1911 trigger improvement questions...

[rapidsequence]

Not having EVER done this before, I just wanna ask a couple of questions before I screw anything up... I've only field stripped a 1911, never taken it apart past that.
I know that a proper trigger job will include attending to the sear, disconnect, trigger bow and the mainspring. Is it possible to just make adjustments to the middle leaf of the mainspring to lighten the trigger a bit, or would that one action be a waste of time without attending to the other parts?
I am a little leery about making adjustments to the sear and hammer because I def don't want to go too far on those.
should I just take it to a gunsmith and have them do a complete trigger job? Buy a drop in trigger kit and replace the factory stuff?
Thanks in advance for advice/direction!

 

[bigred1]

@Gunbuffer ....hopefully he'll be along shortly

 

[JamesB]

 

[Calamity Jake]

Buy a reduced power spring kit, it'll make every thing lighter and smother, they are easy to install

 

[Bill_Long_Tan]

Not having EVER done this before, I just wanna ask a couple of questions before I screw anything up... I've only field stripped a 1911, never taken it apart past that.
I know that a proper trigger job will include attending to the sear, disconnect, trigger bow and the mainspring. Is it possible to just make adjustments to the middle leaf of the mainspring to lighten the trigger a bit, or would that one action be a waste of time without attending to the other parts?
I am a little leery about making adjustments to the sear and hammer because I def don't want to go too far on those.
should I just take it to a gunsmith and have them do a complete trigger job? Buy a drop in trigger kit and replace the factory stuff?
Thanks in advance for advice/direction!

They make kits with hammer sear springs and such prepped for an improved trigger pull. They are not free but will often drop in. Be sure to function check everything after install.

 

[Panayoti2]

Many gun makers put super strong hammer main spring in. Changing that will make huge difference. Run enough ammo thru after the change to insure reliability. Going to light will cause light hammer strikes.

 

[Hooper]

I would suggest a 1911 manual. Look on Midway USA for, Kuhnhausen Books & Videos
Tweaking anything on a 1911 can open up a can of worms and if you do not have a fairly comprehensive
knowledge of 1911's, you will become very frustrated trying to get it back to where you started.
An unreliable 1911 can be very dangerous to carry and shoot.

They are not super complicated, you can learn to do it yourself.
Dollars for tools and finding quality tools is what is the hardest part (DOLLARS the limiting factor).
I watched 1000's of YouTube videos and there is mostly bad advice on them, sorry to say. This is my opinion.
A few good ones.

Gun Blue is not an authority, he is stuck in his own little I know everything world. Not willing to learn. there is a ton of 1911 knowledge out there and he refuses to update his data bank. I'm sure he is a great Gentleman, just hard headed.

1911 Addicts, forum, is a good site for finding gunsmith knowledge and info on where to get things.
IF something fishy is posted it will be exposed with a vengeance.
Steve in Allentown, Pa. on any 1911 Gunsite forum is a wealth of information. He shares information willingly and he is on every reputable Gun forum. He gives very detailed info with detailed drawings.

The above information is my own opinion and what I have learned over time. So take it with a grain of salt.
You are welcome to call me out if I am wrong. It might hurt my ego, but it might save my life, guns are dangerous when mishandled, and you do not get second chances with them.

Please do not tweak on your pistol unless you have prior knowledge that your tweak is a time proven method.

 

[Fr Mulcahy]

I would suggest a 1911 manual. Look on Midway USA for, Kuhnhausen Books & Videos
Tweaking anything on a 1911 can open up a can of worms and if you do not have a fairly comprehensive
knowledge of 1911's, you will become very frustrated trying to get it back to where you started.
An unreliable 1911 can be very dangerous to carry and shoot.

They are not super complicated, you can learn to do it yourself.
Dollars for tools and finding quality tools is what is the hardest part (DOLLARS the limiting factor).
I watched 1000's of YouTube videos and there is mostly bad advice on them, sorry to say. This is my opinion.
A few good ones.

Gun Blue is not an authority, he is stuck in his own little I know everything world. Not willing to learn. there is a ton of 1911 knowledge out there and he refuses to update his data bank. I'm sure he is a great Gentleman, just hard headed.

1911 Addicts, forum, is a good site for finding gunsmith knowledge and info on where to get things.
IF something fishy is posted it will be exposed with a vengeance.
Steve in Allentown, Pa. on any 1911 Gunsite forum is a wealth of information. He shares information willingly and he is on every reputable Gun forum. He gives very detailed info with detailed drawings.

The above information is my own opinion and what I have learned over time. So take it with a grain of salt.
You are welcome to call me out if I am wrong. It might hurt my ego, but it might save my life, guns are dangerous when mishandled, and you do not get second chances with them.

Please do not tweak on your pistol unless you have prior knowledge that your tweak is a time proven method.

Good advice.

We have been very lucky to take eight weeks of 1911 classes with Rick Kennedy at Murray State. That's one two-week class four times.

The first two-week class felt like trying to drink from a firehose. The second one started to make sense. After the third one, we felt like we had a pretty good understanding of how the 1911 works, and how to fix them.

I have seen gunsmiths just bend the sear spring to lighten the trigger pull. It can be done, but I don't recommend it. I have seen the trigger pull smooth out by just taking the 1911 apart and putting it back together. I can't tell you why it worked, but it did.

The point of this rambling post is just that I would live with a less than ideal trigger if I had no experience with a 1911 and I couldn't find a competent gunsmith. You might be ok doing it on your own. But you might not, and it only takes a small mistake in the pistol to create a big mistake coming out of the muzzle.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Every time a 1911 owner f***s around with his gun to make it "better", a gunsmith gets his wings.

 

[roostermcbee]

What I do sometimes is, buy a prepped sear from Extreme Engineering and a 19 pound mainspring. Makes for a a better trigger without sacrificing reliability.