hammer cocking damage?

[CAMO66]

Hi, I recently bought a used STI Edge with a 1 1/2 pound trigger group in it. The seller told me to never manually cock the hammer as this will damage the sear. I have talked to a couple other people and they say they never heard of this but didn't really know if it was true.

Could someone help with this as it's more of a pain to have to rack the slide every time when dryfirering but I will do it if manualy cocking hurts it.

Thanks

Scott

[HRider]

I am not a gunsmith. I have not ever heard of damage from manualy cocking the hammer before. I have a 2.5lb trigger in my 1911 and it has been manualy cocked and dryfired many thousands of times in addition to over 20k live rounds with no problems.

Hurley

[Alan Adamson]

I am not a gunsmith. I have not ever heard of damage from manualy cocking the hammer before. I have a 2.5lb trigger in my 1911 and it has been manualy cocked and dryfired many thousands of times in addition to over 20k live rounds with no problems.

Hurley

Just guessing, but I've heard this a different way.

with Most *really nice* triggers, its suggested that you never *rack the slide* to cock the hammer, that you *only* do it manually before you cycle the slide to load the chamber. Again, I don't know if this is a wifes tale or not. I believe it also goes along with never letting the slide drop on an empty chamber by using the slide release only - releasing it with your hand holding the slide and then slowly closing the slide.

Maybe we need to debunk a few of these tales .

Alan

[Triggerbender]

I was taught when dry firing a 1911 style weapon with a fine trigger job to hold the trigger back in the fired position, rack slide, then release trigger.

When you use that method the sear nose is not being dragged over the half cock/safety hooks and hammer hooks on its way to being cocked reducing wear on the sear angles and edges keeping it crisp longer.

That being said with the metals we have today and a proper trigger job I really don't know how much wear and tear it actually causes. Also taught not to drop a slide on an unloaded chamber.

[Supermoto]

I have been told that cocking the hammer drags the mating surfaces of the hammer and sear across each other, eventually rounding the edges. If you pull the trigger before the cock the hammer or cycle the slide, the hammer will disconnect from the sear, saving your trigger job

[HRider]

I am not a gunsmith. I have not ever heard of damage from manualy cocking the hammer before. I have a 2.5lb trigger in my 1911 and it has been manualy cocked and dryfired many thousands of times in addition to over 20k live rounds with no problems.

Hurley

Just guessing, but I've heard this a different way.

with Most *really nice* triggers, its suggested that you never *rack the slide* to cock the hammer, that you *only* do it manually before you cycle the slide to load the chamber. Again, I don't know if this is a wifes tale or not. I believe it also goes along with never letting the slide drop on an empty chamber by using the slide release only - releasing it with your hand holding the slide and then slowly closing the slide.

Maybe we need to debunk a few of these tales .

Alan

I have heard and read about not dropping the slide on an empty chamber before, don't know if it will hurt or not, but I don't do it. But the "not cocking" thing is a new one on me.

Hurley

[tpcdvc]

Pinning the trigger back while cocking the gun by using the slide or just the hammer will help the trigger job last longer. It is a good habit to get in for competition trigger jobs.

[BSeevers]

Cocking does nothing but thumb cocking and letting it slip and fall before it is completely cocked is damaging to light trigger jobs. Use the slide for dryfire is the best way from having this happen.

[el pres]

Funny how most replies on this thread start with " I have heard" ??

I have heard that the slide cocks the hammer everytime the gun is fired ...

I imagine if your paranoid about your trigger job you could hold the trigger back

while racking the slide, but how are you going to do that at "make ready" without a DQ ??

Edited December 23, 2009 by P.Pres

[Supermoto]

Funny how most replies on this thread start with " I have heard" ??

I have heard that the slide cocks the hammer everytime the gun is fired ...

"I heard" the hammer is disconnected from the sear when the slide cycle because the trigger is back and there is a disco.

you can pull the trigger at make ready and Not DQ

Edited December 23, 2009 by Supermoto

[tpcdvc]

Funny how most replies on this thread start with " I have heard" ??

I have heard that the slide cocks the hammer everytime the gun is fired ...

I imagine if your paranoid about your trigger job you could hold the trigger back

while racking the slide, but how are you going to do that at "make ready" without a DQ ??

I've done it for years. This is not a DQ. Not even Close.

All you are doing by pinning the trigger while cocking the hammer is preventing the sear from dragging across the hammer hooks.

[tpcdvc]

Here is a cool link that you can study. Doing the pinning thing just causes less wear on the hammer sear relationship.

http://www.m1911.org/loader.swf

[Singlestack]

you can pull the trigger at make ready and Not DQ

Really? If you pin your trigger and rack your slide to load a round while I am the RO you will be DQ'ed. 10.5.9.

[Supermoto]

you can pull the trigger at make ready and Not DQ

Really? If you pin your trigger and rack your slide to load a round while I am the RO you will be DQ'ed. 10.5.9.

Draw the gun, pin the trigger, rack the slide, release the trigger. put in a mag, chamber a round

[tpcdvc]

you can pull the trigger at make ready and Not DQ

Really? If you pin your trigger and rack your slide to load a round while I am the RO you will be DQ'ed. 10.5.9.

Draw the gun, pin the trigger, rack the slide, release the trigger. put in a mag, chamber a round

+1

I pin the trigger pull back the hammer, release the trigger let the hammer down on the sear. Then put the mag in and rack the slide.

[Singlestack]

you can pull the trigger at make ready and Not DQ

Really? If you pin your trigger and rack your slide to load a round while I am the RO you will be DQ'ed. 10.5.9.

Draw the gun, pin the trigger, rack the slide, release the trigger. put in a mag, chamber a round

That would work.

I do not believe there is a need to do that though.

[tpcdvc]

This is just a great idea particularly when Dry firing but I do it every time I load too. Why put twice the wear on your hammer sear relationship.

[el pres]

This is just a great idea particularly when Dry firing but I do it every time I load too. Why put twice the wear on your hammer sear relationship.

I do it as well while dryfiring for several reasons including dryfirng from the reset and I guess you

do make a point on the DQ, it's in the sequence. I just dont think its absolutely nessesary to save your

precious trigger job ..

However I can see this could become a bad habit for a "newer shooter" to be trying at the line

and getting confused where he's at, bang into the ground. Seen a new guy pull the trigger instead

of the decocker on make ready right into the start table ..

Edited December 23, 2009 by P.Pres

[CAMO66]

WOW. All I did was ask a question and opened up a hole new can of worms.

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I got enuff here to get something worked out.

Scott

Hi, I recently bought a used STI Edge with a 1 1/2 pound trigger group in it. The seller told me to never manually cock the hammer as this will damage the sear. I have talked to a couple other people and they say they never heard of this but didn't really know if it was true.

Could someone help with this as it's more of a pain to have to rack the slide every time when dryfirering but I will do it if manualy cocking hurts it.

Thanks

Scott

[G-ManBart]

I think pinning the trigger is a poor practice. Why? You're practicing drawing the gun out of the holster and immediately pressing the trigger....bad habit that conflicts with what you do while shooting a stage, or if you carry/CCW etc. Essentially, you're pressing the trigger on a gun that you haven't visually cleared and aren't intending to go bang.

Can you do it and maybe get away with it for years? Probably, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea, or follows any sort of logic. I'd submit that any slight increase in wear (what're we talking 485K reps instead of 500K reps before it needs work????) is worth it for the increased safety.

For the OP, I'd put that gun on a trigger pull gauge and see what it really weighs. I hear a LOT of talk about 1.5lb triggers from folks and when I try them, they aren't lighter than the 2.25-2.5lb triggers on most of my guns. I have a Lyman Digital gauge so I know what they really are. Heck, I had a big named gunsmith do a trigger for me and swear it was a touch under 2.5lbs, and it sure feels lighter, but on a gauge it's actually 2.75lbs if my memory is correct. Maybe I'll start bringing the gauge to matches and winning side bets

You don't have to be nearly as careful with a 2.5lb trigger job as you do with a 1.5lb trigger job.

[chirpy]

Bullseye shooters will thumbcock the hammer, lock the slide back, insert a mag, hold the hammer back and use the slide stop to release the slide to chamber a round. This will prevent hammer follow and damage to the sear. Also, I have been told by top name gunsmiths to pull the trigger to drop the hammer.....do not hold the hammer, pull the trigger and ease the hammer down because that will let the hammer ride over the sear partially, possibly damaging the trigger job. I have followed these instructions and have never had to send a gun back for trigger work in 25+ years of competition.

FWIW

Richard

[CAMO66]

So what everyone is saying is, Theirs alot of theories out there. I think I'll just hand thumb it and fix it if it starts going bad.

Thanks guys

Scott