Glock triggers - help me please.

I don't get it.
So you don't like/really care for glocks. Don't like the triggers and or grip angle.
Then why mess with them? Why buy them, why waste money on them?

I don't like glocks either. I don't own them, don't care how much perfection is built into them.
Life is too short to waste on stuff you don't enjoy.

Hmm, I have a gen 2 21 and it has a farily decent trigger in my opinion. Not as nice as my Springfield 1911, but pretty good for a duty rated handgun. Feels decent the whole time, its a bit mushy but not terrible. Of course mine is 30 years old so take that with what you will.

sevt_chevelle said:

I don't get it.
So you don't like/really care for glocks. Don't like the triggers and or grip angle.
Then why mess with them? Why buy them, why waste money on them?

I don't like glocks either. I don't own them, don't care how much perfection is built into them.
Life is too short to waste on stuff you don't enjoy.

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I agree for the most part, but how do you know you really don't like them until you actually shoot them enough to know you really don't like them?

And then the usual conundrum kicks in, and the more you shoot them, the less they seem so bad, and the next thing you know, you actually like them, and your mouth tastes like foot.

Oh! The humanity!

trackskippy said:

And then the usual conundrum kicks in, and the more you shoot them, the less they seem so bad, and the next thing you know, you actually like them, and your mouth tastes like foot.

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Thats just the fertilizer tatste from the greener grass on the other side.

trackskippy said:

I agree for the most part, but how do you know you really don't like them until you actually shoot them enough to know you really don't like them?

And then the usual conundrum kicks in, and the more you shoot them, the less they seem so bad, and the next thing you know, you actually like them, and your mouth tastes like foot.

Oh! The humanity!

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Well, I can tell you, I don't need to eat Lutefisk for a second time for me to tell someone it's awful.

I just find it pointless investing in something whether it's a pistol, rifle platform or whatever when another platform exists.

The OP looks to have come to pretty much the same conclusion I did: Glock triggers just aren't very good, and the only thing you can do with time and money is make them not very good but in a different way.

sevt_chevelle said:

Well, I can tell you, I don't need to eat Lutefisk for a second time for me to tell someone it's awful.

I just find it pointless investing in something whether it's a pistol, rifle platform or whatever when another platform exists.

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That just puts us back to the "we only know what we know" thing, which tends to leave us behind. If you're comfortable with that, then I guess you're golden. Some of us like to be a bit more versatile and keep moving ahead and learning.

As guns go, there really are only so many "platforms" or basic types, so this isn't a hard thing to sus out. I have and shoot some version of most all the types, and don't find any of them difficult to shoot well with, and do so interchangeably on a regular basis.

There are makes of guns I don't like, but that's more of a maker issue and not a design issue. I always thought Kel Tec had some great design ideas, but they just seem to suck at the execution. Companies like Springfield and Kimber just mess up the 1911's, but that doesn't mean all other 1911's are in the same boat. Stuff like that isn't whats at heart here though.

And, there is nothing wrong with "be all you can be, with what you got", so if that's the case, then ammo and regular realistic practice will at least keep you somewhat handy. Just don't be surprised though, if you still get left behind.

.38 Special said:

The OP looks to have come to pretty much the same conclusion I did: Glock triggers just aren't very good, and the only thing you can do with time and money is make them not very good but in a different way.

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Im always confused when hear things like this. What makes them so bad and compared to what? And why are you dwelling on them?

Of all the 30+ Glocks I have or have had, Ive yet to get a gun with a bad shooting trigger and they have all shot well out of the box. There is a bit of difference in how they might feel between some of the different Gen's (the Gen 5's are a bit different), but they are all as shootable as any of the other types of guns I have, and I find them to all be fine. And most all of my Glocks and 1911's have very similar feeling, 5-6# triggers, if I focus on or dwell on them.

Maybe the difference here is, I don't dwell on triggers while I shoot, I just shoot the gun and focus on the target and whatever sights Im using. I personally don't think the trigger should be in your shooting thought processes as you shoot. Its just a distraction.

Depends.

Do you judge the trigger from its performance? With a little effort, a Glock trigger comes out of a holster, and gets rounds on multiple targets, as well as anything out there. That's the biggest reason why I switched to Glock.

Or do you judge it, by how it feels? Which makes sense for collectors. But I don't care about it so much for serious work.



That being said, I flush cut the smooth triggers for a nicer feel. And undercut the trigger guard sometimes, for a very nice feeling grip.

I try to utilize as many OEM components as possible. And maintain all the safeties.

trackskippy said:

Im always confused when hear things like this. What makes them so bad and compared to what? And why are you dwelling on them?

Of all the 30+ Glocks I have or have had, Ive yet to get a gun with a bad shooting trigger and they have all shot well out of the box. There is a bit of difference in how they might feel between some of the different Gen's (the Gen 5's are a bit different), but they are all as shootable as any of the other types of guns I have, and I find them to all be fine. And most all of my Glocks and 1911's have very similar feeling, 5-6# triggers, if I focus on or dwell on them.

Maybe the difference here is, I don't dwell on triggers while I shoot, I just shoot the gun and focus on the target and whatever sights Im using. I personally don't think the trigger should be in your shooting thought processes as you shoot. Its just a distraction.

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What makes them bad is that they are much harder to activate without pulling the sights off target, as compared with triggers that don't have long, mushy travel and then release with a "Sproing!" that wants to move the whole gun. And I dwell on them because it's the actual topic being discussed.

If your 1911 trigger feels just like your Glock trigger, then there is something badly wrong with your 1911!

But yes, if you ignore all triggers entirely, then no trigger is better or worse than another. And if your target is seven yards away and life-size, then who cares. But the more precision you need for a given scenario, the more difficult the Glock becomes, solely because of that crummy trigger.

Zerodefect said:

With a little effort, a Glock trigger comes out of a holster and gets rounds on multiple targets as well as anything out there.

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And that's why the top IPSC guys are all using Glocks.

Oh, wait...

They run whatever they can get paid to run.

Plenty of us run them in limited, production, carry ops, ssp, and esp. I have room in the budget for any pistol, and still run Glocks half the time.

More than a few guys have kicked serious butt with striker pistols.

The gun is less than 10% of the game. You need to find the right one for you. But the people that completely ignore the striker options might be missing out. And don't listen to the backmarkers that use a better racers pistol cost, as an excuse.

.38 Special said:

What makes them bad is that they are much harder to activate without pulling the sights off target, as compared with triggers that don't have long, mushy travel and then release with a that wants to move the whole gun. And I dwell on them because it's the actual topic being discussed.

If your 1911 trigger feels just like your Glock trigger, then there is something badly wrong with your 1911!

But yes, if you ignore all triggers entirely, then no trigger is better or worse than another. And if your target is seven yards away and life-size, then who cares. But the more precision you need for a given scenario, the more difficult the Glock becomes, solely because of that crummy trigger.

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My sights dont move off target when I pull the triggers of any of my guns, Glocks included. And other than maybe my AR's, Ive never heard a "Sproing" when I shoot any of my striker guns either, dry fire or live, nor do my sights move when the striker is released.

If I could call any of them "mushy", the Gen 5's do have a slight bit of that feel towards the break, but again, only if you're dwelling on and nit picking it, and if you are, you aren't paying attention to what you should be paying attention to anyway.

And if you're getting a long mushy travel every time you pull the trigger, then you arent shooting the gun right either. Like a military 2 stage take up, the Glocks do have that initial take up, and then a wall and clean break (Gen 5s are a little different). And from that point on, if you're shooting the reset, there is no long take up, just a very clean 1911 like SA let off.

My groups at 25 yards with my Glocks really are no different than those shot with my SIG's, Beretta's, 1911's, HP's, etc.

The best thing you can do to improve a Glock trigger, is the exact same as any other gun. Its called dry fire and ammo.

Best 3 race pistols under $5000.

I tested 2011's as well. Wasn't any faster with them. And that Glock holds its own against the other two, just fine.

Zerodefect said:

They run whatever they can get paid to run.

Plenty of us run them in limited, production, carry ops, ssp, and esp. I have room in the budget for any pistol, and still run Glocks half the time.

More than a few guys have kicked serious butt with striker pistols.

The gun is less than 10% of the game. You need to find the right one for you. But the people that completely ignore the striker options might be missing out. And don't listen to the backmarkers that use a better racers pistol cost, as an excuse.

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Has a Glock ever been on the podium in IPSC's open division? (Serious question - I don't actually know, though I have a pretty good idea...)

trackskippy said:

My sights dont move off target when I pull the triggers of any of my guns, Glocks included. And other than maybe my AR's, Ive never heard a "Sproing" when I shoot any of my striker guns either, dry fire or live, nor do my sights move when the striker is released.

If I could call any of them "mushy", the Gen 5's do have a slight bit of that feel towards the break, but again, only if you're dwelling on and nit picking it, and if you are, you aren't paying attention to what you should be paying attention to anyway.

And if you're getting a long mushy travel every time you pull the trigger, then you arent shooting the gun right either. Like a military 2 stage take up, the Glocks do have that initial take up, and then a wall and clean break (Gen 5s are a little different). And from that point on, if you're shooting the reset, there is no long take up, just a very clean 1911 like SA let off.

My groups at 25 yards with my Glocks really are no different than those shot with my SIG's, Beretta's, 1911's, HP's, etc.

The best thing you can do to improve a Glock trigger, is the exact same as any other gun. Its called dry fire and ammo.

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Honestly, if you believe that a Glock trigger has a "clean break" then I don't know what to tell you. We obviously have very different ideas about what that means.

trackskippy said:

My groups at 25 yards with my Glocks really are no different than those shot with my SIG's, Beretta's, 1911's, HP's, etc.

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That doesn't surprise me.

Coming to the realization that a Glock trigger will never be as crisp and clean as a 1911, BHP, etc. is the first step Glock owners have to do in order to mentally prepare to shoot them well. They are what they are, and some tweaks can be done to improve trigger feel, pull weights, smoothness, etc. But expecting a “glass rod” trigger break like a Wilson Combat, Les Baer, Nighthawk, etc. is not in the cards.

For me, it isn’t the trigger pull or action of the Glock system, it is the physical feel of the trigger face on my trigger finger that bugs me. The narrow blade safety lever on several of my Glocks stuck out juuust enough when working through the press to be really annoying.

So, I replaced the trigger shoes with Vickers Tactical flat triggers on almost all of my Glocks. (A Gen 3 Glock 17 build I did required an Apex trigger kit to function properly.) Now they all have a much nicer, more positive trigger feel on my finger with no little dingus poking out.

To lighten the pull weight I went to Wolff. I dropped the factory striker spring weight by .5 pound to a 5.0 pound spring, and put a lightened striker block spring in, too. Reliability across my spectrum has been 100%, trigger feel is vastly improved and my shooting is just fine.

(For the two Gen 5 Glocks I have, the new style trigger itself feels just fine. I did replace the striker-striker block springs, though.)

We all have guns that fit us and our shooting styles to a T, other guns not so much. Most shooters eventually have sold off the ones that don't work well for them, and moved on to another gun that did. Hopefully you are able to find the trigger-spring combo in your Glock that works best for you, if not there are many other great handgun options that could be the one.

Good luck!

Stay safe.

.38 Special said:

Honestly, if you believe that a Glock trigger has a "clean break" then I don't know what to tell you. We obviously have very different ideas about what that means.

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Im comparing unmolested factory triggers to factory triggers. As I said before, most of my Glocks feel very much like my 1911 triggers when they break. I shoot stock guns. Im not comparing your typical "crutch" triggers to a factory Glock trigger. Apples to apples here.

trackskippy said:

Im comparing unmolested factory triggers to factory triggers. As I said before, most of my Glocks feel very much like my 1911 triggers when they break. I shoot stock guns. Im not comparing your typical "crutch" triggers to a factory Glock trigger. Apples to apples here.

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Well, okay. Most factory triggers are not very good. Pretty much any gunsmith in the world can work over a 1911 trigger to make it really nice, though, while apparently there is no power in the universe that can do the same for a Glock.

Not in the same way.

My Glock is set for a smooth fluid pull that doesn't jerk the sights. How it feels is immaterial, as long as it doesn't hurt my concentration on the target (or whatever). I do ride the reset for followup shots.

I use a 3.5 OEM connector, flush cut G35 trigger, medium Wolff striker spring, plenty of polish, and heavy lube. Sometimes Ill wind my own striker spring, but generally, I dont recommend light springs. Smaller carry pistols keep the OEM striker spring.

Even on a 1911, the "glass break" is silly boomer stuff. IMO. If you mush up a 1911 trigger, it'll shoot better. You might hate it, but it'll shoot better.

The less wall, the less sight movement. Doesn't matter much, with a death grip on a cheese grater. But every bit counts.

Buzznrose said:

Another thing to consider is how worn in Vogel’s trigger is. When you shoot beyond 5K rounds ( including dry fire), things just start smoothing out.

I have a stock trigger in a G23-4 (first Glock I ever bought in 2012) and that gun has well over 13K rounds and that trigger is very smooth. Almost as good as my Glock Performance trigger.

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I just got back from the range with a 17. Doing some load test. Gun is accurate at 10 yards. Some lighters loads had FTF issues, 4.5gn #5 147gn RMR Match Winners. Best load is 124 Berry with 3.8gn of Universal, very accurate.

trackskippy said:

I agree for the most part, but how do you know you really don't like them until you actually shoot them enough to know you really don't like them?

And then the usual conundrum kicks in, and the more you shoot them, the less they seem so bad, and the next thing you know, you actually like them, and your mouth tastes like foot.

Oh! The humanity!

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I’m going to shoot my Glock until I LOVE it!

Mark_Mark said:

I’m going to shoot my Glock until I LOVE it!

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What Gen is your 17?

.38 Special said:

Has a Glock ever been on the podium in IPSC's open division? (Serious question - I don't actually know, though I have a pretty good idea...)

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I don't keep up with IPSC.

I wouldn't run a Glock in USPSA open (steam engine kaboom) division. People have, but open is so custom, you minus well start off with custom steel.

.38 Special said:

Well, okay. Most factory triggers are not very good. Pretty much any gunsmith in the world can work over a 1911 trigger to make it really nice, though, while apparently there is no power in the universe that can do the same for a Glock.

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See, thats where we seem to differ in opinion. I don't find factory triggers to be bad at all, and baring the occasional lemon, that goes for any of them.

I know we live in the wonderful age of marketing, and gunsmiths and gun writers, and everyone and their brother who seem to have just what you need, to let you enter the Matrix with a phone call or a buy now button, and buy your skills. No effort on your part is necessary.

Hey, if I, nobody special, can shoot box stock Glocks well, anybody can, if they are willing to make the effort. And the same effort, applies to any brand of gun you want to slip into that last sentence.

What I see over and over in threads like this is, people want someone, or something else to do all the work for them and/or make up for their shortcomings. That is human nature, and I get it, but it is what it is too. Insisting you can only shoot one type of gun, with this specific trigger, and those special grips screws, and that special Montana air in your ammo, etc, etc, just makes you a one gun limited specialist, and Im betting one that also way overestimates their skills even with that.

If you cant pick up a random gun off the counter and shoot it reasonably well from a cold start, that isn't the guns fault.

Mark_Mark said:

I just got back from the range with a 17. Doing some load test. Gun is accurate at 10 yards. Some lighters loads had FTF issues, 4.5gn #5 147gn RMR Match Winners. Best load is 124 Berry with 3.8gn of Universal, very accurate.

View attachment 1199389View attachment 1199390View attachment 1199391

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My realoads basically match any of the carry ammo I might use. 124 grain bullet at around 1150-1200 fps. 5.5 grains Unique (if and when you can find it these days, or BE-86 is what Ive been using for a while now. Ive used 4.5 grains of 231 in the past as well.

Stock 17 with a LWD threaded barrel and one of the above loads. Doesnt matter which, they all shoot the same. Those were shot "static" from SUL presentations at 10 yards.



An old box stock Gen 2 17 shot the day I got it. I hadn't take the laser off yet, nor did I use it as the batteries were dead. Shot a bit more "energetically" too, probably from 15 yards or so and in.

Even the "fat babys" shoot well, especially when you let them run.



Everything seems to like those loads too.

Mark_Mark said:

I’m going to shoot my Glock until I LOVE it!

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Thats the attitude.