trigger lubrication ?

[Brians356]

Should this advice for cleaning with lighter fluid. etc., be followed for all factory triggers???

I believe so, yes. But if it would help you sleep, by all means ask the manufacturer if they're still in business.
-

 

[Stephen Frith]

Lighter fluid doesn't leave a residue, or if it does it's not a lubricant.

I ran an experiment: I cleaned an inch-square portion a plate of glass lying on my bench squeaky clean using Gun Scrubber and paper towel. Then I poured a small puddle of lighter fluid on that spot and let it evaporate for a few hours. With a desk lamp reflecting off the glass, I could not see any residue or film remaining. Then I took a fresh strip of Scotch Magic Tape and stuck it firmly where the lighter fluid had evaporated, rubbing it down and letting it "seat" for a minute. I then grasped one end of the tape strip and peeled it off. It took the same force to peel from the glass as when I subsequently ran the same tape test on glass cleaned only with Gun Scrubber. If there was the faintest "film" of lubricant on that glass, the tape simply would not stick nearly as well if at all. Looking at it another way: Any film of lubricant slight enough not to affect the tape would also be too slight to provide any lubricating effect on a trigger.
-

brians,
Good experiment. Now to tackle all that water in compressed air...
S

 

[yukonal]

Thank you for all the replies. I blew it out with carb cleaner as you guys recommended. I must say that I have an expensive Geissele trigger in my AR and they sell lube for it. Rock River Arms used to recommend no lube on their trigger but now they do recommend lubing it because of wear.

whole different animal, than a bolt gun.

 

[Brians356]

Thank you for all the replies. I blew it out with carb cleaner as you guys recommended. I must say that I have an expensive Geissele trigger in my AR and they sell lube for it. Rock River Arms used to recommend no lube on their trigger but now they do recommend lubing it because of wear.

There's lube and there's lube. What specific product does Rock River recommend?
-

 

[Will Henry]

I use Canadian Forces arctic spec gun oil cut with Varsol. I believe in some lubricant as well as corrosion protection. I also believe in reasonably frequent cleaning. WH

 

[LHSmith]

Should this advice for cleaning with lighter fluid. etc., be followed for all factory triggers???

Yes. And lighter fluid is simply naptha. I buy it in 1 quart cans labeled VM &P Naptha at the local hardware store. Oil in the trigger has been taboo for decades. As far as BR rifles, they are designed to break as low as 1.5 ounces with extreme consistency and yet remain adjustable. A consistent trigger pull that breaks like glass is paramount to accuracy. Any oil in the trigger will alter that as it ages and turns to gum.

 

[tobnpr]

^^^
Yup.
Light naphtha is a petroleum solvent.
I've not as yet seen any documentation that it has any lubricity. Not sayin' it's doesn't- but I've not seen it.
As mentioned, if it leaves no residue...
If it doesn't have lubricity, might as well spray with brake cleaner.

Why aren't sliding parts of trigger mechanisms coated in PTFE, seems that would be a very simple solution but I'm no chemical engineer.

 

[LHSmith]

^^^
Yup.
Light naphtha is a petroleum solvent.
I've not as yet seen any documentation that it has any lubricity. Not sayin' it's doesn't- but I've not seen it.
As mentioned, if it leaves no residue...
If it doesn't have lubricity, might as well spray with brake cleaner.

Why aren't sliding parts of trigger mechanisms coated in PTFE, seems that would be a very simple solution but I'm no chemical engineer.

Perhaps because teflon is soft and the coating wouldn't hold dimensions. I don't know of triggers wearing out as a big problem - even in Benchrest. I cannot see a reason to argue with Bix & Andy, Jewel and other manufacturers of quality triggers. FWIW the brake cleaners today are not the same since they have been altered to pass environmental standards.

 

[dc.fireman]

A zombie thread brought back from last year...

But -

Anschutz makes some of the finest triggers in the world, for their small bore rifles. They recommend a naphtha based lighter fluid, because the carrier agent in the fluid will evaporate, and leave a dry, powdery, waxy film behind, which is enough to provide a small amount of lubrication without being enough to attract dirt and moisture.

My process for cleaning all of my small bore match triggers has been the same for years - remove the trigger from the rifle, and place it in an ultrasonic cleaner for 5 minutes. Once the cycle completes, hit it with a can of compressed air until mostly dry. It doesn't have to be completely dry - the alcohol in the lighter fluid will help to dry out the small amount of water remaining.

Squirt some lighter fluid into the recesses, from the top down, and allow it to air dry. Dependent upon how much I'm shooting at any given time, I do this anywhere from monthly, to bi-monthly. The difference in a properly lubricated trigger vs. a dry trigger is noticeable.

 

[dthomas]

What kind of lighter fluid is used? Zippo or charcoal lighter

 

[Dusty Stevens]

What kind of lighter fluid is used? Zippo or charcoal lighter

Either one

 

[tobnpr]

Same as "white gas" or Coleman stove fuel...

 

[Ranger007]

I use Frank’s Red Hot. I put that S*** on everything.