Sear Magnification

So,

I have been piddling around with a recently acquired Power Custom stoning fixture trying to match the angles on an EGW and Harrison sear so I can log them for future reference.

One of the problems I am having is due to my magnifier not being enough to get a really close look to check progress.

What are you gunsmithing gurus using for a magnifying lens? 

Thanks!

Most use 10x

What are you looking for?
Jon

I am simply looking for a closer view of the sear to make it easier to determine the angle of the sear in relation to the stone.  I figured you gunsmiths would have a few specialty tools such as a magnifier to check the accuracy of your work and was curious to know.

Some pistolsmiths do. I'm not that concerned because I do trigger jobs for a feel. In otherwords there is more than one way to skin a cat. Sear can mate perfect (same angle) or angled up or angled down or true radius. Then you have lots of relief or next to none. Shooters don't care what it is......they care how it feels. Certain methods as described to different things to the feel. Blacken your sear with felt marker. It will tell you a lot about what your doing. I know a lot of pistolsmiths that swear by the TR sear. I'm not completely sold on it because it doesn't always give me the feel I'm looking for. Having said that I'm not a fan of triggers with longer than short to barely medium roll. If you like that kind of long pull than I recommend TR sear or KC hammer sear goodies
I use the Power jig 98% of the time. Use the felt pin and don't be scared to experiment. Get some used sears and have at it.
Jon

I am not a gunsmith but I stayed at a Howard Johnsons once. This is what I use for fine work. Cheap but clear and they work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnifying-Glass-Lens-LED-Light-Lamp-Visor-Head-Loupe-Jeweler-Headband-Magnifier-/252438525619?hash=item3ac68236b3:g:-pkAAOSw3YNXbzBo

Jon Eulette wrote:Some pistolsmiths do. I'm not that concerned because I do trigger jobs for a feel. In otherwords there is more than one way to skin a cat. Sear can mate perfect (same angle) or angled up or angled down or true radius. Then you have lots of relief or next to none. Shooters don't care what it is......they care how it feels. Certain methods as described to different things to the feel. Blacken your sear with felt marker. It will tell you a lot about what your doing. I know a lot of pistolsmiths that swear by the TR sear. I'm not completely sold on it because it doesn't always give me the feel I'm looking for. Having said that I'm not a fan of triggers with longer than short to barely medium roll. If you like that kind of long pull than I recommend TR sear or KC hammer sear goodies
I use the Power jig 98% of the time. Use the felt pin and don't be scared to experiment. Get some used sears and have at it.
Jon

I completely understand what you are saying.

When I installed the EGW sear into one of my 1911's, there was zero sear prep work done.  I wanted to see how the sear felt as is and it turns out that it was a great trigger pull for me and I really liked the way it felt.  Now that I had a known quantity, per say, I figured I could get the sear angle measurement and place them into my log for future use.  If I wanted the same feel using a sear such as the Wislon value line sear, I could plug the numbers back into the Power Custom fixture and walla!  As I gain experience in stoning sears, I can move away from the measurements taken from the EGW or Harrison sears and experiment a little which I plan on doing eventually

Thanks

You're probably going to find that if you take your trigger set and put it in several different receivers you're going to get different felt pulls.  The receiver pin locations has just as much to do with the feel of the trigger as the parts sets do.  I use a TR sear almost exclusively now, and just about the only thing I use my Powers fixture for is the undercut or secondary.  I keep that on 18 clicks because it really doesn't make any difference.  I'm making a clearance cut.  For your primary angle I would recommend having a constant starting setting of "X" and then as Jon said use your marker and move the fixture where you need to.

Having a full complete precision machine shop I don't have purchased jigs and fixtures. I don't like them and make what I need and in most cases I use the precision grinders to do my sears and hammers. I also have toolmakers microscopes and optical comparators with magnification exceeding 200X. I can assure you that high magnification will do you no good. A sear done on a machine using extra fine diamond wheels that look like a mirror finish will look like the Grand Canyon under high magnification. Though having the above machinery I normal do my sears as Jon and KC mention. Black or Blue permanent markers work great, Prussian Blue is good too. Don't use Dykem, it's too think and designed for layout.

Jon Eulette wrote:Some pistolsmiths do. I'm not that concerned because I do trigger jobs for a feel. In otherwords there is more than one way to skin a cat. Sear can mate perfect (same angle) or angled up or angled down or true radius. Then you have lots of relief or next to none. Shooters don't care what it is......they care how it feels. Certain methods as described to different things to the feel. Blacken your sear with felt marker. It will tell you a lot about what your doing. I know a lot of pistolsmiths that swear by the TR sear. I'm not completely sold on it because it doesn't always give me the feel I'm looking for. Having said that I'm not a fan of triggers with longer than short to barely medium roll. If you like that kind of long pull than I recommend TR sear or KC hammer sear goodies
I use the Power jig 98% of the time. Use the felt pin and don't be scared to experiment. Get some used sears and have at it.
Jon

Care to share the settings you get the best results with on  the powers for the sear face?