adjusting the trigger on an easy-open style...

This document is for instructional purposes only. The author claims no responsibility for

any injuries or failures resulting from using this document.

Adjusting the trigger on an Easy-Open

style Contender

By: Mikkel Broas

http://www.specialtypistols.us

Article #40 – Apr 10, 2009

Tools you will need:

• Flat head screwdriver

• Pin punch

• Light tapping hammer

• Flat Arkansas stone

Step One:

Remove the grip, forearm and barrel from the frame.



Step Two:

Remove the screw at the back of the frame that holds the trigger guard return

spring in. You will be able to remove the spring when you take the trigger guard

assembly out.

Step Three:

Remove the pivot pin that holds the trigger assembly into the frame. This is the

pin located just above the trigger.



Step Four:

Slide the trigger assembly out of the frame. It may take a little wiggling but

should not be hard to remove. What should come out is the trigger guard, trigger, striker

and the associated springs.



Step Five:

NOTE: Before doing the next step, take note of the position of the striker so that

you don’t end up putting it in backwards. (Ask me how I know this ☺)

Make sure the striker (the little lever looking part) is not engaged with the trigger.

If it is, put some downward pressure on it and pull the trigger back. This will disengage

them. Tap out the pin that holds the striker in the assembly. You don’t need to take it all

the way out, just enough so that you can get the striker out.



Step Six:

Tap out the pin that holds the trigger into the assembly. I would recommend that

before removing the pin all the way, you put the assembly into a clear plastic bag. The

reason for this is that there is a little spring under the trigger with a plunger on top of it.

If you are not careful that spring will launch out of the assembly and that plunger will

find the deepest, darkest hole in whatever room you are in and fly into it.



Step Seven:

Now that you have the entire Trigger Assembly apart, you need to smooth up the

surfaces. Start with the striker. Lightly stone both sides of the part of the striker that

engages the trigger. The objective is to make it a “knife edge” that is very smooth. DO

NOT STONE TOO HARD! The way that I check mine is to look at the edge. It should

be nice and straight without any dings. Then I press it lightly against the top of a

fingernail. I want it to bite in without too much pressure.

Once that is done, lightly stone the mating surface on the trigger. You can use the

edge of the flat stone or a small jewelers file to do this. Once again, lighter is better. We

are going for consistency and smoothness, not how much metal we can remove. A good

rule of thumb for this one is that once all the bluing is gone it is probably good.



Step Eight:

The next thing that should be done to lighten the trigger is to lighten or replace the

trigger return spring. Remember that little bugger that wants to shoot the plunger to parts

unknown? That is the trigger return spring.

There are two schools of thought on this one. The first way to get what you want

is to remove the spring that is under the flint on a Bic Mini lighter. Trim it to the same

length as the original spring and you are done.

Bic Lighter Spring is on top, the factory spring is on the bottom.

If you want to use the original spring, then you need to get it

lighter. You do this by removing some of the spring coils. Gently

clip ¼ coil at a time off of the spring and test it (this requires some

reassembly).

Another way to remove coils is to use a Dremel tool with a cut-off

wheel. This way is faster, but it also easier to make an irrevocable

mistake with. My recommendation is the lighter spring.



Step Nine:

Reassemble the Trigger Assembly in the reverse order that you took it apart.

Once again, make sure that you don’t put the striker in upside-down.

Step Ten:

Once you have the Trigger Assembly put back together adjust the striker

engagement screw (little allen screw that goes through the top of the trigger) and the

over-travel screw (little allen screw in the back of the trigger guard) to where you want

them. You can manually reset the striker to test the trigger pull as you do this. If

adjusting the screws does not get you where you want to be, take it back apart and stone

surfaces and clip the spring again. Re-test.



Step Eleven:

When you are happy with the trigger pull, reinstall the trigger assembly back into

the frame. Put a grip and a barrel on the frame and test the hammer for “Push-off”.

To do this you should first slam the action shut, looking to make sure that the

hammer does not fall from the rebound position.

Next cock the hammer and hit it with the heel of your hand or against a block of

wood. It should stay back. If it doesn’t then you need to adjust the engagement screw

(outward) until it does.



Step Twelve:

Now that you have everything back together and adjusted to your liking, take

some fingernail polish and put a little dab over the engagement screw and the over-travel

screw. This will ensure that they stay where they belong.

That is it! All in all it takes me less than 30 minutes to do all of this. I hope that it is

helpful.

Remember if you have any problems, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

adjusting the trigger on an easy-open style...

Documents