The long and short of 1911 triggers

Mitch Rapp · Jul 25, 2013

My Colt 1911 has a long trigger, and I have smallish hands. When I grip the gun properly the trigger sits right at the middle of my finger pad, rather than getting on the distal joint. Am I right in thinking this means I could benefit from the short trigger?

Next, are 1911 trigger replacements a "do it yourselfer" friendly job? I saw on Mikes website he charges extra for trigger jobs on series 80 guns, but I assume that is extra stuff in the fire control area to play with. I haven't seen triggers labeled by series, so I assume they MAY be drop in? Any help would be great, thanks.

Spiff · Jul 25, 2013

Your trigger sounds like it's the perfect length if it's in the middle of your finger pad.

Jefpainthorse · Jul 25, 2013

Most semi auto gurus like the pad on the trigger.

For double action revolvers -- the distal joint offers a little more leverage

In a semi auto-- if your finger tip pad is in the trigger face... The gun fits correct if the finger has a little arch as it lays along the frame

My hands wear a 8.5 dress glove and I favor a " short" Colt trigger with A1 frame scallops....

If memory serves...the " short " Colt trigger was early and the long trigger came along with the A1 frame modifications. I prefer a smooth face compared to a serrated GI style... That rounded edge helps the "fit" for me.

The trigger itself is fairly easy to fit . There are tutorials around that show how to adjust bow length and improve fit in the bow track.

Feegee · Jul 25, 2013

View attachment 5252

Matt1911 · Jul 25, 2013

The pad of your finger should be on the face of the trigger for an auto. If you really want to try a differnt size though, I would suggest medium instead of short.
Feegee is back on the bottle

Mitch Rapp · Jul 25, 2013

Austin T said:
Your trigger sounds like it's the perfect length if it's in the middle of your finger pad.

Matt Rigsby said:
The pad of your finger should be on the face of the trigger for an auto. If you really want to try a differnt size though, I would suggest medium instead of short.
Feegee is back on the bottle

Ok, I didn't see "medium" as an option, that might be the ticket. The trigger hits me kinda forward of middle, so I don't need a lot. The trigger that's in it is a plastic one, I wonder if I could just shave it some....

JustSayWhen · Jul 26, 2013

Kevin S. said:
Ok, I didn't see "medium" as an option, that might be the ticket. The trigger hits me kinda forward of middle, so I don't need a lot. The trigger that's in it is a plastic one, I wonder if I could just shave it some....

Plastic (polymer) trigger, on a 1911? Do you have a picture?

Wall · Jul 26, 2013

JustSayWhen said:
Plastic (polymer) trigger, on a 1911? Do you have a picture?

Not so strange, Sti uses a poly trigger

JustSayWhen · Jul 26, 2013

Wall said:
Not so strange, Sti uses a poly trigger

I guess I have not been around long enough because I have never seen one. Maybe I have on a Wilson Combat my boss owns. O well just shows you learn something new everyday.

poopgiggle · Jul 26, 2013

Kevin S. said:
1911...I assume they MAY be drop in?

ha

Jefpainthorse · Jul 26, 2013

Colt has been using a plastic- faced trigger since the 90's ... and the main spring housings too. I have a FR serial numbered 80 series that's got plastic parts.

The Series 80 OM is a short serrated trigger that's been shaped (radiused) on the outer edges...

Trigger's and the trigger channel are kind of subjective in fit. You don't want the trigger to have a lot of up and down play... and you can tweak the lenght a little ... some units have tabs that are adjustable some what to take up fore and aft slack...

NOTHING on a 1911 is "drop in" ... well, maybe Houge rubber grips are LOL

Mitch Rapp · Jul 26, 2013

poopgiggle said:
ha

Jeff said:
NOTHING on a 1911 is "drop in" ... well, maybe Houge rubber grips are LOL

Yeah, I kinda figured that.....sigh.....

mike cyrwus · Jul 27, 2013

kev, shoot it as-is for a little bit. trigger length is a very personal thing on 1911s. If your grip isnt optimal, then if you get that straightened out your length to the pad will change. Most guys with short fingers can work a longer trigger just fine. Its the other way that can be more of an issue.

Mitch Rapp · Jul 27, 2013

mike cyrwus said:
kev, shoot it as-is for a little bit. trigger length is a very personal thing on 1911s. If your grip isnt optimal, then if you get that straightened out your length to the pad will change. Most guys with short fingers can work a longer trigger just fine. Its the other way that can be more of an issue.

Thanks Mike, I do shoot this gun more accurately than any of my others, so I guess I shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to change things. I guess that's one problem with a 1911, you want to change things, and maybe shouldn't. I do have a few things I want to change on the gun, and was just thinking of the trigger as an addition to the other things. Most of the other things I want to do are for comfort/utility like a beaver-tail and an ambi safety. The mil-spec beaver-tail tends to bite when carrying IWB, and an ambi safety just kinda makes sense. The first thing i am going to buy for it is more ammo, it needs a thousand round trigger job before I go doing much to it. Being solid steel, I do kinda want to cerakote it to help with rust as well, but that should wait till after I replace parts, which should wait till after I shoot it a ton more....

Jefpainthorse · Aug 27, 2013

Stocks make a huge difference in fit and feel too. A thin grip panel will increase "reach". Wrap around rubber grips reduce it -especially for guys with short stubby fingers like mine.

Burk Cornelius · Aug 27, 2013

Kevin S. said:
Thanks Mike,

an ambi safety just kinda makes sense.

I would be interested in Mike's take on ambi-safeties. I have one and like it if shooting weak hand (not often) but more importantly, it CAN get knocked off by a chair or seat belt or something similar when carrying it IWB or OWB

Mitch Rapp · Aug 27, 2013

Burk Cornelius said:
I would be interested in Mike's take on ambi-safeties. I have one and like it if shooting weak hand (not often) but more importantly, it CAN get knocked off by a chair or seat belt or something similar when carrying it IWB or OWB

Well, after some reading and thinking on it, I have changed my mind. I will be sticking with a one sided safety.

Jefpainthorse · Aug 29, 2013

Kevin S. said:
Well, after some reading and thinking on it, I have changed my mind. I will be sticking with a one sided safety.

In my opinion - good move. I had a SA with one and it's been carried as a carry gun about 3 hours. It bumped off safe pretty easy in an IWB holster.

mike cyrwus · Sep 10, 2013

Burk Cornelius said:
I would be interested in Mike's take on ambi-safeties. I have one and like it if shooting weak hand (not often) but more importantly, it CAN get knocked off by a chair or seat belt or something similar when carrying it IWB or OWB

If I were not a lefty, Id never have one on my gun.

Way more of a chance that a ambi safety will break and interfere with the operation of the gun as opposed to the chance that you need to use your weak hand because you got shot.

I mitigate that risk by using the best (most expensive) safeties I can get away with.

I will be testing out the wilson and SV ambis over the winter

poopgiggle · Sep 10, 2013

I've noticed that the mating between the two sides of the Wilson bulletproof ambi safeties have a much larger bearing surface than others. The Baer safety I have just has a ~1/8" tongue in a groove. The Wilson one looks like this: http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Ambidextrous-Thumb-Safety-Tactical-Levers-Bullet-Proof-Stainless/productinfo/192SBP/ It's pretty obvious from the picture how they fit together, but hard to describe in words.

IANAME but it seems like having that thicker steel post bear the torsional load makes for better longevity than putting it on that little tab, especially since it seems like the fit of that tab has to loosen up over time from being disassembled.