Para LDA trigger

[bountyhunter]

I finally got angry enough at Para that I tore down my 1640 LDA and went through the trigger group to fix the "random reset failure" problem. Here are some numbers on mine:

It takes a shade over 3# of trigger force just to move the hammer rearward to get to the set point. That is deflecting only two springs (the hammer return spring and the FP safety plunger spring in the slide). That being true, it is exceedingly difficult to get a trigger pull much less than about 4.5#. If somebody has a 3.5# LDA trigger, either they have changed the springs or removed the FP blocking safety altogether (something I wish I could do to mine for various reasons).

It is true the hammer (main) spring affects the trigger pull significantly, probably because the internal cocking cam which actually drives the hammer gets deflected against the main spring as the sear is moved forward to break the shot.

My Para originally had a trigger pull of about 6.5# (which BTW is what Para's website claims is correct for the gun). After polishing the contacting surfaces and installing a lighter mainspring, I got it down to a shade under 5# with very smooth pull.

My unit breaks at 7.5#s and the release feels gritty. What parts do i need to replace to get it down to 5#s? thanks!

The gritty feel is due to the black oxide coating on all the internal trigger parts (which obviously are not stainless or they wouldn't need it). I polished this coating off of all the contact areas and the pull got much smoother (which makes it feel lighter). Reducing the pull will require a lighter mainspring.

If you are not a gunsmith, you may think twice about tearing into an LDA's trigger works. They are in no way similar to a standard 1911. I had to make some assembly drawings showing the part relationship and spend a fair amount of time staring up into the well seeing how the parts relate before I felt like I knew what was going on. To the eyes of this old engineer, that design is overly ambitious, optimistically audacious, and trying to stuff ten pounds of poop into a five pound bag.

For the record, I'll never buy another Para anything and it is NOT because they are overpriced junk for what you get, and it's not because of the piss poor quality of the internal parts, it's because they won't give out an armorer's manual or any service information at all about the LDA trigger which leaves you defenseless and helpless when there are problems (unless you are pretty good at gunsmithing).

Never forget the cartoon where Bugs Bunny and daffy Duck were competing to get to a TV show first to claim a million dollar prize.... Daffy kept setting traps for Bugs and then falling into them himself. In one, Daffy fell off a cliff. I'll never forget what Bugs said as he watched Daffy plummeting toward the ground like a sack of cement:

"I wonder if that stupid duck will remember he knows how to fly? (SPLATT!) Nope.... guess not..."

Well, this duck remembered yesterday.

[bountyhunter]

I made a jig

for the sear and cocking notch its makes them straight and smooth.

Jim Anglin

Sailors custom Pistols

4760 north 17th Omaha Ne

68110

402 451 0797

cell/shop 402 650 5190

Good point: I have never seen a goofball sear like this one where the sear face is actually a semi-circle...... not flat or flat with a relief cut. The cocking cam it mates with has a flat cocking notch (at least to my old eyes), but the outer hammer body has two round "cups" that wrap around the sear face when the hammer is in the forward resting position. I assume the designer thought the rounded sear face would give a smoother, sharper release than a flat one? As far as I can tell, the hammer "cups" keep the sear from being accidentally bumped off the cocking notch when the slide hits home? I want two ounces of whatever they were smoking when they designed this gun.....

[Eye Cutter]

thanks bountyhunter! i ordered a 17# and 19# mainspring and will replace the original. i'll have to do some arm twisting with my local gunsmith to disassemble and polish the internals!

I'll post the trigger pull results later!

PS: Saw that it's Flexmoney's birthday today. Happy Bday Flex!

[Flexmoney]

PS: Saw that it's Flexmoney's birthday today. Happy Bday Flex!

Thanks!

Tomorrow (Friday) is my B-day...Vince is half-a-world ahead (if time is realative).

[Eye Cutter]

hahaha!!! it's already Friday the 13th back here in SE Asia! Have a good one, bro!

[MBaneACP]

BTW, my episode on TJ runs not this week, but next week.

You guys GOTTA see this episode! A friend of mine, who's a New Serious Competitor insisted that he borrow the rough cut to copy and play again and again. Said he got more out of the episode than...well, we won't go there!

mb

PS: Thanks, Mr. Jarrett!

[Eye Cutter]

Even after severe arm twisting of my gunsmith, I was not able to convince him to polish the LDA's internals. What was holding him back was the inavailability of LDA parts locally. At the risk of something going wrong, I acceded and just replaced my Para P18-9 LDA's mainspring with a Dawson Precision 17# and 19# MS this afternoon at the range.

My stock LDA was breaking at a little over 7#s. With the 19#MS, the trigger pull went down to around 5.5-5.7#s. Replacing with the 17#MS, the trigger was releasing bet. 4.2-4.5#s. There were no ftf's with both the 17 and 19# MS.

But since I'm using this LDA for IPSC Production Div, I stuck with the 19# MS. Still, a big improvement over the stock 7# pull.