TargetTalk

I've just bought a new Pardini SP pistol (in .22LR), and have been
havinig some trouble adjusting the trigger. The manual supplied with
the pistol is a poor effort, with unclear instructions and typos.

What I would like to acheive is the following:

1. A two stage release, with a light, reasonably short first stage
that comes to an abrupt stop at the second stage.
2. A crisp let-off on the second stage with mimimal over travel once
the shot is fired.

I have this set up on my Hammerli AP40 air pistol, and in the
interests of consistency, I'd like the same trigger characterics on
both pistols - let off weights excepted.

What I find is that the first stage (trigger take up) is quite stiff,
even setting the tiny inner screw (CS) to minimum weight. Presumably
this is caused by the take up spring. What's less comfortable is that
there is no obvious "stop" after the first stage. You keep pulling and
the gun fires with a surprise break. I can't tell where the first
stage stops and the second begins.

The Pardini manual is confusing. Can anyone who's used the pistol
explain the following:

1. The manual says to turn screw RG (the largest screw that contains
an "inner screw" [PS]) clockwise to lengthen second stage travel. This
makes no sense to me as the effect of screwing in this screw is to
reduce the amount of travel in the *first* stage. In fact, if you
screw it in too much, the gun won't fire.

Have I misunderstood the meaning of first and second stage? I have
always taken the "first" stage to be the pressure taken up on a
trigger before you reach the "second" stage, at which further pressure
will eventually fire the gun. The Pardini manual appears to call this
"first" (or intial) stage, the "second stage".

2. Similarly it calls the screw PP (on the top of the pistol just in
front of the rear sight) the "first stage weight". In my book, this
changes the second stage (i.e. the let off weight).

3. What is the purpose of the screw labelled CP in the diagram - this
appears to be inaccessible with removing the grips (which isn't
obvious, and isn't covered in the manual). This is described as being
to adjust "first stage travel". Using Pardini's logic, I take this to
mean the second stage travel. Is this the amount the trigger moves in
the second stage before it fires? How does this relate to the setting
of screw TS (the trigger stop)?

The gun is certainly very nice, but the manual is attrocious!

Thanks for any help you may be able to give me.

John Wheeler.

AFAIK the manual is correct. I was adjusting my HP and SP1 electronic only last week. Unfortunately my gun is in Switzerland along with the manual so I can't confirm what I actually ended up doing but certainly on my electronic (22) I had similar problems to those you describe and it ended up being all due with the other screws. First and 2nd stage weights on my gun couldn't be adjusted properly so I had a more or less one stage trigger, otherwise it wouldn't pick up the test weight. Easiest answer might be to speak to your pardini main dealer.

Rob.

ADJUSTING THE PARDINI SP/HP TRIGGER
This pistol is designed to have a two stage pull and most shooters who take the time to get acquainted with a two stage system end up liking it and doing better than with the American "High Standard/Model 41 " trigger. To use a two-stage pull, you pull through, or "take up", the longer "1st stage" quickly to where you feel the sudden increase in resistance which is the onset of the "2nd stage" which is short and crisp. As the 2nd stage is "squeezed" through more slowly, the gun fires. The take up of the 1st stage is automatic on recoil during timed and rapid fire and becomes hardly noticeable in a very short time.

OK. Lets take the Owners manual in hand and open it up to the middle of the book where it shows the trigger mechanism and the instructions on adjustment. As we will be doing lots of "dry-firing" be sure the dry fire plug is in the chamber of the pistol on the SP (not really necessary for the HP.) We need to start with screw "CP" which accessible only after taking the grip from the gun.


The SP trigger Assembly

1. Back out screw "CP" counterclockwise about 2 turns.

2. Back out strews "PG" and "TS" counterclockwise about 2 turns. At this point you should have play between the trigger bar/disconnector and the sear and you should have plenty of sear engagement with the hammer. You may or may not have two stages to the trigger pull.

3. Back out "PS" counterclockwise about 2 turns. Back out "CS" a couple of turns. Now you should have a long continuous creepy pull with lots of "free-play" or take-up. At this point, while the trigger pull is like that of a double action revolver, you will at least have a "safe" gun. Now lets refine:

4. Turn "CS" in clockwise until you feel the "2nd stage" appear about at the end of the pull. (You will have contacted the spring-loaded ball bearing inside "CS". (The load on this ball is determined by "PS".) You can fine-tune the length of this "2nd stage" by tiny adjustments in "CS" until you get the kind of feel you like. Most shooters want this to be "crisp" or in other words a short 2nd stage (the part you squeeze off at the end of the pull).

5. Now there are two parts to the "front" part of the pull. or "1st stage" . The initial part is the taking up of the gap between the trigger bar and the ear of the sear - this is usually called the "free play" The other part is the real "1st stage" and in this pistol design you are sliding the sear almost all the way out of the hammer notch during this stage. YOU MUST HAVE SOME OF THIS "1st STAGE"!! The most common error in trying to customize the feel of the trigger on this gun is to "dial out" all the 1st stage and make the trigger like a Model 41. This is what makes the gun "double" and not hold. etc. We control this amount of sear engagement and thus the "1st stage" with screw "CP". So, now:

6. Turn in screw "CP" so you have some definite 1st stage travel (after the free play take-up). Leave as much of this travel in as you can tolerate. At the end of this 1st stage travel and before the hammer falls, you will contact the spring-loaded ball bearing and be at the 2nd stage - which is short and crisp. If not, go back to 3 and 4 and play around until you do.

7. Now turn in screw "PG" to adjust the free play or take-up. Make sure that the trigger bar will go up into position after the gun is cycled and the trigger released and then leave just a tiny bit more for reliability.

8. Now we are ready to adjust the weight of the total pull. This is to be 2 lbs. for NRA rules and 1000 grams for UIT rules (2 l/4 lbs). The weight of the 1st stage is controlled by the sear spring (which is essentially non adjustable) and by screw "PP". The weight of the 2nd stage is controlled by screw "PS" which is inside "CS". The total weight is usually divided up equally between the 1st stage and the 2nd stage. This makes the pull "self-calibrating". When you are in a match, the arousal level often creates deceptive sensory input and one day the trigger will feel very heavy and another day very light. With this kind of set-up at least you know that when you take up the 1st stage you have applied 1/2 the required pressure. This can be very comforting in a major match where you don't want to be too conservative on the trigger and lose time and yet also don't want to "shoot a snake in the nose" while at the 45 degree ready position. So, turn the appropriate screws the appropriate amount until you get the balance of weights on 1st and 2nd stage you prefer.

9. Finally, lets adjust the over-travel of the trigger after the hammer falls. This is done with screw "TS". Turn it in until you have the amount of over-travel you prefer (you have to leave some, you know!)

Good 'Shooting!

NYGORD PRECISION PRODUCTS

Mike,

Thanks for posting that info. It's very clear.

I'm wondering what would be different when adjusting the SP1/SP1RF/HPE trigger? Would one follow the same steps?

Stan