New HK45, horrible SA trigger, please help

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needham

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Hi,
I just purchased an HK45. I live in California; for reasons related to CA laws, I didn't get a chance to shoot this gun before I bought it. I am relatively new to pistol shooting.

The SA trigger really disappointing. Lot's of take-up and creep. The break is anything but crisp; it feels spongy.

I brought my 1911 (Les Baer PII) to the range along with the HK45 for comparison. I put 200 rounds through the HK45 and 50 through the 1911. Night and day difference -- the 1911 is the most satisfying pistol I have shot, the HK45 is among the worst.

I love the ergonomics of the HK45 and I suspect it's more reliable than a 1911 (zero issues in the first 200 rounds). That said, the SA trigger is so disappointing that it's really not interesting or fun to shoot. Throwing it in the trash crossed my mind. Every Glock I have shot had a better trigger.

What to do? I don't care about DA. I would like great SA performance and I would like to have the ability to carry cocked and locked (i.e., with a safety). A decocker isn't a big deal, one way or another.

I would appreciate suggestions. Will a trigger job help? Any gunsmiths you recommend? How about the LEM DAO with the competition (lower pull weight) option?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Bob
 
Sounds like a trigger job might be in order. Not too many DA/SA pistols can deliver the kind of trigger you get on a Les Baer 1911. I would go to the H&K forum and see what the various gunsmiths offer. There are probably several that advertise on that board.;)
 
Send it to gray guns. I don't think it will ever be a 1911 trigger, but it will be much improved.
 
Any other gunsmiths you recommend?

Gray guns isn't accepting new work right now. Any other gunsmiths come to mind? Looking for a great result; it's OK if it costs a little more.

Thanks,
Bob
 
Might want to just see what H&K-USA customer service says... while H&K's aren't really known to have very good triggers shouldn't be as bad as you are describing.

IMHO, being that it's an H&K, I wouldn't even consider sending it off to a 'Smith for work as you'll end up nearly spending enough to cover another pistol and may never be really anything special trigger-wise...

Good luck.
 
You can find an interesting interview with Ken Hackathorn about his role in helping HK develop the HK45. He was dissatisfied with the trigger and mentions a specific way to remedy this. You can find this at Gun Nuts Media. Once a trigger job is done he says it will equal a custom 1911. Good luck
 
irony in a $1000 pistol

I think of irony as an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. Is the suggestion that for $1000 I should reasonably expect a decent trigger or that I shouldn't?

Is there a SAO modification for the HK45?

Thanks,
Bob
 
Any other gunsmiths come to mind? Looking for a great result; it's OK if it costs a little more.
Click to expand...

Give Scott a call at Apex Tactical, he has done amazing work on several H&K USPs I've handled....they are located in Los Oso (by Moro Bay), CA...and he can make it feel like a 1911. They are currently at the SHOT Show, so you'll have to wait until they get back.

www ApexTactical.com
 
I think of irony as an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. Is the suggestion that for $1000 I should reasonably expect a decent trigger or that I shouldn't?
Click to expand...

If one pays good money for a gun, they would expect a good gun. A good gun also includes a good trigger.
 
HK45 Triggers

Usually, the SA pull on an HK45 is quiet good. My HK45 and HK45c are both very good in SA mode. It is generally the DA pull, which has a lot of creep in it. Dry firing will help, but usually does clean it up. If you are a trigger snob (as am I), you'll need to send it off. Gray Guns is probably the best for DA/SA guns.
If you have had Glocks that have had better triggers than the SA mode of an HK45, then something is wrong.

Also, If you are comparing your HK45 to a semi custom 1911's trigger...don't. There are few handguns that can compete with the trigger of a proper 1911.
 
needham,

I understand your dilema. I bought an HK USP 45 (uses the same trigger group as the HK45) and the first thing I did was a trigger job. Unbelieveable difference.

The stock hammerspring is a 14 #'er, going to a 10 # helps the DA quite a bit. Primer hits are still deep and positive. The SA can be improved to an incredible degree. I wish I could help you; I am currently filing for my FFL so I can start doing tirgger work in the near future. In the mean time, if you're mechanically inclined, the trigger work is done using all the stock parts, nothing other than the hammer spring needs replacing.
 
Also, If you are comparing your HK45 to a semi custom 1911's trigger...don't. There are few handguns that can compete with the trigger of a proper 1911.
Click to expand...

This. There's probably nothing wrong with his HK45. The problem is that he's comparing it to a high end 1911's trigger.
 
The SA trigger really disappointing. Lot's of take-up and creep. The break is anything but crisp; it feels spongy.
Click to expand...

Most people discover the horrendous HK trigger pull(s) in the store before buying it.
 
Yup, a high end 1911 is a tough hill to take when comparing most any semi auto trigger. The thing is, and I understand the notion of getting a good trigger for the cost of admission, but the USP and HK45 are duty pistols, and made for very rough duty. I have shot HK pistols for many years, decades even, and other than the P9S trigger, they seem to be good enough to get the job done. To a certain degree I can see HK as seeing improvements to triggers to be beyond a certain point of diminishing returns in terms of the overall intended use. Folks like to point out that HK does not necessarily focus on the civilian market but then do not recognize the ultimate use for what these pistols were designed for. I think that I would like SIG's motto "to hell and back" better for HK than HK's "no compromise" motto because I think that with pistols like this there are certain compromises, or better yet, proriorities.

A great example is my P2000SK, or my USP, and yes, even my HK45. If you were to try the trigger on them you would think that they are nothing special. But then you shoot the guns, "just okay" trigger and all, and the guns shoot wonderfully. This is especially true with my 2000SK. If you were to only go by the trigger pull you might not expect anything great, but what you end up with is an incredibly accurate gun. No, the trigger isn't a work of art but the gun gets the job done amazingly well. I would have to wonder how much better the gun would be with a better trigger, but then I really don't care as the gun does everything that I could possibly want, and then some. I recently found a very similar thing with the CZ75 SP-01 Phantom.

I'm not an HK apologist, it's just that I think that the triggers on these guns are a more than adequate part of an exceptional system. And while the comparison to the 1911 is a tough one, posibly the OP's trigger does need some looking after either by HK or a smith. I asked whether he was hitting what he was aiming at because while the trigger may not be up to his liking, if the gun is getting the job done then then I wouldn't sweat it. I have a number of outstanding guns, the Walther PPS one of them, that shoots amazingly well, with a trigger pull that doesn't really impress me at all. On the other hand, if a trigger job will make the gun a better one for the OP, why not?

Also, having passed many rounds through HK's over the past 25 years I think that the OP may find that the trigger will improve over time. I have a 95 USP that is a whole different ballgame in terms of the trigger after years of use.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

Apropos the question of if I'm hitting what I'm aiming at, I'd say largely yes. It's high variance though.

Here's what I perceive to be the issue in layman's terms (for SA).

After taking up a little bit of slack, the incremental force to further displace the trigger increases, but it's not monotonic. Then there's a what feels like a second bump to get over before the trigger breaks. The amount of force it takes to get over this last bump varies and seems to depends on the speed with which I am pulling the trigger. It's as though there is a big difference between the static and sliding coefficients of friction.

The 1911 trigger has a little bit of take-up; the break happens in response to force applied to the trigger. On the Glocks I have shot, the trigger pull is long, and while the the force is relatively high, it increases smoothly and predictably.

My friends .45 USP has a much nicer SA trigger than my HK45; so I don't think I'm being (completely) unrealistic.

Thanks,
Bob
 
Looks like I'll be spending some time with my HK45 tonight :D Thanks for that description.
 
Sounds like a trip to Apex Tactical would really do wonders for that trigger...Hwy 1 is a beautiful drive if you're into road tripping.

Scott used to work for Grayguns and had a large hand in developing the action tune for the H&K USP action
 
Disregard. Your problem was with SA, and not DA.

Sorry
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the input guys.

Apropos the question of if I'm hitting what I'm aiming at, I'd say largely yes. It's high variance though.

Here's what I perceive to be the issue in layman's terms (for SA).

After taking up a little bit of slack, the incremental force to further displace the trigger increases, but it's not monotonic. Then there's a what feels like a second bump to get over before the trigger breaks. The amount of force it takes to get over this last bump varies and seems to depends on the speed with which I am pulling the trigger. It's as though there is a big difference between the static and sliding coefficients of friction.

The 1911 trigger has a little bit of take-up; the break happens in response to force applied to the trigger. On the Glocks I have shot, the trigger pull is long, and while the the force is relatively high, it increases smoothly and predictably.

My friends .45 USP has a much nicer SA trigger than my HK45; so I don't think I'm being (completely) unrealistic.

Thanks,
Bob
 
Maybe it is your particular HK45. Mine and others I have dry fired/shot, and read about seem to have a pretty good SA, but not so good DA.

Look up HKPRO. There are a lot of guys over there, who can direct you to the right smith. There is a name of Springfield (sp), who also does quality work on HKs.
Anyway, go to HKPRO, and ask. It won't take long for someone to give you a few names for reference.
 
HK internal parts are treated to prevent corrosion. If you get a trigger job it will break through the coatings and the parts will be subject to rust.
I just bought a USP 9mm and my SA trigger has more creep than other HKs I've owned. I don't mind take up slack or overtravel, but too much creep in the break is hard to deal with when you want to shoot tiny groups at 25 yards.
You can order a HK match trigger group and install it yourself. I would run about $125, but that's less than you would pay for a trigger job and shipping, and less than you would loose on selling it off.
Instructions are available at HK Pro or You Tube. It's not that difficult, and you'll have the same trigger that's on the Elite and Expert pistols.
It will still have take up slack, but the break will be much improved, plus there's an adjustable over-travel stop.
 
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