Of late, I'm getting a good laugh from the mystique that's growing up around the 25 cent trigger job all over the internet. Anyone with the IQ of a turnip should be able to sail right through a simple polishing job like this.
1. You can certainly use Q-Tips to get a half-decent finish; and, maybe, a novice would be better off starting out this way. (I did!) However a Dremel Tool will do an improved polishing job for you. After years of doing this my opinion is that using a Dremel Tool is the best way to go. Nothing else polishes and smoothes the action up as well.
I apply Flitz Metal Polish (You can, also, use Simichrome or Mother's Aluminium Mag Wheel Polish). Apply this polish sparsely to a soft pad, not the part itself, and either rub with that Q-Tip or run your Dremel Tool at 3 to 4 thousand RPM. Dremel offers, at least, 3 different shaped polishing tips. I use ALL of them. (The cloth pads last the longest.)
2. Work bare-handed. That way you can feel heat build up in the part and will know when to back off and let it cool down. The previous advice you've been given to POLISH ONLY and not bear down so hard, or for so long, that you end up removing metal is sound! I will tell you to stay away from any and all sharp edges - Leave the edges alone.
3. How fast the Dremel Tool runs is inconsequential. (I usually run at over 5,000 RPM; but, as I said, I've been doing this for years.) It's how hard you bear down with the tool that really matters. You do NOT want to use heavy hand pressure.
4. The Alpha Rubicon instructions will tell you exactly where to polish. However, more than any other area I have found that the best Glock triggers come from the most highly polished FP safeties, AND the top edge of the trigger bar's FP safety cam. (Bump)
http://www.alpharubicon.com/mrpoyz/glock/
It MIGHT be worth your time to use a very fine grit diamond knife sharpening rod along the very top of the FP safety cam in order to dress any burrs; but this is entirely optional. In my experience, the smoother the top of the FP safety cam is the smoother your trigger is going to be.
If you're not comfortable with lightly filing and polishing the top of the FP safety cam, an easy substitution that gives an equal (or, perhaps, better result) is to simply install a convex, 'Lightning Strike' FP safety into the slide.
5. Be extra careful to keep the sear's edges nice 'n square. Do what I told you, above, and don't bear down on these parts when you're working on them; and remember to always work bare-handed.
6. So, for how long should you polish any one part? (Ready?) No more than 30 to 45 seconds, and with only light hand pressure, too. (Got it!)
7. THIS IS FOR AN ADVANCED ARMORER ONLY: There are two edges on the trigger bar that you might want to put a slight bevel on: You know those drop safety wings (PLURAL NOT SINGULAR!) on each side of the sear plate? The front edges (toward the muzzle) will slide out of the drop safety slots just a little bit faster, and a little bit smoother, if you put a very slight (\) bevel on them. (If you're not an experienced armorer then I suggest you not screw around with this - OK!)
8. When I polish a Glock's action, I polish everything; and I, also, swap out the trigger return and FP springs with Wolff's, 'extra power' (6#) springs. With the exception of Ghost Inc., I've tried all of the popular connectors; and, so far, nothing comes close to the superlative 4.5# Lone Wolf unit - It rebounds better, seems to have more spring to it, and is just the best.
9. While you've got the trigger bar out of the frame, use the aforementioned diamond knife sharpening rod to take off the lower tip of the trigger safety and make the very BOTTOM of that annoying thing perfectly flush with the trigger's face.
10. Remember to polish the lock block and barrel lugs, too. When you use the pistol, you might be surprised at the result.
11. Very few people understand; and it's not one of my missions in life to explain the reasons, 'Why'; but, I use Wolff Gunsprings metal guide rods in ALL of my third generation Glocks.
12. The final, 'pièce de résistance' is the use of Sentry Solutions, 'Hi-Slip' Grease on ALL the principal contact areas.
http://www.sentrysolutions.com/
A lot of people have asked me what I do to my Glock triggers in order to make them so incredibly smooth. This is the first time I've really told anyone. It ain't hard. There's no mystique to it. A little care and common sense will get you through just fine.
If you screw up it's no big deal; just buy some more Glock parts; but, if you screw up, I'll bet one of two things happened: Either you applied too much hand pressure, or you held the Dremel's polishing head in the same spot for too long. Work bare-handed like I said; and don't press down, hard, on the square edges. I guess it's OK to use a lower RPM speed on the Dremel Tool. I think back when I started out I might have run at a lower speed, too.
NOTE: Metal polishing can be an absolutely filthy thing to have to do. I always wear old clothes and put a worn out towel down on the bench before I turn the Dremel Tool on. When you're finished, and BEFORE you reassemble the pistol, you can clean your hands up with Goop Hand Cleaner or dishwashing liquid and Ajax Scouring Powder.
I, also, use Sentry Solutions, 'Smooth Kote' on the feed ramp and inside the bore. Then, I try to give it a good 3 days to completely dry before I use the gun. I've had guys with $2,000 dollar Kimbers on their belts try one of my Glocks and, then, make a remark like, 'I don't know what you did; but that's NOT a Glock.' Yes, it is!
Here's my most recent build about to undergo polishing -
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1790/rebuildingmyg19.jpg
