Thanks guys. I was able to get a decent 8oz break but with no first stage. I might have to settle for that
Back out the most forward screw (in front of the trigger shoe) a little, until you get what you like for a first stage.
I have two AP16's. I got one set really nice a long time back. Then I bought a second right after the Russia-Ukraine thing started. Sorta as a spare parts gun...
Anyway, I did a little adjusting on it, but the trigger's always seemed tight in the frame.
So...with your questions about your gun, I decided to see if I could figure out the problem with...my gun.
There's two pieces of nylon (?) rod in the trigger. I assume as rubbing blocks to keep the trigger action smooth. One of the rods was not evenly placed in the trigger, so the front one was rubbing one side of the frame, and the back one was rubbing on the other side of the frame, making it a bit snug. So I fiddled with the positioning of the misplaced one of them until it was better centered. Wha-la, that fixed the stiffness problem.
I did a little more adjusting, and just like you said, I needed to back the front adjusting screw out a little to get more "first stage". All is well now.
Try a half a turn out, see how that feels. You can go farther. Backing that screw out all the way, does no harm to any other adjustment, like some have an effect on other screws.
Mike