GP-100 Trigger Pull

[GoRon]

Back in the spring I picked up a 6" Gp-100.

After a 1500 rounds or so and alot of dry fire time the trigger really smoothed out.

Being a 1911 guy though, the trigger in DA was still too heavy.

I picked up a reduced power spring kit from Brownells.

I installed the strongest main spring and didn't notice that much difference in the trigger.

Installing the medium spring made the trigger a little nicer.

I was a little apprehensive when it came to messing with the reset spring but I finally got the courage to change it out.

It was easy, no problem.

Then I got cocky and pulled the trigger assembly apart to clean and polish.

Boinggg!! sent a tiny spring across the room!

Found it, polished up all the pieces and put it all together.

All I can say is wow, the spring kit is well worth the 16 bucks!

Super smooth but not silly light. It still gets slightly heavier at the end of the pull but overall is lighter.

Next it is off to the range to function check with different ammo's (the fun part!).

I cannot say enough good things about this gun, even before my tinkering the trigger had smoothed out real nice.

BTW, the dissasembly where I almost lost a tiny spring wasn't a necessary part of installing reduced power springs.

 

[Old Fuff]

The factory springs are a bit heavy for good reason. Ruger wants to be sure the gun goes "bang!" even under the most adverse conditions. If you want compare trigger pulls with a 1911 pistol cock the revolver's hammer and then see what they are both like. You can improve the pull by changing springs, and so long as the gun will be used for recreational shooting that's fine. For other purposes the original springs are a better choice.

 

[mtnbkr]

My GP100 had problems with CCI component primers (the ones you buy for reloading) when I had the lightest hammer spring installed. I had no problems at all with any other component primer or the primers in any commercial ammo. That said, I went back to an intermediate hammer spring and reset spring after my hands got used to DA shooting (about two years later and only then after I finally got around to doing it). I didn't need either one for reliability in the ammo I used, but I wanted the extra measure of safety.

Unless there's a lot of drag in the lockwork of your GP100 or you like to use CCI's primers when you reload, I doubt you'll have a problem with lighter springs. Just make sure everything works with the ammo you use.

I like that little bit of stacking at the end of the trigger pull. It makes staging the trigger easier.

Chris

 

[GoRon]

You can improve the pull by changing springs, and so long as the gun will be used for recreational shooting that's fine.

This is strictly a range gun, to tell the truth if it has any problems functioning it will be switched back. A gun that fails even once and a while isn't going to hold my interest.

I like that little bit of stacking at the end of the trigger pull. It makes staging the trigger easier.

I agree with you about the stacking, it is still there with an across the board lighter trigger.

 

[JNewell]

Dunno what you'll find with the Ruger. I tried the reduced power springs in a couple of Colts a number of years ago and had all kinds of ignition problems, especially with the CCI primers I was mostly using at that time. You might buy a box or two of Blazer ammo just as a test; I think the CCI primers are still considered on the hard side.

 

[Stevel]

I too did the same thing you did. My GP is smoother and lighter than a pre owned though unfired Python. Even after smoothing up the Python innards the GP is smoother and lighter. The trigger pull is still fairly long but no trouble at all. I have not had any problems with any factory new or reloads through it. It's a great gun.

 

[JohnKSa]

I think what this is showing is that Colt is already tuning the spring strengths for best trigger pull while Ruger just puts one in that they KNOW will pop any cap on the planet.

If that's true it means if you lighten a Colt spring even a relatively small amount you're almost certainly going to get misfires while you can take the Ruger down by a bunch with no ill effects...

 

[GoRon]

After 500 rnds here is where I am at.

Old Fuff was right about the light strikes. I don't know what primers my friend used in the reloads I was shooting. No problems with factory ammo's.

Only had two in first 200 rnds, like I said only none is acceptable.

Put the strongest hammerspring from kit in and the lightest return spring.

Another 300 rounds, 200 reloads and 100 factory and I had zero issues.

Trigger is real smooth and resets normally

 

[Eric Bryant]

Put the strongest hammerspring from kit in and the lightest return spring.

I ended up with the same combination. Going any lighter than one step down from stock on the mainspring caused ignition problems with CCI magnum primers. It seems as though the trigger return spring had the biggest effect on trigger pull.

 

[Old Fuff]

Putting in the lightest trigger spring will give you a very nice feeling trigger pull. But it also slows the speed that the trigger returns forward, and if your finger starts back too soon you will tie up the gun. There is supposed to be a balance between the hammer and trigger return springs.

If your revolvers are "big-boy toys" by all means experiment - it's part of the fun. Otherwise don't fool around. With practice you'll find that the actions get smoother, and you can handle the spring tension.

 

[Kamicosmos]

Swapping the springs is like playing with the fuel mixture in a light plane:
Bring it down till the engine just starts to get rough...then tap the mixture lever back up a 1/4 inch.

When I swapped springs on my SP101, I put in the lightest spring, then increased weight until I got 100% reliable strikes on my primers (CCIsmp, BTW).

 

[PlayTheAces]

I did the same thing Kamicosmos did, started light and worked up. I never had any ignition issues even when using CCI, but ran into the trigger retraction problem Old Fuff mentions. The trigger just didn't return with the force I wanted when using the light springs.

The key is to different combinations until you hit on what works best for you.