STI TROJAN 9MM SPRINGS

[CPD7119]

Hello all, First post so be gentle please. I picked up a Trojan awhile back and decided i want to put a little effort into tuning it up. The first thing I wanted to do was upgrade the springs. I am planning on running either a 124gr or 147 gr bullet with enough gas behind it meet power factor.

I know alot of people start with a basic 1911 and if you started with a Trojan that's even better, I'm looking for any tips or recommendations for upgrading a stock Trojan.

I'm looking to use it in USPSA and Steel Challenges.

Thanks in advance

[cheers623]

9 lbs recoil spring and 17-19 lbs mainspring. That should run almost all low to medium power factor ammo and also lighten the trigger pull slightly while keeping reliable ignition. Of course, test before taking to a match. Either Wolff or ISMI makes the springs you'll need and they're both high quality. It's really just personal preference.

Many folks like fiber optic front sights....I'm not one of them. I've gotten used to black but you may like them. Dawson Ice Magwell or Techwell. Wilson, Tripp, Metalform, or Dawson 10-round magazines. That should pretty much get you up to speed for anything you want to use the gun for. Trigger job is nice but not necessary.

Hope that helps,

Cheers623

DVC

[Postal Bob]

The stock Trojan 9mm, comes with a 15 lb mainspring and a 10lb recoil spring. So whether or not you change the weight of the recoil spring, depends how your empties are ejecting, and how flat your gun remains under recoil.

Other upgrades would be a magwell like the Dawson Ice magwells. But get the one with aluminum mainspring housing, to ensure you don't go overweight for single stack division.

[pilpens]

With the slide off the frame, fully insert the magazine; check if magazine lips touches the ejector.

On my 9mm Trojan, I had to file the bottom of the ejector a little to make sure the magazine does not touch it when mag is fully inserted.

A friend's 9mm Trojan had the same issue.

==

Right now, I am playing with 11lb recoil and 17lb mainspring + no radius fring pin stop. I normally shoot around 135 pf.

[ktm300]

I shoot an STI 9mm 1911 and what I find is when I have the gun shooting as flat as possible the ejection is about 2.5' to 3' out and 2.5' to 3' back. Currently I have a 9.5lbs recoil spring in it. I have tried as low as 8 and as high as 14.

Be sure to test the recoil springs. I use a full length guide rod and a scale. Put the spring over the guide rod, and press it down on the scale until it is close to collapsed. I have gotten some springs marked 9 lbs that went a lot closer to 12 and visa versa.

[ktm300]

no radius fring pin stop.

Wouldn't that make it harder to push the slide back? Are you trying to have less spring and use the no radius FPS to slow the slide down?

[pilpens]

Yes, I was going for lower mainspring weight and/or lower recoil spring weight and compensating with a no radius firing pin stop.

[CPD7119]

very interesting, I will have to order some springs this week and test it out.

Thanks all

[Bob DuBois]

Had my Trojan for a while and spent some time on springs, I would suggest you purchase a 9,10 and a 12lb spring along with a 15 and a 17lb

main spring. Do a little testing on a Bill drill and see which works the best for your gun, your grip and your load.

I like Wilson 10 round magazines but had to remove two coil from the magazine spring to get them to run, lightened magazine release

spring will help also while your playing with springs.

Take a friend with you to the range shoot three targets as fast as possible the spring set up that holds the tightest group

is the set up you want to run. Tried the recoil master also and pulled it out.

Check clearance between magazine and ejector, push up on the magazine with the slide off a business card should pass through

the gap, if not cut the ejector a little till it does. It will break the ejector if it hits. Need to do a recheck

if you purchase another brand of magazine after you did the first test.

[Postal Bob]

On my Trojan, I ended up polishing the radius on the firing pin stop, bottom edge of breachface and bottom of slide that rides over the disconnector. This ended up lowering the normal resistance of the slide, thereby increasing recoil with my 9 and 10 lb recoil springs. I just put in a 11 lb recoil spring, and now it's shooting flat again. Let alone it cycles faster. I may try a 12 lb too, just to see if it's better.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Postal Bob

[CPD7119]

I recently noticed that when I rack the slide back there is some extra resistance. It feels like something is catching then when I put some muscle into it the slide goes back. I am not sure what would cause it but I have had other 1911's and never had that issue before. Any suggestions or ideas??

[Postal Bob]

Is it when the notch on the bottom of the slide, rides over the disconnector sticking through top of frame?

Or maybe where the notches on side of slide,ride past the slide stop?

Also check to see if your recoil spring got kinked and is binding within the slide

Edited June 12, 2015 by Postal Bob

[pilpens]

It could be when the notch for disassembly rides over the slide stop lever.

Is it worse when there is an empty magazine?

[CPD7119]

I will check tomorrow morning and post my findings. The odd thing is it didn't do it when I first got the gun, I put probably 1500 rounds through it and then it started.

[Postal Bob]

One other very remote possibility. The Trojan has a guide rod with a take down hole near the back. At least mine does. And if the end(point) of the recoil spring wire lines up with that hole, it rests in there instead of going back that extra 1/4-1/2". And it sometimes bunches up there and creates a little more resistance as you reach the end of the slides rearward movement. This happened with mine once.

[CPD7119]

It seems to be the same level of difficulty pulling the slide back when there is no magazine and when there is one in the gun. When I ese the slide forward I can feel the slide getting caught just before it goes into battery.

[Postal Bob]

Check the tension on your extractor. It may be a little tight as the cartridge rim rides up under the extractor.

Also check that the toggle link on the barrel isn't binding.

[CPD7119]

It seems that my ejector is slightly bent and has been hitting on my frame. Also my disconnector is hitting on my firing pin stop when I rack the slide. Any suggestions.

[Postal Bob]

I'm not sure I understand how the firing pin stop, which is at the back of the slide, is hitting the disconnector, which is foward of it. Maybe you mean the bottom edge of the breach face, or the notch on bottom of slide. And that is normal. Those are things I polished on mine to make it smoother.

Now, the extractor hitting the frame is a problem. That would be why it doesn't go into battery all the way when you ease the slide closed. It sounds like it's bent outward. Is this when you chamber a round, or always? If always, it's bent out too far. You can take it out, and bend it to proper specs. If it's too messed up, buy a new one. If it only happens when you chamber a round, there's not enough clearance under the extractor to the breach face. So the extractor is getting pushed out of the way, instead of the cartridge rim riding up under it. Again, it can be adjusted.

[CPD7119]

Its not the extractor that is bent it's the ejector. Its bent in towards the center of the frame. Ill try to post a picture.

[Postal Bob]

If the ejector is bent, you're going to need a new one. They are press fitted in, so a gunsmith or sending back to STI may be in order.

Sometimes they can get bent upwards, from inserting a loaded mag too hard when at slide lock.

[cheers623]

The ejector on STI Trojans are pinned into the frame with a roll pin. You drift the roll pin out and fit a new ejector to the frame. Springfield Armory has been press fitting and "epoxying" the ejectors to their frames but most other manufacturers pin them as well. It's not terribly involved to replace and fit one. You'll just need a roll pin punch of the proper size and some basic skills with a small Swiss file to file the cutout for the roll pin on the front leg of the ejector.

Brazos makes just about the nicest aftermarket extended ejector I've seen but there are plenty of high quality ones on the market. Just make sur you get one for the proper caliber of your pistol. In this case, 9mm.

Cheers623

DVC

[CPD7119]

Thanks for the advice, I think I'm gonna give it a shot and try to fix it myself. It is my beater gun so oh well if it doesn't work out for me.

[t0066jh]

There are boatloads of you tube video's on the internet on 1911 upgrades. Save yourself some money and check out a few when you decide to make upgrades. I'm not big on tinkering with mechanical equipment but got interested in trying to save a few bucks and really get to know my favorite gun.......my Trojan 9mm. It's much easier than you might think.

So far, I've installed a Brazos trigger kit, shortened the take up and reset and got the trigger to 1.9. Don't let people tell you that 1911's are really finicky, especially 9mm's. They aren't. It's a matter of getting to know your gun.