doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com DT Conversion

David,
From what I've been told here, my Ithaca trigger is a copy of one of the earlier Miller triggers. It has a wide trigger which would require milling the area between the two trigger slots. I wonder how many iterations of Millers are out there.


Thomas,
On LC Smiths, the converted guns I've seen (both ways, DT to SST or SST to DT) were converted by changing out the whole triggerplate. But certainly removing all the single trigger mechanism is easy enough.

As usual, very useful information - thank you all, especially Chuck for all the pics. It seems particularly ironic that converting a Purdey (and presumably other Brit Best guns) from single to DT is so expensive, given that someone paid a lot of money for the ST in the first place. (A single trigger on a new Spanish sxs is not cheap either - Garbi and Arrizabalaga both charge around $2500 for a ST.)

It sounds like that, particularly with the Brit and Continental sxs, you would need to talk to a gunsmith about the particular gun that you are considering - generalizations do not apply.

...and as the LC Smith guys know, a single trigger installation requires a lot of wood removal in the primary load path of the recoil into the stock. It's clear that the British sidelocks would have that same situation with a single trigger mechanism.

I also think you guys with H&H and Purdey guns are plagued with the "Beverly Hills plumber syndrome". Nobody seems to work on expensive stuff for frugal rates.

Couldn't agree more Chuck. Sorta like the "doctor discount" too.

Chuck, you are correct about more wood is removed between the side plates for a HOT. At an auction I won a Field Grade 16 ga with a HOT and ejectors for a very good price. I knew the stock was cut, and I was fortunate to find another from an Ideal grade but it did not come from a HOT gun. It took longer to set the stock up in my mortising machine than to cut it out. Luckily a 3/8" mortising chisel fit perfect.
I am not sure if the Miller takes up as much room or not, as the only one I have with a Miller selective trigger was converted from a HOT.
Below is a picture of the Miller in my Ideal Grade, notice that the housing for the triggers is the same as a double trigger gun.

Picture of a HOT, notice that the housing is the same for the triggers.

With a HOT trigger on a Featherweight frame, not only does more of the precious wood have to be removed, but metal has to be taken out of the top tang for the spur lever to rise on the firing of the second shot. That is why the safety is manual with a HOT on a FW frame. On a Regular frame, no metal has to be remove, but the safety slide bar cannot be used, and a special one has to be made.

I have a friend who recently converted an Ithaca SKB sxs to DT.