So I'm NOT outrunning the slide, however

[want2race]

I had a couple issues at the club match sunday. One light strike. Could have been high primer, could have been that I soft racked the first round into battery. It was the first shot on the second stage that went click, instead of bang. Could have been my lightning fast draw caused the slide to open slightly....ok so maybe not that one. Looked at the round. Obvious light strike, primer did not look high although the FP usually drives it in anyway. I inspect as I load them into the 100 boxes.

First a little about the set up. 6" 2011 with lightened slide. 19# main, 12.5 recoil springs. 2.5# trigger with less than 2k on the sear angles. DP long firing pin with lightened FP spring.

I checked out the pistol today. Firing pin had a slight flat spot with some peening around the edge from the hammer. Easily fixed. Also increased the bevel on the inside of the firing pin stop. I've seen firing pins hang up on the inside of the firing pin stop. This will prevent it from happening if that was the issue.

I've already ordered another 19 pound main. It may just be worn out. With the hammer down, the FP spring is still strong enough to keep the hammer from fully resting on the slide.

Other stage issues. Seems to happen on close targets. Mimics trigger freeze, or failure to allow enough room for the trigger to reset, but the hammer is down. Like a hammer follow from a worn sear. Something I was considering: Not enough trigger return spring tension (center leg). It's at 8oz, but I'm thinking about cranking up the return strength a little. I may be double pumping the trigger and with a soft reset it doesn't move fast enough to reset fully.

I cannot get the hammer to follow during testing. Hammer hooks are correct as are the sear surfaces.

It's odd. It doesn't happen often. I lost the match by .685 points.

Edited February 4, 2009 by want2race

[steel1212]

It's odd. It doesn't happen often. I lost the match by .685 points.

you looking for excuses J/K!!!

Is the trigger free in the frame, I would put a little more pressure on the center finger to get the trigger to reset faster.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I have had some of those same problems in the past. The center sear spring leg should be 1lb of tension. Check he mainspring housing bore for burrs catching the mainspring cap. A 17lb mainspring should work just fine unless you have a really light hammer. Let us know what you find. Thanks, Eric

[want2race]

I usually run 8oz of center leg tension. I'll double it, and see how it works.

I've had issues with 17lb springs in the past. My SS had one for along time (1.4lb trigger pull) but I didn't like the feel compared to my Limited gun so I switch it out to a 19 (now 1.6lb trigger).

Since I run the plastic mainsprings, I bore them out during the build process. Not bigger, but I go into it to clean it out and make sure the cap doesn't drag. I've actually had one that was so tight the cap acted like a piston. The hammer dropped so slow due to the vacuum formed behind the cap.

I just watched a video of one stage. Trigger freeze for sure on that stage. It went bang the second time I squeezed. On another stage I had to rack the slide and the round had no dimple. Don't know for sure if the hammer was down or not. It didn't bang when I squeezed so I just racked the slide without thinking or looking.

[HSMITH]

What does the primer look like on the one you racked out when the hammer appeared to follow? How much did you move the disconnector channel when you built the gun? Have you tried bump firing it to replicate ludicrous splits that will happen in a match now and then?

If the hammer is down when you have a problem and the hammer fall cannot be replicated otherwise when the slide closes more pressure on the center leg will not do anything, all that will do is increase trigger pull weight. 8 ounces should be enough on it provided the disconnector head fits the frame and everything is polished decently.

[want2race]

I appreciate the input.

I went though everything last night. Turns out the sear spring tension, center leg, was well below 8oz. It's now right around 10oz and it feels much heavier than before. This should help the short stroking a little.

The sear had some impressions on it from the hammer. I redid both angles. Just cleaned it up with my hard stone. Interesting note about EE hammers. Since they are wire EDM'd, there is actually a depression at the base of the hook. If the secondary angle is not right the sear nose will drop down into a bit. The bonus is that the engagement surface of the hammer hook is very small.

I started with a 2.5lb pull, weak trigger return. Now I'm at 1.75 with a good return feel. I had it tuned before to have a very distinct "stack", now the pull is more even

[want2race]

Little bit of an update.

I checked the main spring just to be sure it was a 19. It wasn't. 17 was in there. I must have swapped back a while ago. I also noticed on my other pistol that when the hammer is down, it fully depresses the firing pin. My Limited gun did not. After swapping to the 19 pound spring the pull went up to 2.25 but the hammer still did not rest fully against the stop. I compared my hammer strut with a new one (both Ti) and the new one was longer. I swapped out the strut and the pull went up to just over 3#. I put the 17 back in it and it's now 2#. Funny how so many varibles affect the trigger pull. With the slightly longer strut the hammer now is resting on the firing pin stop.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: It is always the little things that add up to F**K you up we used to say when I raced Glad to hear you solved the problem and thanks for letting us all know. Thanks, Eric