Hey everyone,
With all of the new CZ owners sprouting up around here with questions, I thought that a thread that showed the installation of YoDave's Kit might be beneficial to some. I picked up my new 452 Lux in 22lr this morning, and I figured it would make a good guinea pig. I used the leftovers of the YoDave Kit that I purchased for my Son's Scout.
There are several good fixes for the CZ trigger, and there are even different ways to install the YoDave Kit. This is just my method, not the definitive one. Use what works for you. Just be sure that you end up with a safe trigger! Use the bump test, and cycle the bolt repeatedly to be sure your trigger is safe. YoDave recommends that modifications be done by a gunsmith, and that the final trigger has at least 14 thousands of an inch of sear engagement.
And now to the pictures.
I obviously used YoDave's Kit. It comes with four springs of different strength, and four shimming tubes of different thicknesses.
You can order the YoDave Kit by going to www.ebay.com and performing a search for "CZ 452". The kit should be easy to find. At this time, Dave is selling them for $15 plus $3 shipping.
In the next photo, I am pulling the trigger back with my thumb (no shimming tubes have been used yet). The gap shows how far back I can pull the trigger on the Lux without disengaging the sear (the firing pin has not been released). There is an obvious gap between the "shoulder" on the trigger and the face of the sear. If I release the trigger, the trigger returns to the forward position and the gap disappears. The larger the gap that you can produce without releasing the sear, the more creep you are likely to feel in your trigger. Not all triggers have creep that needs to be fixed. Some are great out of the box.
Support the trigger bracket with something solid, yet non-abrasive. Drive out the front pin with a 1/16" punch. The smaller punch allows the peened edges of the pin to bend up and in, making it easier to remove. Gentle yet firm is how I describe it. You don't want to wail on it, and break the trigger. Be sure that your support block does not interfere with the pin moving down while you tap it. I do not remove the front pin completely. I allow it to stay attached to the right side of the trigger bracket. If you are going to replace the front pin with the provided roll pin, remove the front pin completely.
The rear pin is larger and can be removed with a 3/32" punch. Mine was stubborn, and needed more firm than gentle. Again, be aware of where you place your support under the trigger bracket. Keep it close to the pin, but don't block it.
I usually turn the receiver upside down to finish removing the rear pin.
The trigger will come completely loose at this point. You can replace the factory spring with a lighter one now. I had already used the two heavier springs in my American and Scout, so I was left with the second lightest spring. It turned out to be too light for a hunting rifle, but more on that later. You can also place one of the shimming tubes under the sear at this point. The front pin will go back through the tube when you replace the trigger. I recommend starting with one of the thinner tubes first. I used the thickest one to exaggerate the effect, but I will exchange it for a thinner one later. (it probably wouldn't have hurt to purchase a new YoDave Kit before I started, but I like to think of myself as thrifty )
You are ready to reassemble the trigger now. Make sure the pins line up with the opposite hole. Hitting harder won't do any good if the pin isn't started in the hole.
The tube placed around the front pin acts as a shim between the front pin and the receiver that does not allow the trigger to move forward as far as it did before. This reduces the engagement with the sear, which reduces creep. IN THIS PHOTO, I BELIEVE THAT THE ENGAGEMENT IS TOO LOW FOR A SAFE TRIGGER. The rifle passed the bump test, but this is a field rifle, and I did not feel that the amount of engagement was safe for hunting. If this was a benchrest only gun, I might have left the trigger this way. However, in the interest of my hunting partner's health, I decided to put the thinnest tube in instead. I believe that we have a responsibility to err on the side of safety when modifying a gun.
Here is the engagement with the blue tube instead. Much safer. I also switched back to the factory spring. I simply removed the nut and washer to reduce the pull weight. Now I have a trigger with very little creep, and a light but safe pull weight. After taking these photos, I purchased another YoDave Kit, used one of the stronger springs and replaced the nut and washer. This allows me to fine tune the trigger pull weight, which I prefer.
Be sure and do your safety checks before you're done. I prefer to do the bump test before I reassemble the rifle. Cycle the bolt, and then use a rubber mallet to hit the rear of the receiver behind the bolt. This allows you to give it several good whacks without fear of damaging your wood stock. If the sear does not release, you should be good to go.
And here is the final product. Mmmm, don't CZs just make you smile.
I hope this helps answer some of the questions that need pictures in order to understand. Feel free to add your own comments or advice. Enjoy those new CZs!
OKShooter
With all of the new CZ owners sprouting up around here with questions, I thought that a thread that showed the installation of YoDave's Kit might be beneficial to some. I picked up my new 452 Lux in 22lr this morning, and I figured it would make a good guinea pig. I used the leftovers of the YoDave Kit that I purchased for my Son's Scout.
There are several good fixes for the CZ trigger, and there are even different ways to install the YoDave Kit. This is just my method, not the definitive one. Use what works for you. Just be sure that you end up with a safe trigger! Use the bump test, and cycle the bolt repeatedly to be sure your trigger is safe. YoDave recommends that modifications be done by a gunsmith, and that the final trigger has at least 14 thousands of an inch of sear engagement.
And now to the pictures.
I obviously used YoDave's Kit. It comes with four springs of different strength, and four shimming tubes of different thicknesses.
You can order the YoDave Kit by going to www.ebay.com and performing a search for "CZ 452". The kit should be easy to find. At this time, Dave is selling them for $15 plus $3 shipping.
In the next photo, I am pulling the trigger back with my thumb (no shimming tubes have been used yet). The gap shows how far back I can pull the trigger on the Lux without disengaging the sear (the firing pin has not been released). There is an obvious gap between the "shoulder" on the trigger and the face of the sear. If I release the trigger, the trigger returns to the forward position and the gap disappears. The larger the gap that you can produce without releasing the sear, the more creep you are likely to feel in your trigger. Not all triggers have creep that needs to be fixed. Some are great out of the box.
Support the trigger bracket with something solid, yet non-abrasive. Drive out the front pin with a 1/16" punch. The smaller punch allows the peened edges of the pin to bend up and in, making it easier to remove. Gentle yet firm is how I describe it. You don't want to wail on it, and break the trigger. Be sure that your support block does not interfere with the pin moving down while you tap it. I do not remove the front pin completely. I allow it to stay attached to the right side of the trigger bracket. If you are going to replace the front pin with the provided roll pin, remove the front pin completely.
The rear pin is larger and can be removed with a 3/32" punch. Mine was stubborn, and needed more firm than gentle. Again, be aware of where you place your support under the trigger bracket. Keep it close to the pin, but don't block it.
I usually turn the receiver upside down to finish removing the rear pin.
The trigger will come completely loose at this point. You can replace the factory spring with a lighter one now. I had already used the two heavier springs in my American and Scout, so I was left with the second lightest spring. It turned out to be too light for a hunting rifle, but more on that later. You can also place one of the shimming tubes under the sear at this point. The front pin will go back through the tube when you replace the trigger. I recommend starting with one of the thinner tubes first. I used the thickest one to exaggerate the effect, but I will exchange it for a thinner one later. (it probably wouldn't have hurt to purchase a new YoDave Kit before I started, but I like to think of myself as thrifty )
You are ready to reassemble the trigger now. Make sure the pins line up with the opposite hole. Hitting harder won't do any good if the pin isn't started in the hole.
The tube placed around the front pin acts as a shim between the front pin and the receiver that does not allow the trigger to move forward as far as it did before. This reduces the engagement with the sear, which reduces creep. IN THIS PHOTO, I BELIEVE THAT THE ENGAGEMENT IS TOO LOW FOR A SAFE TRIGGER. The rifle passed the bump test, but this is a field rifle, and I did not feel that the amount of engagement was safe for hunting. If this was a benchrest only gun, I might have left the trigger this way. However, in the interest of my hunting partner's health, I decided to put the thinnest tube in instead. I believe that we have a responsibility to err on the side of safety when modifying a gun.
Here is the engagement with the blue tube instead. Much safer. I also switched back to the factory spring. I simply removed the nut and washer to reduce the pull weight. Now I have a trigger with very little creep, and a light but safe pull weight. After taking these photos, I purchased another YoDave Kit, used one of the stronger springs and replaced the nut and washer. This allows me to fine tune the trigger pull weight, which I prefer.
Be sure and do your safety checks before you're done. I prefer to do the bump test before I reassemble the rifle. Cycle the bolt, and then use a rubber mallet to hit the rear of the receiver behind the bolt. This allows you to give it several good whacks without fear of damaging your wood stock. If the sear does not release, you should be good to go.
And here is the final product. Mmmm, don't CZs just make you smile.
I hope this helps answer some of the questions that need pictures in order to understand. Feel free to add your own comments or advice. Enjoy those new CZs!
OKShooter