Henry Rifle Forums

Since having an H001T for the past 2 months, and after putting at least 2000 rounds through it, I've realized that the trigger needed some work. I thought I could try it myself. But just in case I botched something, I e-mailed Patrick at Henry, and asked if he could send me a few extra springs for both my H001T & H001M. They came in the mail a few weeks ago.

My thought was, I'll sacrifice the slanted trigger spring in my H001M (which has an amazing trigger feel) and snip off some of the rings, bend, pry, re-align etc, and grind down the one end flat, like the factory spring. I'll re-install one of the new springs that Patrick sent me, and if I screw something up, I'll have another extra, just in case.

NOTE: The original trigger spring for all rimfire models indicates 7 rings total, with the 1st and last ground flat. (SEE IMAGES) OMG, what a major, painstakingly agonizing PITA it was to do this. I had to snip 3 rings with wire cutters, using nail clippers to hold one end of the spring, then needle nose pliers to stretch it, then snip, then straighten, bend, pry, you name it. Finally, after 1.5 hours, I had 5 rings, stretched just slightly longer than the original. I used needle nose pliers, and a Dremel with a grinding attachment to grind and flatten the end I had cut. And it actually WORKED!

I re-assembled the rifle, installing the trigger and spring with MOEN clear silicone plumber's grease (I had no "gun grease") It's extremely tacky, and seems to hold the spring in place even better than the original factory gun grease. (I hope it's ok to use the plumber's grease) After re-assembly, I chambered an empty 22 casing into the rifle via the ejection port, with the previous firing pin strike in a different place on the primer. The small amount of grind was still there, but the trigger squeeze weight/pull was shorter, and much lighter before the hammer fell. I'm going to get my gunsmith to polish the sides of the trigger, the sear, and make it ultra smooth to get rid of the grind. Then it should be stellar.

I continued firing it with empty casings, with the safety bar engaged, cocking, de-cocking, firing, ejecting, and it's absolutely safe. The one thing I do notice now, is that when the hammer is 1/4 cocked, the "CLICK" is softer feeling and sounding. But the release of the trigger is so much softer and light. What I'd LOVE to do, is remove the trigger after it's been polished, bring it to someplace that can 3D print the trigger, and have a machinist make an identical copy of the Henry 22 trigger, but change the shape of the crescent to this old Mossberg 22 training rifle's trigger. They're so ergonomic and comfortable, and I wish the Henry trigger felt like this. SEE: H001T & H001M Trigger & Spring images below:

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Very good thorough write up! The very thing I love to read about...

henry22 wrote:... I've realized that the trigger needed some work...

Great instructional photos and description, Henry22. Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Great job. Did you measure the break before you started work? How far down would you like to take it?

Thanks guys. I just wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it. In this case, because the original trigger spring in my 22 mag was slanted (not sure how it got that way). — It could be from me pounding rounds through it over the last year, and over squeezing the trigger when the hammer is down etc?

I should have clarified that I removed this original spring from the 22 mag, and replaced it with a new one that Patrick sent me. I cut 2 spring coils of 7 from the original slanted/skewed spring. I had a very difficult time trying to straighten out the 3 slanted coils, and 2 of them ended up being cut to keep the spring as cylindrical as possible, yet there's still a wobble in it, but when it's installed, it works fine.
After I this, I had to squash the last cut coil, as close as possible to the coil below it, trying to make them meet, close enough that they were almost touching, then grind the surface flat, then stretch the spring out to the same length as one of the new ones, but just slightly longer, probably by 1 - 1.5mm.
I never measured the break before the work, but it was definitely more than a 3 pound pull. My CZ has a 1 pound pull, and it's nowhere near that light. I feel/sense that it's probably somewhere around 1.5-2 pounds. I'd like to leave the pull weight where it is. It is absolutely lighter, and breaks more easily, but my gunsmith can also polish the sides and sear of the trigger, because it's contact with the hammer as it releases isn't smooth enough, there's a feeling of something catching - just before it breaks.

The cut spring has been stretched out to the point where the spaces in between the coils are wider than the original.


QUESTIONS:

1) Is 4 coils ok? Did I overdo it?

2) Is the plumber's silicone grease ok for this application?

3) If I ever had to do this again, is there an easier way to grab the one end of the spring and stretch it out to make room for cutting the coils? — Without over bending the coils?

Much thanks.

I think 1.5 to 2 pounds is much too light except for a pure bench rifle and then it is a maybe. You will find that it will go off by just looking at it wrong. But then that is true of a lot of light pull firearms. When handling it loaded always have the barrel pointed down. Pointed straight up just the weight of the trigger itself will let the hammer fall. There is a sweet spot where it will trip the hammer and make it go to half cock and not fire. Try for that spot. I have found that it is possible around 2.5 pounds but not much below.

Grease can add an extra pound pull in very cold temperatures.

Sir Henry, last night, with an empty casing in the chamber, I 1/4 cocked the rifle, put it on my work table in a front and rear rest, and whacked the butt of the rifle with a rubber mallet - 7-8 times, I was afraid I'd break the plastic butt plate.

But the hammer never fell.

1.5-2 lb. will hold fine if you don't reduce the sear engagement. Filing down the sear is what gets most folks in trouble and makes triggers dangerous. A lot of rifle triggers and sears are not hardened very deep and will wear out quick after being filed down. Just a polishing of the rough spots on the sear and trigger and no angle changes or getting it out of square.

henry22 wrote:Sir Henry, last night, with an empty casing in the chamber, I 1/4 cocked the rifle, put it on my work table in a front and rear rest, and whacked the butt of the rifle with a rubber mallet - 7-8 times, I was afraid I'd break the plastic butt plate.

But the hammer never fell.

Try it again bumping the butt on the ground.

Sir Henry, I don't think that's necessary in my case. I whacked the butt stock very hard with a rubber mallet, and I tried it again without the plastic butt plate, so I wouldn't break it. This rifle is only for bench shooting at my range. I don't hunt, probably never will.

Bandit, I do need to have the trigger polished, somewhere on the outsides of the trigger, it is rough, and it catches a bit when the sides of the trigger grind slightly against the L & R walls of the frame, I can see it with the receiver cover off.

What I'll do, is have the smith do the polishing and smoothing, then install the original spring with all 7 coils, try it, then try it with the cut modified spring with 5 coils.

I'm not looking for a 1 pound trigger, but light enough that it will feel like a bench gun.