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image.jpeg I have a 7 year old Para Series 80 1911 and want a HEAVIER trigger pull.

Why?

Well, I'm a klutz, I actually carry this gun in public, and the current trigger pull just feels too light to me. I feel like I need to be TOO careful with it, and don't want the distraction. I don't want to baby the gun, I just want to shoot it.

So, if I change out the stock hammer/main spring for something heavier, will that increase the trigger pull? Stock is 23#. Wolff offers hammer/main springs up to 30#. The current trigger pull is probably around 4# and would like to be more like 5-6#.

What do you recommend?
 
Keep your finger off the trigger unless you intend to shoot? How often do you have to deploy the gun without firing that you need to worry about "being too careful"?

However if you aren't confident with the trigger get a smith to make it so.
 
I would suggest letting a known competent gunsmith look at it with your request in mind. It's not just springs, sear and hammer hook angles and engagement depth are all part of the equation. Particularly if you are unsure of the history of the gun.
 
+1 for letting a gunsmith do the trigger job. I did the same thing on my Sistema. Mine is a military fighting pistol, not a super slick target job. I didn't want a super light trigger, mine breaks at about 8#. I got an odd look from the smith until I explained what I was after and why. He changed out the sear spring and did some work on the trigger hooks. For carry, and in the woods where it spends most of its time, that's perfect for me.
 
I understand.
20+ years of shooting glocks, including heavier NY trigger, caused irreparable "heavy" Glock trigger finger.
My 1911 triggers must not unintentionally break when I am shooting or trying to shoot 1/4 second pairs.
A light trigger that is okay for deliberate slow fire, will probably break before I intentionally pull under maximum speed, IME.
I increase sear spring resistance and install 25# hammer spring, problem solved.

My post is in no way asking for (or desiring) corrective feedback, if someone is inclined to do so spare me and don't waste your time.
 
Well I command you for knowing your own short comings and in realizing that a light trigger pull can be hazardous especially in high stress situations. My 1911’s have a trigger pull of about 4 lbs. My brother had one in which they were lighter than minw and I did not care for it because on one occasion as I was aiming at the target I had the finger on the trigger and it went off before I could finish my final sighting. I definitely recommend you get what makes you feel comfortable.
 
Hello,

Just bend the left (sear) spring on the flat spring. You're not messing with anything but spring tension here, and it would be awful hard to mess up.

It might be a good time to replace yours. This way, you'll have a spare.

Know what? I have a couple extras laying around. PM me your address and I'll send you one.

Regards,

Josh
 
Hello,

Just bend the left (sear) spring on the flat spring. You're not messing with anything but spring tension here, and it would be awful hard to mess up.

It might be a good time to replace yours. This way, you'll have a spare.

Know what? I have a couple extras laying around. PM me your address and I'll send you one.

Regards,

Josh
That's where I'd start.
Making a 1911 trigger pull heavier is easy, getting them down under 30 ounces takes talent.
 
Have trouble finding hats, do ya?

:rofl:

Oddly I'm not receptive to "correction" especially from folks that shoot on a range with a 1 shot per second rule, hasn't shot with a timer, ect...
The trigger "correction" happened before, along the line of keep my finger off the trigger between shots, yea at 1/4 sec. I'll do that. ;)
IME increasing trigger resistance prevents unintentional discharge at speed with a "heavy" finger.
 
Thank you for your feedback.

I ordered a trigger pull gage last night. That seems like a good place to get started.

I will order a new/spare leaf spring and a hammer/main spring calibration pack from Wolff. It will be a week or more, but I'll keep y'all in the loop on what I find, and how my improvement goes.
 
Well I command you for knowing your own short comings and in realizing that a light trigger pull can be hazardous especially in high stress situations. My 1911’s have a trigger pull of about 4 lbs. My brother had one in which they were lighter than minw and I did not care for it because on one occasion as I was aiming at the target I had the finger on the trigger and it went off before I could finish my final sighting. I definitely recommend you get what makes you feel comfortable.

Exactly. Mine doesn't go off by accident, but it has fired while I was aiming at the target and prepping the trigger.
 
I understand.
20+ years of shooting glocks, including heavier NY trigger, caused irreparable "heavy" Glock trigger finger.
My 1911 triggers must not unintentionally break when I am shooting or trying to shoot 1/4 second pairs.
A light trigger that is okay for deliberate slow fire, will probably break before I intentionally pull under maximum speed, IME.
I increase sear spring resistance and install 25# hammer spring, problem solved.

My post is in no way asking for (or desiring) corrective feedback, if someone is inclined to do so spare me and don't waste your time.


You got it! I have a new Shield, same capacity, same grip angle, similar three dot sights, vastly different trigger pull weights.

I will try swapping in a 25# Wolff main springs and see what I get. If that is not enough, I will try bending the sear spring as you recommend. Thanks.
 
My wife has a Shield 9mm and the Shield trigger is lighter than my Glocks (which no longer have the NY trigger).
Wife has a Ruger CMD 9mm 1911 - IMO the trigger was too light, so I increased spring tension a bit and installed a 25# masinspring before she ever shot it.
No problem with the trigger, she liked it, shot it better and faster than the Shield, no unintentional break.
My 14 year old son shot my Delta Elite, he said of the trigger, "I knew when I pulled any more it would break" - exactly what I want.
 
UPDATE: My trigger pull gage just came in. My Para 1911, the one that feels a little light, has a measured pull of 4 to 4-1/4 pounds. So, not unsafe, especially with good gun handling, but a bit light for what I want. The Shield, that feels heavy by comparison, measured dead on 6-1/2 pounds.

So, I put in an order to Wolf Gunsprings for a new sear spring, a new stock-weight 16 pound recoil spring, and a firmer-than-stock 25 pound main/trigger spring. I'll drop these in and remeasure the trigger pull. I'll have to see how everything feels, but right now, I'm shooting for something between 5-6 pounds. If I need to, I'll tweek the sear spring.

Wish me luck!
 
My new sprngs came in from Wolf today. I installed a 25# main spring. That was a pain! I'm not sure what my old main spring was, but this new one is MUCH firmer. Then, I tried to install a new Wolf sear spring, but it would not fit in my single column Para Ordnance. Too short. So, I bent the middle leg of my old one forward a bit, just a bit, and put everything back together.

RESULT

My trigger pull went from 4--4-1/4 pounds to 4-1/2--4-3/4 pounds. So, my experiment was mildly successful. The trigger does feel a little better.

I would like to find the proper sear spring and let a real gunsmith tune up the trigger pull to an honest 5 pounds.
 
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You can snap a picture of the sear spring in side profile or trace it on paper for later reference. Now you can tweak the spring while continuing to measure your progress. Don’t feel bad about wanting a heavier pull; Jerry Miculek sets his revolvers for a heavier than factory pull shooting double action. For sear springs I always buy Colt.
 
Don’t feel bad about wanting a heavier pull; Jerry Miculek sets his revolvers for a heavier than factory pull shooting double action. For sear springs I always buy Colt.

I agree, if you want a specific pull weight, it’s your gun. Set it however you want.

But Jerry Miculek is not a fair example. My understanding is that a revolver won’t reset fast enough for him. His trigger finger is fast enough that it will tie up the gun. Not really the same thing.
 
I would like to find the proper sear spring and let a real gunsmith tune up the trigger pull to an honest 5 pounds.
It sounds like it might be time to look at the hammer hook, depth and angle. The good thing is that you might be able to go back to your original mainspring.
The bad news is that if you or your smith isn’t careful you could end up with a creepy trigger.
Good luck, and when you get your trigger set the way you like it, make sure you double check your thumb safety.
 
The center leaf of the sear spring is the disconnecter spring. The other/left spring places tension on the sear. You don't have to bend much. If this doesn't make sense go with a pro. Always do the safety checks, even if a pro does the work..
 
One solution is simple -- practice drawing with the trigger finger indexed, and both thumbs over the safety. To shoot, simply close your hand, wiping off the safety and pressing the trigger in the same motion. With this approach, the gun is always on safe UNTIL you shoot.
 
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