Jewel Triggers

Egotistical maybe, but I think I’m pretty good at squeezing a trigger and waiting for that nice clean break - I don’t flinch and don’t negatively anticipate recoil. It’s a patient game I learned to play as an archer with mechanical release aids and I’m happy - up to press – that I’m not a trigger ‘puncher’. At a recent McQueen shoot, I started to wonder whether, on the rapid-fire type of events such as these, if a lighter (read faster) trigger would improve things. I think I would be dishonest to say that I never ‘snatch’ when shooting quickly and that can easily throw a shot.

So, I researched triggers and although I had a nice clean 2lb break on my factory unit, I knew that with a single-sear design, minimal travel and pull-weight is always at performance. You really don’t want an uncocked firing pin or worse still a slam fire when racking the bolt, never mind at the required McQueen reload speed. The Jewell trigger is one of those quiet little items that stays hidden in your stock and never gets a mention – it’s also one of those rare products that have no peer and no quarrel.

WHAT SETS THE JEWELL APART?

Apart from the highest quality materials like 440c stainless steel hardened to 58 Rockwell for the sears, 300 series side- plates and build-standards, it is that dual sear design, covered by US patents. But what exactly does this mean? In layman’s terms - instead of the trigger (lever) you squeeze with your finger, running directly onto the sear, holding back the firing pin in the bolt, in the Jewell it holds back an intermediate sear of much lower spring tension/weight. This works like a miniature hammer to operate the main sear under the firing pin, an intermediate step that allows two things to happen that do not occur in other Remington-style units. 1,The firing pin is held by a more strongly engaged sear and 2, the trigger itself by a much finer one. Thus the very low pull-weights available from the Jewell do not compromise the safety of the firing-pin engagement. If you want to play with 2oz rapid-fire benchrest trigger with no risk of a slam fire, this is the answer!

FITTING

Fitting the trigger took me about ten minutes requiring nothing more than a small punch to drift the engagement pins through the action. Mine came with its own safety catch and bolt release attached but is available in several formats to suit your particular rifle’s build. It is not a complicated task but be careful not to drop the small springs out of your old trigger unit as its worth saving it all in a bag.

The long bolt stop lever in a Rem 700 needs to be lifted out before drifting the underlying pin through and be careful not to drop the long spring that operates it. One simple tip with a modern smart phone is to photograph it all to remind you how things should `look` but if you are unsure it isn’t a problem for a gunsmith to fit for you when you buy it. One subtle fact that has to be addressed is that the external levers on the side of the trigger might need a small amount of delicate re-profiling on the inside of your stock to ensure correct operation as they are slightly more bulky than the standard unit. Be sure to check all functions are safe and working correctly, if in doubt, consult a pro!

BEWARE ADDICTION

I love things that just WORK. Any adjustments desired can be done from underneath, without taking the gun out of the stock; very handy for a glue-in benchrest action. The safety-catch is superior to the sometimes criticised Remington item as it locks the sear far more securely into the underside of the firing pin. The 1lb pre-set pull-weight was absolute magic and although I had never used a Jewell before, it did impress me where I thought I might have been a little under-whelmed.

The knowledge that I could drop an extra pound off my pull-weight with absolutely no discernible trigger movement and be able to forget the bolt not re-cocking at speed was very reassuring. Before I tried the gun again for real in the field, I did wonder how well I would like the trigger, especially in the upcoming cold, windy, winter weather with frozen fingers?

One word – excellent! You begin to realise how inconsistent some of your other triggers are as even at a pound, the feel of the ‘glass’ break is ultra-consistent and reassuring. Of course very low pull weights are never a magic answer to poor technique and for a hunting or field rifle increasing the pull weight up a pound or two with either the internal adjustments or supplied spare springs might be more appropriate to their requirements! But the crisp reliable operation will never be wasted. It seems daft to say it but keep it clean though; close tolerances like these do not take kindly to dust and dirt intruding on their working surfaces.

My main fear in buying the Jewel was - would it make all my other Remingtons, with various other triggers, seem inadequate? Well, the hunting rifles no but let’s just say I have ordered another one for my long-range target rifle. I am now in the club, I know why no one questions Jewell triggers - there are no questions.