Lyman Electronic Digital Trigger Pull Gauge

How many of us know the actual trigger pull weight on each of our rifles? It’s a good idea to find out, especially if you have adjusted the trigger weight yourself, as it may be a lot lighter and therefore more unsafe than you think. For my testing, I use a Lyman Electronic Digital Trigger Pull Gauge, which cost me £71.50.

The unit

It’s a battery-operated unit that is powered by 2x AAA batteries. It shows a plastic housing and has an overall length of 11½” (29.2cm). Its accurate measuring range is from 1oz (28.35-grams) to 12 lbs (5.4kg), with a resolution of 0.1oz for weights from 0 to 5 lbs, and 0.5oz for weights between 5 and 12 lbs.

It is equipped with a large, easy-to-read LCD display, and is push-button operated for zero, clear, and averaging up to 10 separate weight readings. A retractable steel hook that measures 5¾” (14.6cm) can be rotated to any 90º angle to suit the user’s requirements.

Push the button

There are four main buttons in orange below the LCD screen. Pushing any of them activates the gauge, then you need to press ‘LBS/GM’ to select pounds/oz or kg/grams. Next, place the extended arm and its roller section in front of the trigger blade. Once in position, press ‘Ready’ and an audible beep will be heard, informing you that the device is good to go. Keep the Lyman parallel to the bore and pull the trigger until the rifle dry fires. Try to make it one continuous, smooth operation. I would definitely recommend the use of snap caps to avoid accidental damage to the firing pin.

After taking a reading, the digital display shows the actual weight for each individual activation. After taking 10 individual readings, you then have the option to automatically calculate the average pull weight by pressing the ‘AVG’ button. By pressing the ‘CLR’ button, you will wipe the memory. It is worth noting that you should not press the ‘Ready’ button twice, otherwise, you will add a 0 reading into the string and cause a false average.

Just so you know

It took me a while to figure out how to shut it down, as there is no off button! It turns out that it just automatically shuts down after three minutes if no buttons are pushed. Also, ‘LO’ will appear on the LCD screen to indicate low battery power, and the operating temperature is between 0 and 40°C.

Conclusion

The Lyman Electronic Digital Trigger Pull Gauge is a great asset to have in your toolbox, as it keeps you and your rifle safe, especially if you like to adjust the triggers on your firearms.