Stupid question about the adjustable screw on some 1911 triggers...

[Lone_Gunman]

What exactly does it adjust?

I am talking about the small screw on some 1911 triggers that is accessed throught the hole on the front side of the trigger.

 

[shield20]

Overtravel - how far back the trigger goes after it releases the sear.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

So why would overtravel need to be adjustable?

 

[JoeHatley]

Less chance of moving the sight picture after the sear trips.

Joe

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Yes, I understand that, but why would wouldn't you always want as little overtravel as possible?

Why not just make the trigger with no overtravel to begin with?

It would seem to me that this would be kind of like making a trigger adjustable so you could add more creep to it.

 

[Onmilo]

Because the 1911 uses internally milled trigger bar channels it would be extremely difficult, if not near impossible, to keep tolerance levels to the point where overtravel is completely eliminated in the design.
Even precision investment casting cannot eliminate this anomoly of design.
Add the myraids and myraids of different choices in triggers, sears, hammers, sear springs, etc. along with the variations in tolerence levels of the parts and their manufacturers and the adjustable overtravel screw becomes an understood neccessity for serious speed shooting.