Trigger pull to light
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Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Rifles
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with the great Enfield rifles!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14373
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 7:43pm
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Topic: Trigger pull to light
Posted By: SW28fan
Subject: Trigger pull to light
Date Posted: January 20 2026 at 9:49pm
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The trigger pull on my SMLE is below the 3.5 pounds required for matches. I tried swapping out the sear and sear spring with no luck; any suggestions? ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Replies:
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: January 20 2026 at 10:41pm
| huh , most sites im on reflect on trying to lighten the trigger pull to 1lb or below , you apparently have a remarkable rifle , most are well above the minimum |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 3:52am
| What condition is the cocking piece on your rifle Paul? Normally the sear contact should be half-way up the face of the cocking piece which can be tested with engineering blue. If there is insufficient contact that could be part of the problem. I assume if one wanted a heavier pull perhaps doing the opposite of what is normally done to lighten the pull might be effective. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 4:53am
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One of my No. 4 rifles was just below the 3.5 lb minimum for CMP matches, I replaced the striker spring and it brought it back up to about 4 lbs. Make sure the cocking piece is not loose on the striker threads, that might cause an issue as well. If it is, you can clean and "tin" the striker threads with solder. You also probably know that the trigger pull must be measured with the magazine fitted, otherwise the striker spring is not compressed enough.
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Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 7:48am
I didn't know this but it makes sense when one understands how it all fits and works together.
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britrifles wrote:Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 9:00am
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I ordered a new spring lets see how it works. The rifle has a very nice trigger pull but rules are rules. ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 4:15pm
| now that i know it sorta makes sense to me , you dont want an AD in a match |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 5:55pm
I actually did not say this right, was multi-tasking at the time. The sear spring serves a dual purpose, it pushes on the magazine release catch and the sear. When the magazine is inserted, it compresses the sear spring slightly (not the striker spring) and increases the trigger pull weight required to move the sear off the bent of the cocking piece. Make sure the CMP armorer understands this, they normally want magazines removed when weighing triggers. |
Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: January 21 2026 at 8:14pm
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No Problem I'm the Math director for CMP matches at my club. If I got to other matches it is the 1903a3 and the AR. ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: January 22 2026 at 12:07pm
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The angle of the cocking piece face, that the sear moves down to release, is critical for the trigger weight. Rifles such as the L39A1, do have a lighter trigger as standard, due to the slight change of angle on this surface. However if it has been modified too much, it can be too light and potentially dangerous. (I am assuming you still have the standard 2 stage trigger.) The initial stage of pulling the trigger drops the sear down the face of the cocking piece, so it is on the edge. It also pushes the cocking piece slightly rearwards during this movement. At this point, if you decide not to shoot and release the trigger, the cocking piece should move forward slightly, pushing the sear up the face and away from the edge. If it doesn't do this, it is in a potentially dangerous position, as any slight knock could cause the sear to drop from the edge and fire the bullet. It's worth checking, along with the previous suggestions. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: January 22 2026 at 1:12pm
You beat me to it, Zed.
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: January 22 2026 at 2:38pm
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Yup, that’s why you should watch for any movement of the cocking piece on the striker threads. That looseness can trip the second stage unintentionally. The CMP Vintage Sniper Match rules allow for a minimum weight of 2.5 lbs, but I don’t think that can be safely achieved with the No. 4 trigger design, so I have mine set at 3.5 to 4 lbs.
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Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: February 17 2026 at 2:45am
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Depending on how I place the Lyman digital pull gauge on my No4MK2, I get 3lbs 4oz-8oz. The first stage to the wall is always right at the 3lbs mark. Second stage feels heavier than 4-8oz. More like another 1lb. I might need that heavier striker spring for match shooting since I seem to be on the cusp. Or I put in the other unmodified cocking piece and don't get as aggressive with the stoning. LOL
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Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: February 17 2026 at 4:07am
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I find the electronic trigger weight gauge is very sensitive and show variations in the weight recorded. At competitions in France, they use a weight, hang it on the trigger and gently lift it (vertically) off the table. It should not release the firing pin. You can make a homemade rig with a water bottle filled to the required weight. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: February 17 2026 at 4:37am
I'll give that a shot! Thanks
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Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 17 2026 at 5:09am
That’s what we do here to at matches. I tried various methods to “weigh” the trigger but wasn’t satisfied I would get the same reading that the CMP armorers do when they weigh the trigger prior to the match. So, I bought the same NRA “Official” trigger weight system, consists of a 20 inch long rod with a nylon roller that rests on the trigger and weights are then added at the bottom of the rod that are stacked to get 2.0 to 4.5 lbs in 1/2 lb increments. The rifle is held vertically as you described above. Make sure they don’t remove the magazine for the test, otherwise you will get a reduced weight (happened to me once). I keep 5 or 6 cast lead .577 bullets for the Snider Enfield (which weigh about 1 oz) to place on top of the weights to make sure I have some margin above the minimum (3.5 lbs for bolt action service rifles and 4.5 minimum for semi-auto service rifles). I’ve learned my lesson to not work the LE trigger down to the minimum of 3.5 lbs set by the rules, I won’t go below 4 lbs intentionally which gives me a comfortable margin. Last thing you want to have happen is fail rifle inspection right before the match. |
Posted By: Irish Blonde
Date Posted: February 17 2026 at 6:06am
| What lbs striker spring to upgrade to over the factory spring? 18lbs, or more? |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: February 17 2026 at 8:08am
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Don’t know anyone who has used a stiffer spring. The striker spring is supposed to require 13 to 16 lbs to pull the cocking piece off the sear. Most of the ones I measured were 14-15 lbs (using a spring scale), though haven’t checked them all.
Are you having light primer strikes? |