Pistol internals in a tumbler??
- Thread starter Skybolt
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Don't think walnut shells are going to do much if anything to something that has a fairly high hardness. If he put more than one piece in at a time he may end up with problems from them running into each other and rubbing against each other. Poor idea. If it had any merit shops all over would be doing it. They are not.
The only issue I see is no benefit from it. They won't smooth up your action any. Steel is much harder than brass so other than cleaning the parts there will be little to no polishing action. At least not enough to make your action feel any better.
Protocall_Design
Vendor
It would clean the parts about as well as it cleans brass. That's all you would get.
A lot of people use walnut and tumble small metal parts, It would clean them very well,and make them shiny, but would probably not do much in a way of smoothing the specific surfaces needed to get a "trigger job". I don't think it would hurt, just not help much.
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Steel parts that are tumbled are done so with Ceramic not Walnut Shells. The Walnut Shells would be next to useless except for the smallest of burrs. Even if you have Cereamic tumbling media, I'd NOT suggest that method anyway.
I use Hard Arkansas Stones when smoothing out parts or removing burrs which act much slower than files but leave a much smoother part. Since they are also much harder they remove metal at a slower rate and there is less of a chance of removing too much or making parts uneven.
I use Hard Arkansas Stones when smoothing out parts or removing burrs which act much slower than files but leave a much smoother part. Since they are also much harder they remove metal at a slower rate and there is less of a chance of removing too much or making parts uneven.
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Wee Hooker
Member
You'd need to be very careful on what goes into the tumbler and for how long. For instance, a few thousandths can make a big difference on a sear.
Can't beat a good old fashioned polishing on (only) key parts IMHO.
That said, Ruger uses some tumbled parts in their new GP100 Match Champion. It did help with the trigger in mine but it still was not up to "trigger job" standards.
Can't beat a good old fashioned polishing on (only) key parts IMHO.
That said, Ruger uses some tumbled parts in their new GP100 Match Champion. It did help with the trigger in mine but it still was not up to "trigger job" standards.
lefty_jake
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To the OP, this is not intended to be overly critical, but triggers are serious business, so serious discussion is warranted.
Other posts here have addressed the original question about tumbling trigger parts with walnut media, but I want to address the broader issue about looking for shortcuts to improving triggers. Trigger function is critical for safety and reliability, and triggers have sensitive tolerances. There are no shortcuts for getting a good trigger. This is an area where gunsmiths really earn their money.
The basic idea behind trigger job "shortcuts" is to improve the trigger without having a detailed understanding of how it works. This plan is both unsafe and unlikely to work. For all types of trigger work, it is necessary to polish or remove metal in certain areas while maintaining safe tolerances in other areas. Striking this balance requires detailed knowledge about triggers in general and about the specific trigger you are working on.
Now that the question of "shortcuts" has been addressed, I want to discuss reasonable expectation for home gunsmiths. There is a big difference between double action triggers and single action triggers. With careful study, detailed handwork, and some simple stones, double action triggers can often be improved by home gunsmiths. Improving double action triggers generally involves smoothing a variety of surfaces, and the tolerances are not too precise. However, it is still important to be aware of surfaces that should not be touched. Note that this process will involve study and real work, not shortcuts, but it can be achieved. If this does not sound fun, then talk to your gunsmith, he has already put the work and study.
Single action triggers are a different animal. Only a few small surfaces are involved, and the differences between a poor trigger, a good trigger, and an unsafe trigger are just a few thousandths of an inch and a fraction of a degree of angle. Working on single action triggers is beyond the capability of most home gunsmiths.
Other posts here have addressed the original question about tumbling trigger parts with walnut media, but I want to address the broader issue about looking for shortcuts to improving triggers. Trigger function is critical for safety and reliability, and triggers have sensitive tolerances. There are no shortcuts for getting a good trigger. This is an area where gunsmiths really earn their money.
The basic idea behind trigger job "shortcuts" is to improve the trigger without having a detailed understanding of how it works. This plan is both unsafe and unlikely to work. For all types of trigger work, it is necessary to polish or remove metal in certain areas while maintaining safe tolerances in other areas. Striking this balance requires detailed knowledge about triggers in general and about the specific trigger you are working on.
Now that the question of "shortcuts" has been addressed, I want to discuss reasonable expectation for home gunsmiths. There is a big difference between double action triggers and single action triggers. With careful study, detailed handwork, and some simple stones, double action triggers can often be improved by home gunsmiths. Improving double action triggers generally involves smoothing a variety of surfaces, and the tolerances are not too precise. However, it is still important to be aware of surfaces that should not be touched. Note that this process will involve study and real work, not shortcuts, but it can be achieved. If this does not sound fun, then talk to your gunsmith, he has already put the work and study.
Single action triggers are a different animal. Only a few small surfaces are involved, and the differences between a poor trigger, a good trigger, and an unsafe trigger are just a few thousandths of an inch and a fraction of a degree of angle. Working on single action triggers is beyond the capability of most home gunsmiths.
Sharp crisp edges and surfaces result in good trigger pulls, not rounded over tumbled edges.
Thanks lefty, very well written!
I fully understand the importance of maintaining certain tolerances where critical and in hindsight the tumbler idea is definitely not going to give me what I'm looking for.
I have watched a few vids pertaining to "smoothening" up the trigger and feel quite confident I can perform the work without risking the the sear engagement's.
Thanks all for the input!
I fully understand the importance of maintaining certain tolerances where critical and in hindsight the tumbler idea is definitely not going to give me what I'm looking for.
I have watched a few vids pertaining to "smoothening" up the trigger and feel quite confident I can perform the work without risking the the sear engagement's.
Thanks all for the input!
