I need to preface this question by stating I am a beginner to the shooting sports and everything gun related, but will try my best to explain clearly what is happening.

I recently built a kit from J&T, overall it works great, but there is a minor problem that I would like to correct.  Every few rounds or so, the trigger doesn't reset to the ready position immediately, sometimes takes a second or two.  Sometimes it requires tweaking the mag, or the fire selector to get the trigger all the way back out.  Again everything else seems to be ok.  Is this a common problem?  I initially thought it just needed some break in time, smoothening of the firing components (I only have about 200 rnds through it).  But I feel it should function better than it does for being a new rifle.  So that leaves it to my failure as a gun builder, weak spring, or......?

Thanks for any input

...or a slightly out-of-spec lower.

The sear engagement angle is not properly camming the trigger back into place. Is everything clean & lubed?

The problem could stem from having the trigger/hammer pivot holes drilled in the wrong spots, but more likely is because of a weak spring or defective hammer sear ledge/trigger nose angle.

I have a few questions: is the disconnector releasing the trigger, allowing the hammer sear to be engaged, whereupon it hangs, or is the disconnector holding the trigger up? Can you push the trigger back into place (forward) with your finger?

If the disconnector is the culprit, either replace it or file the hook's underside just a bit, then polish it.

If it's off the disconnector, then I'd try a new trigger first.

Regards, and good luck!

FastVFR800

Everything is clean and lubed.  I cant remember being able to push the trigger back with my finger, but planning a trip to the range tomorrow, so I'll try it then.  I would have no clue by looking at the parts if the holes are drilled wrong, or the lover being slightly out of spec.  Lower is Eagle Arms, not top of the line, but decent from what I can gather.  J&T is good about replacing parts (springs, trigger, hammer, disconnector), so that may be the next step.  I'm a bit leery about filing anything.  Would you recommend that 15 minute trigger job, just to smooth and polish the surfaces?

Thanks fastvfr, you've given me some things to check when I get home, I really do appreciate it, thanks again.

Alkoe,

The problem is that you need to clean up the burs on the trigger and disconnector holes. Leave the contact sears alone, DO NOT FILE ON THE SEARS!

I use a counter sink and Q-tip with polishing compound spun in a drill to clean up the passages and entrances.

It looks like I have Friday evening open (need to go to Boulder in the morning) if you are in Denver and what to stop by the house and let me loose on your rifle for a hour, (been on holiday this week and need a break from golfing).

IM me you want to get together.

Hard to discern the cause with your desc alkoe, but the trigger can fail to reset if the disco drags on the middle hammer hook instead of releasing it cleanly. Sometimes there is a rough spot or raised ridge inside the middle hook where the tip of the disco grabs.

To expand on what fastvfr800 said.

You should be able to duplicate this malf at the bench dry firing by hand with the upper off the gun. Hold the trigger to the rear, cock the hammer onto the disco and slowly release the trigger. Remember to keep the hammer from striking the lower rec. If the disco doesn't release the hammer when you release the trigger then contact between those two parts, hammer and disco, MAY need some light stoning. There are other causes for this failure but this is the first area to check. Check then advise.

You should take Dano up on his offer, it'll save years off your life.

[edited for attribution]

Thanks Everyone!

I think I will take Dano up on his offer.  It sucks being a newbie and not really having anyone show you the ropes.

I sent you an IM Dano, friday afternoon works great for me.

hope to hear from you...

EDITED TO ADD:  Yes, I can push the trigger forward to get it set again.

Guys, after this is fixed, be sure to come back and tell what was found to be the cause, and the repair that was done.

Turned out that the trigger spring was mounted upside down with the legs pressing against the hammer pins, instead of down against the lower receiver cavity. I started laughing after just shotgun’g the action open and looked inside.

While I had the FCG out of the rifle to correct the spring, I installed a pistol grip set screw above of the grip screw to take up some of the slack (had trigger movement between the trigger and selector when set on safe; not fairly tight against the bottom of the selector). Since Alkoe had asked about the 15-minute trigger job in his e-mail, I would just do my version of it since I had the parts out.  

The FCG was really good for mil-spec, yet I beveled a disconnector pin opening to take off a slight bur on one side, and cleaned/polish the hammer/trigger sears (still had some small burs on the edges from milling, very minor but causing the trigger sear to engage on one side of the hammer sear only, it showed up when I smoked the hammer sear to check contact alignment). Tweaked the hammer spring to drop the weight down to 4 lb range, but left some creep in the trigger.    After the FCG parts have mated to the receiver (firing to finish breaking in the FCG and allowing the anodizing to wear in the pin holes), I will have Alkoa come back so I can adjust the disconnector and hammer sear to take the last 1/8” creep out of the trigger (the set screw took a lot out of unneeded creep from the start).  Checked the extractor claw and channel, it looked really good (still took a file and cleaned the mill burs off the edge of the channel cut) Also checked the firing pin protrusion to confirm that it would work with the lighten hammer spring.

All and all, the Eagle receiver and the J&T kit looked very good.  The fit between the receiver and the upper were not as tight as when you use a RRA receiver, but the little movement that the two can be tighten up with a Accuwedge for a nice rock solid mating of the two.  I had not laid my hands on a J&T kit in a few months and it was nice to go over a kit that needed no attention (still had to tinker or it wouldn’t seem right).   What little work that I did to the rifle was really not needed, it would have just broken in normally under live fire, but since I had the rifle open, I just polished out a few small milling burs to have the trigger smooth from the start, instead of having to fire it until the parts broke in.

Hint: For anyone in the market for a kit, J&T is on top of the must buy list.  You get Colt, Armalite, and Bushmaster quality, with out having to pay the extra money that is caused by the others having to mark up to pay for their SOT/FFL (competition against their own completed rifles).

P.S. Alkoe, your daughter was great and well-mannered, Tam even comment on her having a blast hanging out with daddy.  Tam and I went to blockbuster after you left and a woman had here 2-year-old boy in the store.  The little spawn from hell fell out in the checkout line and a time-out wasn’t stopping the fit he was having. The nice thing about the ordeal was we where checking out when he (satin’s child) let loose and didn’t have to sit threw the whole show.

Dan beat me to the follow up post, which is probaby a good thing.  He did a much better job explaining what he did.  As he described, the initial problem was due to the trigger spring being upsidedown, completely my doing.

I couldn't have been happier with the experience!  Dan is a great guy, took almost 3 hours out of his day to help me out and took the time to describe what he was doing.  Definitely above and beyond what I was expecting.

Thanks again Dan, I am very grateful!

I've seen guys who put the hammer spring one backwards have similiar problems to what you describe.

I guess I feel pretty luck. I have never had a single problem or jam with my J&T kit.