Been a few posts about tuning the T01 triggers recently - lost track of them to post this .
from 2006(or before even ) - original poster unknown by me - thought it may help a few in getting the trigger feel right .
The Secret of the RWS Trigger
What no one seems to know, or wants to tell you, about the RWS trigger system.
One of the biggest complaints against the otherwise excellent RWS Diana air guns, is the harsh trigger. Compared to the Rekford, it possesses a very long and hard pull. We often hear how it can be set to compare favorably to the Rekford once you understand what those two trigger adjustment screws do and how to set them properly. Of course, that’s where everybody stops - nobody bothers to explain what they do or how to set them and the factory manual is of little if any help. Let me take care of that for you right now!
First and foremost, the front adjustment screw - the one the factory manual tells you not to mess with (it’s supposedly for initial factory adjustment only), does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! That’s right, turn it all you want in either direction and it will have zero effect on trigger length or pull. Why? Simple - it does not and will not contact any portion of the trigger mechanism as supplied by RWS.
You see, both adjustment screws are fitted into the nylon trigger block and protrude from the top of the block. When the trigger is depressed they come into contact with the lever that operates the trigger sear. Trouble is, the forward screw is not long enough to protrude through the block far enough to ever contact the sear lever! Even turned in all the way, it will NOT contact the sear lever. Keep this thought in mind for just moment - we’ll return to it in just a minute.
The rear adjustment screw does indeed contact the sear lever. But it contacts it so far to the rear of the lever that you don’t really have much leverage on the lever arm. This is why the RWS trigger is so hard to pull. While you can adjust it in or out, all you’ll do is change the length of the first stage. Moving it in reduces the length of pull before you hit the second stage. Moving it out increases the length of pull before you hit the second stage. But nothing you do with it will change the amount of force required to trip the sear.
A few sharp individuals have figured out that if you could only get that front adjustment screw to contact the sear lever, you’d gain a tremendous amount of leverage and greatly reduce the effort required to trip the sear. So what they’ve done, is to dispense with the rear adjustment screw altogether and enable the front screw to contact the sear lever. This is fairly easy to do - you remove the nylon trigger block and file down about 1mm from the screw seat. This allows the screw to be run in far enough to actually contact the sear lever. And what a difference it makes! Even though the forward screw is only about 3/16th inch further out on the sear lever, it decreases the effort to move into the second stage from a few pounds to just a few ounces!
Of course, the difference is so staggering that many will find that the pull is now far too light. In fact, in some ways it’s downright dangerous! When I say that the trigger pull provided by working off that forward adjustment screw is just a few ounces, I mean it. The first and second stages become almost imperceptible to anyone that doesn’t spend a great deal of time getting used to such a modified trigger. Hand such a gun to an unsuspecting shooter and I can promise you it’ll go off just by him thinking about squeezing the trigger.
So, working off the back adjustment screw requires too much trigger pull effort. Working off a modified front adjustment screw means that the sear trips with almost no effort. Is there any way to find a happy medium? Yes there is and once you perform the adjustment I’m about to tell you about you’ll never again be jealous of your fellow shooters with Rekford triggers.
You will need to remove the action from the stock and remove the nylon trigger block in order to perform step 1.
1. Modify the front adjustment screw seat on the nylon trigger block by filing away 1mm. This creates a small step down into the block and allows the forward adjustment screw to be turned in farther than the rear adjustment screw.
2. Replace the nylon trigger block into the action and remount the action on the stock.
3. Install the front adjustment screw but keep it backed out far enough so that it does NOT contact the sear lever even when the trigger is fully depressed.
4. Install the rear adjustment screw and turn it until you have achieved the amount (length) of first stage pull you desire. The first and second stage of the trigger pull will be VERY distinct working off the rear adjustment screw. You will have no trouble feeling it even without actually firing the gun.
5. Having set your desired length of pull for the first stage with the rear adjustment screw, begin turning in the front adjustment screw until it contacts the sear lever just a fraction of an inch AFTER the rear adjustment screw has contacted the sear lever. This requires a deft touch. About the best way to do this is to turn the front screw in until it contacts the sear lever first and then back it out just enough so that it comes in only after the rear screw has contacted the sear lever.
*You can generally feel when the forward screw has taken over and has contacted the sear lever first because you will sense a slight, almost imperceptible change in the first and second stage. In fact, you’ll feel almost as if the trigger now has 3 stages. Again, it requires a deft touch and good sense of feel to know when you have moved the forward adjustment screw into contact with the sear lever ahead of the rear adjustment screw.
The idea is that have the rear adjustment screw contact the sear lever first, by just a tiny fraction of an inch. This provides a most positive stop between the first and second stages - you would be hard pressed to fire the gun accidentally as long as the rear adjustment screw contacts the sear lever first. Then, with the forward adjustment screw contacting the sear lever just a fraction afterwards, you will find that the greater leverage it then offers allows you to trip the sear with zero creep or harshness. But, you will not be surprised when it fires the gun. It is very light, but crisp and predictable.
Properly done, you will be amazed at how good the RWS trigger now is. I would not trade mine for all the Rekford triggers in the world.
On the advice of a leading tuner the first thing I did was lube the trigger. This is counter to how you handle some triggers BTW. Make up a "sauce" of two parts gun oil to one part moly. Saturate the trigger and let it drip dry. Leave it very wet and greasy.
Next, load the gun and aim it at a safe place. Back out both trigger screws so that the gun won't shoot. Hold down the rigger and run the first stage screw in. It shouldn't fire with it run all the way in. Now while still holding the trigger, slowly bring in the second stage until the gun lets off. Run the second stage in another half turn and you should be fine.
You will have a very longgg first stage with a very light second stage. My gun is 70's model 36 and YMMV.
Russ im glad you spoke up. I think know i can decifer what to do . It seems you like a long first stage and the a guick release on the secound stage by the way you spoke about the adjustment . And i do not find fault in that at all. I on the other hand like a short light pull some might say a single stage pull almost and i think this method would most likely produce that effect for me . Some day i will have to try . I might have to try both ways but im glad you gave another option as well .Marvin
I have thought about this for a minute and want to ask a question. Instead of removeing material to recess the front screw deeper could you simply remove it and replace it with a allen screw that would be recessed in the hole . And could this be done with out removeing the stock . Marvin
Any idea what the diameter and thread pitch is on the screw and i might try and pick one up at ohc and try it later .Im working on another project and when im done with it i will give it a try. Marvin
keep in mind that the stock screws have round tips, and the replacements will also need them.
Most of my TO1 trigger units will fully adjust without modification. I have used longer front screws in the past, but it is so quick and easy to mod the trigger blade that I don't bother with the longer ones any more.
Be careful screwing in the front screw much further than stock. It will reduce the length of first stage...but it also quickly creates a dangerous hair trigger situation. I bought a RWS 34 REAL cheap once with a bent up barrel, and a busted stock because the owner installed longer trigger screws and dialed in a crisp single stage trigger.
