Trigger Pull Gauge Advice

[hillbilly grandpa]

I'm looking to pick up a trigger pull gauge. I'm looking at Wheeler and Lyman digital models. Are there other products I should be including, and what are the pluses and minuses of various products?

 

[tjiann]

I like my Wheeler digital.

 

[John from MD]

G. I have a Lyman that I have had since I switched from the RCBS spring type, @ 20 years. Works great. The only issue if, any, is that it uses a 9 Volt battery. I use rechargeables so it doesn't cost that much to use.

 

[Magnumite]

Another option would be the NRA gauge. It is a mechanical system. Uses a hanger onto which weights are placed. Then the ‘gauge’ is picked up with the cocked UNLOADED pistol.


I use an RCBS gauge as well an old contact point tension gauge..the latter my go to. They both read identically when pulled on each other.

FWIW, my first pull gauge was a welding rod bent to shape, a shop rag, and bullets (reloading components). I would add bullets to the rag and use it like the NRA gauge. The bullets were counted as they were added and the pull derived mathematically. I never considered the weight of the rag and rod using them to serve as a safety barrier to not go too light.

 

[slsc98]

When I was shouting bullseye I had the NRA “hangar rod and round weights” which was great for pistols but somewhat a pia for long guns and really impractical to transport away from the shop / bench.

Still have Dads old RCBS “springer” in its original carton but, it actually doesn’t go high enough on a lot of military triggers.

So, at present I rely upon the consistently accurate (and easily packable ) Lyman electric (digital?);

Amazon product ASIN B00162QGLS
however; the plastic “knob” on the end is hard plastic which tends to slip and / roll off some trigger bow designs and can be a real PIA to try and get accurate, let alone consistent, pulls on triggers w integral safeties (not just Glocks anymore but just about all striker fired guns as well as Ruger rifle triggers, etc.). It’s gotten to be quite a problem at times.

I see the Wheeler has TWO versions; one is the old “springer” type *SCALE* while the

Wheeler electric (digital?) *GUAGE* has a soft rubber coating on the trigger end of theirs and I don’t know why I didn’t include one of those in my pretty large order when I took advantage of their Black Friday sale …

Amazon product ASIN B01B7OYTNQ
I’m going to try putting a piece of rubber surgical tubing over he hard plastic knob on my Lyman but, if I trip across a wheeler for a decent enough discount I’ll probably scarf up one of those also …

Were I shopping for my first, I’d likely go to the front of the line and get the Wheeler eclectric.

trigger pull gauges can be just like sight adjustment tools: “buy once cry once”

 

[HiStandards]

I have the Wheeler spring gauge. I got it on sale. Very repeatable. Goes to 8 lbs, so not good for double-action, but works for everything else I have.

 

[slsc98]

ETA: kind of interesting to pull up the reviews for either the Wheeler or Lyman electric/digitalis and then use the other brand name as a search term (Lyman or Wheeler), to see where reviewers reference both; and,

NO MATTER WHAT TYPE I

ALWAYS REMOVE ANY BATTERIES ​

prior to the guage boing back into the bench chest!


ETA ETA: I just went ahead and ordered the Wheeler and it’ll be here Monday so, if I can remember, I’ll circle back w my impressions, VS the Lyman which I’ve been relatively happy with for several years now.

Taking advantage of the cold wave settled in at present, and Just off the top of my head in the last week to 10 days I’ve dropped or upgraded fire control groups / triggers in:

2 IWI Tavor X95’s (Geiselle)

1 Taurus TX22 SCR (TandemKross)

1 CZ P 10 C (HBI “Theta”)

3 Grand Power Stribogs (MCARBO)

2 CZ Scorpions (Timneys)

3 Glock Gen 3/4’s (Timney Alpha’s!

1 Ruger PC-9 backpacker (MCARBO)

and I’m waiting on the TandemKross trigger pack for a Ruger Mk IV we’re setting up for steel challenge so, a second gauge isn’t going to go to waste …

 

[FN509Fan]

https://www.glockstore.com/Dead-Weight-Trigger-Weight

 

[slsc98]

https://www.glockstore.com/Dead-Weight-Trigger-Weight View attachment 450347 View attachment 450346

This is the one I had and while accurate it simply wasn’t as practical or convenient as either the Lyman or Wheeler digitals. I traded it off to another shooter some years ago (who it turns out also finds the digitals more practical)

CUSTOM GUNSMITHING, INC. NRA OFFICIAL UNIVERSAL TRIGGER WEIGHT SYSTEM | Brownells

Check out the CUSTOM GUNSMITHING, INC. available Online at Brownells Today and many more Gauges & Measuring Tools products are available in our Tools & Cleaning Department.

www.brownells.com

 

[slsc98]

I'm looking to pick up a trigger pull gauge. I'm looking at Wheeler and Lyman digital models. Are there other products I should be including, and what are the pluses and minuses of various products?

Now that I have both Wheeler and Lyman digital gauges I am inclined to say if I had to choose just one it’d be the Wheeler

I did NOT have time to do a series of comparisons (use the gauges on the same triggers one right after the other) to see if they read identical (I’m confident they both would)

The Wheeler display is sharper and everything about the led etc is just quicker / apparently more precise than the Lyman.

The Wheeler battery compartment has one of those microscopic screws whereas thenLyman battery covers”snaps” into place which I prefer as I do not leave batteries in the gauges when they are stored in tool chest drawers …

BIGGEST thing of all is the portion of the tip you apply to the trigger is a solid piece of rubber on the Wheeler; whereas; on the Lyman it is a “wheel” made of hard delrin type plastic

There are some triggers where that plastic wheel may be an advantage; however; it can be a pia on triggers with integral safeties etc

 

[gwchem]

I have the cheap spring type, which does everything I need. Gets within a fraction of a pound, and is very repeatable.

 

[toppkatt]

Per CMP Air rifle rules
'
4.2.3 Trigger Weight
The minimum trigger pull for a Sporter air rifle is 1.5 pounds (680.4 grams). The cocked
trigger must be capable of lifting a weight of 1.5 pounds. Trigger pull weights must be
checked with a fixed, hanging weight. When triggers are tested, the test weight must be
lifted so that its entire weight is clear of its support surface. Note: Merely shifting the weight
on the support surface is not sufficient; the entire trigger weight must be lifted so that it is
suspended above the support surface. If a rifle does not lift the weight on the first attempt,
a maximum of three total attempts may be made. The weight must be lifted on at least one
of the three attempts. The athlete or athlete’s coach may make one of the three attempts. If
a trigger is weighed before a competition as part of an equipment inspection and it does not
pass, the trigger may be adjusted and resubmitted for additional trigger weight tests. Match
Officials may check trigger pull weights before a competition (during equipment control),
during a competition or immediately after a competition. If a trigger is tested and fails to lift
a 1.5-pound trigger weight during or after a competition, all scores fired with that rifle up to
that time in that event (course of fire) must be disqualified. Electronic trigger testing devices
may be used to check rifles, but any decisions regarding whether the trigger passes must
be confirmed with a 1.5-pound trigger weight.'

If you're going to be shooting in competitions, know the rules of your game!

For the above game the Brownells 'Universal trigger pull gauge' is useless as it does not measure 1.5 Lbs. Lightest it reads is 500 Gm which is slightly over 1 pound (1 pound is 453.6 Gm) and the next add on weight is 1/2 pound taking you to over 1.5 lbs (500 Gm +226.8 Gm = 726.8 Gm = 1 pound 9.6 Oz. or almost 1 1/2 ounces MORE than 1.5 pounds) .

 

[msinc]

I guess the digital ones are okay, but I have personally never had much luck with small Chinese "cost effective" digital gadgets. Seems like when I need it the most is when it fails. Usually it's the LCD screen that pukes first, that or they just quit turning on and off. I have two manual spring type RCBS scales. One is the old square bodied one and the other is round. The round one is newer and has a little plastic thing that slides and stops exactly where the trigger breaks so it is easier to read and to see if the trigger is repeating. I bought the older one in 1990 and it still works fine. Got the newer one on a trade deal, not because I needed it. I have yet to see anything digital, especially with a LCD screen last more than a few years, tops.....let alone 33 years. Same with a borescope, mine is a Hawkeye.