Miller Triggers

[Bill Murphy]

I have never seen the variation with the selector on the top tang next to the top lever. That sounds like the Infallible Trigger made in Lancaster, PA. The three position safety mounted selector is the early variation of the Miller. The rocker style selector is the later and not often seen. Another variation of the Miller single trigger would be the non selective single trigger like is factory installed on the Iver Johnson Skeeter, for example. I have not seen many Miller installations outside of factory guns with this variation. I may be mistaken, but I seem to remember that the factory Ithaca Miller trigger installation was sometimes a non selective trigger. Dave Noreen could clear up that mystery. It was great to meet Ken and Dan at Hausemann's in their new business uniforms.

[Autumn Daze]

Thanks for clearing that up Bill.I had thought that the tang mounted safety was a Miller variation now I know thats it's an Infallable trigger.

[Austin W Hogan]

Miller began as a one man operation and continued as a two man operation. We will probably continue to find different versions as additional Miller equipped guns appear. Miller equipped guns often have unusual dimensions and configurations because they were used by very competitive shooters. I have a Miller equipped 32 inch , BTFE, straight grip, VHE with no safety. The safety filler has PH like engraving hiding the patch. The barrels are .740 diameter with chambers and forcing cones more like a Super Fox than a Parker. The stock has had its Monte Carlo removed and replaced; it has also been repitched at least twice. There is a threaded hole in the trigger gaurd where a pistol grip was once attached.
I think that recent events indicate that a significant collecting niche is developing involving the connection of unique ( and ordinary) guns to distinguished shooters. Many of these were fitted with Miller triggers.
Fitting a Miller trigger requires welding the mounting stud to the floorplate, and bending the sear levers. Few parts would be recoverable when converting to a double trigger.

Best, Austin

[Dick Miller]

Bill,
The non-selective trigger found on Ithaca NID's is a Howland, identified as such on my Field Skeet 20 by Walt (you saw this gun at the Vintagers). As I recall from a conversation with Walt this trigger was designed by Howland, who was an employee of Ithaca.

[Drew Hause]

Harry Howland of Ithaca Gun Co. applied for a patent of the Miller copy "Ithaca Selective Single Trigger" in June 1928 and was granted Ptd.# 1,818,852 Aug. 11 1931; and a non-selective trigger Pat #1,889,049 in 1932 and #1,987,402 in 1935.



Infallible



Pics of several single trigger variants are here, along with one not yet IDd
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22972484

[Autumn Daze]

With out getting too far off topic here.I just converted my VHE 16 gauge"Hot Rod"skeet gun to double triggers after the Parker single trigger proved to be too far gone.And I love double triggers. We fitted a 1 frame double trigger floor plate and replaced the sears with standard double trigger sears as Austin has mentioned and off I went.I shot it this past weekend at Ernie's and other than the fact that the stock is really too high for sporting it performed great.

PS.....I kept all the original parts so the gun could be converted back in the future...

[Harry Collins]

Here are a few photo's of Uncle Bill's VH 16's Miller Trigger:

[Bill Murphy]

I won't say any more about the pre Howland single triggers in Ithaca guns until Dave Noreen checks in.