Trigger Pull Weight For 1911

[davidball]

What kind of trigger pull weight is recommended / preferred for a 1911, particularly in Limited. I know it is a subjective thing. I'm just trying to get an idea of what is used out there.

[Run n Gun]

  I know it is a subjective thing. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, you're right about that! Me? I've got a nice CRISP 2 1/2 pounds and I love it!

Ed

[Loves2Shoot]

If you need to ask, I would reccomend 3.5 to you. A clean breaking quality trigger is more important than a light trigger. As you become more sensetive to the trigger you can lower the pull weight.

[mcoliver]

Mine's at sub 3 lbs, too.

[Mistral404]

if it is just for uspsa, then 2lb is great

[XRe]

If you need to ask, I would reccomend 3.5 to you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is extremely good advice 3.5 is light enough to shoot accurately, and generally be very crisp, without having to squeeze hard to set the gun off. But, its still heavy enough that you're not likely to set it off unintentionally - you have to make some effort to pull it.

I have a lighter trigger on my Trojan, and my previous race guns have all been much lighter than that, too, but the lighter trigger is not something I could take advantage of without some experience. Also, note that in a lot of cases, the factory parts in your gun aren't going to get you a reliable trigger job lighter than 3.5 pounds, anyhow.

[Jake Di Vita]

The trigger on my Open gun is right at 12 ounces and I love it.

[MoNsTeR]

2.5lbs is so easy to get, I wouldn't go any heavier.

[diehli]

I really like a soft (i.e. not crisp)break right at about 1.25 lbs.

[kevin c]

L2S's other bit of advice is good also: Go lighter only when you feel that you can take advantage of the lighter pull, and not be victimized by it with an AD.

The lighter trigger will NOT make you a better shooter, though when you ARE a better shooter, you'll probably be able to make good use of it.

How much lighter and how fast you get there depends on how quickly you progress in your shooting. And, as the more advanced shooters above have described for themselves, you may or may not want or need to have an ultralight pull.

My match Limited gun has a 1.5# trigger. My backup Limited gun has a 2.5#

trigger. My backup is the more accurate of the two, despite the extra pound of pull...

FWIW,

Kevin C.

[tightloop]

mine lets go at 29oz....super good for me...

[cking]

Depends on what you think is important. If you carry I suggest that a 3lb trigger is just fine. Plus it is easy to get all your guns, rifle, shotgun and pistol to break nicely at 3lb with single stage triggers.

Now if your a burner, and on your way to master class. You can take advantage of triggers under 3lbs. Some can even outshoot there guns. Meaning they are waiting on the gun to finish cycling. Are you that fast, and can call your shots.

So start safe then move on up. or in this case down the lb scale

[Ron Ankeny]

I am running a 2.75-3.0 lb trigger on my single stacks and that seems to be about right. I have gone a lot lighter, but it's really not necessary.

[Caspian_45]

Welcome to the forum Dave. Are you who I think you are? WVPPS?

If so I will see you sunday, if the weather holds out.

I have actions as light as 16 oz. and they go up from there. I personally like a 2.5 lb action on my Limited guns. I have never had any problems running them at this weight.

You can try my gun sunday if you like.

[Bill Schwab]

As a C to A shooter I shot a 2.5-3.5 lb trigger. Now, as a M, I shoot a 1.75 lb trigger on my Limited & Lim-10 guns and a 1.5 lb. on my Open gun.

[davidball]

Yeah, Tony, its me. The weather looks good so looking forward to seeing you Sunday.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Some clarification:

I appreciate the advice as far as the heavier pull - 3.5 lbs for a novice. I have been shooting for a while, I'm on the verge of a "B" card in limited so I can handle the lighter pull weight (my current Para is just under 3 lbs.). I recently handed another 16-40 over to my gunsmith to get customized, including a trigger job. I requested a crisp 2.25 - 2.75 pull, thinking that was where I wanted to be. My wife just returned from "Babes With Bullets," (she's still floating around with excitement about it) and some of the experienced babes thought she should lighten her STI from the 2.875 lbs. it is at now to closer to 2. So, before my gunsmith got to the trigger, I wanted other input. Looks like my original spec is probably a good place to be for now.

Thanks again to everyone.

[Loves2Shoot]

Now if your a burner, and on your way to master class. You can take advantage of triggers under 3lbs. Some can even outshoot there guns. Meaning they are waiting on the gun to finish cycling. Are you that fast, and can call your shots.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gun cycles in about .05 I would love to see someone wait for the gun to cycle

[Flexmoney]

davidball,

If they suggested that she go down from there, I would guess that your wife might have been having a bit of an issue with flinch or trigger jerking?

Going with a less trigger weight would be one way to address the issue. I tend to gravitate toward fixing the shooter and not the eqipment. But, that would mean that they shooter would have to put in the time and energy to make that happen. So, sometimes the "equipment fix" is more in line with reality.

[davidball]

If they suggested that she go down from there, I would guess that your wife might have been having a bit of an issue with flinch or trigger jerking?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Flex,

I don't think the babes were looking to correct a problem, though I follow your thinking. I think they were assessing the gun as to what they would do with it if it were their gun and they were shooting at my wife's ability. Since I score a little bit ahead of my wife most (though not all) of the time in matches, I was using the babes assessment to try and extrapolate what would be a good trigger weight for me. I started the thread to get additional input. which I have received, and it has been most helpful. Thanks.

(BTW, looking forward to the Ohio match!)

[Loves2Shoot]

Yeah, Tony, its me.  The weather looks good so looking forward to seeing you Sunday.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.  Some clarification:

I appreciate the advice as far as the heavier pull - 3.5 lbs for a novice.  I have been shooting for a while, I'm on the verge of a "B" card in limited so I can handle the lighter pull weight (my current Para is just under 3 lbs.).  I recently handed another 16-40 over to my gunsmith to get customized, including a trigger job.  I requested a  crisp 2.25 - 2.75 pull, thinking that was where I wanted to be.  My wife just returned from "Babes With Bullets," (she's still floating around with excitement about it) and some of the experienced babes thought she should lighten her STI from the 2.875 lbs. it is at now to closer to 2.  So, before my gunsmith got to the trigger, I wanted other input.  Looks like my original spec is probably a good place to be for now.

Thanks again to everyone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

CLARIFCATION:

The advise for a 3.5 pull wasn't for a "novice." It has nothing to do with being able to "handle" a light trigger. It is about trigger control.

A heavier trigger pull is initially required so that you can feel the point where the trigger prep is taken up. Trigger awareness is very often over looked. If the trigger is "too light" you won't be able to take up the trigger without breaking shots when you don't want them to break. This can cause very bad habits. It helps to have the trigger heavy enough so that you can take up the trigger prep and stop before you activate the hammer. As you become more aware you can lighten this, but you should always be able to take up the prep without dropping the hammer.

If you can not draw at speed and take up the trigger prep EVERY time without dropping the hammer (1911's), the trigger is set too light or you have no trigger awareness/control.

You can get your M/GM card with a 3.5 trigger pull and you can break .13-14 splits (not that I advocate outshooting your sights, but I know you can) with a limited gun with that particular trigger set-up.

If you don't prep your trigger or don't know what it is, I would highly look into it. There are WAY too many people who hurt their shooting by using triggers that are too light for there ability to control the trigger.

[Jasonub]

1.2-1.5 for a limited for me

[davidball]

If you can not draw at speed and take up the trigger prep EVERY time without dropping the hammer (1911's), the trigger is set too light or you have no trigger awareness/control.

If you don't prep your trigger or don't know what it is, I would highly look into it. There are WAY too many people who hurt their shooting by using triggers that are too light for there ability to control the trigger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the trigger prep lesson. I really wasn't sure where I was as to trigger prep / awareness / control. When I dry fired this evening I realized that I was prepping the trigger on EVERY draw. I use Steve Anderson's book for dry fire and his draw drills emphasize NOT pulling the trigger. The goal is to establish a consistent sight index (you all probably know this already). However, I do put my finger on the trigger (as directed in the book) and fully prep the trigger. So it appears I have developed that skill at least to a point, although I wasn't really aware of it. I'm certainly aware of it now.

Who do I pay for all of this training and advice?

[blue edge]

David, Ill see you at south central 1st Sunday of May, just pay me!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin

[Sam]

David, I run mine right around 3.0 lbs with a steel framed .45 single stack. I used to run it lighter, but I found that I really have a preference for a positive "click" on the reset. When I get down around 2.5 lbs, I just can't feel the click at high speed and my trigger control begins to suffer. I like about 12 oz. on the trigger spring and 12 more oz. on the sear spring.

[Ron Ankeny]

Trigger pull seems to be a subjective thing. I had the opportunity to shoot the pistol Ron Avery used to win the Limited 10 nationals. I think Sam might have taken it for a test drive too. I was very suprised to discover the trigger had a heavier pull than I was using on my Limited gun as a B class shooter. As L2S pointed out, a really light trigger isn't required to shoot well.