Adjusting Trigger Pull Weight

I recently picked up a used Les Baer Premier II in .45 to start competing in the CMP EIC Service Pistol matches. Western Games in March will be my first proper, non-postal BE match. It appears that someone has adjusted the trigger pull from the stock 4 to about 3.5 lbs. This is too light per the CMP rule book.

What's my best course of action to reset this trigger back to the proper and legal 4.0 lbs?

• Swap a few springs in the comfort of my own home?
  
• Local, probably non-BE-specific, gunsmith?
  
• Send it off to a proper 1911 BE gunsmith?
  

Note: I have done a bit of work on my Beretta 92FS but know very little about 1911s.

Are you comfortable taking the gun.apart? Then adjust leaf spring tension on trigger/disconnector and sear fingers to your preference.

I think so; I don't see anything overtly scary in the various instructions online. Most tutorials tend towards a 2.5 lb. pull, I guess I would just need to do the opposite to increase it.

May go ahead and buy the spring set from Baer. It's $20 and may help with any surprises I encounter and spares are rarely a bad thing.

I know I will get bashed for this, but I never see a need for new springs inless you need more length on the disconnector leg or you mess something up. Just bend the fingers properly. It is likely that factory preset on new spring is all random and skewed up anyway.  Do pretty much what Brownells tutorial states for 2.5lb, just in reverse as you noted. Nothing hard, just takes time to get it perfectly perfect on the gauge. In fact, if you are content with the way sear/hammer lets off in terms of pressure needed, and you bave no issues with safety like ammer follow, then just bend disco (middle) finger forward slightly. More pressure on initial travel is good, it pre-stages your finger.

Thanks for the insight.
I'll try the spring bending this weekend. Sounds like it's actually easier than anticipated although perhaps a bit of trial and error with the gauge.
I don't have a lot of experience with SAO / 1911 pistols but I feel very comfortable with the trigger as it stands. A tiny bit of a roll, very smooth movement, clean break and no over travel. I'm sure it could be 'better' but I'm not experienced or precise enough to know where it could be improved. Just need another 1/2 lb. to be legal for CMP.

It's an error in the rule book. 3-1/2 for matches, 4lbs for EIC, same as before.

mspingeld wrote:It's an error in the rule book. 3-1/2 for matches, 4lbs for EIC, same as before.

Yep, I'm shooting Service Pistol EIC so trying to make 4 lbs.

What I tell many of those that are not very familiar with changing Pull weight is to buy a few springs, they are not that expensive and used ones are available. Rather than change what feels like a good NRA weight remove it and install a new spring and play with the bending of the 2 leafs on the left to control trigger and sear weight. The middle leaf applies pressure directly to the disconnector that is transferred to the trigger, left leaf is on the sear. Right most spring does nothing for the trigger and is for the grip safety But it can cause trigger weight change. If you then have a good NRA and CMP weight with 2 springs use a third to experiment. After a bit you can ask what to do with the leaf on the right for the grip safety to avoid it changing trigger weight.