wendelb
Member
This isn't a how to guide, and also isn't exactly an unheard of thing to do, but I'm posting it anyways.
About a year ago I installed the LEM trigger kit for the HK USPc, which if you don't know what that is, removes the safety/decock lever, and turns the gun into a sort of DAO, but with a very light and smooth trigger, that is to say, until it breaks.
Upon racking the slide, the main spring is "precocked", though the hammer spring is still keeping the hammer down. So when you pull the trigger, for 99% of the travel, the only tension you're fighting against, is the hammer spring, and trigger return spring.... I haven't checked it, but it's around 1-2lbs. It's light, crisp and long, and you don't have to deal with a decocker or safety. It also has a short trigger reset. Beautiful. Difficulty of changing the kit is probably a 3 out of 5. If you can/do break down your guns all the way, trigger assemblies, slides, etc... it shouldn't be difficult. And there are guides online to assist, but it's not a guide for dummies.
Now to the bad part; that 1% of trigger travel. For the sear to break, tension goes up to probably about 8lbs. Which isn't hard to do, but it doesn't gradually tighten up, you just hit it like a brick wall. smooth-smooth-smooth-smooth-smooth-clank-BANG. I shoot revolvers, sigs, and beretta's all day. DAO, and long trigger pulls are not new to me. But that is just horrible. You have to put a lot of effort into not pulling your shots. (If you own one and shoot it just fine, and want to post about how amazing you are, congratulations, go audition for TopShot, more power to you, I don't care.) Moving on, the mainspring is the lightest that HK offers, and every contact edge of the trigger assembly is high polished. Doesn't help at all.
Ready for the groundbreaking gunsmithing phenomenon that NOONE has ever done to any gun before!? (... kidding) ....... I cut 3 coils off the mainspring.
Synopsis: Worked perfectly. Same great 99% of trigger, followed by a smooth speed bump of a break, maybe around 2.5lbs. For reliability of primer ignition, I shot 200 rds of ball at the range, (2 boxes each of Winchester and Federal) and 2 mags (24 rds) of carry ammo (stagger stacked powrball and buffalo bore). No failures. And this is a .40 cal btw.
So for those who have never heard of the LEM kit, or heard about it's terrible trigger break, so therefore didn't get one, and either have never heard of snipping the mainspring, or been too afraid to cut too much, it worked great. I would not cut more than 3 coils though, for reliability issues.
I don't know how argumentative people might be, over the "unsafe and dangerous" light dao trigger pull, with no external safety. So I will make a preemptive statement. I don't understand the philosophy that a 1 lb trigger pull is dangerous, for all the same reasons that every gun owner argues why guns don't kill people. Because they are tools. Most semis have a firing pin block, preventing slam fires, and trigger return springs, and hammer springs, and mainsprings, all pushing the trigger forward.... I have never seen a trigger go back, without it being touched. And I don't need 8 lbs or 12 lbs of "safety" while pulling the trigger. Because my finger doesn't go on the trigger, until I've aimed and am ready to shoot. I don't need 8 lbs of reassurance, while pulling the trigger. If you want a heavy trigger. Super. If you can shoot better than me with a heavy trigger, than I can with a hair trigger. Super duper. But neither gun is safer than the other. Trigger still needs to get pulled on both of them. Neither is bad, it's shooter preference, but light triggers aren't dangerous. That's all I have to say on that.
Hope this helps someone.
About a year ago I installed the LEM trigger kit for the HK USPc, which if you don't know what that is, removes the safety/decock lever, and turns the gun into a sort of DAO, but with a very light and smooth trigger, that is to say, until it breaks.
Upon racking the slide, the main spring is "precocked", though the hammer spring is still keeping the hammer down. So when you pull the trigger, for 99% of the travel, the only tension you're fighting against, is the hammer spring, and trigger return spring.... I haven't checked it, but it's around 1-2lbs. It's light, crisp and long, and you don't have to deal with a decocker or safety. It also has a short trigger reset. Beautiful. Difficulty of changing the kit is probably a 3 out of 5. If you can/do break down your guns all the way, trigger assemblies, slides, etc... it shouldn't be difficult. And there are guides online to assist, but it's not a guide for dummies.
Now to the bad part; that 1% of trigger travel. For the sear to break, tension goes up to probably about 8lbs. Which isn't hard to do, but it doesn't gradually tighten up, you just hit it like a brick wall. smooth-smooth-smooth-smooth-smooth-clank-BANG. I shoot revolvers, sigs, and beretta's all day. DAO, and long trigger pulls are not new to me. But that is just horrible. You have to put a lot of effort into not pulling your shots. (If you own one and shoot it just fine, and want to post about how amazing you are, congratulations, go audition for TopShot, more power to you, I don't care.) Moving on, the mainspring is the lightest that HK offers, and every contact edge of the trigger assembly is high polished. Doesn't help at all.
Ready for the groundbreaking gunsmithing phenomenon that NOONE has ever done to any gun before!? (... kidding) ....... I cut 3 coils off the mainspring.
Synopsis: Worked perfectly. Same great 99% of trigger, followed by a smooth speed bump of a break, maybe around 2.5lbs. For reliability of primer ignition, I shot 200 rds of ball at the range, (2 boxes each of Winchester and Federal) and 2 mags (24 rds) of carry ammo (stagger stacked powrball and buffalo bore). No failures. And this is a .40 cal btw.
So for those who have never heard of the LEM kit, or heard about it's terrible trigger break, so therefore didn't get one, and either have never heard of snipping the mainspring, or been too afraid to cut too much, it worked great. I would not cut more than 3 coils though, for reliability issues.
I don't know how argumentative people might be, over the "unsafe and dangerous" light dao trigger pull, with no external safety. So I will make a preemptive statement. I don't understand the philosophy that a 1 lb trigger pull is dangerous, for all the same reasons that every gun owner argues why guns don't kill people. Because they are tools. Most semis have a firing pin block, preventing slam fires, and trigger return springs, and hammer springs, and mainsprings, all pushing the trigger forward.... I have never seen a trigger go back, without it being touched. And I don't need 8 lbs or 12 lbs of "safety" while pulling the trigger. Because my finger doesn't go on the trigger, until I've aimed and am ready to shoot. I don't need 8 lbs of reassurance, while pulling the trigger. If you want a heavy trigger. Super. If you can shoot better than me with a heavy trigger, than I can with a hair trigger. Super duper. But neither gun is safer than the other. Trigger still needs to get pulled on both of them. Neither is bad, it's shooter preference, but light triggers aren't dangerous. That's all I have to say on that.
Hope this helps someone.
