Irate Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I recently purchased a Mil Spec 1911A1 from Springfield Armory and am very happy with it. I am now considering using it in single stack competition. I would like to lighten the trigger before I compete. My question is if anyone has used a drop-in trigger kit from a place called Cylinder and Slide ( http://www.cylinder-slide.com/ ) and what results they had with it. I purchased the ultra light 3.5 lb trigger but I have yet to receive and install it. If no one has purchased this before, I will post my results with it when it arrives. Irate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Those are really good parts IMO, made by Extreme Engineering. I have used 5 sets of those parts, and all were really good to great. BE SURE the sear and hammer hooks contact evenly, this has a LOT more to do with your frame and the pin holes than it does with the hammer and sear. Not all frames have the holes in the right place or straight through. If something is off and it is only holding by one hook it won't last and it will probably end up cranking off a full magazine in full auto fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Knight Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I have 2 sets of the 4.5LB "Tactical" match kits and I love them! Not more getting expensive trigger jobs for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irate Posted January 14, 2007 Author Share Posted January 14, 2007 Thanks for the quick replies guys. HSMITH, do you happen to know which frames have the correct holes for the C&S trigger kits and which need work to function correctly? Or is there more to worry about and the incorrect holes can not be made to work right? I would assume that if this kit does not work correctly, I can take it into a gunsmith to adjust it to work in my SA 1911. But of course my hope is that I can drop it in and it will work without anymore work and expense. Also, I was wondering if you ever venture to the Springbrook Sportsmans Club in Omro for any matches? I plan to be there on march 3rd. Irate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Irate, you will find frames with holes mispositioned from all of the makers, it depends on the day, mood, stars, etc. I have found holes well out of position from SA, Colt, Kimber, STI, and many more. IF the holes are out of position all is not lost, but at that point you need to make the sear 'crooked' in the opposite amount of the hammer when installed in the gun. That takes a good gunsmith that understands what he is doing. I have not used anyone in WI that can do this work, this isn't to say there isn't someone that can do it but if there is I don't know about him. I have not shot at Omro and I don't plan to, as I understand it is a 4 stage match and $20. That combined with 140 miles each way is enough to keep me down here. I will be at the SEWSA 'USPSA style' matches at Shooters in Racine until March. I will also be at the Schultz Rod and Gun Club shoots all year. SEWSA is on the second Saturday of the month, and Schultz is on the second Sunday of the month. When Oconomoc Sportsmens Club and Norhtern Illinois Shooters Association starts again for the year in early spring I will attend those shoots as well. All of these shoots are in the SE part of the state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I also have one of the 4.5lb kits in my MilSpec and I love it. It measures around 3.7lb and it is nice clean and crisp. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I dropped-in the "ultra light kit" a couple years ago. ~20,000 rds later, not counting dryfire, my 2.5# trigger is still crisp and clean. I'd buy another without second thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterbenedetto Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 extreme trigger kits are great...just got one and building a race gun backup. I manage to lighten it down to 2.0 from 2.5 ill buy them in a heat beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Was talking to Bill Laughridge of Cylinder and Slide at SHOT. I asked about his fire control parts being made by EE. He laughed at me and said absolutely not. His parts are made in house and that copy is the highest form of flattery. I've always thought that they were EE,but according to him they are not. Regardless.....they are both great parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irate Posted January 17, 2007 Author Share Posted January 17, 2007 First of all, I was thinking and I think I am spoiled from having a Glock as the first gun I have modified. I purchased a drop-in trigger online, put it in myself and away I went competing. When I purchased a 1911, I wanted to do the same thing. Fortunately I found a place that sells such a drop-in for a 1911. I know 1911's can be different so I was a little doubtful about the concept, but I made the purchase anyway. The trigger kit arrived today and I installed it. It wasn't completely smooth sailing, there were some points where I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to proceed without the help of a gunsmith. The sear and disconnector fit with a little wiggling so I thought I was out of the woods. Then I tried to install the thumb safety, it would not budge. I jammed it and jammed it and tried all I could from different angles. So I looked closely at the safety and noticed a small spot where it appeared the metal was wearing. This was where it could not go in. I decided to grind just the corner off to see if it helped at all. I figured if I screwed it up, I could just buy a new safety. I came back in from the grinder and the safety fit nicely. It engaged and disengaged and did its job perfectly, one obstacle done. I continued with the assembly and again ran into a small problem. My grip safety was so fat vertically that it just bearly let the hammer sit cocked. So when I pulled the slide back, there was more resistance than should be. I decided to again visit the grinder, since i was planning on purchasing a new grip safety anyway. In the picture below, if you look closely you can see the indent I made for the hammer to sit. After that, the pistol functioned flawlessly, with a much lighter trigger, might I add. I realize that this post is a bit long winded, but this sort of guide was something I would have much appreciated before getting this drop-in kit. I write this as a list of expectations for someone who installs this sort of trigger on a Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911A1 without much gunsmithing experience. By no means am I saying that you should go hit the grinder when your gun parts don't fit together, I'm just saying what worked for me. Thanks to all who posted under this topic. stock hammer indent in grip safety and new hammer Irate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Fitting safeties is normal. They do not come with the "correct" shape because not everyone's parts geometry is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Knight Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) Also grinders are for drastic changes! Get some small swiss pattern files. That will make it easier for you to make more precise cuts. Edited January 17, 2007 by theknightoflight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Sample Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 The word "Grinding " Gives me chills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPSCDRL Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 The word "Grinding " Gives me chills. Oh but how it lightens the spirits of all professional gunsmiths who read it. My Smith offered to buy me a Dremel for my birthday. Or Christmas, or any other time I'd like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 "Chills" is the word that came to mind for me too. Glad it worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irate Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 I mean I would have liked to use a file on the thumb safety, but as far as the grip safety, I really ended up taking a lot off there. So I guess maybe I did work a bit roughly, but the ends justify the means.....maybe...? So I guess from now on I'll be known on here as that guy that just grinds his gun parts if they don't fit. Hehe, oh well, I guess that's fine. I also suppose I got pretty lucky with all this eh? And as long as I have everyone's attention, I blued the spot where I ground down the grip safety, do you guys think I should disassemble again and blue the spot where I ground the thumb safety? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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