer. The last thing is called lock time and happens after the trigger is pulled but before the bullet exits the muzzle. It's during the long SA lock time where most shooters anticipate recoil or jerk the muzzle causing the bullet to miss its mark. A typical SA revolver will have almost double the lock time of a DA revolver and triple that of a striker fired pistol and that's why lock time is so important for SA marksmanship. Long SA lock time is a product of a large heavy hammer with a long throw.

When you replace the hammer spring (mainspring) with a reduced power spring, lock time increases at a proportional amount. A typical factory hammer spring will be 23 lbs and a reduced power spring will be 17 lbs. This accounts for a 25% reduction in trigger pull and makes lock time 25% longer. With most shooters, this fools you because a lighter trigger should make the gun more accurate but in actuality, it is counteracted by longer lock time and ends up with worse groups. If you shoot from a bench rest, lock time is not a very important factor.

The very best way to reduce trigger pull is to shape the hammer's sear notch so the hammer is not cammed back or allowed to move forward when the trigger is pulled. This is called a perfectly squared trigger and will allow the lightest pull possible without compromising safety. Additionally, you can install a lighter trigger spring or modify the existing factory trigger spring for less sear tension. Once sear tension is lighter, you will feel a lot more movement or "creep", which is bad. To get rid of creep, buffing or stoning the sear notch on the hammer and the sear extension on the trigger will smooth the surfaces to a point where all you feel is a crisp sear release. There's no need to alter the hammer spring if you do a "real trigger job" and I guarantee .... accuracy will be at its best with the factory hammer spring.

Two other issues are often overlooked when it comes to handgun accuracy and they are grip and sights. Personally, I find Ruger sights are pretty good ... maybe not perfect for all lighting conditions, but satisfactory. Because our eyes are so different, the next person may find factory sights are next to worthless. The primary issue with sights is simple and that is to get a repeatable sight picture.

The more stable you can hold the gun, the better your accuracy will be. With SA revolvers equipped with plow handle grips, it's quite a challenge to maintain stability through lock time. Many shooters go for grips with nice "looks" and can't figure out why they can't hit the broad side of a barn. Once you get some decent grips that fit your hands, it's amazing how accuracy improves. If you are really sensitive about looks ... put the pretty ones on for show and when you shoot, use the ones that fit you best.

Grips vs hands are like sights vs eye sight. Because our hands are not all shaped the same, a certain grip style may fit me perfect but not the next guy. There's nothing wrong with getting opinions on the forum but just because one person loves or hates a specific set, it doesn't mean you will.

When all things are considered for accuracy, grips make the most difference, then sights, and finally trigger pull. As flat top said ... it's all in the SA Gun Guide. See: http://rugerforum.net/miscellaneous/26246-new-iowegan-gun-guides.html
 
#15 ·
We had this discussion a few weeks ago. I recall Iowegan's post #10 was given and we hashed over sear - hammer hook interface and engagement terms. I brought over terms I had learned from the 1911 forum. The question of trigger improvement has been posted many times both here, I'm sure as it was on the 1911 forum. Stickies were developed on that forum to address commonly asked questions. I would often see a link to a sticky given as a response to a question.
 
#16 ·
Every once in a while someone likes to revive an old thread. I didn't know Iowegan had a gun guide much less stopped selling them 7 years ago. But to comment on an 8 year old thread I have a SBH with a 1.3 lbs trigger that's been going for almost 40 years. I had it done by Gunsmith friend I was stationed with.

My SBH went through a neglect period and had some surface rust I scrubbed off and cold blued. I have a 10-1/2" barrel but was thinking of replacing the scarred barrel with a new 7-1/2 and/or getting it HOT re-blued by Ruger. If I ever did though I would remove the trigger parts for fear that Ruger may replace them. I don't think I could ever get another trigger job like it. It's very hard to find local gunsmithing that would or even could perform those tasks. Hardly anyone Hot blues anymore but they're glad to Cerakote it. They may be able to polish a sear and replace a spring or two but to work a sear engagement into a light safe trigger...
 
#17 · (Edited)
Russ123, As you may know, a sear in any firearm involves at least two separate parts. SA revolvers are the most simple with the extension on the trigger being one part and the sear notch in the hammer being the other part. SAs have a trigger spring and a hammer spring but there is no dedicated sear spring. For 1911s (I wrote a Gun Guide for them too) the hammer notch is similar to a SA revolver but the other parts are notably different. The part that directly contacts the hammer's sear notch is actually called a "sear", which is somewhat of a misnomer. A 1911's "sear" actually has 6 parts …. trigger, disconnector, sear, two tines of the 3-finger spring, thumb safety, and hammer. Because 1911s are a semi-auto pistol, the sear must "disconnect" when the slide is out of battery or the pistol will go full auto, plus there has to be a way to lock the sear so the gun can't fire (thumb safety). That makes a huge difference in how a 1911s sear works and how trigger pull is affected. In other words, a 1911's sear is not a good comparison with a SA revolver's sear.

fixitagain, I actually wrote 11 different short books called Iowegan's Book Of Knowledge or IBOK for short. These IBOKS were dedicated to specific models and were a free download for Ruger Forum members as a perk for joining the forum. I had to pull them out of the Library due to a copyright issue so I consolidated them and rewrote 4 Ruger Gun Guide books …. one for Ruger SA revolvers, another for Ruger DA revolvers, one for Ruger MK Series pistols, and finally one for Ruger SR1911s (and other brands of 1911s). I sold these Gun Guides at my cost to help recruit new members for this forum …. meaning you had to join the forum before you could buy a Gun Guide. Several things all happened all at once …. the cost of printing went up, postage went up, and I got a couple bad checks. Also our membership started going up from it's paltry beginning. I lost money so I decided "mission accomplished" ….. it was time to quit and I haven't published a book since 2011.
 
#19 ·
Russ123, As you may know, a sear in any firearm involves at least two separate parts. SA revolvers are the most simple with the extension on the trigger being one part and the sear notch in the hammer being the other part. SAs have a trigger spring and a hammer spring but there is no dedicated sear spring. For 1911s (I wrote a Gun Guide for them too) the hammer notch is similar to a SA revolver but the other parts are notably different. The part that directly contacts the hammer's sear notch is actually called a "sear", which is somewhat of a misnomer. A 1911's "sear" actually has 6 parts …. trigger, disconnector, sear, two tines of the 3-finger spring, thumb safety, and hammer. Because 1911s are a semi-auto pistol, the sear must "disconnect" when the slide is out of battery or the pistol will go full auto, plus there has to be a way to lock the sear so the gun can't fire (thumb safety). That makes a huge difference in how a 1911s sear works and how trigger pull is affected. In other words, a 1911's sear is not a good comparison with a SA revolver's sear.

OK, now I think I understand. Yes, a trigger job on a 1911 has many more parts that must be considered, polished, etc., accumulatively, affecting the overall trigger pull in addition to sear/hammer interface. I must have been thinking only about the sear/hammer interface comparison however, I was also trying to point out common questions such as this which often get asked in gun forums.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I deleted my original post. Let me start over. I need to read what I posted first to understand your response.
 
#20 ·
Russ123, I knew exactly what you meant about 1911 sears versus SA revolver sears. My point is .… it's always best to compare apples to apples and a 1911 couldn't be more different than a SA revolver …. more like a grape to a grapefruit. Please don't be offended by my comments …. I learned to whisper in a saw mill so sometimes I come off a bit too strong but no malus is intended.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Oh gosh! No, I was not offended in the least nor can I emagine why you might think as such. Sorry if I gave that impression. I was worried about being unsure of your point and in the post I deleted I had outlined the firing cycle of the 1911 to point out what I knew in difference to a SA. I realized that I was not responding to your point directly but rather, just showing off my knowledge of the 1911 as if to compare its complexity to a SA as response to be in understanding your point. So, I deleted it. We can have fun discussing the incredible design of the 1911 as developed by JMB in a more suitable thread.

Anyway, I do get your point, compare apples to apples. Quite different guns by design. A trigger job on a 1911 is far more involved than merely the sear/hammer interface to be effective so I agree with your point totally. I don't know what else could be involved for a SA beyond engagement and reduced spring weights. Thing is, I only know the 1911 to make comparisons with.

Soon, I will have my Super Blackhawk Hunter in hand which just got ordered last Thursday by my local Smith. He will do the inspection for acceptance. It will be my first ever SA to explore internally and study beyond what I've learned through reading. I'm very excited to finally get this one particular gun. It somehow got overlooked when I decided to buy the Redhawk. I was not at all familiar with Ruger's product line.
 
#23 ·
fixitagain, Thanks …. all your suggestions were addressed soon after I quit doing the Gun Guides. The issue you didn't address is …. I just don't want the hassle anymore. Further, since 2011, Ruger has made many changes to their product line so all the Gun Guides would require updating and I just don't want to do that and deal with copyrights again.
 
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