Ok... how the heck do you get the trigger and hammer to align easily when installing?

[Skyyr]

I've put together my fair share of lower receivers, and with exception to the trigger/hammer installation, I can do it fairly easily. However, I always seem to have a freaking %^&%$ of a time getting the trigger and the hammer to align with their respective holes in the lower receiver.

I seem to have a problem with getting everything to align without using both hands. If I use both hands (one on the hammer, one on the lower), I can align them easily, but then I'm out of hands to install the hammer pin. I can get one trigger or hammer pin in, then "wiggle" the hammer/trigger in place to get it to align, but that seems brutish to me and I don't want to risk widening the holes on the lower receiver.

What's the trick to it? Any advice?

[boombotz401]

I saved the slave pin from a Geissele trigger I bought awhile back, makes it a lil easier


I usually throw on a glove to hold it in there easily enough until the slave pin catches...I can't stand installing triggers either though


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[Skyyr]

I saved the slave pin from a Geissele trigger I bought awhile back, makes it a lil easier


I usually throw on a glove to hold it in there easily enough until the slave pin catches...I can't stand installing triggers either though


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I have a slave pin, but even then, the pin has to be perfectly aligned to go in easily without taking off any of the anodizing around the receiver holes. I've seen lots of factory trigger installs that have zero signs of install marks, so there's got to be a trick to it.

[boombotz401]

Subbed for the answer aswell, before a neighbor sees a lower fly out the window....sometimes it's a bit easier with it in a lower vise block but I feel your pain!


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[scooter22]

Use a vice.

Keep the holes aligned with a punch.

The orientation of insertion may make one way easier than another.

[Ryno12]

You're wasting a hand by holding on to the lower. Use a vise block to hold the lower. Use one hand to align the holes & the other to insert the pin.

[Skyyr]

You're wasting a hand by holding on to the lower. Use a vice block to hold the lower. Use one hand to align the holes & the other to insert the pin.

I have a vice block, it just never occurred to me to use it for trigger installation, as I felt like I had greater control holding the lower. I'll try this - thanks!

[Steve-0-]

Once you have the trigger in, align the hammer springs, push it forward then pull back and engage it on the disconnector. it will lock into place and make things a lot easier. KNS makes a hammer installation tool that you might like also.

http://www.knsprecisioninc.com/hammer-cage.html

[Col_Crocs]

Trigger/Disconector are pretty easy. Not much spring tension. Look through the pin hole, align, and slide pin in. Keep aligned and finish pushing it through the other side. It's mostly done by hand and a few very light taps with a plastic hammer or even the butt of a screwdriver. I do the same with the hammer, albeit, with a lot more effort due to the spring tension. An auto sear, however, is a whole-nother story from my experience but I've never marred or nicked the pin holes on a lower, thankfully.
I like Steve's tip though. I'm going to try that next time.

[MistWolf]

Here's how I did it. Also, make sure the safety selector is in the FIRE position

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?72111-Installing-the-Geissele-SSA-E-Trigger

[quackhead]

The KNS hammer cage is the heat- especially for installing multiple trigger groups

[MWT]

Due to a lack of vice, I held the lower with my knees and used a slave pin. I also sweared. A lot.

[Robertsk1]

Use the slave pin, align the holes…. I don't have any fancy blocks or vice grips. I don't build lowers, but I have replaced my triggers. It is incredibly easy. I use a little hard rubber hammer (won't mare the finish) get the holes lined up, put some tension on the springs so the holes stay lined up and hammer it in. The pin can be placed in by hand and after that is done it will hold the trigger/hammer in place so you can then use one hand to adjust the hole alignment and then hammer in the pin to finish the job. I find many people over think these things.

[Gunfixr]

I just use my hands, one to hold the part being installed, the other to push in the pin. No vise, no blocks.
I put the trigger spring and disconnector spring on/in the trigger, push it into place, and start the pin, pushing it in until it is just about to poke through to the center disconnector area. Insert the disconnector, move it around to alignment while pushing slightly on the trigger pin until it falls through. Sometimes it just doesn't want to work, so I'll look through the other side. Push the pin in until it hits the other side of the receiver, and move the trigger into final position to finish getting the pin in.
Put the spring in the hammer, and, holding it by the top part, push it down into position, looking into the hole, and insert the pin. Once the pin is to the other side, move the hammer around until it's aligned, and finish installation.
The lower just sits on the table, but it's not much different off my lap. I do apply some oil to the pins, and slide them into their respective parts, to spread some oil in the holes. I install the hammer pin with the retention groove closest to an end away from the receiver, so that I only have to jump the pin past the hammer pin retention spring once, instead of twice.

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[fledge]

I've found this helpful, especially when pins are stubborn.

https://geissele.com/fitting-pin.html

[TacMedic556]

Selector in the FIRE position. done. No vice, no super tools or anything.

[jstalford]

Fitting pin makes it much easier for me.

[trinydex]

i use one hand to hold the lower and the trigger/sear and put the pin half way through. flip the receiver so you can see the hole misalignment, then finish pushing the pin through. sometimes you need a little tap from the hammer for the finishing.

the hammer can be done similarly.

if there's a trick it is to balance the spring pressure against your thumb and use your eyes a lot.

[ColtSeavers]

I just use my hands, one to hold the part being installed, the other to push in the pin. No vise, no blocks.
I put the trigger spring and disconnector spring on/in the trigger, push it into place, and start the pin, pushing it in until it is just about to poke through to the center disconnector area. Insert the disconnector, move it around to alignment while pushing slightly on the trigger pin until it falls through. Sometimes it just doesn't want to work, so I'll look through the other side. Push the pin in until it hits the other side of the receiver, and move the trigger into final position to finish getting the pin in.
Put the spring in the hammer, and, holding it by the top part, push it down into position, looking into the hole, and insert the pin. Once the pin is to the other side, move the hammer around until it's aligned, and finish installation.
The lower just sits on the table, but it's not much different off my lap. I do apply some oil to the pins, and slide them into their respective parts, to spread some oil in the holes. I install the hammer pin with the retention groove closest to an end away from the receiver, so that I only have to jump the pin past the hammer pin retention spring once, instead of twice.

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Pretty much this exactly. Two strong steady hands, and a stable enough surface. No problems.

[KITTEN_FRENZY]

Just put a glove on the hand that's handling the hammer. It's significantly harder doing it with bare hands.

[LoveAR]

vice
vīs/
noun
immoral or wicked behavior.
synonyms: immorality, wrongdoing, wickedness, badness, evil, iniquity, villainy, corruption, misconduct, misdeeds

vise
vīs/Submit
noun
a metal tool with movable jaws that are used to hold an object firmly in place while work is done on it, typically attached to a workbench.

[johnson]

I've always done what Steve said above. Once the hammer is engaged on the disconnector you can just hold it down with your thumb since there's less spring tension. Then wiggle it around trying to get the holes aligned while pushing in the hammer pin. No vise or hand tools needed.


edit:

Wait, are you installing both the trigger and hammer at the same time? :confused:

Here's Brownells' instruction video. Instead of using the punch at 3:38, I flip the hammer down (while pushing forward) to engage the disconnector and hold the lower/hammer down with one hand while using the other to get the pin started.

How to Install an AR-15/M16 Trigger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O901e-Nd4Ow

[pag23]

I used the slave cylinder when installing my SSAs but it was still a pain... but I didn't remove the grip either

[Kdubya]

Lot of good suggestions here. I'll throw in my .02 cents that's served me well, which is very similar to the punch method. I was at Lowes and saw they had some brass, steel, iron, etc rods near where they have wooden dowel rods. I picked up a brass one. I can't remember the exact size I went with, but the circumference is slightly smaller than the trigger and hammer pins. It came in like a 3 foot section and I cut about a 4-6" piece off.

From there, I pretty much install everything as you would if you were using slave pins. Hand-fit everything in there. The Trigger pin never is all that difficult. The slave pin works fine for that. The hammer is what used to give me trouble on occasion. Once the trigger is in, I position the hammer and then use the Brass dowel rod in place of the slave pin. I find it works much better for two reasons. One, is that I don't have to put it all the way through from one side of the reciever to the other. This is because, two, the length of the rod gives me leverage to gently torque the hammer around with pretty fine movements. From one end I'll start the hammer pin, and the other will have the dowel rod inserted almost all the way through to the side of the reciever where I started the hammer pin. From there, I have one hand applying pressure to the hammer, and the other hand working the brass rod to get everything lined up. Small movements with the rod and when it's lined up use the index finger of the hand applying pressure to the hammer to get the pin started into the hammer's "channel". Once it's in there just a little, keep pushing it through, torquing the brass rod if necessary. Done.

I realize this may sound much more complicated than it might seem, but I don't know of a better way to concisely explain the process. I can assure you that it quite an easy method and will probably have your new trigger installed in less time than it takes to read my post.

Ultimately, I think this is one of those, "do what works for you", type of things. There are a lot of different suggestions here, and as you make your way through them, I'm sure some will just "make sense" to you. Give a couple of them a try and you'll end up finding one that clicks.