Trigger Pull Scale on a Budget
Thread Starter
JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 646
Likes: 0
From: Rome, NY
Trigger Pull Scale on a Budget
I have a little project I'm going to start, installing some new parts to make my trigger pull much lighter on a Ruger 22/45. Not having a trigger pull scale, I got to thinking of ways to check my trigger pull poundage so I would have numbers to compare when done. Here is my outcome, what I used, and some photos.
First thing you will need to gather up is a wire coat hangar, cut off about 8 or 10 inches and bend a hook in both ends. Then find a container with a handle so you can hang it on one end of the wire hook. The only thing that will cost you any money unless you already have one, which I did, is a digital fishing scale that will weigh pounds and ounces. I used one like the one in the second photo except mine is a Normark brand.
Here is the procedure I used. Get your gun out, I shouldn't have to tell you to check it twice to be sure it's not loaded (then check it once more), hold it with the barrel vertically (the gun in the photo isn't perfectly vertical, but that is a result of my trying to hold it in one hand and shoot the photo with the other) pointing up, hang the wire hook on the trigger, check to be sure the hook isn't going to be obstructed by any part of the gun, then hang the container on the other end of the hook. Now, slowly fill the container with water, don't go too fast or the force of the water will affect the pull on the trigger. I just held the bucket under my kitchen faucet and turned the water on very slowly, long guns will require some other procedure. As soon as the trigger releases, stop filling the container, remove it and the hook from the trigger and weigh it on the scale. I repeated this several times to be sure I was getting consistent results, which I did. My stock Ruger was showing a consistent trigger pull of 5 Lb. 5 Oz. to 5 Lb. 7 Oz., which seems to agree with most published figures for this gun stock.
When my project is done, I am expecting a pull of around 2 Lb. 4 Oz. or so if the advertising is correct for the product I am installing. I expect the advertised figure will be correct, as the company making the kit I am installing, Volquartsen, is a very reputable parts manufacturer with tens of thousands of parts in use around the world. I hope this write up will be of some interest to a few of the great members of our forum here. Keep burning that gunpowder.
First thing you will need to gather up is a wire coat hangar, cut off about 8 or 10 inches and bend a hook in both ends. Then find a container with a handle so you can hang it on one end of the wire hook. The only thing that will cost you any money unless you already have one, which I did, is a digital fishing scale that will weigh pounds and ounces. I used one like the one in the second photo except mine is a Normark brand.
Here is the procedure I used. Get your gun out, I shouldn't have to tell you to check it twice to be sure it's not loaded (then check it once more), hold it with the barrel vertically (the gun in the photo isn't perfectly vertical, but that is a result of my trying to hold it in one hand and shoot the photo with the other) pointing up, hang the wire hook on the trigger, check to be sure the hook isn't going to be obstructed by any part of the gun, then hang the container on the other end of the hook. Now, slowly fill the container with water, don't go too fast or the force of the water will affect the pull on the trigger. I just held the bucket under my kitchen faucet and turned the water on very slowly, long guns will require some other procedure. As soon as the trigger releases, stop filling the container, remove it and the hook from the trigger and weigh it on the scale. I repeated this several times to be sure I was getting consistent results, which I did. My stock Ruger was showing a consistent trigger pull of 5 Lb. 5 Oz. to 5 Lb. 7 Oz., which seems to agree with most published figures for this gun stock.
When my project is done, I am expecting a pull of around 2 Lb. 4 Oz. or so if the advertising is correct for the product I am installing. I expect the advertised figure will be correct, as the company making the kit I am installing, Volquartsen, is a very reputable parts manufacturer with tens of thousands of parts in use around the world. I hope this write up will be of some interest to a few of the great members of our forum here. Keep burning that gunpowder.
Thread Starter
JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 646
Likes: 0
From: Rome, NY
Update
Well, here is an update on this little tool. I have completed installing the parts kit in the Ruger, advertised trigger pull with this kit is 2 1/4 Lb.. Just ran a check with this same scale setup and got 2 Lb. 4 Oz. in four successive attempts. I guess the setup works to measure trigger pull weight pretty well. I'm happy too with a great trigger now.
