How To Make A Remington 788 Trigger Fully Adjustable

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  • Last Post 27 September 2019
mashburn posted this 04 September 2019

I have observed a lot of people asking how to make a 788 Remington trigger have a lighter trigger pull. I have heard the suggestion of putting a lighter spring in the mechanism. A  weaker spring will have a small affect on the pull weight but not much. The main problem with this idea is if you get too light of a spring, it can weaken and not be able to push the sear up into full contact and a slight jar can set it off. Also a spring of too small of a OD can flex to one side and have the same effect. 

A 788 Remington trigger and the 580-581-582 .22 cal triggers can have the same thing done. This also applies to the 591 &592 5mm mags. Here is how to make one of these triggers adjustable. First drill a hole in the back of the trigger housing 3/8 Inch above the bottom of the housing. This hole should be the proper size to tap with a 6-48 tap. Next drill a hole of the same size on the front of the housing 1/2 inch from the bottom of the trigger housing. These two  holes need to be centered from side to side in the housing You are now ready to take a 6-48 tap and tap threads in the two holes that you drilled. You now are ready to put the trigger back on the rifle.  Next you need two 6-48 screws. With the rifle cocked screw the screw in the back hole that you drilled. By tightening this screw you are now able to adjust the amount of sear contact. If you keep turning the screw the rifle will snap because you pushed the trigger out of contact with the sear. Now you can back the screw back and begin final adjustment. The hole in front is for a screw that adjusts trigger travel .If you run the screw in too far the rifle will not cock when you lift the bolt. Here is how to make the initial adjustment of the trigger. Back the over travel screw back so that is not making any contact. Cock the rifle by lifting the bolt then start turning the rear screw in . I will eventually snap the rifle then turn rear screw out a ways and re-cock the rifle. Now turn the front screw in until it stops turning because the screw is against the front of the trigger, now back this screw off and check the trigger and you should have a very nice trigger. You will have to experiment with how much sear contact you have by backing out and screwing in the back screw. If the trigger won't pull you have the front screw in too far.  After I get my trigger adjusted I cut the heads off of the screws and leave just a little of the screw shank sticking out. I cut screwdriver slots in them at this point.   After I had done a few of these I started epoxying a little piece of steel to the housing where I was going to drill the holes. This added thickness will give you the ability to cut more threads when you tap. The threads in the thin housing will hold with a good dose of locktite but, it is better to epoxy on the little pieces of steel. When you get the trigger adjusted to where you want it, give it a safety check. I always take a big rubber mallet, cock the rifle and give it a healthy whack or four on the but plate. I put lighter springs in but I know what I'm doing and if you don't you may have a unsafe situation. I also make my own springs and I know exactly how strong they are. I also at times do a little honing on the sear. This is usually not needed and is another issue of creating a unsafe situation.

I wanted to post a diagram of this modification and some pictures of one on a rifle but I'm 75 years old and I haven't gotten up the nerve to learn a new process. I do this on gunbroker and ebay but have not done it on any other sites.  If you have questions or get hung up send me a email or give me a phone call and I will try to help you out. I came up with this idea many years ago and have done a lot of them. I don't think you are supposed to advertise on The forum but if you have no tools or mechanical ability I will rework one for you but not for free. I'm not looking for business, I shut my shop down years ago.

The dimensions pictured and the action pictured is a 591 Remington action the 788 is the same only larger. Notice that the over travel screw is not in this particular rifle. If I remember correctly this is the first one of these that I did. .You can lower the position of the over travel screw a little lower and the bolt release won't interfere with adjustment of the overtravel screw, just stay above the trigger pivot pin. Like I said this was the prototype.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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David Reiss posted this 04 September 2019

David,

Email me the photos and i will post them.

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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mashburn posted this 04 September 2019

Hello David,

I will do my best to send them to you tomorrow.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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mashburn posted this 04 September 2019

David,

We are in the process at the moment of sending you pictures. I had my wife take pictures with her phone and send them to your number. I sent a couple of pictures of the rifle and ammo. It is a .17 Mashburn Bee built on a 591 5MM Remington action.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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David Reiss posted this 05 September 2019



David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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David Reiss posted this 05 September 2019

David,

The diagram photo needs to be of a better resolution. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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mashburn posted this 05 September 2019

David,

Like I said, my wife took these with her phone. I'll retake the diagram with my camera and get her to help me send you a much better picture by email.Sorry.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 05 September 2019

mr mashburn ... that is a good idea on the trigger adjustment... i hadn't thought of epoxying on added wall to that thin trigger housing.   .. my 788 is all apart waiting for a new muzzle crown  ( PO had added a stupid muzzle brake to a 223 ) .... so after i add a 222 chambered barrel , i will try your mod.

oh, do you still have that reamer for a mashburn Bee ? ... i would put that in a good barrel on my ruger3 ... my youngest daughter is spoken for, but i might have some other trading goods to barter ...

ken

 

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mashburn posted this 05 September 2019

Hello ken,

Yes, I still have the reamer. I broke the roughing reamer in a moment of stupidity so now I have heck in making loading tools. I have forming tools to make cases from 218 bee through 32-20. The reamer is a shop made reamer, made by the old man Mashburn himself. I've had to stone it a little but it cuts a good chamber. You are welcome to borrow it and I'm glad your daughter is spoken for because I just traded my wife for two 20 year olds  and couldn't handle another.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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Pentz posted this 07 September 2019

Ran across this link today.  http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/Cast_Bullet/Rem788/Rem788_Trigger.pdf.  Good article and a clean image.

 

 

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mashburn posted this 08 September 2019

Hello Pentz,

The trigger assembly housing is not near as thick and this diagram shows. That is why I used 6-48 screws to get more threads in the housing. I will guarantee you that a 32tpi screw will not hold in the thin housings. That is why I epoxied the pieces of steel onto the housing to get more thread support.Thanks for your info and diagram.

David a. Cogburn

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David Reiss posted this 08 September 2019

Thank Pentz for the article and thank you David for the update on the need for a different thread count. All very useful info. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 08 September 2019

diversity ... can't get enough diversity.

so i attach yet another mod to the 788 trigger.   someone sent me this about 15 years ago.  oh, my friend's 308 trigger is different from my 223 trigger.  i didn't notice on my other 788 ... hmmm .

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mashburn posted this 08 September 2019

Hello Ken

Thanks for your response and diagram. Yes, I have also found some differences in these triggers .I can't understand the reason for putting  an extra trigger spring in. The sear spring acts like a trigger spring. Looks like you would just be making more problems to adjust and find the right weight springs .I have always ran the little 6-48 screw through the sear spring. That way if you have to take the trigger assembly off for some reason the sear spring doesn't fall out in the floor and hide. When you get the overtravel screw adjusted properly there is so little movement in the trigger that I don't think you would know the extra spring was there. In the dimensions that I gave the bolt stop doesn't interfere with adjusting the over travel screw and you can even put it lower, just as long as you stay above the trigger pivot pin. The shape of the trigger in the diagram that you sent me is a lot different that the one in  the diagram that Pentz  sent. Most of the assemblies that I have fooled with are more like Pentz's  diagram. .I've reworked 5 of the model 595 5mm mags and they are all alike. I would like to know what era rifle this was. Also if a person doesn't know how to hone sear and trigger they should leave it completely alone and I leave the sear and trigger dry. The only one that I've done that required honing to make it acceptable was an old .243 788.

You mentioned that you might have a 30 cal core mold. If you do, could I deal you out of it.

Thanks again

David Cogburn

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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shastaboat posted this 27 September 2019

It's been years since I replaced the trigger spring on my .223 Rem 788 but used a cut down ball point pen spring.  It is one of the best triggers on any rifle I own.  Breaks cleanly at under 2 lbs and has been quite safe.

Because I said so!

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