USGI 1911A1 stamped triggers from Numrich

[mattw]

I just recieved one of the USGI stamped checkered triggers from Numrich gun parts....I am not impressed at all.

I guess I can't complain because I wanted USGI and thats what I got. But I think i'm just going to continue my search for one of the early milled triggers or just find a decent milled trigger and have it checkered in the US GI style.

The part I got felt very gritty and was actually peppered with flecks of reflective metal shavings ( i guess thats what it is). The checkering pattern was very shallow.

All in all I would not reccommend these, they are USGI but as far as triggers go this is the worst one i've ever seen.

Anyone else know where to get a decent checkered short trigger?

 

[Old Fuff]

Those stamped triggers from World War Two are fully functional, and have better bows then you see on some commercial triggers today. However they'll never win any prizes in the good-looks department, and never were expected to. The only good checkered trigers I know of are Colt commercial ones made from the middle 1920's to about 1943, and Colt-made USGI triggers from the same period. They are around, but if you find one you'll have to beat Tuner to it.

I think the flecks might be phosphate crystals from the Parkerizing.

 

[mattw]

phosphate crystals make sense. those should wear off fairly quickly right?

I think I'm going to hit 1911tuner first if i ever decide to become a burglar

 

[Old Fuff]

phosphate crystals make sense. those should wear off fairly quickly right?

Try a little CLP (oil) and a toothbrush.

I think I'm going to hit 1911tuner first if i ever decide to become a burglar

Better practice your shooting first...

Part of your problem with a checkered fingerpiece is that the checkering on the original Colt triggers was stamped, not milled - using a process called "coining." Production was fast, but the tooling was expensive, and coining probably wouldn't work well on the aluminium fingerpieces that are so popular today. Trigger fingerpieces is one place where MIM would work, and the checkering could be molded in. However the parts makers don't seem to be interested since most people are satisfied with the serrated kind.

For the record, I like Tuner perfer the checkered style.

 

[panzermk2]

well you orderd GI you got GI.

 

[mattw]

The picture they had on their website had a different checkering pattern that looks deeper than what I got. If you don't look at the trigger you wouldn't be able to tell it was checkered just by feeling it.

we've got people that make solid steel milled triggers... how hard would it be for me to learn how to do checkering? what tools would i need?

I might just do it my self if i can get a decent result.

 

[XavierBreath]

matt,
I'm sorry to hear you are not happy with the stamped GI trigger. I was likely the one who recommended it, since it is what I used in my home brew WWII Springfield.

If you hold the stirrup flat on a whetstone and work it back and forth a few times, you will polish it up pretty nicely. Do the samewith the rear of the stirrup. As a result, you will have a great deal less grittiness. When the trigger is installed backwards in it's slot, it should slide out freely when the frame is tipped back. If it doesn't, the stirrup could use polishing.

Another alternative for a genuine GI trigger is a Sistema take-off. These appear on ebay from time to time.

 

[Old Fuff]

how hard would it be for me to learn how to do checkering? what tools would i need?

You are looking at a compound curve, and checkering that would not be simple. A grip forestrap or mainspring housing would be easy compared to a trigger face. You might check with Brownells (www.brownells,com) and see if they have a 1/2-round checkering file, but I doubt it.

Checkering is done with special files, and a lot of practice. Again see Brownells.

I have seen reasonably heavy, and next-to-no, checkering on stamped USGI triggers. It all depends on how new the tooling was, and how it was set up. There was a war on, and Uncle Sam wasn't too concerned about the quality of checkering.

 

[mattw]

wow.. i guess i'm in a little over my head as far as learning to checker. thanks for the heads up guys.

 

[Old Fuff]

I guess i'm in a little over my head as far as learning to checker.

Not really. Its just that you don't start with the hardest possible project.

The necesary files are not all that expensive, and available from www.brownells.com.

Then you need some scrapped parts or steel bar or flat stock to practice on, and a bench vise of some sort to hold the material or part.

First you file grooves in one direction, and then similar ones in another. the result is diamond-shapped checkering. I believe that Brownells might have a book or booklet that covers this. The truly hard part is cutting a border.

There is no good reason you shouldn't try. Even a hopeless case (AKA The Old Fuff) can checker a little bit.

 

[mattw]

well with college starting up again I won't have much spare time on my hands between school and work. learning to do checkering sounds like a good summer project though. or maybe christmas break.

I think a checkered barrel bushing would look cool too. Totally useless... but cool looking.

 

[Old Fuff]

People checker all sorts of things - often for no useful purpose...

But since the expense is relatively small, there is no reason you shouldn't learn how too do it. Just don't try and do a trigger as a first project.

 

[mattw]

So it seems like learning to checker by starting to checker my barrel bushings would serve no practical purpose for the pistol but would be a very easy introduction into learning to checker since it is a flat surface with no curves.

 

[Old Fuff]

So it seems like learning to checker by starting to checker my barrel bushings would serve no practical purpose for the pistol but would be a very easy introduction into learning to checker since it is a flat surface with no curves.

Your thinking is right, but I'd start on a piece of scrap flat stock that's a little narrower, say the width of a mainspring housing. You'll soon get the hang of it, and then if you want you can move on to the barrel bushing. I have seen bushings checkered before, simply for cosmetic effect. Didn't look too bad either.

You can get files that cut different numbers of lines-per-inch. The higher the number, the finer the checkering. Very fine checkering is a bit difficult too do because it's harder to keep the file aligned from cut to cut. But practice will overcome all.