Replace pins with hex head capscrews?

[Brad0405]

I noticed in a pic in the blog pages, a receiver that looked to have had the trigger assembly pins replaced with hex head capscrews.

Where are these available ?

[Synchronizor]

When you see the factory trigger plate pins replaced with screws or bolts, they're usually securing an accessory like a sidesaddle or optic mount to the other side of the receiver.

SS_both Sides.jpg (52.51 KiB) Viewed 4091 times

Aftermarket companies do offer replacement trigger plate pins that can accept screws in the ends, and are advertised as being less likely to move around under recoil:



I'm not a fan of these, personally. A little bit of movement in the trigger plate pins is normal, and should have no effect on the gun's function or performance. If your pins are actually walking out of the reciever, there's something wrong with your TPA, and you should identify and fix the real problem. These aftermarket replacement parts just make the gun harder to take apart when needed, and can damage the receiver's finish.

[mercman]

Agreed. Save your money for meaningful changes that improve performance, don't waste it on changes that only make your weapon look different. If your pins are walking there's a problem that needs to be addressed.

[DaveC]

If one attaches a side-saddle shell carrier, over-torquing the screws will pinch the receiver and cause function problems.

[Brad0405]

Thanks for the responses. No, esthetics wasn't even a consideration. I'm just a mechanic, tinkerer, Jack of all Trades / Master of Some that doesn't consider the extra time required in removing a screw vs a pin as a consideration. The structural integrity and reliability of a potential battle weapon spawned my inquiry.

[Synchronizor]

Removing screws may not be that much harder than popping pins out when you're at your workbench with all your tools, but when you're out in a field somewhere and all you have is a stick or a piece of wire, pins are much easier to deal with. 870s (and a ton of other successful firearms) use pins because they won't back out under recoil or become stripped with use like threaded fasteners will. Though they can shift around a millimeter or two, this will have no effect on function or reliability, and the 870's trigger plate pins should stay in place through anything short of beating on the receiver with a mallet.

If you want to beef up the pin retention on an 870 without having to screw around (no pun intended) with threaded fasteners, you can add second detent springs to the pin bushings in the TPA. This is a drop-in job for the front pin, which is nice since the front pin retains the shell latches and tends to be most prone to movement. Doing the same with the rear pin will require some custom work to the trigger plate and pin bushing, but that's probably not necessary.