Short trigger for 1911

Somebody I was shooting next to at Camp Perry noticed I had a problem with my grip. She recommended I try a short trigger and /or slim grips. I have some slim grips on order but I would like a recommendation on a short 1911 trigger. Any ideas? And how hard would it be to fit a new trigger if needed? Thanks!

Brownells sells Greider trigger in a short length. Excellent trigger at a modest cost.


Fitting is not that hard

Sorry I placed this in the wrong category. Admin please move this to Equipment. Thanks.

Your thin grips will require thin grip bushings installed. They should be staked in place.
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:Your thin grips will require thin grip bushings installed. They should be staked in place.
Jon

Jon,

Is it necessary to have that tool that is inserted inside the grip frame to properly stake the bushings?

Posted on the other thread.  Fitting a trigger isn't that hard.  Just proper measurements and filing flat on the shoe to get the proper fit.

Forgot Harrison Custom is the trigger I would recommend.  Also make sure you have a flat mainspring housing in your gun as well.

Outthere wrote:

Jon Eulette wrote:Your thin grips will require thin grip bushings installed. They should be staked in place.
Jon

Jon,

Is it necessary to have that tool that is inserted inside the grip frame to properly stake the bushings?

Yes sir. If you don't stake it, it will twist out when you remove grip screws. I always oil screws for easy removal. Never use loctite.
Jon

If you go to install a new trigger, you will be removing everything from your frame, and rebuilding again.  Watch some of the better videos on how to do this before you start.

I did it a few weeks ago, and the reality was it wasn't all that difficult, but for me it was a challenge.

When it comes to filing or using sandpaper to make your new trigger fit, go slowly, and use Dykem to find out where you need to file   You can always take off more material, but not put material back.

I woud want a trigger with the travel limit screw (which I got) and also with the "prongs" that adjust forward travel (I didn't think of this).  

It's a challenge, and it's very enjoyable to do if you enjoy working on guns.  

I'll post the link to the assembly video I used, probably later tonight.



Suggestion - post something about here about your current grip, and get feedback here in the forum, before you start changing things from what someone at the range told ou.  Maybe watch Brian Zins video on Grip, before you go further.

Mikemeyers wrote
If you go to install a new trigger, you will be removing everything from your frame, and rebuilding again. Watch some of the better videos on how to do this before you start.

I did it a few weeks ago, and the reality was it wasn't all that difficult, but for me it was a challenge.

When it comes to filing or using sandpaper to make your new trigger fit, go slowly, and use Dykem to find out where you need to file You can always take off more material, but not put material back.

I woud want a trigger with the travel limit screw (which I got) and also with the "prongs" that adjust forward travel (I didn't think of this).

It's a challenge, and it's very enjoyable to do if you enjoy working on guns.

I'll post the link to the assembly video I used, probably later tonight.



Suggestion - post something about here about your current grip, and get feedback here in the forum, before you start changing things from what someone at the range told ou. Maybe watch Brian Zins video on Grip, before you go further.


Disassembling and re-assembling a 1911 is no problem. I did it many years ago before YouTube. My problem is I’m impatient and took too much material off a short trigger I had forgotten I had in my spare parts bin.

I tried it this weekend and it did improve my grip and accuracy. Now I just have to get used to it. Slim grips next? Maybe I won’t need them.

The advice I got at Camp Perry was from an Olympian in the Women’s 25 M Sport Pistol so I trusted her suggestions. Glad I took it.

Willfish30 wrote:.......My problem is I’m impatient and took too much material off ........

More people warned me about that, than anything else, ever, when it came to working on a gun.  This started years ago, and they insisted I buy some Dykem, to show me exactly where to remove material, and to do so very, very slowly.  Having said that, if I do this again, I'll have a better "feel" for how much material to remove, what tool(s) to use, and how quickly to do it.  Maybe stuff like this is easy for most people, and it's just me that struggles.     Another mistake I made was to simply do what I needed to do, then assemble the gun.  Only after using it did I notice the vertical "edges" on the trigger were very annoying.  I fixed that a few days ago with sandpaper wrapped around a pen, sliding it up and down until the sharp edge was gone. Next time the gun is apart, I'll look for other "sharp edges" or "corners" that could be smoothed a little.

Glad your project went so smoothly.

I had a small problem with my first trigger fitting.  The upper and lower surfaces on the trigger track are not parallel - the gap increases from rear to front.   This means that if I thin the height of the trigger enough to fit through the beginning of the track it is loose in the position of use.  I was running a glass-filled STI trigger as I could "pop" it through the tight spot and have less slop, but I'm now trying a different metal trigger to see if I like that profile better (despite the slop).    

I also found that the glass filled trigger expanded more than the steel frame, so I had to make an adjustment when the hot weather arrived.  The same would hold true for aluminum triggers.

Just for reference mine is a Les Baer wadgun.

Just a quick update. I liked the short trigger enough to order a few Greider Short LOP triggers from Brownells. I also received slim grips that I installed without changing out the grip bushings by using o-rings to hold the grips fairly tight. The grip screws stick out a little but this way I can test fire it as is to see if it provides any improvement before I replace the bushings. Have to admit the slim grips feel pretty good.

why slim grips? I find thicker grips reduces dot shake. I use .032" grip shims to give me more width which fills my hand between my thumb and trigger finger. I also find a short trigger more difficult to build even pressure on as my trigger finger is more curled.

mhayford45 wrote:why slim grips? I find thicker grips reduces dot shake. I use .032" grip shims to give me more width which fills my hand between my thumb and trigger finger. I also find a short trigger more difficult to build even pressure on as my trigger finger is more curled.

Size of hands and length of fingers ?

Wear a medium glove

Watch “Brian Zins Explains How to Take Your Grip to a Whole New Level” on YouTube at 2:40. He explains about your preferences for trigger placement. He uses thin grips and a short trigger.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cXWoJ2arPuI&list=PL1wX0N678rkKIUoQDHlQAjJglFLk6j6X9&index=2&t=0s

Brian also has relatively “beefy” hands so a thin set of grips makes sense. The length of the trigger and thickness of grips is a relatively personal issue. What is right for you may not be right for me. The only way to tell is to try different grips. I find Euro grips yo be wrong for me generally. They work ok on 22s and air pistols but I prefer slabs on centerfire. But that’s just me.