1911 Trigger Job

[SPDguns]

Take out your safety detent spring and replace it with a new one. It may be all you need

Or deepen the detent notch in the safety

 

[dlbleak]

Crying shame CY isn’t still around to complete this thread.
He had an incredible thread on dissembling a S&W revolver back in the day.
He knew his way around guns but got out a little far with politics.
Don’t know if he got a permaban or just quit posting.

He’s still around. Was on last June 10th. Hope he comes back around.

 

[Boehlertaught]

You can change the spring as Gunbuffer mentioned which can help. And it's really cheap so if that isn't the issue there's not. Much lost. Depending the detent notch on the safety will definitely increase the feel. Maybe too much so be careful. If you remove the safety to work on the detent you can easily change the function of the safely in a bad way. Folks like Brownells sell a long indent dressing tool, a fancy description of a drill bit, that slips through the spring plunger tunnel to dress the safeties detent with the safety in place. Do this by hand not with a drill motor.

 

[Snattlerake]

Or deepen the detent notch in the safety

THIS, is what I was thinking.

 

[Tailgate]

My 1911 is a nice crisp 3 to 4 pound pull. What I really want is a more positive safety release. In my opinion, it is too easy to take off safety and needs a firmer detent.

Which safety? I am assuming the thumb safety. The problem is in how the various engaging surfaces are filed...one could be on the plunger tube detent shoulder, but the most likely is the blocking lug. You have to be careful when working on this, because once you remove metal you can't put it back. But you CAN do it yourself, just be very patient.

This is actually a very good instructional, even better than Kuhnhausen's book:
https://www.harrisoncustom.com/images/uploaded/pdf/Extreme Service Thumb Safety_June 2016.pdf

 

[jackary]

I recently finished up a trigger job on my 1911. It is sitting at a nice crisp 4.5 lbs. I went slow when removing material and checked often until I got it where I wanted it. Watched several videos and did lots of reading before starting. I got to compare it side by side with another 1911 that had a trigger job by a long time gunsmith and was happy with how my work measured up against the other.

 

[Russ661]

I’ve done 2 1911 type trigger jobs: 1 on my Colt Combat Commander and 1 on my Prodigy. I was able to get ~2.5lbs on the Prodigy and ~3lbs on the Colt thru careful manipulation of the sear spring. .050 take-up, barely perceptible movement at the break and .050 reset. I also installed an ambi safety on the Colt since I am a lefty and replaced the MIM safety parts on the Prodigy with an EGW machined unit. The Colt safety takes ~1lb to put on,~3lb to switch off. The Prodigy safety takes 2.5 lbs to switch on, 2.9lbs to switch off. Both are very positive with no over travel or looseness. Neither job was all that difficult although both required assembly/disassembly of the weapons multiple times until I was happy with the results.
If you have the patience, time and average or better motor skills you should give it a try. A positive outcome is very rewarding!

ETA: I just noticed that this is an old thread, my bad!