Lockup - What To Replace - Stock or Trigger Guard?

[awpk03s]

On my last shooting trip with my Garand (5.89M Field Grade), on one of the clips, the trigger guard (stamped) came unlatched while firing. After figuring out what had happened, I slapped it shut and went on shooting. It happened twice in the whole range session (80 rounds).

When unlatching the trigger guard, the assembly just slides right out of the rifle, and the stock slips right off the receiver. Not much tightness at all.

The stock is a beauty for a Field Grade, an HRA stock with good cartouches.

The lugs on the trigger guard aren't totally round, but don't have flats either.

I use some small magnet strips on the bottom of the housing to shim it, which helps make it tighter to close and latch, but it still doesn't seem to take much pressure to unlatch the guard.

I have a spare trigger assembly, and put that in the rifle, and it locks up very tight. It takes more pressure to unlatch the guard on the spare set.

So, my question is a recommendation on what I should look for first in replacing... swap out the trigger guard and call it a day, or is the stock too worn and compressed based on my description?

I appreciate any advice or comments.

Here is the rifle in question:

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/mba656/guns/DSC03968.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/mba656/guns/DSC03963.jpg

[jak]

Does the rifle slide around in the stock with the "good lockup" trigger group installed ? If it doesn't, then I would leave the better trigger group installed and shoot it. You can also try just replacing the worn trigger guard with a new one.

[Punch The Clown]

My 5.8 SG was so tight closing I had to replace the trigger guard with one that was a little more worn. The difference in the two were barely visually perceptible but the difference in locking up was obvious. I little wear on the pins makes a big diff.

[awpk03s]

Thanks guys. I guess I will be researching how to disassemble the trigger assembly to swap the trigger guards and try that for awhile. My existing trigger feels much better than the spare, so I will want to just replace the guard. Then I'll have to send the assembly up to Shuff for a park job, because the trigger guard on my spare looks like crap.

[jak]

http://forum.shuffsparkerizing.com/showthread.php?95-How-to-Garand-trigger-assembly

http://www.civilianmarksmanship.com/striphtml/detailtriggergroup.html

[awpk03s]

Thanks, that hit the spot right there. Easy as pie, until I dropped one of the set's trigger pins and lost it. Arrghh! Standard Parts - here I come again, haha.

[timshufflin]

Squeeze your guard in a vice and carry on wayward man.