FAL trigger job

Steve Smith · November 1, 2000, 02:54 PM

How do I lighten the trigger on my FAL? It's awfully heavy right now (at least 12 lbs.)

beemerb · November 1, 2000, 05:09 PM

One of the main reason all fals have a heavy trigger pull is the trigger return spring,It is the spring that sets in the pistol grip.Here is what I did to muine.
1-Make sure it is unloaded
2-disassemble lower completly.
3-polish the sear syatem and any place you see makes that indicate fricton between parts.
3-Polish the shaft that the trigger return spring sets on.Take the spring to the local store that has a good selecton of springs and find one with the same ID and OD but lighter wire.Cut and put inplace of the original.Test fire to make sure it will return and rework as necassary.I have both mine down to about 3.5 lbs which I think is right for this type of rifle.
If you check the FN FAL forum there was a guy selling the springs there but there is no need to buy one.Cost is toomuch.
Good luck and if I am not clear on something feel free to email me with qestions.
I am typing with 1 eye and no glasses so any mistakes please excuse.

------------------
Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.

James K · November 1, 2000, 07:39 PM

FWIW, I agree that 12 pounds is a bit muvh, but I think 3.5 pounds is a little light for that type of rifle. I think I would want to go about 5 pounds for safety and to preclude the possibility of inadvertently firing doubles.

Jim

Badger Arms · November 5, 2000, 11:29 PM

I just pulled my FAL apart and did as instructed. I chucked up the trigger plunger in my drill, put a little lapping compound on a cleaning patch and polished away. I paid particular attention to the tip where it contacts the trigger. I then leveled and polished the contacting surface on the back of the trigger. I took the sear and hammer out and stoned the contacting surfaces. I then took a little metal off the bottom of the hammer to shorten the pull. All-in-all, I think I knocked about 4 pounds off the pull weight. It feels like about 8-10 pounds now and is very smooth. I've got to find a good spring for the trigger plunger and I'll be set. One thing I also did was polish up the face of the hammer so that the bolt would retract better. This took me about an hour and a half as I'd never really broken down the trigger mechanism before.

beemerb · November 6, 2000, 05:02 PM

The trigger return spring will make the most difference on the trigger pull.You have made a great difference allready by basicly decreaseing the friction between parts.The return spring will require a replace and test till you get the right complimise between trigger pull and a good positive trigger return.
Good luck with the rest of it.You will be very happy with it when done.

------------------
Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.

Badger Arms · November 7, 2000, 12:39 AM

Where do I get a spring? I raided all of the pencils and pens in the house to no avail.

beemerb · November 7, 2000, 10:50 AM

badgerarms;
Too weak.Take the old spring and head down to your local hardware store and go through there spring drawes.I bought about 4 different ones.You have to not only play with the spring strength but allso length.Both will have a affect.

------------------
Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.

Steve Smith · November 9, 2000, 11:41 AM

Guys, I haven't ingored anyone's post...I'll be trying some of this stuff this weekend, I hope.

KarrensMan69 · November 18, 2015, 04:58 PM

I've been looking for solutions to my trigger issue. Usually I get a few decent trigger pulls, around 8lbs or so, but every now and then I'll get one that seems like 15 or worse. That happens somewhere around 1 of 3 or 1 of 4 pulls. It isn't consistent. I'm going to guess it's the trigger return spring, but if anyone can identify the problem it would be helpful.

Clark · November 21, 2015, 11:06 AM

I do trigger jobs on guns like some people make lamps out of driftwood, a random amateurish hobby.

The frontier of safe trigger mods for a putz like me is 2 pounds........ except in a semi auto with a disconnector. Then it is 4 pounds.

When a professional makes a well designed after market product trigger or parts, sure, 1/2 pound bolt actions and 2 pound 10/22s are possible.

Wyosmith · November 21, 2015, 11:18 AM

If you can swing the high price here is the answer.

http://www.jardinc.com/fal-metric/

Dixie Gunsmithing · November 21, 2015, 05:44 PM

You can get coil spring stock from Brownells. However, you can slide that coil spring on the shaft of say, a Phillips screwdriver, then, use a belt sander to lighten it. Hold the spring and driver at a 45 deg angle, and parallel to the belt, then gently place the springs side, the springs coils and not the ends, against the running belt. You'll see the spring spin on the drivers shaft. This will cut the springs OD down a little at a time, and lessen the springs operating pressure. This is the correct way of doing this, and not by cutting it shorter and stretching it.

If you want to make one with spring stock, measure the old ones OD, and the wire diameter. Use a piece of coil spring stock with the same or close OD, but a smaller wire diameter, and the same number of turns per inch, or close. Cut it with a wire cutter, so that the length is a shade longer, then, grind the two ends flat, making it the same length.

Clark · November 23, 2015, 01:46 PM

My father was a gun designer and specified custom coil springs as "closed and ground".

I am an amateur gunsmith and I cut springs to make them shorter with the bench grinder.

They can wreck your wire cutter.

November 18, 2015, 04:58 PM	#9
KarrensMan69 Junior Member Join Date: June 28, 2008 Posts: 4	Pardon the necropost I've been looking for solutions to my trigger issue. Usually I get a few decent trigger pulls, around 8lbs or so, but every now and then I'll get one that seems like 15 or worse. That happens somewhere around 1 of 3 or 1 of 4 pulls. It isn't consistent. I'm going to guess it's the trigger return spring, but if anyone can identify the problem it would be helpful.

November 21, 2015, 11:06 AM	#10
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	I do trigger jobs on guns like some people make lamps out of driftwood, a random amateurish hobby. The frontier of safe trigger mods for a putz like me is 2 pounds........ except in a semi auto with a disconnector. Then it is 4 pounds. When a professional makes a well designed after market product trigger or parts, sure, 1/2 pound bolt actions and 2 pound 10/22s are possible. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

November 23, 2015, 01:46 PM	#13
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	My father was a gun designer and specified custom coil springs as "closed and ground". I am an amateur gunsmith and I cut springs to make them shorter with the bench grinder. They can wreck your wire cutter. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

November 1, 2000, 02:54 PM	#1
Steve Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 1999 Posts: 4,131	How do I lighten the trigger on my FAL? It's awfully heavy right now (at least 12 lbs.)

November 1, 2000, 05:09 PM	#2
beemerb Junior member Join Date: October 2, 1999 Location: AZ Posts: 1,759	One of the main reason all fals have a heavy trigger pull is the trigger return spring,It is the spring that sets in the pistol grip.Here is what I did to muine. 1-Make sure it is unloaded 2-disassemble lower completly. 3-polish the sear syatem and any place you see makes that indicate fricton between parts. 3-Polish the shaft that the trigger return spring sets on.Take the spring to the local store that has a good selecton of springs and find one with the same ID and OD but lighter wire.Cut and put inplace of the original.Test fire to make sure it will return and rework as necassary.I have both mine down to about 3.5 lbs which I think is right for this type of rifle. If you check the FN FAL forum there was a guy selling the springs there but there is no need to buy one.Cost is toomuch. Good luck and if I am not clear on something feel free to email me with qestions. I am typing with 1 eye and no glasses so any mistakes please excuse. ------------------ Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed. I'm old and deceitful.

November 1, 2000, 07:39 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	FWIW, I agree that 12 pounds is a bit muvh, but I think 3.5 pounds is a little light for that type of rifle. I think I would want to go about 5 pounds for safety and to preclude the possibility of inadvertently firing doubles. Jim

November 5, 2000, 11:29 PM	#4
Badger Arms Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2000 Location: Harnett County, NC Posts: 1,700	I just pulled my FAL apart and did as instructed. I chucked up the trigger plunger in my drill, put a little lapping compound on a cleaning patch and polished away. I paid particular attention to the tip where it contacts the trigger. I then leveled and polished the contacting surface on the back of the trigger. I took the sear and hammer out and stoned the contacting surfaces. I then took a little metal off the bottom of the hammer to shorten the pull. All-in-all, I think I knocked about 4 pounds off the pull weight. It feels like about 8-10 pounds now and is very smooth. I've got to find a good spring for the trigger plunger and I'll be set. One thing I also did was polish up the face of the hammer so that the bolt would retract better. This took me about an hour and a half as I'd never really broken down the trigger mechanism before.

November 6, 2000, 05:02 PM	#5
beemerb Junior member Join Date: October 2, 1999 Location: AZ Posts: 1,759	The trigger return spring will make the most difference on the trigger pull.You have made a great difference allready by basicly decreaseing the friction between parts.The return spring will require a replace and test till you get the right complimise between trigger pull and a good positive trigger return. Good luck with the rest of it.You will be very happy with it when done. ------------------ Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed. I'm old and deceitful.

November 7, 2000, 12:39 AM	#6
Badger Arms Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2000 Location: Harnett County, NC Posts: 1,700	Where do I get a spring? I raided all of the pencils and pens in the house to no avail.

November 7, 2000, 10:50 AM	#7
beemerb Junior member Join Date: October 2, 1999 Location: AZ Posts: 1,759	badgerarms; Too weak.Take the old spring and head down to your local hardware store and go through there spring drawes.I bought about 4 different ones.You have to not only play with the spring strength but allso length.Both will have a affect. ------------------ Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed. I'm old and deceitful.

November 9, 2000, 11:41 AM	#8
Steve Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 1999 Posts: 4,131	Guys, I haven't ingored anyone's post...I'll be trying some of this stuff this weekend, I hope.

November 21, 2015, 11:18 AM	#11
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	If you can swing the high price here is the answer. http://www.jardinc.com/fal-metric/

November 21, 2015, 05:44 PM	#12
Dixie Gunsmithing Moderator Emeritus Join Date: April 27, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,923	You can get coil spring stock from Brownells. However, you can slide that coil spring on the shaft of say, a Phillips screwdriver, then, use a belt sander to lighten it. Hold the spring and driver at a 45 deg angle, and parallel to the belt, then gently place the springs side, the springs coils and not the ends, against the running belt. You'll see the spring spin on the drivers shaft. This will cut the springs OD down a little at a time, and lessen the springs operating pressure. This is the correct way of doing this, and not by cutting it shorter and stretching it. If you want to make one with spring stock, measure the old ones OD, and the wire diameter. Use a piece of coil spring stock with the same or close OD, but a smaller wire diameter, and the same number of turns per inch, or close. Cut it with a wire cutter, so that the length is a shade longer, then, grind the two ends flat, making it the same length.