Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Trigger Work

As I've mentioned before, my Commander is a Series 80 Colt with that little firing pin block doohickey thing.  The trigger is also a little stiff than other 1911s I've used.  There is some thought from various sources that the doohickey contributes to the stiffness.

The question in my mind now, what do do about it?

Do I take it to the gunsmith to get other parts of the trigger group tuned up and thus improve it that way?

Do I go the big money route and get a whole new slide done up that is missing this feature? 

A commenter mentioned that Brownells has parts for swapping out some of the firing pin block  stuff that is supposed to help but I can't for the life of me find it on the website.

Or, the most likely route, do nothing, and get used to the trigger as it is.  Which isn't really that bad.

10 comments:

JB Miller said...

I would put a thousand rounds through it before any mods.

I have been shooting my RIA a lot lately and it is smoothing out a lot. Fewer FTFs smoother slide action.

Broken Andy said...

If this gun is for carry or home defense, you want the trigger pull to be "heavy" to avoid accidents with sympathetic grip. If its for competition or just plain fun, I think JB's advice is really good: puts lots of rounds through it before taking it to the gunsmith.

Boat Guy said...

The technique when this solution-in-search-of-a-problem was first thrust upon us was to take the piece to a 'smith with a note "No Series 80 parts included" to cover said 'smith's ass liability-wise.
Struggling mightily to avoid "Told you so"...
Good luck. Shooting a grand or so through the piece is also pretty good advice but won't fix a poor (and completely unnecessary) design...

Anonymous said...

Hobby gun.

Bubblehead Les. said...

BIG Legal Issue! Mas Ayoob has written in the past that if you have to use your pistol in self-defense, and the local Prosecutor wants to go after your Pro-Gun Butt (that is, if he/she is a Hippie Liberal Commie who wants to be Re-Elected), the fact that you have KNOWINGLY disabled a Factory Installed Safety Devise can be used against you in Court. It's happened a couple of times in the past. Go check out his site and send him an email for details. Remember, Janet Reno was picked to become A.G. because of her Anti-Gun Prosecutions against Cops and Citizens when she was Miami D.A. In fact, she was one of the main reasons Florida kicked off the CCW wave in the 80's. And what was one of the first things she did when she D.C? Batfeieio and Waco ring a bell? Don't take the chance, bro. If you ever have to use it for "Social Purposes", don't mess with the safety. Or turn it into a Hobby Gun, and save it for a Level 4, when TSHTF and ain't no one being Prosecuted anyway.

Mike W. said...

I don't think that's as big an issue as Les claims. Afterall, my brand new 1911 doesn't have any of those series 80 "safety parts."

I say do what you want to the gun.

Anonymous said...

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=13121/Product/1911_AUTO_FRAME_SLOT_BLANK

Frank W. James said...

The new Colt guns with the Series 80 parts don't have the problems we saw when it was first introduced. I've got a 2 yr. old Delta Elite with that stuff and it's hard to tell it from a Series 70 gun.

Best advice is work with it awhile and then see what you think of it. Of course, if you shoot it alot, you may become accustomed to it and then it won't make a bit of difference...

All The Best,
Frank W. James

Old NFO said...

Trigger time, and decide from there... it's YOUR gun.

Ross said...

You can get replacement parts that are titanium coated which reduce the trigger poundage and smooths things out some. I think Brownells carries the parts. If not I know Midway does.