Thanks for asking the question. I'm curious too. Never had a flat trigger or shot a 1911 with one, so don't have any experience to have an opinion on the function. But, IMHO, esthetically the flat trigger just doesn't look right. And it looks uncomfortable to shoot. My trigger finger is rounded not flat.

 

Is there any advantage to the flat over the curved?

I put a flat trigger...My finger seemed to rub the bottom of the trigger guard more than with the curved trigger.

Curved trigger forces you to put your finger in a specific spot. If that's a natural spot, then all is well. Flat allows you to place finger anywhere on its face, and with a straight back travel of 1911 trigger it is not a problem. If you've a low grip, high grip, short fingers, you may find flat a bit more neutral. In your example, when you say that you're rubbing the trigger guard, this may be an indication that your finger's natural position is actually there as opposed to in the middle. I've both flat and curved and I prefer flat for this reason, finger going where it may land. To me it means more natural and more relaxed position, and I want my trigger finger as relaxed as possible.

 

I prefer a short trigger pad, flat trigger. I think this is more or less subjective to the person.....I can still shoot a short trigger pad curved trigger, but I prefer a flat trigger..... What I want in any 1911 style trigger is an adjustable overtravel screw. When the trigger breaks, I don't want the trigger to move further to the rear....... Also, I want minimal take up with a fast reset, and absolutely no creep when I press the trigger......

 

Flattys on poly guns only for me, Apex mostly. with the channel pull design of the 1911, I like the long, solid trigger, Harrison is probably my favorite.

 

On a 1911 my hand and fingers like a curved trigger. Have tried flat ones. But it is you hand and fingers you you might try one sometime.

 

I just reviewed this post and it's way too long but I've invested too much time writing and linking pictures to delete everything.

Trigger length and shape are very much a personal preference. My trigger journey is described below.

I spent lots of years shooting USGI 1911s with standard short, curved, steel triggers courtesy of Uncle Sugar. When I finally bought my own personal, commercial 1911 I fit a long, curved STI trigger with an over travel screw. Shot it a lot with no issues. Time marched on and more 1911s began showing up. They each got the same long STI triggers.

Then I ended up with the one pictured below. It had a custom contoured trigger that was my first experience with anything other than GI short curved or long curved. I really liked the feel of it.

During the process of customizing this Colt CCO I fit another STI but this time is was a shorty and re-discovered the joy of short, curved triggers.

Finally, I put an EGW short, flat trigger in a new build and was hooked. I like this trigger best of all. It has no over travel screw. Instead the rear of the pad has extra material that is filed down to the correct length to minimize over travel and I never have to worry about having a screw loose

 

Never tried a 1911 with a flat trigger. My CZ-75B-SA has a somewhat , , odd , , trigger , which I don't find objectionable.

 

I’ve been shooting 1911s since the late 70’s, carrying them on the job since 1980 and still carrying as my EDC. I’ve been taught to put as much of the finger (distal phalange) into the trigger guard which leads to less lateral pressure/torq on the weapon. The flat trigger actually accentuates contact no matter if your grip is perfect or compromised due to circumstance. Try it, learn it. It may not be for you, but you don’t want to be stagnant in your development as a gun handler. Use it if it works for you.

 

The flat trigger actually accentuates contact no matter if your grip is perfect or compromised due to circumstance.

Interesting theory. But as a machinist for 40yrs , my fingertips have been cut/burned/ground on a daily basis and are thickly calloused.

 

I tried flat and it was ok. However, I prefer a long curved trigger. I think the correct length and how it pulls is more important.

 

Practical pistol competitors slap the trigger on many targets. The finger actually comes off the trigger face slightly. This is faster than riding the reset.

When slapping the trigger, the flat face triggers allow for a little more misalignment in the finger to trigger relationship before it feels weird. Beyond that, some folks think it looks nifty.

--
Pat Jones
Firestone CO

 

I prefer flat as well. It feels more consistent and always comfortable.

Triggers are not a one size fits all. part. Some like flat, some curved, some long, some short. All are correct for some people.

 

I can't hate flat triggers enough, specially on a 1911.

 

That's two of us!
In the technical sense, I'm also with those who say it depends on your hands and what you like better. I will never even try one or buy a pistol with one.

 

I have a flat trigger on my Dan Wesson ecp in 9mm. Its easy to shoot. At first I was a little leary but once you shoot a couple mags you really enjoy it, but to each his own.

 

I ordered my Wilson Experior Commander with a flat trigger just to try it out.
At first it felt odd but it has grown on me.
I agree with the logic that regardless of your trigger finger placement the pull is consistent.

 

It wasn’t until recently that I got a DW ECP. Marketing calls it a k trigger but basically a flat trigger with wings at the top and bottom. I was really surprised how consistent the trigger pull was especially when my finger didn’t press in the same spot. I don’t get that with a curved trigger. With a curved if my finger lands a bit high or low on the trigger it feels like an extra pound or two on the pull. Just my $0.02

 

I like flat triggers when the trigger is hinged. You can use the tip of the trigger for leverage without a curve conspiring against you. Also, the Apex triggers get me a little additional length of pull.

1911 triggers, not being hinged, I don't really care. The curved triggers may be a slight advantage in encouraging consistent finger placement.

Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

 

If a 1911 style gun has frame tangs that have been modified to use a Hi-rise beavertail grip safety, this will allow a higher grip on the gun, and may change how your shooting hand trigger finger will engage the trigger pad. A higher grip is usually a good option, since the higher the shooting hand holds the gun, the higher and closer the hand is to the bore axis, and will help to alleviate muzzle flip. If a person were to hold the gun 1-2 inches or more below the frame tangs and fire the gun, this weak grip will substantially increase muzzle flip. More muzzle flip means it takes more time to acquire the front sight for a fast follow up shot. However, for extremely fast shooting of controlled pairs, the distance to the target makes a big difference on how fast you want to shoot to obtain good COM hits. For very fast shooting at very close distances, "flash sight picture" may be all that is needed, and having a "split time" of .018 of second between two shots to COM is entirely plausible with a very skilled shooter. At one time, I was practicing drawing the gun and shooting a target at arms length in the "one hand retention" method. This is often used in law enforcement training. I placed a target about 3 feet away, and used my shot timer to record the speed of firing two quick shots. I would draw the gun from the holster while taking a slight step back with my strong side foot, bring the gun up to my hip, tuck my strong side elbow to my body, and fire two quick shots. This is a very fast way to engage a threat at arms length......I would average two shots to the torso of the cardboard target in .062 seconds shown on my shot timer. Since the gun is fired at the hip as soon as the barrel is level with the target, sight alignment is not required. However, when practicing this drill, I was fully tuned to listening for the beep of the shot timer, and it was not a surprise encounter. Some shot timers have a "long buzzer" sound, while others may not. I have trained to react to the very first sound I hear from the buzzer, so I start my draw before the buzzer ends..... Also, a person's reflex speed is also a factor.....some have faster reflex speed than others. Now that I am in my late sixties, I know my reflex or reaction speed is no where near what it was when I was shooting USPSA in the mid 1980's..... Yes, it sucks to get old, but at least I am still "above ground" and not six feet under, healthy, and still enjoy shooting!

 

I tried out a 10-8 flat trigger, which I had no real objection to. I later bought a cheap Remington short curved trigger just to see if I liked it. Though its fit was sloppy in my frame, I really appreciated it. So much so that I ended up modifying my 10-8 trigger, filing it shorter and adding a curve to it. I would have just bought a new Harrison trigger, but I had the 10-8 well fitted to my carry gun and didn't want to start over with a new trigger. I think it will be all short curved triggers for me moving forward.

 

I once had a 3-hole aluminum, long and curved trigger pad that came off a Colt Gold cup. The Colt Gold cup uses a wider trigger pad than a standard 1911. I prefer a flat and short trigger pad. I removed the trigger, removed the overtravel screw, and used a metal cutting blade on my chop saw to cut the trigger pad about 1/4" shorter. I inserted a tooth pick with Vaseline on it in the overtravel screw hole in the pad. I then took masking tape and encircled the trigger pad allowing the tap to overlap the cut down trigger about 1/4" to make a shape for a mold. I then mixed up a good two part epoxy and poured this into the "mold of the taped pad" and let it sit overnight. The next day, I removed the tape, and had to pull out the tooth pick, but it broke, so i had to use a tiny pick to remove the broken tooth pick in the overtravel screw hole. I then cleaned up and made the epoxy pad a bit shorter with a flat face using a small file. I then used a black Sharpie pen to color the epoxy. The epoxy readily absorbed the black Sharpie ink. The trigger pad came out exactly as I like it, and is till in the gun.

 

I own 4 5 inch1911s. 3 have curved triggers [Ed Brown, Kimber and Les Baer] The other [S&W Doug Koenig model] has a factory flat trigger. It looks a bit funky but I got used to it. I love the feel of of it and would have no issue owning another. I say---try one--you might like it.

 

In Gold Cup land EGW makes a wide trigger that I think would be easier to make shorter and flat if one wanted one.

1911 Parts

EGW makes world-class parts for many of the top 1911 manufacturers.

www.egwguns.com

 

I’ve not used a flat trigger in anything and I’ve never had an issue with a curved trigger in anything. Is this a solution looking for a problem?