PTFE / Teflon on a Sear?

[TXAZ]

I'm working on smoothing the trigger on my Barrett .50.
Nothing wrong with, 1 pull = Big Bang. But not the smoothest trigger.

One suggestion was to polish the appropriate faces of the sear then plate ptfe/ teflon on it.
Has anyone tried something like that?

[ShootistPRS]

Teflon wears when steel rubs it. That is why they make all those plastic spoons and spatulas. You are much better off just polishing the pieces properly than try to hide a poor job with a coating that will wear off.

[Scorch]

Just polish the sear surfaces and forget any Teflon on the parts.

[Gunplummer]

You can get it "Hardcoated".

[Unclenick]

S&W Armorer's School recommended a slurry of JB Bore Compound with well-shaken Break-free CLP, which has Teflon in it, being put in a revolver mechanism and then just working the double-action trigger until it produced a "buttery smooth" feel. Unlike the Teflon/hard material matrix coated onto cookware, the soft pure Teflon smears around, so it doesn't flake or chip off like the cookware coatings and can last a long time. The JB compound would polish the surface and help bind the Teflon to the surface.

But I don't recall ever hearing of someone doing that to the single-action revolver trigger or any semi-auto trigger. If you want a crisp trigger break you need some static friction, and in a semi-auto, you don't want a trigger that can be jarred off easily, so, again, some degree of friction is desirable. Also, once you've worked the Teflon into the metal surface, you won't get it out again without removing a layer of metal, so this is the kind of experiment you save for doing with a spare hammer and sear that you can replace if you get doubling or other issues.

[mete]

The metal surface [assuming it's hard ] should be polished smoothly with a fine stone [ like fine alumina that Spyderco sells ] .Then all you need is a good lube .

[TXAZ]

Thanks. Just to clarify this is a .50 BMG Barrett M107A1 semi auto rifle.

The 7.7-8.2 lb pull is not unpleasant but a little rough and a long ~non crisp break.


And I agree we don't want a 2 oz trigger or it going off by itself when the shooting bench is jarred.

[T. O'Heir]

Teflon won't make a poor trigger better all by itself. Smooth, flat, mating surfaces do.

[Pahoo]

I smooth, polish of hone or whatever one wished to call it. Then I use a dab "Moly" based grease or Gun-Slick. Both have a tendency to crawl back in place. .....

Be Safe !!!

[Gunplummer]

Uncle Nick

I remember a special sear with a clip and spring (Gov issue) for the .45 auto match pistol. We rarely worked on them, and it has been a long time, but I remember it was a hair trigger. It can be done, but like you said, you have to look at all the scenarios. Might be able to TIN plate certain areas too.

[Unclenick]

GP,

Are you thinking of the Goldcup sear? Little coil spring in a hole drilled into the right front sear foot and a small tab that retained it and that shared the sear pin? It was supposed to act as a buffer when the trigger bow bounced against it after the shooter depressed the slide release. It was to prevent an accidental discharge from that bounce, thereby allowing the trigger to be set up lighter before that became a hazard again. Given the weight of the wide, solid steel trigger stirrup, that was an issue in that gun. A skeletonized aluminum trigger stirrup accomplished much the same thing by removing a lot of the inertia the steel trigger had.


TXAZ,

I didn't mean to move the post over to handguns. It's just that they are the only place I am aware of Teflon having been applied substantially to smooth a trigger mechanism. That said, since Break-Free CLP was used for a long time by soldiers, a lot of M16 triggers will defacto have had Teflon put into them.

An issue with a heavy recoiling semi-auto is how the trigger resets. The Garand and M14 are known to double or triple when recoil moves the gun back from the shooter's trigger hand and into the shoulder far enough to let the trigger reset, and then fires the gun when the shoulder's elasticity pushes the gun and trigger back forward against the trigger finger. I don't know if that scenario is possible with the Barrett as I haven't had an opportunity to shoot or disassemble one. If it is possible, the long trigger stage may be necessary to help prevent it from occurring. It also may not. I would call Barrett and discuss it with them. They may be able to offer to do a trigger job for you.

[Gunplummer]

I think the .45 I am talking about was listed as "National match" in the TMs. A slide came "In the white" and was over size. I never put one on, but had one shipped by mistake from supply.

[Unclenick]

The NM's predate the Goldcups and I know they had more hand work in them. I've never had one apart, but it sounds from your description like they used the same sear buffer or something close to that used in the Goldcup later.

[Gunplummer]

You are probably right. I seem to "Pre date" everything these days

[TXAZ]

Thanks Unclenick.
No problem I actually received the JB paste today and had the VLP.
I hope to polish the components this weekend then apply the 'slurry'.
I'll re measure the pull and we will see.

As to 'bounce' or 'bump' firing a Barrett, I haven't been able to get it to do that.
It's 30+ lbs of weight that's going to move a couple of inches, and the bolt carrier has a long way to travel before the trigger resets. So my guess is the timing will sent like an AK that will empty the mag if you hold it and the trigger just right.
(And if you get to the DFW area, you're welcome to give the Barrett a try at bump fire. )

[g.willikers]

The slickest trigger I've had was done as Unclenick sez.
JP bore compound and CLP, a real good cleaning and finished up with anti-seize, the kind used for steel bolts in aluminum.