Retemper Trigger

[Hickok]

The trigger on my Pietta 1860 Colt is getting a little rounded off where it engages the hammer sear and a bit too "light" of a let-off due to alot of shooting and the soft steel of the trigger. I plan on squaring off the worn area of the trigger but need to know the proper way to retemper the steel so it wont be so soft.

I have another new trigger ready to put in the handgun, but would like to try and repair the old one and re-temper the steel. Anyone have a good way to go about hardening the metal? I know the basics, but would like someone to give me their method.

[Will52100]

I pretty much stay away from Pietta's now, but have done a couple.  What you need is a heat source like a plumbers torch, propane or mapp gas will work fine.  Some sand paper and a soup can with some oil in it and a magnet and your set.

Basicly you have to harden the steel, then temper back.  Bring the sear up to temp where the magnet is no longer atracted to it and quench.  Be carefull and don't over heat.  Don't rely on heat colors as with differant lighting will give differant colors.  I normaly darken the room to better see them, but I still check with a magnet.  After quenching and it's cool to the touch you can bake it in the oven for an hour or so at aroun 400-450 deg. F., or simply sand the decarb off to bright steel and bring back up to temp slowly with the torch and get a nice even straw color, heat from the bottom and let the colors rise to the sear, then when it's straw colored dunk in water to stop the heat and keep from getting too soft on the sear.  Weather you do this with an oven or with the torch do at least two tempers, three are better.

The magnet check while bringing up to criticle temp for the quench is a good all around road sign.  Most steels the magnet will just start to stop sticking at about 50 deg. below where you want to be for the quench, over heating can cause large weak grain structure.

Best to practice on a piece of scrap high carbon steel first, or an old trigger to get the feel.

It's realy not that hard, just take your time and it'll come out fine.

[Hickok]

Wills52100, I have a Uberti 1862 Police revolver in .36 cal that is holding up real well. It doesn't seem to have the soft steel as in the Pietta. Don't know if this holds true with all the Uberti's and Pietta's.

Thanks for the tempering info.

[Will52100]

No problem, just practice on some scrap to get the feel and you should be OK, also you'll want to pre-heat the oil to around 120-150deg., nothing specific, just warmed up so the viscosity is down and quenches a bit faster.  I would sugest water, but it's the harshest, fastest quench and you could crack your trigger, though I've used it with out any problems.

[StrawHat]

Be careful shortening the trigger.  A very small amount off the trigger will cause the hammer to sit forward and the arc will not be as long.  The trigger will also sit further forward in the trigger guard.

Goo idea having the second trigger handy.

[Totenkopf]

Very good advise. A little tip on the final hardening. Make a cast iron skillet of cornbread and put the part in it. Cook at 450 to 500. When it's ready to eat with a golden brown top your part is done. That way it's not over tempered and brittle. A German bladesmith taught me that and it works very well for hardening. Just let it cool in the cornbread for an hour or so then fish it out when it's cool enough to touch by hand. The slow cool is as important as the temp and time to heat it up.