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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Military Rolling Block Trigger (Read 1359 times)
Gerald
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Military Rolling Block Trigger
May 16th, 2025 at 6:16am
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Good day all.

Is there a lightened trigger spring available to replace the existing one in the standard military rolling block?
I have recently purchased a nice shootable roller that I would like to shoot once in a while.
I will not want to modify the existing one but replace it.

Thank those of you that have possible answers.
  
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cheatin_charlie
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #1 - May 16th, 2025 at 8:09am
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If you do not wish to make your own out of piano wire you can buy one here
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Charlie
  
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Longknife
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #2 - May 16th, 2025 at 8:53am
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I make mine out of old lawn mower throttle cables or choke cables. ...LK
  
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steveu
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #3 - May 16th, 2025 at 12:32pm
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I have made a couple for the 43 Spanish.  Not hard at all to do.  Search the web for a tutorial on it.
  
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Gerald
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #4 - May 16th, 2025 at 12:54pm
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Thank you all for your insight will see what I can come up with.

  
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Sure shot
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #5 - May 16th, 2025 at 1:33pm
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I used one of the spring kits from Rolling block parts on my 45/70 and I was quite happy with the results.
  
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Schuetzendave
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #6 - May 16th, 2025 at 2:01pm
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I make trigger springs from piano wire.
Simple to do.
  
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ssdave
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #7 - May 16th, 2025 at 11:01pm
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I wasn't going to reply to this, because it seems self-serving.  But, after the suggestion to google how to reduce the trigger pull on a rolling block (I did that search) I thought I should once again put out some good solid information to help counter some of the really bad advice (in my opinion) that shows up on google.

There is only one thing that is needed to reduce the pull on an undamaged rolling block to an acceptable level.  That one thing is to replace the trigger spring.  If that doesn't reduce it adequately, the hammer or trigger sear surfaces are damaged or have been improperly stoned, and will require corrective work.   

There are several ways to replace the trigger spring.  One way, is thin and narrow the original spring.  This works, but it weakens the spring and it will eventually break.  The second way is to make a replacement leaf spring, out of thinner material.  Things I've seen advocated are hacksaw blades, other thin saw blades, the thin coiled flat spring from inside a tape measure, and clock winding springs.  The third way, and in my opinion, the best way is to use a replacement wire spring.  Full disclosure, I make these springs, and have made well over 5000 of them over the past 20+ years.  The wire spring will reduce the pull to generally in the 3 pound range if the sear geometries are correct.

The thing that you absolutely do NOT want to do is hone the sear geometry different.  That causes the mainspring to "help" pull the trigger, and causes an unsafe condition that can lead to accidental discharges.  The other counterproductive thing to do is to thin or lighten the main spring to try to reduce the rubbing friction of the sear surfaces.  This can give ignition problems, and most importantly can contribute to the action blowing open when the rifle is fired.  Don't do it.  If you want to lower friction, have someone with the correct skills harden and then polish the trigger nose and sear notch; hardened steel has lower friction.  Do not try to polish the sear as is.  It is originally case hardened, and honing it cuts through the case, and the softer steels drag more.  The result is a harder trigger pull, and increased creep.

I believe the picture Schuetzendave posted is one of my trigger springs.  Those look pretty simple, but there a couple of nuances to them that cause them to work better, and give less apparent creep than a homemade spring.  Not a lot less, but nonetheless, noticeable.   

Hope this clears up things a bit.
  
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ssdave
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #8 - May 16th, 2025 at 11:07pm
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As a postscript to my last post.  I do not sell the springs I make directly; I don't have the time or patience for that.  Kenn at rollingblockparts.com does them exclusively for me.  He's a lot more relieable and patient than I am.  Cheatin_Charlie posted the link above.

What I will do, and do every year, is do full trigger jobs where I supply, fit and adjust the springs at the Quigley match.  When I personally fit the springs, I can reduce the weight and the creep a bit more than just dropping in the spring.  That small difference is from having done literally hundreds or even thousands of them over the years, and knowing what to correct and adjust.
  
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Schuetzendave
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #9 - May 17th, 2025 at 6:13pm
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This is a trigger spring I made myself (not your trigger spring SSDave) with Precision Brand 25 gauge .059 " or 1.499 mm spring tempered music wire.

I have also made them a bit lighter with Precision Brand 20 gauge .045 " or 1.143 mm spring tempered music wire.

I have been making these for friends for twenty years now.
« Last Edit: May 17th, 2025 at 6:22pm by Schuetzendave »  
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ssdave
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #10 - May 17th, 2025 at 6:56pm
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Thanks for the reply, schuetzendave, your spring is configured very closely to mine; that's why I thought the picture was of one of the early ones I made; it had a lot of resemblance to what Kenn used to have on his website.  My error.


  
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #11 - May 17th, 2025 at 7:36pm
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Those wire springs are the best thing since slice bread!!  Tom
  
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #12 - May 17th, 2025 at 7:44pm
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  "The other counterproductive thing to do is to thin or lighten the main spring to try to reduce the rubbing friction of the sear surfaces.  This can give ignition problems, and most importantly can contribute to the action blowing open when the rifle is fired."

  I would like to know how lightening the mainspring would contribute to the action "blowing open" when the rifle is fired?
  

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John Taylor
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #13 - May 17th, 2025 at 7:49pm
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I have had several rollers over the years that have a damaged trigger and or damaged hammer. In these I build up the surface with weld using piano wire as the filler with a tig torch. This makes for a hard surface but it can be cut with carbide in the mill. With a milling machine the parts can be cut to precise dimensions for a good trigger pull.
  

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ssdave
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Re: Military Rolling Block Trigger
Reply #14 - May 17th, 2025 at 8:03pm
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Jeff_Schultz wrote on May 17th, 2025 at 7:44pm:
  "The other counterproductive thing to do is to thin or lighten the main spring to try to reduce the rubbing friction of the sear surfaces.  This can give ignition problems, and most importantly can contribute to the action blowing open when the rifle is fired."

  I would like to know how lightening the mainspring would contribute to the action "blowing open" when the rifle is fired?


Inherent in the design of the rolling block is the fact that the hammer rotates under the breechblock, and the wedging action of the hammer under the block keeps the block from rotating open.  If the hammer were to rotate back while there is thrust on the breechblock, the block could rotate back, opening the action.

When the rifle is fired, the hammer strikes the firing pin, driving it forward into the primer.  As pressure builds in the cartridge, the gas pressure on the primer pushes back on the primer, partially straightening out the dimple in the primer. 
If you ever have a dead primer strike, when you take it out, you'll see the firing pin indentation is deeper than on a primer that detonates.   

When the rolling block was first produced, there were numerous accounts of the actions blowing open, due to soft primers that pierced and allowed gas to directly blow the firing pin back.  There was enough inertia to push the hammer back enough to open the action.  That defect was fixed not by a design change in the gun, but by a design change in the primers to be stronger.  I suspect, but have no evidence, that Remington also increased the mainspring strength, but it may have already been that way.

Anything that decreases the force on the hammer by the mainspring can increase the likelyhood of the hammer being blown back.  Early Pedersoli rolling blocks sold by Navy Arms had this happen fairly frequently, although this was only partly the mainspring, and partly a design change made by Pedersoli from the original Remington geometry of the hammer/block interface.  They quickly corrected it.   

The rolling block is a decent action.  However, it does have some weaknesses, and the hammer blowback giving a potential action opening is one of them.  Fortunately, it can be minimized by not oiling the interface between block and hammer, and by not lightening the hammer spring.
  
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