Pre-Fit Trigger Groups
45Auto asked:
How does anyone feel about the "kits" sold by Nowlin, C&S for trigger jobs, i.e. all preset replacement parts?
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Some of them work very well in some guns, not as well in others, and
not at all in a few. This brings us to the second question:
I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that they can produce square, true parts that mate well together!!
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Yes they can. CNC machinery has allowed the machinists and toolmakers to hold closer tolerances much easier than when I did my apprenticeship.
There are a few flies in the ointment, though.
1...Are the locations of the sear and hammer pin in-spec?
2...If they are, are they on one end of tolerance or the other? A few
thousandths of an inch can make a difference if the parts in the kit are
also on either end. Tolerances stack up. They can work for us or against
us.
3...Are the holes drilled straight, or are they slightly out of print on the
alignment? If they aren't dead straight, the squareness of the hammer hooks and/or the sear primary angle is for naught if the pin that they
ride on is set at an angle.
On occasion,I have installed a sear, hammer and disconnector that weren't advertised as being a "Matched, Drop-In" kit, and everything fell into place. I've also used the same parts from the same manufacturer in a different pistol that required adjustment. It's a crap shoot. Any part that is advertised as a drop-in may very well do just that, but it's best not to count on it. Even at best, the trigger group won't be quite as good as
a skillfully fitted set.
Of all the ones that I'm aware of, the one that Dane Burns sells has had
more good reports than any of the others., though I've never used any of them. Just going on what I hear through the grapevine.
Cheers!
Tuner