Getting ready to start my first trigger mod/ clean up 1377

[Brent]

Hi everyone,

Thought I would try to get to this, this weekend.

Can I get your thoughts on what spring to use for getting a lighter trigger pull in the 1377?

What do you recommend as washers, to help to take up the slack of the sear and the trigger?

I have learned that I should polish the hammer. I can see doing that where the sear and the hammer contact... but in one I read, they had polished the whole hammer. Is there another benefit to polishing all of the hammer?

While I am in there... anything else I should be doing, looking for/ at, any additional tips?

Do I want to use my trigger spring as a valve spring, on this gun yet? Do you think this trigger spring would require me to half cock it? With the kids learning on this gun, I don't want to have them working through that just yet.

Thanks!

[foxwalker]

I don't know    but you can compress  the trigger spring that's in the gun with your hands or pliers or something.No need to cut the spring .....just mark the length of the spring on a paper so you can go back to stock if you want . then compress the spring all the way . stretch it out until its a little shorter then stock length ...1/8 of an inch or so   ... try that . if you compress it to much the gun will not cock . no big deal just stretch the spring out until the gun will cock and that will be the lightest it can get with the stock spring .at its lightest it feels unsafe so i made it just a little heavier.my stock trigger was  4 lb now its 2lb or less    helps out in the accuracy department 

[JEBert]

Can I get your thoughts on what spring to use for getting a lighter trigger pull in the 1377?

Some take their spring to Ace Hardware and go through the springs looking for the same diameter coil but a thinner size wire.  You can cut it to length.  Don't bother with Lowe's or Home Depot, they both have a boxed assortment of springs for several dollars and there is MAYBE one spring in the box from Home Depot that MIGHT work and none in the box at Lowe's.
I've used these parts with good results and with the adjustment, you can change the trigger pull-weight easily which might be important when teaching others to shoot.  I bottom the adjustment out for my target shooting and have just under 2-lbs of pull by my RCBS trigger scale.
Spring Spacer  2300-038  $7.05
Nut, Spring Spacer  2300-039  $6.58
Spring  NS1200-016  $1.15
These are the parts of the "adjustable" part of the trigger on the Crosman 2300sT, 2300S, and the Custom Shop 2300KT and these prices are from mid-2011.

What do you recommend as washers, to help to take up the slack of the sear and the trigger?

I've used little stainless steel washers from Lowes.  I think they are #6 but I'm not sure.  I had to hone them down on a fine tool stone until they were the right thickness to not have any play but also not have any drag when installed with the cover screws tightened down.  It took a while to hone, test fit, hone, test fit, and repeat until I thought they were perfect.  Someone posted that they used a Pringles potato chip can lid to punch little washers out of and claimed they were a good fit,  I haven't tried that.  You want the least amount of play in both the sear and trigger with NO drag.  If you have any drag with the cover screws tightened down good, the trigger might not reset when you try to cock the gun.

I have learned that I should polish the hammer. I can see doing that where the sear and the hammer contact... but in one I read, they had polished the whole hammer. Is there another benefit to polishing all of the hammer?

I like to polish the whole hammer, it seems to be easier to cock and I imagine it slides smoother during firing too.  Probably my imagination though.

While I am in there... anything else I should be doing, looking for/ at, any additional tips?

Put a spot of tape (any kind will do) on the front of the trigger guard to keep from scratching the finish while you remove/reinstall the front trigger frame screw.  I also replace these two screws with regular Allen head screws while I'm at it.
Don't take too much material off of the sear where it contacts the hammer.  It is only surface hardened and if you get past the hardened thickness, it will wear badly and become dangerous.  I took too much off of one of mine and it began to wear very quickly.  I caught it before it became dangerous because I was replacing it with a different type of sear.
While I'm at it, in case you haven't done it yet, if you will take the trigger frame off of the tube BEFORE you take the cover off and when you are done with the trigger job, put the cover back on BEFORE you put the trigger frame back on the tube, you won't risk losing the little safety bearing and/or spring or have to fight to get the safety ball and spring to stay in place while putting the cover back on.  Just be careful to keep the trigger frame upright when you first take it off of the tube so you don't dump the spring and ball out somewhere besides in your hand or on a rag on your bench.  Put a spot of grease on the ball & spring when putting it back in and it'll stick in place while you reassemble the gun.  There is someone posting on here almost every week needing a replacement safety ball and/or spring because they took the cover off of the trigger frame while it was still screwed to the tube and the safety spring and/or ball took off seeking freedom into parts unknown.

Do I want to use my trigger spring as a valve spring, on this gun yet? Do you think this trigger spring would require me to half cock it? With the kids learning on this gun, I don't want to have them working through that just yet.

I wouldn't care to guess whether you would have to cock it before pumping if you used the original sear spring in the valve.  If you don't want to gamble on having to take it apart and putting the original spring back into the valve, I would hold off until the kits get familiar with the gun.  Heck, I'm a long time shooter and I have forgotten to load a pellet at times and forgotten to pump the gun at times.  I developed a routine where I engage the safety after firing, cock the gun and leave the bolt open, pump the # of pumps I want to use, load the pellet and close the bolt, and when pointing downrange and I'm ready for the next shot, I take the safety off.  Then, usually, I don't forget to pump or load a pellet.
Have fun and be safe!
Hug your kids.
Cheers,

[Tater]

Some take their spring to Ace Hardware and go through the springs looking for the same diameter coil but a thinner size wire.  You can cut it to length.

That's exactly what I did. They had some I didn't even have to cut and it works perfect. Really light, yet safe.
Great post JEBert.

[quickster47 †]

Yep, ACE is the place for your springs.  For some reason they have always had thee best selection of single springs so you don't have to buy a pack of 20 when you only need one.

Do a little dry firing and you will be able to see a pattern on the sear and other parts that need polishing.

Carl

[Brent]

THANKS Guys!

Jerry... I REALLY appreciate all the details you take the time to put in yours posts!!! I owe you big time!!!

Thank you for the loading sequence. Had the kids read that part. That is perfect for us... and how we are going to be doing it. I am going to save the trigger spring, and do the valve mod with it down the road... but I am going to do it. Right now we are going to be shooting pretty close...so stock valve is fine for them right now I think. Later I want to mod this pistol some more... and am thinking that would be a good time to do it.

Hug your kids

Last but not least... I did hug the kids for you! They wanted to know about you.. and I told them you were my friend on the forum, who was helping us make the gun work better for them. "Hugs Back"... from the kids!

[Crosshairs]

Yeah what they said. I got a bunch of springs from Ace also you can cut a coil from the spring before you go there just to check out the pull.
                                     Mike

[Flex]

Hi everyone,

Thought I would try to get to this, this weekend.

Can I get your thoughts on what spring to use for getting a lighter trigger pull in the 1377?

Check out this post: Re: What work did you just do?
« Reply #697 on: 05 February 2013, 19:28:57 » for discussion and pics on one of many ways to mod the Crosman trigger group. Flex

[Brent]

Thanks Flex! That was a definite help. Ended up shooting it instead this weekend... so I need to still do this... that post is coming in handy for that.