Trigger Job - Defined

WELCOME TO THE NO BS ZONE OF TEDDY JACOBSON
I can remember going to a small gun show back in the 1970's era and I passed a table that said "TRIGGER JOB WHILE YOU WAIT" . There was a line of people just waiting with their handguns while a man was sitting alone with a very small tool box working on one gun at a time. I stood off to the side while I watched this procedure, these guns being worked on were mostly revolvers. Each job took barely 20 minutes, sometimes the gun was left at the Trigger Job Table and the owner just left it and in about 15 to 20 minutes he came back to pick it up.

I stood there in absolute shock and asked myself what could this (gunsmith ?) man possibly do in that short amount of time to refine a handgun. I kept watching as the line became longer with people waiting for their turn. All factory handguns were mass produced and buying one from most any factory you had a working mechanical device and the parts were quite rough internally. I saw this gun show gunsmith use a stone on a few parts for about 1 minute and he cut the coil springs and bent straight springs and then packed the action full of molybdenum disulphide grease. That was an instant trigger job. It was also insanity.

I asked myself is this what people want done to the very handgun that will be used for protection of life and property. I was horrified at the thought of having this done to any of the few handguns that I owned. I called many gunshops in later weeks after that show, asking them what they do in a trigger job and I got no where. They treated me like I wanted to know what was in THE SEVENTH SEAL. No one would discuss anything with me in detail of any kind. I will never forget how thrilled the people were at that gun show waiting for their trigger job of 15 to 20 minutes and paid about $20.00 .

The best S&W revolver actions were pre 1950 era, times and economic conditions and production technology made all the difference in current production handguns. When you pull the trigger on todays handguns both semi auto and revolvers they feel like they are full of sand and grit. I never called my action work just a trigger job because I always felt that it took a great deal more to refine a handgun action than just stoning a few parts and the thought of just cutting springs were beyond my comprehension. I started to study each and every handgun I could ever get my hands on. I kept thinking about the work being done at the gun show and the only logical answer I have ever come up with in over 30 years is that green piece of paper that says "IN G-D WE TRUST" . It was always about money.

I define Quality as "DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE" . No gun factory could ever give you a mass produced product that would be made like a swiss watch internally. Todays handgun actions are worse than ever, nothing much has changed, other than years ago the older parts were better. Why would anyone want to use cheap roll pins when they could buy superior well made hardened solid steel pins, well of course it has to be machining tolerences, where a roll pin would work if the holes were not aligned with precision.

I always called my work "COMPLETE ACTION JOB" because I wanted to do so much more work on the internals. I used to search every Gunsmithing supply manual I could ever find year after year after year. I always saw the same products, not much changed in the world of gunsmithing. In order to get real and face up to and take advantage of current technology I had to start looking at all the other industries such as aircraft and automotive, etc, etc, etc. I had no intention of doing what had always been done by other people. It was wrong, it was not just the idea of taking someones money, it was the idea of putting their very life and possibly that of their family in jepardy. I would never be a party to selling my soul for any amount of money. (IN G-D WE TRUST)

Trigger job defined by other people was not good enough for me, I would not accept it, no way. If I could not do things better, I would have no part of it. My soul was not for sale. My friend Jess reminded me what HARRY TRUMAN once said, it went something like this, "I JUST TELL THEM THE TRUTH AND THEY THINK I AM GIVING THEM HELL"

I am not going to take in a job if I can not feel very comfortable with the degree of quality that I can improve the action, NO BS HERE. "IT IS WHAT IT IS"
When I used to go to gun shows and I would have 2 tables to display handgun samples of my work. I took in work and I never did extensive work at any show. I wrote them an invoice and I took the work home where I could do it right. I just did very minor things at the gun show. Always remember you "USUALLY" get what you pay for. For your sake, Please do not believe all the BS you are exposed to when it comes to the handgun that will protect your life.

A trigger job is just a term used to explain that it will smooth out your handgun action, in my world of defining quality it is not enough to just stone a few parts and pack your handgun full of grease. YOUR LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN THAT. Your handgun action must be totally refined down to the smallest detail and every angle of the engagements must be cut with precision using a jig. You must use the best supplies and springs money can buy. No short cuts, no two dollar stones, No BS. Do your self a favor, get, barrow, or buy a medium INDIA stone and stroke it on a scrap piece of steel and then look at it using a magnifier of at least 10 power, I prefer using a higher power of magnification, and see what that stone does to the steel, you will be horrified just like I was.
ADDED NOTE: A friend emailed me with his take on people having trigger work done at these shows, stating that he did not find fault with the gunsmith at the table doing trigger jobs for $20.00. He found the fault lies with the cheap SOB trying to get some real cheap work done and he felt the person got what he deserved looking for a "BARGAIN" . This is a very honest opinion and there is a great deal of truth to what he said. Thanks, Mr. T...........



AUTHORS PERSONAL NOTATION :
This commentary as well as all my previous commentaries are my personal opinion only and my personal viewpoint only. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU AS WE HAD ABOUT 1000 HITS ON THIS BLOGGER PAGE YESTERDAY.


Teddy Jacobson / Pistolsmith
www.actionsbyt.com
281 277 4008
tjacobson@houston.rr.com
jaj45f@alltel.net
www.actionsbyt.blogspot.com/