JB for smoothing actions?

[Rev]

I just got a new Ruger .22LR Mark III Hunter. As always, the Ruger (action / trigger / sear / hammer) left a lot to be desired, even on the so called target model.

The trigger pull on Rugers has sometimes been described as "pulling a plow down a rocky road", LOL. I thought Adam might enjoy that farming analogy.

I've spent probably 12-15 hours working on that new Ruger to get the action parts smooth, the trigger take-up (pre-travel) gone, and the over-travel gone. I did do some sear / hammer work to reduce all of that creep that always seems present in Rugers.

Now, I'm going to anoint that sear / hammer interface notch with a good dose of mild abrasive like JB Bore cleaner
(actually the Remington equivalent) and just shoot it or dry fire it a few hundred times to see if that will smooth and lighten the trigger pull some?

I just wondered if anyone, Adam in particular, had any opinions on this procedure? Anyone ever done this before? Thanks for any response on this.

Rev

[Adam Helmer]

Rev,

It is good to see you posting, again.

Your farming analogy caused me to chuckle. I graduated from Seminary this month. If your JB treatment does not work, I will offer up a prayer for Intersession.

On a serious note: Dry fire will work out the tool marks on a new gun's trigger, engagement surfaces, etc. I prefer the red-colored crocus cloth on a 2-inch wide roll with cloth backing. I cut off a 2 or 3 inch piece and use it with a little oil to get a mirror shine on gun parts. JB should work and perhaps it will smooth out the nooks and crannies that need it most. Let us know if ANNOINTING (I like that choice of words) JB is the way to go in future.

Be well.

Adam

[Gil Martin]

If you are using Remington Bore Cleaner, there is a warning printed on the front of the bottle which states:

..."Use for bore cleaning only. Care must be taken to avoid leaving residue in the locking or fire control mechanisms, as wear and possible malfunctions may result. Read full instructions on back"...

All the best...
Gil

[Catfish]

It may work well. JB clams to be non abracive, but it has to be alittle. If the Rem. Bore cleaner says it will wear the action it must be alittle more abrasive. Sounds like the Rem. might be alittle better for what your after. I wouldn`t dry fire it more than 50 time with checking to see how much it`s smoothing out the tool marks. You may have to put on more and dry fire alot more times, but if you don`t check you could get more wear than you want.

[Rev]

Thanks for the responses . A slight amount of fine abrasion (wear) is actually what I'm trying to accomplish. After the bore cleaner treatment is complete, I will totally disassemble the pistol, spray it out well with Gun Scrubber (I actually use brake parts cleaner from AutoZone), and relube the the internals. I think I'm there already with a smooth 2 1/2 lb. pull.

Rev

[gumpokc]

If your not afriad to tear it down totally, and you know exactly what surfaces you want to work on...

then you could use a fine soft rag with jewlers rouge on it and polish the surfaces out. ( bouns here is you can see the surface at all times, minus is that this isnt a fast process.)

You could also use a dremal with it's multitude of tips, but i'd recommend against it unless you really know what your doing. It would be very easy to remove too much.

my .02

[Rev]

gumpokc, I did completely break it down when I did the trigger/action job to begin with. I did at least get the action parts smooth, if not mirror polished. I did shorten the sear engagement surface to remove creep. The bore cleaner treatment on the sear/hammer notch was just the final smoothing of that surface. I didn't want to actually stone or polish that surface for fear of changing the angle of that engagement surface and create an unsafe situation.

Actually, I did later remove one turn from the the trigger plunger spring (trigger return spring). That lowered the the trigger pull to right at 2 lbs. or just a hair over. It is smooth and creep free now with very little pre-travel and no over travel at all. I don't want it any lighter than 2 lbs. It's about perfect for me now. I think I'll quit while I'm ahead. Thanks for the suggestions though.

Rev

[Rapier]

Have you ever seen a Standard Auto go full tilt boogie after a home polish by someone not knowing what they are doing. How about a cyclic rate at about 1200 rpm with no hope of releasing the trigger until the clip is empty. They are scary, they are scary as hell.... As a range master I had a shooter do just that on the line with a range full of shooters. It is hard to describe how scary that little 22 auto can be when it malfunctions.

When you load the gun the first few times, only load one in the chamber and one in the clip. But I really suggest you take the gun to a gunsmith for safety sake. Most smiths will not reduce the trigger pull on a standard auto past 3 pounds because of the chance for a full auto event.
Ed

[BILLY D.]

Hey Ed

It's really fun to watch the reaction of other folks on the line when they start to move and groove under the benches and behind trash cans.

I never realized they still had the moves in 'em. Some of them are still pretty fast.

Best wishes, Bill

[Rev]

That reminds me of my first Ruger standard model of about 1960. Cost me a whopping $37.50 and I had to take my mom with me to the gun store to even buy it as I was only 16.

Of course the trigger was awful, and I tried to do a trigger job on it myself. Yes, you guessed it, a whole magazine at full auto every time. I did have to take it to a gunsmith for a new hammer and sear. That was almost 50 years ago, but I still remember it well.

That's why I don't do much to the hammer notch or the actual engagement surface of the sear or hammer. I do shorten that engagement though to get rid of the creep. I figured that the bore cleaner treatment would not change that positive engagement angle and it did not. I can't be certain, but I do believe that the bore cleaner treatment helped the smoothness of the trigger pull some.

Anyway, I did end up with a nice clean, crisp, and safe 2 lb. trigger pull, and that's just right for me.

Rev

[PJgunner]

Dry firing a .22 LR is not a good idea unless you have something to protect the chamber's mouth. If the firing pin peens a groove at the chambers mouth you may not be able to chamber a round, and if you do, it may misfire.
Paul B.

[Rev]

That certainly can happen, especially in those older Standard Models like I had in 1960. I actually ruined the chamber on that one dry firing it. The newer Mark II's and III's do have a firing pin stop that keeps it from striking the edge of the chamber mouth. I understand that repeatedly dry firing thousands of times can bend and deform that firing pin stop enough in some cases to allow contact with firing pin and the chamber mouth. I do dry fire my Mark III Hunter some but do keep a close eye out for any deformation of that firing pin stop that might allow damage. BTW, Ruger says it's OK to dry fire.

Rev

[Rev]

Originally posted by PJgunner
Dry firing a .22 LR is not a good idea unless you have something to protect the chamber's mouth. If the firing pin peens a groove at the chambers mouth you may not be able to chamber a round, and if you do, it may misfire.
Paul B.

A lot of folks will just chamber an empty case for dry firing. That seems like a PITA , one at a time, kind of solution. I've also heard of using those little plastic dry wall anchors (yellow plastic?) that seem to fit just right for that purpose. I've never used those, but some swear by them. I don't know if those are ejected like a fired case or not when working the action.

As long as the firing pin is stopped before contact with the chamber mouth, I'm not going to worry about it much. I will always keep a sharp eye out though for failure of that cross pin stop on my Mark III.

Rev