[G. Freeman]

Ok guys, I have a Colt 1991 and a SA MC operator that I want to get a trigger job on. Is it good enough to just have a smith work on the stock sear and hammer?

I noticed that more and more forum members are buying barstock sears and hammers. With those extra parts, the cost of the trigger job (parts included) reaches almost $200.00.

What I'm getting at is, do we really need to change all these parts? For example, some gunsmiths will change the sear to an EGW sear and use the stock hammer. A local smith just told me yesterday that the stock sear should be fine.

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chief7700]

I would go with the C&S sear and hammer. http://www.cylinder-slide.com/
Chief

 

[sevenL4]

Get a magnifier and inspect your parts. Can they safely be stoned and honed? If your 'smith is strictly a parts changer, look elsewhere. Go to the nearest USPSA match and ask the shooters who is working on their guns.

 

[bdavis385]

Since many guns come with MIM parts, I change all of mine to Cylinder and Slide, then do a trigger job. With good parts and care a trigger will last many years. You go with cheap parts, or scab something together is will work for a while, but will not last as long as the quality parts. I also put in a new thumb safety at this point.

 

[kevins_garage]

Since many guns come with MIM parts, I change all of mine to Cylinder and Slide, then do a trigger job. With good parts and care a trigger will last many years. You go with cheap parts, or scab something together is will work for a while, but will not last as long as the quality parts. I also put in a new thumb safety at this point.

While you're at it, you should probably change out any and all other MIM or non-quality parts as well. No sense if having a gun with a nice trigger, but a crummy extractor, thumb safety, poorly fit barrel bushing, and so on and so forth. You should probably budget at least $400 to do it right.

 

[sevenL4]

Send me those crummy Colt and SA parts along with ten dollars. I'll dispose of them responsibly.

 

[Rhys]

The factory parts can be leaned up to improve the trigger substantialy from the factory work with the exception of the sear that is likely in your Colt. The newer colts I have worked on all had a sear that was plated. it you go through the plating the underlying metal is extreamly soft, I believe it is actualy cintered metal. At a minimum I would swap out the sear when the trigger job is done. As much as I don't like working with MIM parts they are dense enough to stone and polish. I just had a bad experience with a couple MIM parts about the time one of the companies started going to a different supplier, Had a sear, and an extractor break at less than 500 rounds. It was probably a fluke, but I'll spend the extra and use all tool steel parts.

 

[DevilDave1911]

put it this way...why would you spend hard earned money to have a smith do his magic on MIM components? Ultimately, you want your trigger job to last a good long time, have it done on quality parts...in fact, some smiths won't do a trigger job on MIM parts...that should be a hint for ya.

C&S, Nowlin, EGW, and Berryhill are a good place for these. There are others, but hard to beat these guys.

 

[G. Freeman]

DevilDave, I see what you're saying. All of this really just boils down to budgets and how much extra cash I have laying around. My preference is obviously to change the entire trigger group to barstock components -- but yes, it's pricey.

On a side note. I have a coworker who has a Para-P16 Limited with a trigger job on its stock hammer and sear. He shoots it every week (200 rounds weekly). The gun probably has 20-30,000 rounds and still the trigger is good. His barrel bushing finally cracked a few months ago and was replaced with a good quality bushing.

With my Colt, since the hammer is barstock, then I could probably just get the EGW sear. But for my Springfield armory -- I may have to spend extra cash for the barstock components.

 

[kevins_garage]

G,

It sounds like you've got some soul searching ahead of you.

1. Do you bite the bullet so to speak and drop a load of cash on replacement parts and work? (You know in your heart that it's the right thing to do. It is, afterall, what all the cool people are doing - you know, 9 out of 10 forum members recommend buying barstock replacement parts and the other one is probably an idiot.)

2. Do you spend only enough to have the work done on your parts? (Working within a budget, this may be the wise thing to do, maybe springing the extra $15 or $20 for an EGW or Caspian sear. But, it certainly isn't what the cool kids are doing now, is it?)

3. Do you just forego the above and leave the pistol as is? (It's been said around here that it's the shooter not the Indian. Dave Sevigny shoots mighty well with a "virtually" stock Glock. Maybe you can live with your current trigger?)

If you just find that you can't decide what to do, maybe you should give Dillon customer service a call. They're the best. Maybe they can help you decide. Buy one of their complete 550 setups while you're on the phone with them. It'll make you feel better. :rock:

 

[David Blinder]

Have you considered asking your smith what he thinks? If his opinion isn't worth taking, why would you trust him to do the work in the first place?

 

[stevehof]

A local smith just told me yesterday that the stock sear should be fine.

And, probably the hammer will be fine too. What you will need to buy is a new thumb safety because stoning the hammer and sear will, upwards of 95% of the time, make your thumb safety not so safe. Your smith can elaborate.