Target Sports

GALLERY RIFLE: KIDDING AROUND

Created on 19th May 2009

GWYN ROBERTS looks at trigger tuning and puts the KID10/22 match grade unit to the test

ANYONE SEEKING extra points in Gallery Rifle competitions, especially those within a few points of progressing to the next classification, will find a decent trigger unit should do the trick. You can take away most of the sloppy feel of a Ruger unit by re-profiling or installing a setscrew in the sear. You can also reverse the trigger-return spring and plunger, or remove them completely and try to make up your own trigger-return spring system. You can even lighten the initial pull weight (not let-off weight) of the trigger, but at the end of the day there is only so much you can achieve by tinkering due to the unit's actual design. Spend £150 or more on tuning parts for your Ruger unit and it will still be nowhere near a KID trigger.

Back in March 2003 I got hold of my first KID ‘Match' 10/22 trigger unit and did a test with two of my Junior shooters - Sarah, 15 and Nick, 16 - to see if using a lighter trigger release would improve their performance. Both were reasonably experienced shooters, having competed for over a year or so in various 1500, Bianchi and Steel Challenge matches, and Nick could certainly hold his own shooting a 10/22. Theydecided to shoot a couple of 1500 stages as it is more of a precision match where using a better trigger should prove its worth. Both Sarah and Nick shot using the standard club triggers (all ‘tuned'), then put those targets to one side and took some time to get used to the new KID unit before again shooting from the different positions and distances. The improvement in their performances using the KID unit was clear in the quicker Match 1 (10 and 15yd - 12 shots in 20 seconds). Nick managed to keep most shots within the X-ring with just a couple of 10s and Sarah, who is lessexperienced than Nick, still kept most of her shots consistently inside the X and 10-ring. ‘Pulled' shots were virtually eliminated in the Match Three practice (shot at 25yd as we only have an indoor range), and the weak hand and kneeling position scores were much better, and both shooters found it easier to keep their sights on the centre of the target as each shot was fired.

With the crisp let-off and much lighter trigger-pull of the KID unit they could release each shot almost exactly when they wanted to, from any shooting position. Due to the mechanical operations of a Ruger-based unit it is much harder to keep the sights fixed inside the target centre, as the increased pull weight and ‘roll over' sensation during the trigger travel tends to pull the rifle to the side or downwards slightly nearly every time. ‘Snatching' a shot even slightly on a 50m target will usually cause the bullet impact to be at least a couple of inches off-centre - sometimes a lot more.

Trigger trouble

After 10 years of trouble-free use, one of the springs in my Jewell trigger unit has broken - time to replace it. At £200 it was certainly not cheap, but the performance benefit was to be worth at least double that once I had got used to it. Working out at £20 a year, this is probably one of the best investments I have ever made. Having had a KID Match unit on loan for nearly five years now, I knew which replacement unit I was after, but getting hold of a KID was looking like a challenge. Trying to import anything to do with firearms from the US at the moment is a gamble to say the least. Even our British RFDs are having major problems with export and import regulations, which seem to be changing for the worse on a weekly basis.

The KID (Kidd Innovative Design) company is run by Tony and his wife Maripat Kidd. Tony is one of the top gunsmiths in the USA and is the man responsible for designing this exceptional trigger assembly. This is the trigger unit that helped Troy Lawton become the first shooter to win the US National Silhouette championships with a Ruger-actioned auto-loader, instead of the typical bolt-actioned Anschutz rifles used for this kind of match. Looking on the KID website I found the European sales contact was Greg Goldsworthy of Rude Fat Dog firearms in Ilfracombe, North Devon. After a quick call to see if he had any in stock, a black Match unit was immediately in the post and heading for Wales, and at £186.95 (or £192.75 for a silver unit) I was pleasantly surprised at the price.

Setting up

During my conversation with Greg I mentioned that I may have been a bit over-enthusiastic with the Allen keys on my previous KID. I had misunderstood the ‘Americanised' instructions and subsequently had set about altering everything possible in the quest to find the perfect trigger - which of course failed. Even having it ‘re-zeroed' didn't fix it completely, so be warned.

Greg asked what I wanted the feel of the trigger to be (reach, ‘take-up' travel, first-stage weight, second-stage let-off weight etc) explaining exactly what each one did, then told me to put it in the post and he would sort it out for me. While he had it I also asked if he could install one of the flat-bladed triggers that I had seen on the website. This could increase the reach slightly, which for me would be a good thing. The trigger blades are available in either black or red and with a straight or curved profile. It was posted to him Tuesday lunchtime and by Friday morning was back with everything adjusted properly to suit me, along with another silver unit bound for a good friend in Germany. Excellent service, I think you will agree.

Unlike the Ruger unit, which is cast, every KID trigger housing is machined from 6061-T6 Billet using the latest CNC and EDM technology. Top quality is evident everywhere you look, with no loose or ill-fitting components to be found anywhere. The 10/22 KID Match trigger is a two-stage design and mine arrived from the workshop set at 9.5oz for the first stage (‘take-up' or ‘slack' weight) and 15.2oz for the second stage (trigger release). As most of my 10/22 shooting has been done with a single-stage Jewell trigger (no slack or trigger creep at all) Greg set the first stage movement of the trigger blade to about 3mm with a 4.5oz weight. This is just right for me as it gives good feeling up to what I call the second-stage contact point, which is where the second-stage plunger engages to release the trigger once the second weight pressure has been exerted. The release weight on my trigger unit is now set at 8oz and needs only the slightest increase in feel to release each shot when I have the sight in the middle of my target. This will definitely help me shoot better at 1500 targets at 25 and 50m. It should also pay dividends when I am shooting Metallic Silhouettes (a challenge I have set myself for later in the year) with targets all the way out to 100yd. Not only does it look a bit different but the flat trigger blade also provides good contact with the pad of my index finger (instead of the first knuckle join as before) and helps to ensure the smoothest possible release I could get.

As well as having an ABR (automatic bolt release) built in, one of the best features of the KID is that the trigger reach (as well as cant) is adjustable. I had the new flat blade installed as far forwards as possible to increase the trigger ‘reach' as I have large hands. KID recommends keeping the first-stage pull above 3oz for safety reasons while trigger release weight (second-stage) can be adjusted anywhere from 2.5lbs right down to 6oz. This means that you can swap it easily from one rifle to another.

Magazine release and hold open device Americans rarely use 10/22s for weak, shoulder or kneeling shots because they can shoot their 1500 and Bianchi matches with the pistols and revolvers they were designed for in the first place. This is why the KID unit does not come with an Ironwood lever attached. For any newcomers, this is a small rod positioned just in front of the trigger-guard that allows you to pull back the slide and Ironwood lever at the same time, so the action is quickly locked open - a requirement while moving between shooting positions during some of our competitions. Having an engineering background, Greg is already working on this type of magazine release. It will rest under the trigger-guard allowing you to drop a magazine with the flick of a finger and to hold open the action quickly in exactly the same way as an Ironwood does.

With the seemingly endless adjustment possibilities of the KID trigger, Greg recommends using it as it arrives in the box until you get accustomed to its feel and operation on the range. Then, supplied with the four-page ‘British' instruction manual which has been kindly interpreted by Nigel Graham, you should then be able to adjust everything you need to suit your shooting style and preference. The instructions are now very clear and easy to understand. If you buy one and are still not confident on how to adjust it properly Greg will, for a nominal fee, fine-tune it for you and send it back by insured carriage. I am more than happy with my new set-up now and my practice results over the winter months look very promising.

Cautionary note: I would advise against a novice shooter buying one of these units until they are competent in all aspects of firearms handling and safety practices. I'd then recommend they undertake some good pre-competition training to make sure that they can safely adopt the various ready and required shooting positions and safe loading and reloading practices before moving up to a KID trigger. Once these skills are mastered, however, it should be one of the first priorities on their ‘must-buy' list. Anyone wanting a KID Match trigger should take advantage of the good UK/dollar rate and get in touch with Greg on 01271 865870 or check out the website at:

W: www.rudefatdog.com