Release trigger
 

Is it safe to assume Parker never sent a SBT from the factory with a release trigger ?

And how difficult is it normally to change a SBT back to a pull trigger if you buy one with a release trigger .

Likely it wouldn't be too much trouble to bring the gun back to a pull trigger. Most conversions simply add a "hook" to the trigger to "catch" the hammer and then let it go when relaxing tension on the trigger. The pulling of the trigger still releases the hammer by raising the sear, but the hook catches the hammer. Often one can just do away with the "hook", cutting it off ect. and then adjusting the pull weight if needed. I would guess that you would spend $150 to $300 with a gunsmith and would suggest Phillips gunsmithing here Texas. He does a lot of trigger work for the trap shooting folks. Am not saying what Phillip would charge you, but from what I know of his rates I think my guess would be in line. Hope this helps. JH

Some release triggers can be deactivated at home, if you can get the gun apart. trapshooters.com forum is where the release trigger guys hang out. Ask over there.

That sounds simple enough !

Just talked with my gunsmith buddy and he says he's done something relatively similar but not to a Parker in the past .

I was initially thinking I would need to remove a couple parts and replace them but this doesn't sound so bad .

I feel for the people that need to shoot a release trigger be it trap or skeet !

A friend had a Perazzi TM1 a few years back with a release and I tried shooting it !

And as you can imagine it was a "Charlie Foxtrot". -Edited

Think I shot 6-12 feet over the bird when I "released" the trigger . That was one of the most unnatural feeling things I had ever done with a gun !

Craig, if you take out the release parts, can I have them?

Gotta get the gun first !

Craig, why not let Chuck buy the gun? He is flush with cash since selling his great DHE 12 gauge at the Julia auction.

What about Craig's question re: did the factory produce guns with release triggers?

Bill, that's funny right there! I already have a SBT but it sure would be nice to be able to shoot it with a release left handed. I've shot trap with a release for 30+ years left handed. Switching back to right handed pull is not something that is easy to do once your used to a release. If I shoot trap right handed pull, I flinch 90% of the time. I wish my bank account is as big as you think it is:nono::nono:

Mike, the answer is NO. Maybe Murphy or McCormack may know if Miller ever made a release.

It would be interesting to actually inspect the release parts to see if they have the S/N on them or any name.

I don't know if Miller made a release trigger. You might ask the people at the Miller Single Trigger Company.

I think the question of putting the gun back to a conventional trigger is more dependant on what exactly is in the gun now. We don't know if it is a Parker installed deal or some aftermarket modification. If it is Parker, I am in no way familiar with the design, and I doubt that many others are, if in fact it exists.

As long as no major modifications were done to the gun's trigger plate, it should be able to be put back. And I am sure that modifying the operation of the existing setup is an option too.

You have my sympathy ! I tried shooting a friends Perazzi TM1 20+ years ago with a release trigger ! I think when I uh released the thing I shot 6-12 feet over the bird .

My SBT has a release in it, otherwise I would have passed on the gun! To those that mock the need for a release, you should only flinch badly several times to slowly embrace the release. I shot doubles for years with a release/pull, just recently went to double release, it took two rounds to "master" I don't even think about setting the trigger for the second shot now.....it AINT that hard to learn!

Frank is correct, it doesn't take long to get used to it assuming it's a quality release that is adjusted properly and doesn't pull through meaning that when you pull the trigger to set it, the gun fires. If that happens, all you think about when you set the trigger again is is it going to pull through. It scares the heck out of you when it does this. No problem as long as your gun is pointed down range.

Think about it, you tense up the muscles your hand and finger to pull the trigger but relax your hand and finger muscles to release it. Problem is for most people, the brain get's used to it and switching back to a pull trigger is a challenge.

Arch Bishop,

Trap Shooters are indeed a strange breed!! I'm paralyzed and sweaty just listening to your instruction manual!!! :eek:

Thanks for your comment Fool Man. Ops, I'm not a good typist, I meant to type Tool Man but hit the wrong key! Anytime I can help you, just call:p

If I was still shooting trap, I would LOVE to have a Parker SBT with a release trigger!
I shot an Allem's trigger in my Perazzi on live birds, and a release on a Beretta 391 on sporting clays, for years.
The need for a release is mostly brought on by high volume shooting on repetitive targets. (think trap)
Ironically, I never used a release back when I shot trap. I went to a release on sporting clays to smooth out my game, which it did. It took about 25 shots to master, and added an average of 3 targets per 100 to my game, which was enough to make a difference in quite a few shoots.
I haven't shot any competitive targets in about 5 years, but I can switch back and forth between release/pull/ and double triggers with no problems.
A great example of the effectiveness of the release trigger; My old buddy, Don Criswell, struggled with a flinch for years. Sometimes it was painfull to watch him shoot. He switched to a Beretta 391 and a release trigger, and shot straight up to Master's Class in no time.

I'm going to send my SBT out tomorrow to Phillips Gunsmithing for a release. After developing a bad flinch on the trap line, I've been on a release for 5 years. I'm selling the trap gun and will still need a release. The price I've been quoted is $275.

John, are you sending Phillips a Parker SBT?

Yes, a Parker SBT.

Here we are 4 months later on the subject of a release trigger in my SBT gun. I just got it back from Phillips Gunsmithing without a release trigger. Seems this gun, S/N 235555, has a different Parker trigger assembly than what he is familiar with. Trying several avenues of effort, Phillips was not able to install a release trigger that he felt was as reliable as I would want. He was up in Arkansas - and looked at a SBT with a release in the same trigger configuration - that he thought would help him with my gun. After time had passed, Phillip was not satisfied with the result, so . . . C'est la vie.

Huh... I don't think there was any variation in SBT trigger mechanisms over the course of production of the model.

According to Phillip Crenwelge, (I am hazy on exactly what part is different) the trigger part where he would do the release install is angled upward, where all the others he has done is a straight. I'm just the piano player here.

My guess is that he has never worked on a Parker single.

That's a possibility, Guillermo. I will take up the lantern of Diogenes and begin a search. If there's a navigator in the crew, perhaps this can be a rewarding experience.

For one that flinches, be it every shot or once or twice a round it is VERY frustrating, it took me maybe 3 rounds to get used to it, and maybe another 2-3 rounds when I went from release /pull, to release /release for dubs. feels so natural now...every once in a while I'll pull out my Citori XT, with Pull triggers, yup the flinch is still hiding in there....:banghead:

It seems that trapshooters are the ones most often afflicted with the flinches. Any guesses as to why that is? Intuitively, with a trap gun's higher stock, there should be less tendency for the gun to rotate up and hit your cheek.

Trapshooters probably shoot more shots in a day or a season than most other clay shooters. (300 is typical) I don't think the flinch is from gun fit, just repetition and maybe recoil.....or in my case a crappy trigger in an old 1100.

Trap Shooters
 

Trap shooter are a different bred, I collected SBT for many years and was constantly surprised by the modifications, improvements and abuse they apply to their firearms.
I've thought about writing an article about their abuse for years and it probably would be listed under fiction has collectors wouldn't believe it!!!

PS: extremely high condition Sousa with ported barrels, first years production LC Smith with butt stock modified so a ugly pierce of pine could be added to raise the comb.

PS: I love shooting Wobble and Bunker Trap but you can modify a piece of history without destroying the firearm and still achieve high scores.