That wasn't too hard, thanks 1911Tuner!

[WhoKnowsWho]

I read your poor mans trigger job over on m1911.org, and totally stripped my Charles Daly 1911 for the first time. Sure, the Glock just falls apart in the hand, but the 1911 wasn't too bad at all. Polished up the surfaces, and sorry, went really cheap and didn't replace the leaf spring, just slightly bent it to lower what felt like an 8# trigger pull. Now, it feels ten times better, smooth and about 4-5# but I think I will order myself a trigger with a stop on it, just because it feels like it would be worth it now. And the Colt leaf spring I guess... Also gotta head to the range and test it, too bad I gotta eat turkey tomorrow!

 

[1911Tuner]

Po' Boy's Trigger Tune-Up

Ah! Goodonya!

One thing to watch for...The triggers with the stop screws can be a little tricky to get right. Most don't need to be adjusted on many guns...but if ya do, remember to check for sear contact with the half-cock notch. Pull the trigger and lower tha hammer slowly. If you feel even a light "tic" as the hammer goes down, back the screw out another full turn. Some say a half-turn, but I don't trust it. Use Lock-Tite on the screw. Some smiths will
even go as far as drilling the trigger at 90 degrees to the screw and installing a set screw to lock the set screw...and using Lock-Tite on both of'em.

I usually just take the screws out and stick'em in File 13. The step under the grip safety lug is a bult-in overtravel stop anyway, and with an aftermarket trigger, you probably won't get much less travel by just using the designed-in stop.

Just my 2% worth.

Luck!

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Thanks for the adjustment tip. Both my Kimber and SA have a stop, and I will re-check them to make sure they are set correctly. I think the manual for the SA said 1/4 of a turn extra... not sure, I think I went 1/2 anyways on both guns so they should be good.

The only reason I want an aftermarket trigger is because when the (now nicer feeling) trigger breaks on the Charles Daly, it travels back as far if not farther than the initial pull distance. Anyways, the polymers ones look different.

 

[1911Tuner]

One More Thing

Howdy Whoknows,

Don't remember if I mentioned it on the text...but just to make sure that ya didn't do the breakaway angle too far down on the back of the sear...Check the thumb safety function to be sure it's still okay.

Hold the trigger and rack the slide to cock the hammer. Engage the safety,
and pull the trigger about twice as hard as needed to fire the gun. Hold the gun to your ear and slowly pull the hammer past full-cock, but don't let it touch the grip safety. If you hear a light "click" the safety isn't blocking the sear. If you don't hear it, repeat the test...but this time, push the safety off and listen for the click. If you don't hear it...you're golden. The click is the sound of the sear resetting into the hammer.

If you hear it, you'll need to refit the thumb safety lug. Notta big job, though.

Standin' by...

 

[wally]

I'm curious about how you refit the lug on the safety. If the sear moves a little when the trigger pulled with the safety on, doesn't that mean the lug is too small?

--wally.

 

[1911Tuner]

Refit?

Howdy Wally,

Believe it or not...ya gotta hit it with a hammer.

Lay the safety between two vise jaws, lug side up. Use a thin cloth to keep from marring the finish. Find a spacer that'll fit in the clearance slot to prevent bending the lug...or in the case of a casting or MIM...to keep from breakin' it slap off. Use a 4-ounce hammer to strike the lug on the corner that blocks the sear. Strike at a shallow angle to displace the metal toward the sear. All it takes is a point to block it, and it usually doesn't need to be filed to fit. The small point is nearly self-fitting if it's a little too long. When ya force the safety to "ON", it wipes the point, and the fit is perfect.

And now ya know...

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Don't remember if I mentioned it on the text...but just to make sure that ya didn't do the breakaway angle too far down on the back of the sear...Check the thumb safety function to be sure it's still okay.

Ah, thanks for reminding me of that. It wasn't mentioned in the text, and it does do it. But I don't have a vise, hmm... I'm inventive though, I'll figure out some way to hold it to smack it. I barely did anything to the sear too... hehe, it probably did it before. Oh well. Just another reason to take it apart again!

 

[1911Tuner]

No Vise

No problemo. Just lay it between two blocks of equal-height steel. Strike with the face of the hammer to cause the metal to "flow" in sort of a skidding motion. Easy...Watch for the burr to kick up and try it to see if it blocks the sear. If all else fails, shoot me a PM.

By the way...A little trick that I don't advise, but will work if carefully done.
I've seen some of the bullseye shooters fit an extra thumb safety in such a way as to let the sear move part-way out of the hooks and create a sort of Poor Man's Set Trigger. The safety is fitted to allow the sear tomove halfway out of the hooks, and when the safety is wiped off, it stages the sear for a freakishly crisp let-off on the order of about one pound or even less.

Again...This information is for entertainment purposes only...If it's not done correctly, pulling the trigger can force the safety off and let the gun fire.
When staging the sear, I highly recommend practicing the pull to get just the right set, and when ready to test it with live ammo, pointing the gun downrange while staging it...assuming that you try it, that is...which I trust that you won't...

 

[Dave Sample]

Boy, am I glad I don't have to peen thumb safety's anymore. The one CD that I worked over really needed a trigger. It also needed a barrel and a lot of interior tweaking. An old brake disc is a handy thing for peening parts.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

The safety is fitted to allow the sear tomove halfway out of the hooks, and when the safety is wiped off, it stages the sear for a freakishly crisp let-off on the order of about one pound or even less.

Yeah, it kind of felt lighter when I did that.

 

[wally]

1911Tuner,

Great explanation on refiting the safety lug. Hope I never need to do it, but clever way to make a too small part just the right amount bigger. Gotta love it when a hammer is used for a precision adjustment to a critical part

I'd have assumed you'd weld it up and file it down (or buy a new oversized one and fit it) but when you said its not too difficult I just had to know the trick.

Thanks.

--wally.

 

[1911Tuner]

Know the Trick

Yep, wally...You can also do it to a grip safety lug that's not quite blockin' the trigger too. I use a center punch on those...on either side of the lug so I can better control the exact spot that I want to stretch. Punches also work pretty well on a trigger bow to reduce excess up/down slop. Sometimes necessary in the days before we had aftermarket, gunsmith fit triggers.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

No Vise No problemo. Just lay it between two blocks of equal-height steel.

Ah, no steel but I do have some spare pieces of wood laying around that should work perfectly. Gotta work tonight though, so it is a weekend project.

 

[1911Tuner]

Wood Ya?

Hardwood block will absorb a lot of the hammer striking force and it'll take longer to get a good burr to kick up. Don't get in a hurry and hit the lug harder to speed up the job. It's more a matter of repeated, light strikes
than one or two stiff whacks. The idea is to cause the metal to flow in a
hit-push, or almost a sliding sliding motion. Be sure to lay the blocks on somethin' more solid than a workbench. A concrete floor is good.

If ya bust your safety, gimme a shout. I've got a few spares layin' around that I took off of some of my pistols when I stumbled onto a supply of
USGI thumb safeties.

 

[wally]

I've used the center punch trick to tighten up the firing pin retainer on my Springfield (was having intermittent misfires). Reminds me that its worked so well I've forgotten about picking up a replacement. Have to add that to my list for next weeks gun show.

--wally.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

If ya bust your safety, gimme a shout. I've got a few spares layin' around that I took off of some of my pistols when I stumbled onto a supply of

Thanks for the offer, hopefully I won't need it! (tap,tap,tap,tap...)