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The Model 798 is based on a Mauser action and trying to make a one-size-fits-all trigger for something as ubiquitous a Mauser, which has been produced in variations too numerous to catalog, is a Sisyphusian task.
But all I needed to complete the job was to bend the trigger’s safety plate away from trigger in order to give the bolt enough clearance from the safety. I did this by placing the trigger plate in a soft-jawed vice and bending it to the correct angle with needle-nosed pliers. In addition, I had to open up the inletting of the stock just a touch around the safety, again to give the safety enough room to move back and forth unencumbered. This was accomplished with a file.
Lastly, I had to remove a bit of metal from the inside of the trigger guard to give the bottom of the trigger plate the appropriate clearance, once again in order for the safety to move back and forth. A file would have worked just fine, but my Dremel tool equipped with the correct bit made quick work of the job. I touched up the freshly-filed metal with a dab of instant bluing agent and the rifle was good to go.
I’m planning to replace another factory trigger with a Timney in just a few days, on another Remington 798, as luck would have it. As I write this, I’m on my way to northern Alberta to hunt bears, and one of my rifles is the 798 Safari in .375 H&H that I mentioned in this post on sighting-in.
The factory trigger is about the only thing on the rifle that I don’t like. I’m able to shoot the rifle well enough off the bench and even from well-supported prone and sitting positions. But as I would like to bring the .375 to Africa in June as my light rifle for plains game, I’ve done a bit of practicing with it off shooting sticks, which is the most common way game is shot in Africa. The amount of creep in the factory trigger does not inspire confidence (or good accuracy) from a standing position, so a new trigger (or “fire-control mechanism” as some have taken to calling it) is in its future.
If all goes well, the new Timney should be waiting for me when I get back next week and I’ll be able to transform the Remington 798 into the sweet-shooter it deserves to be.
As an aside, if you’re interested in replacing a trigger on one of your guns and have questions give the guys at Timney a call. The number there is 866-484-6639. They’re good folks, knowledgeable and very helpful.
_ —John Snow_