Cleaning Trigger Assembly

[Silverado04]

Got an old Remington Model 788 in .308 here that I'm trying to bring back to life a little bit here to hunt with this season. My old man bought it when he was 14, and it's seen better days. She was pretty gross when I started but bit by bit she's looking better!

I have a question about cleaning the trigger assembly. It's pretty mucked up. I've read varied reports on the internet about some guys scrubbing the external with steel wool/gun oil and spraying brake cleaner inside then drying it out with a hair dryer and calling it good. I'm hoping to get some more opinions on what you experts do or would do.

The trigger works fine (a little heavy for my taste, but it works), but it 'feels' a little..."scrapy"? I think there may be a little surface rust in there. Works fine though. There was quite a bit of surface rust along the external of the barrel. Any thoughts to share?

Thanks!

Before Pics and pics of trigger assembly:



.

[Dick284]

Brake cleaner and a tooth brush to start.
Remington dry lube to finish.

Nothing like those fuzzy lined gun cases eh!

[double gun]

Shoot "rembo" on here a pm, he is a 788 expert. I am sure he will have lots of tips/tricks for you and your project.

[LeroyvdH]

spray it off with brake clean/gunscrubber. Ultrasonic cleaner = Shiney

[JustBen]

If its still a bit "scrapey" after a good cleaning, you basically have three choices.

1. Get a snap cap, and work the trigger a bunch to see if it frees up
2. If that doesn't work, you'd have to take the trigger apart and inspect the sear and bolt for rust. Clean if required.
3. Replace with a Timney or your favorite brand of trigger.

The 788 is a great gun, you'll enjoy it for sure. The wood stock should be free floated and the action bedded for best results.

[Silverado04]

Thanks for the responses guys!

So a toothbrush scrubbing will definitely be in order. I havn't had much to do with trigger work (besides lightening the pull on my T3s, which is ridiculously easy), so I was concerned about damaging something. It always seems like the trigger group is pretty fragile.

I wish I knew someone with an ultrasonic cleaner in town! haha

I suppose I could take it apart, and maybe I should to get some experience in there. I've just always heard not to get in there due to fragility and that it can be pretty easy to muck it up. Any input? Snap caps probably a good idea to get it all worked in after cleaning for sure. Should I follow up with a spray of rem oil internally after cleaning. (Just because it's on hand)

Yeah I should float the barrel, and I've been considering bedding it myself to gain the experience. Debating on taking it in to get bedded too, but that's definitely on the list. Still debating whether to keep the stock or throw it into a boyds. Gonna refinish it regardless.

I'll probably be PMing Rembo a few times if he's the resident expert when I get into the full swing of things in a few weeks.

[fletcher]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Brake cleaner and a tooth brush to start.
Remington dry lube to finish.

Nothing like those fuzzy lined gun cases eh!

I used rem drylube on my press because i didnt want oil near reloading. It gummed up my press ram believe it or not i had to clean it off i wouldnt use it on anything

[Hotwheels81]

It go after it with a brass toothbrush and CLP... Brake Kleen takes oil off, you will be left with a dry rusty mess... CLP will actually help to break the rust down.

When your done cleaning it up then blast it out with Brake Kleen to wash away any filth left inside it.


Timmney apparently makes a drop in for the 788 that's quite nice.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by fletcher

I used rem drylube on my press because i didnt want oil near reloading. It gummed up my press ram believe it or not i had to clean it off i wouldnt use it on anything

I've been running it on bolt internals and trigger groups for near on 5 or 6 years, no issues what so ever. Used sparingly mind you.

FWIW, I used Hornady One Shot case lube on my press ram.

[wolf308]

i blow my out with canned compressed air too ,every so often.... like once/twice a year.

[nitro-express]

I had a few of these when they came out, the trigger is adjustable but I think you have to do a few mods first. I did them myself and they worked well. Sorry, I just don't remember the details but one thing; be careful driving the pin out that holds it on. the tab holding the trigger on is silver soldered on the action. These also responded well to bedding. The 788 had an extremely fast lock time compared to other rifles of the day. I have a set of sights, if you want a picture let me know. They are real cheap sights, but they are around 75$ at gun shows, way too much for what they are.

[coyote_man]

The trigger can be made adjustable by drilling a couple of holes in the housing and then putting in some set screws for adjustment. This isn't a major undertaking but should only be done by someone with trigger work experience. I think I have two articles on how to do the above work.

[Silverado04]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I scrubbed her down with some brake cleaner, and it did a fantastic job of getting a lot of the crap off. It cleaned up pretty nice. She's looking much much better now.

The barrel lost a lot of bluing. It might be worth it to try a little home bluing DIY on it which I've always wanted to give a go. It'd be nice to get the trigger guard and bolt a nice new shine.