Improved Chinese trigger with built in sight.

So I really like my "Improved" Chinese trigger. It has a really nice trigger pull, and it always ends up in the ready to cock position automatically after each shot, and I just think it looks cool. The addition of a deep slot in the front of the lock allows the use of standard 3 at 120 degrees fetch.


The only draw back is that until now I haven't  been able to come with a sight system I like.  But then I thought about a peep sight built into the left long claw. Here is what I came up with.
Rear "peep" sight:

The front sight is a simple pin type made from a screw and a small scrap or aluminum and looks like this:


This is the sight picture:


The rear sight is almost invisible unless you look real close:


It works great! It gets on target fast and more accurate than I expected. Shooting off hand I was able to keep almost all shot within a 4" circle from 35 yards. Much better than I can do instinctive with my recurve.
This is now my favorite Xbow. It is very light and handy and the 150 LB Barnett recurve sends arrows down range at 227 FPS. Not a power house but fun to shoot and enough power to hunt with for sure.

NICE


Chaz

Hello Chaz; I built the Chinese trigger also .I am wondering if you found the the hole positions critical .I miss drilled the pivot and had trouble. Only a couple thou,but that was to much . When done right, it ended up to be a real smooth ,self cocking , rock solid  set up. I like it.I also am playing with an adjustment screw for the trigger set.
I really like your bow. Nice job.

c sitas that is jaeger 22's work which I was likewise noting as very nice, however what you are doing sounds interesting as well.

Chaz

It's not a hard job. Just spend the time and pay your dues. It was fun, and, very gratifing when you go to recock the lock. It's just plain and simple smooth.

Thanks Guys. Yes the alignment is somewhat critical. With the three interacting parts, any small change in the length, angle, or hole location of any one part will effect the others. When I made a fairly radical change, dropping the front pin to allow room for the Fletch slot, I had to do a lot of tweaking to get it working right. 

Sitas wrote:I also am playing with an adjustment screw for the trigger set.

Good idea. This is mine. The back side of the screw also acts as alignment/retainer pin for my trigger spring.


Trigger springs were not included in the original Chinese triggers design and they relied on gravity to drop in place when cocking but I like extra security of the spring. Part of the "improved" bit. It makes a nice reassuring snick when it locks.

Hey Jaeger,Ah-hum. Great minds think alike. I did'nt use a spring yet.My bar looks just like yours. May I ask where you located it. And yes just like you said about the hole that was a little bugger.If I was better equipped I would like to show a picture. But, I'm a computer almost illiterate.I have to say though ,this thing is smooth to function. The peep sight is a good thought also. And at the range your shooting the sight should be easy to slide the arrow over to hit the mark.Chaz has a rael cool build there.It's great when things work out.

Sitas wrote:May I ask where you located it

I assume you mean the spring? It was an after thought so I just dug out a bit of a pocket in the wood behind the trigger. The adjustment screw holds it in place on the trigger.
It was hard to get a good picture even with the trigger guard removed but i think you can see what I mean here:

I have to put it in after the rest of the trigger is installed with needle nosed pliers so it is a bit of a pain but it works fine once in and will not fall out.

Well , things like this are what make each build unique in it's self.And Im' also sure that this kind of installation would have been done right on the battle field " if they had springs".You get what I mean though.

Looks like you've got that lock design just about perfected, Jaeger. love the integrated peep sight. I just might have to copy your design for my next build, or better yet, you go into mass production and sell me a few copies!
Gnome

Thanks much Gnome. My son has started programing the CNC machines to make them but he keeps getting distracted with the bigger jobs.   I will have to get on him!

Sadly , the trouble with is we all like to eat.