This report covers:
- Back story
- Back to the present
- Twice
- Why the original trigger blade may have been broken
- Last task
- Fixed the safety
- Summary
Today we look at the Rekord trigger that’s in the HW 54 EL breakbarrel air rifle that I reported on in the report titled, Repairing a Rekord trigger. I knew it was broken and I showed that to you.
This Rekord trigger blade has been broken at the pivot hole.
At the time I didn’t know how the trigger blade could have been broken. Then I looked at it closer last Friday and may have discovered the reason. I say I may have discovered it because until I investigate further I really can’t say. What I’m about to write was also written in the report linked above.
Back story
I recently received a vintage Weihrauch air rifle that I will tell you about in the future. When I looked at the barreled action that came from the shipping box, the trigger blade was flopping around in an uncharacteristic way. I examined it and saw what you see in the first photo. The hole where the pivot pin passes through has split open! I have never seen this in my 40 years of looking at Rekord triggers. Apparently it happens, though I don’t know how.
Back to the present
Now we are back to today’s report. I knew the trigger blade was broken, so I tried to install a setback trigger blade sold by TR Robb. That was all in the linked report. But I never got that trigger working, so last Friday I removed the Rekord trigger assembly from the rifle and tried to get that setback trigger working.
After installing the setback trigger blade I discovered that the trigger weight adjusting screw was in the way.
After discovering that the Rekord trigger weight adjustment screw was in the way I spent some time trying to fit the small screw that came with the setback trigger kit into the trigger. Then, when I discovered that it didn’t fit, I spent about two hours grinding down the trigger pull adjustment screw and cutting a new slot to get the trigger to clear. And when I say I did it, I really mean my neighbor, Denny did most of the work.
I tried for some time to find out where the screw in the kit (left) went, but was unable to. So I decided to cut down the Rekord screw (right).
Denny measures the Rekord adjustment screw.
Denny grinds the Rekord adjustment screw head on his Shopsmith rotary sanding disk.
Denny carefully files a new slot for a screwdriver blade. BB did some of this, as well.
After grinding down the head, we filed a new screwdriver slot. The aluminum screw is held tight in the vise jaws and protected by leather.
Twice
We had to do this two times to get the clearance needed for the trigger blade to clear the screw head, and then just barely. And that is when I discovered this triggers real problem. Apparently the grease in the trigger assembly has aged and hardened and it too viscous for the parts to move as they should. However I also see that the sear has been polished, so somebody has had the trigger assembly apart, because Weihrauch doesn’t do this. Also, the grease in the trigger assembly is more viscous than the grease Weihrauch uses.
After the second attempt I cocked the rifle to see whether the trigger would hold. I had adjusted screw 52b, thinking the setback trigger needed it, and I had to put it back before the trigger would catch and hold the piston. Since the trigger return spring was not under tension I had to push the trigger blade forward with my thumb to get the sear to catch.
Why the original trigger blade may have been broken
And this is where I found out perhaps why the original Rekord trigger blade was broken. After cocking the rifle no amount of pulling the trigger would fire the rifle. Now the setback trigger blade is steel, so I could pull hard without damaging it, but the original Weihrauch blade is made from some sort of zinc metal. It well might be that someone tried to fire the rifle with the thick grease in the trigger and broke the trigger blade trying.
The rifle was now cocked with the trigger incapable of firing it. So I took it over to the rubber mulch box, flipped it upside down and tapped screw 52b (the sear) with a hammer. It fired then.
Last task
As I said yesterday, this Rekord trigger can’t be used until it is disassembled and cleaned and perhaps repaired. Until I get it apart I won’t know whether someone has goofed up some of the parts. At the very least I need to clean the thick grease off all the parts and lubricate them correctly!
Fixed the safety
Since the trigger assembly was out of the rifle I removed the safety. It was operating very sluggishly until I cleaned out the thick grease and lubricated it with Ballistol. Now it works crisply, as it should.
I didn’t take the action apart this time because I want to shoot it first to see how it does. But to take the powerplant apart the end cap must be unscrewed from the spring tube.
To remove the end cap the ether injection tube must first be removed because it is attached to the end cap by two screws and to the spring tube by one screw. The end cap cannot be removed before the ether injection tube is removed first. We are all curious about this tube so I did remove it — just to take a picture.
Two screws at the rear of the ether injection tube hold the tube to the end cap…
… and one screw at the front of the tube holds it to the rifle’s mainspring tube.
The ether tube is off the rifle.
Summary
There you have it. I spent about 4 hours with the 54 EL last Friday, trying to get that setback trigger to work. I think I have a Rekord trigger that’s either lubricated incorrectly or one with parts that have been modified or adjusted incorrectly. I plant to install a Rekord from another Weihrauch rifle to get the 54 EL operational and the broken Rekord is a project I’ll get back to.
BB,
what a hassle to fix some wannabe gunsmith’s job.
But I admit it’s often a fine line between things you can fix/improve and things you better leave alone. I have done stupid things, too (who hasn’t).
Somebody at co2air.de who I think knows what he’s doing posted a Rekord trigger overview and tuning guide: https://www.co2air.de/thread/106457-der-weihrauch-rekord-matchabzug-%C3%BCbersicht-zerlegeanleitung-tuning/
He does sand/polish some sears but admits it might be unnecessary. There are some interesting pictures in that thread.
I think when I rebuilt my old HW35E, all I did was clean the trigger with brake cleaner and put some light machine oil in it. I *think* it was a little nicer after that.
Stephan
CptKlotz,
thank you very much for that link. I look forward to perusing the plentiful information on the different versions of the Rekord trigger, disassembly, improvements, etc… 🙂
B.B. what a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.
Was the issue that the replacement adjustment screw that came with the setback trigger the wrong diameter or otherwise the wrong size to fit into the hole where the stock trigger adjustment screw goes? Perhaps it is meant for a newer version of the Rekord trigger that may have a slightly different size adjustment screw, in which case, your only alternative may be to modify the old screw. It seems to me that the older aluminum adjustment screws are noticeably bigger in diameter than the gold-colored adjustment screw on my newer Beeman R7 or R9, for example. Perhaps the fella that sells the setback trigger has some right-sized adjustment screws to fit the older (larger?) hole? I have to run down to measure the adjustments screws on my newer R7 and my older, San Rafael R7 for comparison.
Also, isn’t there some trick to installing the triggers back into the guns, where you have to either engage the sear or pull the trigger first, otherwise, the gun won’t fire? I can’t recall off the top of my head.
For congealed grease and other gunk, I like to blast trigger mechanisms with a product called Gunscrubber spray. It leaves a light film on all the trigger parts, but once it dries, you can still add your favorite lube to all the right bits and pieces. I usually had to pull the trigger groups out of my Dad’s shotguns at the end of each season and spray out all the gunk and weed seeds and other debris. Do it outside. Love the stuff.
Both screws are 6mm in diameter. The silvery aluminum one seemed bigger but the calipers do not lie.
Roamin,
As I say below to RidgeRunner, I believe the basic HW Rekord trigger has remained the same for almost 69 years.
BB
Well, what can I say? Sometimes you just have to make it fit with these old gals. More often than not, you cannot get the original replacement parts anymore, if they were made at all.
RR,
In this case I believe all the Rekord trigger parts are still available because the basic design has not changed in almost 69 years.
BB
You are talking about Weihrauch. They probably have available parts from their original offerings.
“The ether tube is off the rifle”. This could be the next T-shirt sentence for me!
BB,
please explain more about this tube.
tomek,
It is a hollow tube with two springs inside and a solid metal bolt that’s under spring tension from the rear. It feeds into the compression chamber through a port in the side of the gun and the ether ampule seems to go into the front to be crushed by the bolt. That releases the liquid that becomes ether gas.
BB
Thank you BB, so there will be ether exploding during shot? Have you ever tried it?
tomek,
If there was ether in the injector and if it was injected after the rifle was cocked, then yes, there would be an explosion. I will not do that because it blows the seals out.
BB
Those crazy Germans! 🙂
Once I put some flammable oil into the compression chamber of one mid-powered sproinger and it did SPROING a lot of smoke and fire, broke the mainspring and destroyed the piston seal. Never thought somebody will make it in a proffesional way like this one 🙂
It would be really fascinating what the thought process behind this product was.
Sure, companies build weird prototypes and experimental products all the time, but you don’t sell them to customers.
Practically speaking, it doesn’t make any sense either. Wasn’t .22 ammunition dirt-cheap in those days? Instead you’re supposed to cock your air rifle, crush ether ampules, get rid of the broken glass and repeat?
This sounds like a misguided product even if it had worked as designed.
Opel once created rocket cars. But they didn’t sell them to regular drivers 🙂
I’m almost tempted to start an inquiry at Weihrauch. Apparently they made them for the Barakuda company who then marketed them.
Then there was the rocket-powered Me163…the Plane That Dissolved Pilots. Interesting, not very practical.
Off Topic- Shooting Bench
The other day I mentioned that target shooting was too time consuming and today I mentioned to Shootski that I may be in trouble for not taking time to shoot my collection and keep them functional.
After some thought, I figured that just shooting one or two a day instead of pulling out my entire collection at a time might work better. But dropping in a CO2 cartridge for a few shots out the back door was a waste of time and money.
A lot of the time spent on target shooting, was simply spent setting up a makeshift shooting bench, Chrony and creating a target set-up.
Then It finally dawned on me. I need a permanent ‘Airgun Shooting Range’ setup in my yard. I have plenty of space for one.
How about a blog on setting up a shooting bench / range. The Good, Bad and Ugly of it. High end, low cost
and homemade ideas. Looking for reader input as well on material used and what to avoid.
I already figured out an unstable, lightweight, folding card table and chair are useless for accurate shooting.
I assume a shaded bench would be nice but what about using a Chrony in the shade? A battery-operated lamp? or another type?
I could search the internet I suppose, but first-hand experience would be nice.
BB, Is it possible for the trigger pivot pin to slide halfway out and let the trigger pivot on half of the pin?
I had that problem with the Mauser replica airgun but it was a problem with improper assembly.
Installed correctly it would never have happened. It affected the safety operation as well.
Bob,
If the trigger pivot pin was driven out with a pin punch then yes, it could pivot on half the pin. It isn’t though. I can see both ends of the pin.
BB
Bob M,
my top tip for an outdoor range is, to have some targets that can be left out in all weathers, ie that are wind- and waterproof. 🙂
Of course, if the targets stay where they are, then their backstops can be substantial. 🙂
HiHiHi
Indeed, a substantial target area would be best. Covers to protect both targets and the box of “tire mulch” used as a backstop.
If one was also interested in archery, the target “bunker” could be made slightly larger to accommodate both hobbies. (toss in slingshots and make that three)
I’ve a friend who had such a target area, but has moved away, and so pictures are not possible,, sorry. But his was about 4 foot by 4 foot and somewhat less than 2 ft deep as I remember it. He had it elevated a couple feet off the ground. A sloped roof and some tarp protected everything.
Ed
BobM,
When you say target shooting do you mean 10M shooting?
First, last most important thing; Make sure you have a safe backstop!!!!
For tables, like with stocks, mass is your friend. I initially made my shooting table out of 3/4″ pvc. Angled galvanised plumbing fixer flanges with PVC legs. Nice and light, easy to move around. Not very stable!
Now I have 3/4 plywood underneath the pvc top and heavy galvanized pipe as legs. Still movable and very stable.
Are you righ handed or left handed?
-Yogi
I am planning to put together a permanent outdoor shooting range, too, at least the target end will be permanent. I have the substantial backstop…three rows of firewood, about 3 yards wide and almost 2 yards tall. That’s the last layer. Probably will put 1 or 2 layers of plywood in front of that and then the targets in front of that. For a bench, I like the portable MTM bench that P.A. sold me. It’s stable, ambidextrous and foldable.
Bob,
If you Google “timber shooting bench” and select images you will get a lot of ideas.
Bob M,
Check out my exchange with bmwsmiley a few down for a portable shooting bench good enough to replace most permanent range concrete benches and also some accessories for it that add to the fun.
I think with the problems you have with trespassing seasonal travelers you need to either camouflage your shooting range or be able to takedown the most obvious parts…
shootski
I noticed several screw heads mangled by either improper tools or using the correct tool improperly obviously done by the previous wannabe gunsmith.
If you have an ultrasonic sink, you could put the whole trigger in the sink with degreaser solution and set a timer. Though this process may have to be repeated if the trigger is heavily gunked up with hardened grease. Thereby you avoid the highly flammable brake cleaner method and its associated hazards.
I have also been considering building or buying a shooting bench. This one in particular from Legacy Shooting Products. They have 4 different version: left, right, and two versions of ambidextrous.
The heaviest is 45 lb.
https://legacyshootingproducts.com/collections/shooting-benches
bmwsmiley,
Wow, those benches are pricey. Certainly sounds like you have the ability to build your own shooting bench. Below are the plans that I loosely followed for my shooting bench (there are many plans on the internet when you google DIY shooting bench, plans for a shooting bench, etc.). Because of my climate and because my bench stays outside all year long I used trex (composite boards/material typically used in building decks. Lots of manufacturers of composite boards/materials other than trex) instead of wood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o94UP-Yis2A
Yes, they are pricey, but no work involved. I was thinking of altering the basic design by using Steeltek fittings and 1-1/4 pipe with double thickness of pressure treated 3/4 plywood. But your idea of composite/Trex boards with pressure treated lumber for a frame sounds more durable with less on going maintenance.
bmwsmiley,
Another shooting bench for comparison shopping:
https://www.doashootingbench.com
Not cheap either but portable and very solid build and a great functional design; the Godfather of Airguns® owns one too. They are heavy!
They offer Military/LE/Fire Discount with Credentials emailed to us
Please call us for questions, or to order by phone:
(435) 218-7766
I use mine all the time.
shootski
I had looked at that bench and wondered if it was sturdy / stable enough but did not investigate it any further than look at the photos. After your comment, I looked at it more closely and I think I will treat myself to a late Christmas present after I return from the Philippines.
You say call us? Do you work there?
bmwsmiley,
I do not work for them.
I just did a cut and paste of their discount info.
These are designed and built by retired/veteran USMC shooters.
They have the optional braces for the ELR but if you properly tighten the collar on the table to central column it is rock solid.
The real beauty is that seat that traverses 360° along with the table top if you slightly loosen that collar when you are in the field.
I have an ARKON Clamp Stand articulated arm that holds my various optics.
https: //vortexoptics.com/razor-uhd-18×56-binocular.html
i use them for glassing or in place of a spotting scope on the shooting range.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1623648-REG/arkon_dslptabmg5_dlsr_camera_mount.html/qa
It all works great together.
shootski
In Germany, the ether system was sold as “Barracuda” , and it is said that it ripped the skirt off light diabolos. And the H&N Barracuda was originally designed to be used in the Barracuda ether system. I have no confirmation on these stories, though.
Mel,
Those stories are correct. The rifle is a Barakuda, the pellets are Barracudas.
Did it rip off the pellet heads? Maybe once in awhile. Not that often. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Weihrauch recommended shooting round balls in the Barakuda.
BB
Worlds fastest shooting airgun ever?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx9SdIMWFhs&t=450s
Kevin,
Cool!
BB
B.B.,
You’ve said it many times recently but think this is further proof that,”We are living in the golden age of airguns.”
My first thought is: Wow. Super cool.
My next thought is: This guy is my kind of nerd…the kind that experiments with airguns.
Then I saw the pop can carnage and thought: This guy must live alone.
Then the serious side of me wonders: What does this guy use as a backstop? No ricochets?
BB,
Thank you for another interesting report!
My favorite part was this bit:
“And when I say I did it, I really mean my neighbor, Denny did most of the work.”
Any time you can get a skilled machinist to do the work for you…that’s smart, in my book. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
Thank you all for replying about a shooting bench and all. Now I must decide which way to go. Exterior decking sounds good for a homemade one. I am right-handed, no ten-meter exclusive.
Thoughts about making a dual-purpose picnic table have entered my mind now. Over analyzing things again as usual.
Bob M
If you have a deck that is above your targets you can save money. I use oak firewood stacked against trees which are backed up by the ground since I’m shooting from my deck above. Baled pine straw separate the oak logs and my homemade targets. The pine straw keeps the target area clean and natural looking plus eliminates ricochets.No pellets need hit the trees. My deck is accessed through my bedroom door making it very convenient to do some shooting. The only expenses are the straw bales and target holders of your choice. I pilfer the oak logs from my large inventory of firewood. I use various shooting rests but a homemade sand bag works too. I have the folding bench Roamin mentions above which is sturdy but mostly place my saddle shaped shooting rest over a deck rail. My shade is provided by an old tilting beach umbrella tied to a deck post. A flexible tie down prevents wind from swinging the umbrella around.
Whatever you decide make sure it is convenient to use anytime you have the urge for a little shooting.
Deck