Ruger Modell 77 Mk II Trigger

[safetysheriff]

I have a Ruger rifle that I want to adjust the trigger on.  It is, as stated in the subject, a Model 77 Mk II.   Can someone provide me with instructions or refer me to a web site with instructions I can print?

Incidentally, I have found instructions on a 'sniper' site for the Remington,
Savage model 110, and Winchester model 70 triggers.   No Ruger informa-
tion on that site.

Thank you.

[chk]

The standard MKII rifles don't have an adjustable trigger. The target rifles do and you can get the info on them from Ruger by ordering a owner's manual. If you have an after market trigger installed on your rifle you'll need to know what brand it is to get insrtuctions on adjustment.

[Lawdog]

chk,

I take it your rifle is a standard M77 MKII.  If it is the trigger is non adjustable.  The best way to go about getting an adjustable trigger is to install a Timney Adjustable.  I have done that to all of my newer Rugers and they work great and you can do the work yourself.  Lawdog

[Paul H]

The std Mk II trigger can be modified to produce a wonderful release if worked over by a good gunsmith, or the home shop smith that knows what he's doing.  The sear and trigger surfaces need to be polished, the return spring lightened, and an overtravel screw added.  Personally I think this is a superiour trigger to the aftermarket units as they are more complex due to more parts.

[ReedG]

Here's something I got off the net. Hope it helps. In my opinion, the Ruger is worth doing a little work on the trigger.


Ruger Model 77 Trigger

The Ruger 77 trigger is one of the easiest factory triggers to rework. However, alterations to any firearm should be done only by a qualified gunsmith. This information is strictly for reference only and is not intended for use by anyone other than a qualified gunsmith.
Ruger firearms are designed to be strong, reliable, and SAFE. In doing this, they leave you with plenty of material to work with. In the model 77 bolt action rifle there are 2 main areas of complaint, that would be creep and weight. A third area could be considered as trigger over-travel.
Creep equals the distance the trigger must travel before releasing the sear. Weight equals the amount of force required to compress the trigger in order to fire. And over-travel is the distance the trigger travels after releasing the sear. If any of these are out of balance, they will be detrimental to the accuracy of ANY firearm. Ideally, the distance the trigger 'creeps' is imperceptible, the weight is light enough so as to not distort one's hold on the firearm, and over-travel does not exist. With these definitions is becomes apparent that trigger WEIGHTS should vary according to the intended purpose of the firearm. A crisp, 3 pound trigger is as absurd on a bench rest rifle, as a 2oz trigger is on a hunting rifle. Remember safety is always #1. Keep the WEIGHT safe. All triggers should have minimal creep and no over-travel.
To fix the Ruger trigger one must understand its design. 'Creep' comes from the amount of trigger/sear engagement. Weight is a combination of trigger angle and spring tension, over-travel comes from the free swing of the trigger after the sear releases. Drawing Standard factory trigger/sear engagement is about .035-.045. It equals the depth of the sear notch. This means that the trigger must move that entire distance before releasing the sear. Reducing this distance to .020 will safely reduce the perceptible 'creep.'
The top angle of the trigger is steep enough that you must actually lift the sear in order to release it. Remember, the sear is already under tension from the bolt and firing pin. Increasing this angle to an even 90 degrees allows the trigger to follow a more natural arc and defeat the lifting action. Only enough metal needs to be removed to fully engage the sear, or about .025.
Next, a slight 45 degree bevel on the lead angle of the trigger will drastically increase the crispness of the trigger. Do only enough so as to extend perpendicularly forward about .005. This will actually help the sear to release, it is done on many custom 1911 triggers. With a .020 sear notch and the trigger done in this manner, you will still have a full .015 engagement of the trigger to the sear.
Polish all parts and bearing surfaces.
There are two solutions to the over-travel problem. 1) You can drill a hole in the front top end of the trigger for a small set screw and adjust accordingly. 2) You can drill a hole through the back of the trigger guard. The one in the trigger itself is theoretically better because it is supported against the action itself. Whereas the trigger guard screw is actually a third piece of connected metal. I have personally found no difference accept the trigger guard is easier to do and easier to set.
If the trigger and sear are wobbly because of the pins, simply purchase a couple of drill bits slightly larger that the existing holes, re-drill, cut off the bits and use them as pins. This is a key element when making the triggers extremely light.
I personally prefer the single stage triggers to the 2 stage trigger because my triggers are lighter than the 1st stage. You can actually pin the 2 sections if you like, just replace the connector spring with a pin. After you have done one, you will understand the principles, and should have no problem figuring the 2 stage. New springs are usually necessary in order to get very light triggers.
Some weights that I would recommend for intended uses would be 2-16oz (less than 1 pound) for a BENCH gun. Start heavier so that as you progress you can still feel the trigger. The 'average' hunter may not even realize they have touched a 2-oz. bench trigger. These rifles are ONLY chambered when aimed at the target, hence, they are not real conducive to hunting conditions. 16-40 oz. (1 to 2-1/2 pounds) on the average VARMINT gun. Most varmint hunting is done off of some form of rest where firearm is stabilized in a safe direction. Finally, the average hunting rig should be at least 2-1/2 pounds plus. These are just my suggestions and opinions.

[chk]

I sent my MKII to Timmney to have a trigger job done several years ago. The work was done by the late Mr. Timmney. I talked to him personally on the phone before he did the work. He was resisting making an after market trigger for the MKII's. It is great work and he installed a set screw for adjusting overtravel. The trigger breaks clean at around three lbs. pull weight with no overtravel. My son bought a MKII last December and said it has a great trigger with no work. Mine had an overtravel problem you had to feel to believe. Dave

[High Brass]

Ruger must've done something with their current production M77 Mk IIs because me and another fellow are quite pleased with our out of the box triggers.  Its not match grade or anything but I'll live with it for now.  I put around 150 or so rounds through it so far(.280 Remington) and its definately smoothed up even more.
Chad

[Cabin4]

I have a Ruger M77 MK2 and the trigger out of the box was horrible to say the least.

I had a local smith do what I call a "Hunting Trigger" job on it. He eliminated the front creep, eliminated the back end over travel and reduced the pull wieght to about 5 pounds.

For a rifle designed for and will be used as a hunting rifle, this should be perfect in my opinion.

Based on this work, I was able to uncover just how accurate this gun really is. The out of box trigger was so bad, that 100 yards groups off the bench were rediculous.

I now can honestly say that this has now become a fine hunting rifle.

Cabin4

[safetysheriff]

Yesterday, again following the directions off the www.centerfirecentral.com site, I did some work on a friend's Ruger 77Mk II with laminated stock.   It was done with some need to actually add a little creep to make it safe after the trigger had lightened up unbelieveably.   The greatest effect was achieved by changing the angle of the trigger where it engages the sear.   What a pleasure to shoot after it was all polished and done.