1911 firing pin

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Heavier firing pins also mean no 2.5 lb. trigger for you.
Never been a problem for me or anyone else that I know who works on these guns. I'm curious as to how the firing pin spring has anything to do with trigger pull.

The trigger pull weight is primarily determined by correct preparation and fit of the parts, and the tension of the left and center legs of the sear spring. The mainspring can affect it a small amount, but it is not commonly used for tuning trigger pull weight.
 
BBBBill, you are so right. Firing pin spring has no effect on trigger pull in any way. I don’t know what Jammersix is referring to.
 
This exchange is a perfect example of one of the main pitfalls of trying to 'smith, diagnose or help someone 'smith or diagnose a 1911 over the internet. The internet is a terrible place for gunsmithing, and it's an even worse place to get information on how to gunsmith. As this thread demonstrates.

Long ago, I decided not to participate in internet conversations unless the participants were using letter perfect, correct nomenclature for their discussion; otherwise, one ends up talking about the "recoil spring", or, as this exchange shows, people read what they're looking for instead of what's written.

And gee, one little word (like, for instance, "spring") can change everything, whether it's there or not.

So I'll be returning to my personal guidelines now, and if you want to discuss 'smithing on 1911s with me, you need to use correct terminology, according to either Jerry's books or standard Ordnance blueprints. Both sources are widely available, and then we will at least be talking about the same part. So if I don't answer, that's a place to start.

Failing that, I'm not here to argue, and I'll be happy to let you continue to believe whatever it is you think you know about how 1911s work. Therefore, I'm also not interested in "discussions" with folks for whom learning, teaching or the exchange of information so that others can learn or teach are not the primary goals of their participation in the thread.

The Hawks are 2-0. Life is good.

Good luck!
 
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My apology for misconstruing your post. Unless you can provide evidence to the contrary a firing pin would have even less to do with trigger pull. That after 55+ years of owning 1911s and 47+ years of doing it all to include building numerous examples from the ground up. Now that does not mean that I know everything about 1911s (or any other gun for that matter), but I have a better than average understanding of how they work. Still, I am always open to learning more. If you care to elaborate on your above statement re heavy firing pins, please do.
 
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10, read post #10. I cannot aver Jammersix's politics, nor do they have any bearing on this discussion, but what he says in post #10 is true. And before you say I need to learn more, Uncle Sugar spent a lot of time and money teaching me to work on 1911's, and when they taught me all I needed for my MOS, Unit Armorer, I took it upon myself to learn the next level up, Small Arms Repair.
Also it would help if your read the original post. Setting the arms on the sear spring too light in an effort to reduce the pull weight on a Springfield 9mm 1911 will cause misfires, and replacing the Ti firing pin will compound the problem. This one I actually learned after I got out of the Army, as a friend who owned several Springfields tried to build a race gun out of one. I ended up putting it back into original configuration for him, and he went to STI's for race guns from then on.
 
I replied to post #23 and Jammersix; not you entrophy. I said Jammersix needs to learn more. He is stating misleading information. I am not referring or replying to post 10. Post 10 has some good information. I am well aware of how 1911 actions work and I do true radius trigger jobs on my sears as well as stoning hooks and blocking actions. I prefer to stone surfaces instead for less pull. I don't cut hammer hooks less than .020" either. I also use #23 mainsprings or higher. I will say it again. Firing pin weight has no influence on a 1911 trigger pull. About politics: I was referring to Jammersix's signature. I prefer to leave my political views out of my posts but if anyone needs to know, I am anti communist. Have a Merry Christmas!
 
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OK, I'll restate in a way that is more relevant. Changing only firing pin weight with a very light trigger pull may affect whether rounds go off or not. The trigger pull weight will not change one ounce, true, but it may well result in a higher ,often much, higher rate of Failure to Fire, particularly with certain brands of primers.
I actually hadn't read his sig line.
 
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OK, I'll restate in a way that is more relevant. Changing only firing pin weight with a very light trigger pull may affect whether rounds go off or not. The trigger pull weight will not change one ounce, true, but it may well result in a higher ,often much, higher rate of Failure to Fire, particularly with certain brands of primers.
I actually hadn't read his sig line.
Agreed:thumbup:
 
Changing only firing pin weight with a very light trigger pull may affect whether rounds go off or not.
What? I'm going to need an education to understand this. In my simple mind the trigger contacts the disconnector which contacts the legs on the sear which causes the sear to rotate which releases the hammer to be driven forward under the force of the mainspring (hammer spring).

Too light of a mainspring may cause ignition problems but you'd have to be using a very light mainspring in combination with a hard primer.

If the hammer's half cock notch contacts the sear as the hammer falls, it's possible that the hammer may be slowed enough to cause a light primer hit. This is not uncommon on pistols that have over-travel screws that are screwed in too much.

I cannot for the life me understand how a light trigger pull can have any effect on popping a primer.

What am I missing? Help me see the light.
 
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What? I'm going to need an education to understand this. In my simple mind the trigger contacts the disconnector which contacts the legs on the sear which causes the sear to rotate which releases the hammer to be driven forward under the force of the mainspring (hammer spring).

Too light of a mainspring may cause ignition problems but you'd have to be using a very light mainspring in combination with a hard primer.

If the hammer's half cock notch contacts the sear as the hammer falls, it's possible that the hammer may be slowed enough to cause a light primer hit. This is not uncommon on pistols that have over-travel screws that are screwed in too much.

I cannot for the life me understand how a light trigger pull can have any effect on popping a primer.

What am I missing? Help me see the light.
That is a good question. I don't have the experience with super light trigger pulls to know but the only way I can see it is if the hammer gets caught on the half cock notch also. I've never run a mainspring lighter than 19 lbs and never had a ftf a primer in a 1911. I run cci primers. When I want less sear spring pressure I prefer to remove material lengthwise of a sear finger instead of bending the spring. I believe it keeps the sear/disco/etc in better relation. Maybe it's superstition but I'm sticking to it as it works for me.
 
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OK, get your mind off of .45 ACP. The OP posted about Springfield 9mm 1911's. There are some parts that do not interchange with GI parts on these, to ensure function. This is what happens when people don't read the entire thread, and yes I've been guilty of it.
A Springfield 9mm 1911 can have a light trigger, but some modifications have to be made, some involving non-GI-compatible parts.

Steve; if the firing pin being driven is heavier than normal, it is possible for a light primer strike with a light trigger pull. It's highly unlikely, but it can happen.

When I want less sear spring pressure I prefer to remove material lengthwise of a sear finger instead of bending the spring.

I've done both; your method takes longer, but gives smoother results, and usually doesn't need to be replaced. When I had bins full of parts sitting in front of me, and a tight schedule, I got pretty good at just bending them.
 
I suppose then @entropy, that the light trigger pull is also the result of a very light mainspring to reduce the sear/hammer tension and friction?
 
I've never lightened mainsprings on 1911's from whatever the stock ones were on commercial ones, or issue ones on service guns. I also would never lighten trigger pull less than 4#.
 
If the relationship between the hammer and sear has not changed due to the change of mainspring weight, then there can be no further introduction of problem -> caused by trigger pull weight <- by altering the firing pin weight

The hammer will fall at the same speed, since the mainspring has not been changed. The intertia of the hammer will remain constant. The only change can be the mass of the firing pin itself, not reacting to the inertia of the hammer. The trigger pull could be 1lb or 10lbs, the hammer is going to swing at the same speed if the mainspring is the same (assuming the hammer itself has not been changed).
 
The main purpose of a titanium firing pin is to reduce the risk of firing if dropped without adding parts like Colt, Kimber, etc.

At one time there was a fad for all titanium lockwork parts in IPSC raceguns to "reduce Lock time." The difference was tiny and wear life of a titanium hammer was short.

SA normally uses an intermediate diameter firing pin, but I have heard of them at .38 Colt Super size.

It is usual to put a steel firing pin in a misfiring SA.

Wilson and others use titanium firing pins, at least in California guns. They take more care in assembly and guns work well.
 
According to Springfield... Titanium FP is to reduce lock time.
Lock time is reduced but that's not the reason they went with titanium. As Jim said, it was to allow their pistols to pass the infamous California drop test so they could sell their pistols in CA. Lock time was further reduced by pairing the titanium firing pin with a gawdawful heavy mainspring which was needed to reliably ignite primers with the light Ti firing pins.
 
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