K98 Timney Trigger Install/Share Your Story

Below is my story of "smithing" my own rifle on an upgrade - if you have similar stories, please feel free to share below.

I decided that I wanted to upgrade an old K98 Mauser sporter in 8mm that I have by installing a better trigger. The original trigger was a loooong pull that broke between 7.5 and 8 lbs, and I felt that needed to be improved.
Timney seemed to be the most logical choice for an aftermarket trigger upgrade, so after consulting with Timney about which model of trigger to use, I placed my order for the #202 part, and because I ordered it from Timney, I had them set it at a factory setting of 3 lbs.

I didn't know this, but when you order a trigger from Timney, they ship it to you with a Tootsie Pop - it's just a tradition that they adhere to, and part of it is with the idea that installing the trigger is faster than getting to the center of a tootsie pop.

This was NOT the case for me.

installing the trigger housing on the action was simple enough - simply pop out the pin from the stock trigger and using that same pin and set screw, install the new one. The issue I ran into was with the stock.

I think that if this had been going into a standard Mauser stock it might have been a drop in, but it was going into an aftermarket sporter stock of indeterminate brand and origin - inletting was required, and a fair amount of it.

I got out the Dremel and got to work, slowly and carefully, trying to remove only the material needed to get it to fit.

But that wasn't the only issue.

Once the action was assembled into the stock and the screws were snugged up, the next issue arose - the trigger bottomed out in the trigger guard and would not budge.

I once again consulted with Timney. I sent them photos and a description of what I'd done and what I was experiencing. They said that the solution was as simple as it was annoying - I needed to trim the trigger itself.

Once again I got out the Dremel and some sanding disks, and slowly and carefully took metal off of the trigger, trimming both length, and thinning it a bit on the bottom side. It took me 3 tries to remove the necessary amount of metal, but it worked.

The trigger works perfectly with the Buehler-style low-profile bolt safety, and it breaks clean and crisp, right at 3 lbs according to my Wheeler trigger pull gauge.

I ordered some Oxpho blue, so once that comes, I'll do a final polish on the bare metal of the trigger and touch it up with blue.

For the record, I have no illusions that because I can build out an AR from the ground up, or that I can do minor upgrades and repairs, that it makes me any kind of a gunsmith - I'm not - but I do think I'm capable enough for some things.

Ok Here's a story, and some experience sharing for those who like to piddle about and work on old rifles-and another way of looking at things for discussion.

Another way to get a good trigger on a Mauser type rifle is to make a "Ball trigger". And its easy to do.
Without drawing pictures anyone familiar with a Mauser type trigger should be able to understand or visualize.
And I'm not talking about the Huber concepts drop in which I bet is loosely based on the same, just produced in a factory, not from a bunch of parts some folks having lying round looking to be used for something. (good for them they get$$$$$ right?)

Take your trigger with two humps and grind then down carefully so they dont work anymore. Not too much but just enough so that a hardened ball bearing can be set in and placed on top of the trigger where the humps were, but into a rounded surface (just behind them actually).
Take your sear and grind, file- remove a corresponding rounded vertical surface so that the sear captures the ball in between the two sides. Then polish put all surfaces where the "ball floats".

Keep in mind here there some ingenuity involved so your grinding polishing fitting etc is within the mechanical aspects of what your trying to do here.
Think sear cocking piece engagement/safety pick up ramps etc.
Polish/stone underside flat surface of reciever and daub some STP there.

With care and plenty of time to piddle, one could make the slickest trigger out there especially when combined with one or more "improvements" not really considering time, but whats the sense of working on and owning old guns if your only ever going to shoot and never clean them right?

Of course dont always try this at home this is an abbreviated course for how to make something out of nothing theirs always one or more caveats that should be considered when altering any firearm form its intended original design characteristics or what it was suitably intended to do without issue in the first place.

Ii have used over a dozen Timney triggers in sport rifle builds over the years. Some simply and most drop in fine. Your issue is not the trigger at all but the stock used. The Timney trigger is back closer to the finger guard in the back area than the military one. I had to remove wood before in the back area which should be expected if its a changed stock. The stock you have is also thinner from top where barrel action sets in and the trigger guard below. Like Timney said you must remove some trigger so not hitting bottom of guard. Believe me most custom stocks are not like this but some are. They simply are designed for a military drop in stock or one the same thickness. I also have a trigger pull gauge from Midway. I always adjusted mine myself. I like about 2 1/2 lbs. pull and each persons like of trigger pull is different of course. Its easy to adjust though