I really need pictures for this….but here goes.
There has been a lot of discussion about the “pre X Mark-Pro” triggers over the years. A lot of it was due to the TV special on the Model 700 trigger. First, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with the original trigger as long as you kept it clean and didn’t mess with the sear adjustment and knew what you were doing with the weight adjustment. There are a few things to understand about this trigger. Since the action is a cylindrical action, the trigger housing acts like a sump to collect oil, cleaning solvent and debris. The trigger housing has some fairly close tolerance parts that slide beside each other, and there are small springs that keep everything moving properly and in alignment. It does not take very much cleaning solvent or oil to gum it up over time, especially if the weight adjustment has been backed off a bit. A Model 700 trigger should NEVER be lubricated.
While there is nothing wrong with the trigger, it IS susceptible to getting gummed up which can definitely cause an AD when you take it off safety. A friend had this happen. He replaced it with a Timney and gave me the old one. It took me over an hour to clean the gunk out.
So how do you check it to make sure it is safe and not gummed up? First, make sure it is unloaded then remove the bolt. On top of the trigger, you will see the part that the cocking piece on the bolt engages. Without pulling the trigger and with the safety off, press your thumb downward on this part with moderate pressure. You will see that it doesn’t move. Now, while pressing down on it, pull the trigger and you will feel this part drop. This is what allows the cocking piece (with firing pin attached) to move forward when the gun is fired. Repeat this a few times. Now, press down on it and pull the trigger just like you did before except this time hold the piece down while you take your finger off the trigger. Now slowly release the pressure. You should hear a very distinct “click” as the trigger sear resets and you should be able to see the trigger “jump” forward. Do this a few times. Then put very light pressure on the trigger as it jumps forward. If everything is working as it should, the resetting trigger should actually move your finger forward. If it does this, your trigger is in good shape and you shouldn’t have any problems.
IF the trigger reset is not crisp with an audible click and the reset feels mushy, it means that it is quite possibly gummed up to some degree and could cause an accidental discharge when the safety is moved to the “fire” position even without touching the trigger. If this is the case, the trigger should be thoroughly cleaned with carburetor cleaner or something similar or it should be swapped out. All Model 700 triggers should be flushed out occasionally with lighter fluid and allowed to dry. This will flush out oil and cleaning solvents. When you clean your bolt, always remember to wipe off any excess oil to prevent it from collecting in the trigger. Now you know how to check your model 700 trigger!
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