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I have been doing some research about going with a lighter trigger. I have read pros and cons.

Pros: smoother trigger, faster reset, more comfortable

Cons: to light, fear of accidental discharge, to light if you use it for EDC.

Does anyone have any expereance with a lighter trigger? Does anyone feel its to light for EDC?

Any help would be appreciated.

Dave,

I am interested in this topic as well. My research indicates that there are some combinations of spring changes that can lighten and smooth the trigger pull without compromising safety. I am interested to hear from those who have actually done this to their guns to get their opinion. I guess worst case scenario is buy the spring kit, install it, and then if you feel it creates an unsafe condition, go back to factory springs.

Thinker

THINKER wrote:Dave,

I am interested in this topic as well. My research indicates that there are some combinations of spring changes that can lighten and smooth the trigger pull without compromising safety. I am interested to hear from those who have actually done this to their guns to get their opinion. I guess worst case scenario is buy the spring kit, install it, and then if you feel it creates an unsafe condition, go back to factory springs.

Thinker

I was reading about springs changes as well. I hope all the educated people on this subject blows this up.

Im happy with my stock triggers. I dont do any compititave shooting. It'sa matter of what works best for you.
For me in a stressful agress attack my trigger pull wont matter. Im going to shoot as smoot as possable with a steady pull.
Thats just for me. I think I have a 5.5 pull. Glock 19 EDC.

Depends on what gun you have.

In a Gen 3 - the standard connector is ~5.5lbs. The "-" brings this to 3.5-4lbs.

In a Gen 4, the standard was up over 6lbs, so Glock introduced the "." connector, which brings it down to ~5.5lbs. The "-" will take this to about 4-4.5lbs.

If you have a gen 3, you can use the "dot" connector for a middle ground.

No, I dont think any of the connectors are "unsafe", nor too light. You still get the "shelf" before the trigger breaks regardless of the connector, its not like it turns into a 1911 trigger.

And if you want a smoother pull, its worth a bit of time with a dremel or a lot of time polishing the metal connecting surfaces. You can find some DIY's online, which are not difficult to do.

I don't know about that -5.5lb thing. My stock trigger G21 was measured at just over a 7lb pull. I've also thought about going down to the 3.5-4.5 area. I pulled a 3.5lb trigger on another Glock and it sure was smoother. A lighter trigger is supposed to keep one from jerking the trigger during follow up shots, I think.

el_chupo_ wrote:Depends on what gun you have.

In a Gen 3 - the standard connector is ~5.5lbs. The "-" brings this to 3.5-4lbs.

In a Gen 4, the standard was up over 6lbs, so Glock introduced the "." connector, which brings it down to ~5.5lbs. The "-" will take this to about 4-4.5lbs.

If you have a gen 3, you can use the "dot" connector for a middle ground.

No, I dont think any of the connectors are "unsafe", nor too light. You still get the "shelf" before the trigger breaks regardless of the connector, its not like it turns into a 1911 trigger.

And if you want a smoother pull, its worth a bit of time with a dremel or a lot of time polishing the metal connecting surfaces. You can find some DIY's online, which are not difficult to do.

My EDC is a Gen 3 G19. The smoother pull is really what im looking for.

I have a 3.5 lb trigger on my Glock 19 and it doesn't feel much different from the stock 5.5 lb, just smoother.

However, it is a Glock O.E.M. 3.5 lb trigger - I can't vouch for other mfgs.

I realize that this is an oversimplification but if it is safe enough for IDPA shooters to repeatedly reholster during matches, I would think that it would be safe enough for EDC. We should be safely holstering and unholstering all the time anyway. Granted, a lighter trigger pull will go off easier if we touch it while under stress, but if we’ve got our finger on the trigger anyway, we should probably be looking to make it go bang.

I have a G26 stock, and a G17 polished but not lightened per-se. I am confident that a nice trigger might buy me a little bit in IDPA scores. I do not feel that it is going to be holding me back much in a “center of mass” scenario if I were fighting for my life.

As THINKER said, if you use drop in parts, you can always go back.

The ideal trigger pull for defensive applications is anywhere from 4lbs to 6lbs (according to sources such as Dave Spaulding, Kyle Lamb). Anything greater than 6lbs is too considered too heavy to accurately control. The caveat is that this suggested ideal range (4-6lbs) is for the average shooter. There are certainly expert shooters out there who can shoot anything.

I have two Gen 4 G19s. I have shot countless rounds through them with OEM triggers without any polishing (25cent glock trigger polish). My first shots were usually accurate but some of my follow up shots inevitably went astray due to poor trigger control. The snap or break in the Glock triggers was very abrupt and contributed to my poor trigger control and muzzle shift. I have been to several handgun courses and the trigger control issues really show when rapid firing multiple shots during the training.
Yes, if I practiced more then perhaps this could be overcome but so far it has not despite going to the range weekly and dry firing daily.

I then installed the Travis Haley Skimmer Trigger. This Skimmer Trigger was supposed to reduce overtravel and make the trigger more like a 1911 with short reset. I tried it and eventually removed it because the snap when breaking the shot was still too abrupt.

Finally I installed the Ghost Evo Elite connector and it has completely transformed my follow up shot accuracy. The 3.5lb connector was installed with a heavier firing spring (6lb), which made the trigger weight overall to be 4.8 or so. It feels a lot lighter, however because it is so smooth. I chose the Evo elite over the other offerings from Ghost Inc because it not only took care of the overtravel but also eliminated the snap and abruptness of the shot. My trigger pull is now one smooth motion. On the range the benefits are very clear. Even with rapid shots I stay on target and can deliver consistently combat accurate hits.

I have met some LEOs and have read from Massad Ayoob who advises to not modify the OEM trigger at all. Their rationale is that an overzealous prosecutor may charge you for negligent discharge if your trigger is too light. I can see their point if the trigger pull is less than 4 lbs but between 4-6, I think it would be more difficult of a case. That is the reason I chose the 3.5 lb connector but with a heavier firing spring.

All I know is that with the OEM trigger, the potential of aberrant hits was higher and the potential of missing your target in a high adrenaline defensive situation was greater. Again, it was not the pull weight but the abrupt snap or break that disturbed my trigger control. I want to ensure as much as possible that my shots hit my target and that an innocent bystander was not injured or killed. I would rather be charged with negligent discharge on my attacker than to miss my attacker and fail to stop the threat and or hit someone innocent.

The Evo Elite addresses the snap and made the entire trigger press smooth and predictable. I have no financial interest by the way in the company.

Sorry this was long winded but these are my thoughts.

EDC is a gen4 glock 17 with NY1 trigger spring and a GHOSTINC Rocket that has been fitted to the gun with the Spaulding cut. Trigger parts polished to a mirror finish. End result a heavy (i don't have a scale), smooth, linear pull without the "wall" of the stock trigger before the break. Overtravel is non existant. Reset is very short. Gun is much easier to shoot compared to stock trigger.

Never used a lighter trigger. We actually had 8.0 lb triggers back in so cal. Nothing to it. When I moved here I almost put one in, but never did. Training is the key IMO regardless of the trigger.

I use a 3.5lb connector with a NY-1 spring. In my opinion (and I'm not a Certified Glockaholic), it "sucks less" than the factory trigger


http://www.ghostinc.com/product/GHO_3TC ... s-1-4.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/gen ... setup.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.p ... 201&page=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But I think a 1911 trigger is a better choice :-)

ghostrider wrote:I use a 3.5lb connector with a NY-1 spring. In my opinion (and I'm not a Certified Glockaholic), it "sucks less" than the factory trigger

This is generally what I do.

Here's more reading than you ever want about it: http://www.gunnuts.net/2013/04/04/modif ... -triggers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Quote from the article: "One of the most popular modifications is to pair a NY trigger spring with a 3.5# connector to produce a roughly 6 pound trigger with a nice rolling break. "

As a final note: Don't mess with trigger guts unless you know what you're doing. Boo-boos = bad mojo.

I have yet to see a 3.5# connector take a trigger pull to 3.5 pounds without any other modifications (I refer to them as Minus Connectors for that reason). I have heard good things about the Ghost Evo Elite Connectors and will try them soon.

I have three Glocks equipped with Scherer Minus Connectors polished to a mirror finish and the famous .25 cent trigger job. All of them have an average trigger pull of 4.75 pounds (Very consistent pulls, why I like the Scherer connectors). With the stock connector and everything else the same, from 5.25 pounds to 5.5 pounds. A whopping half pound lighter...woo hoo.

It is amazing how folks will carry around a 1911 with a 4-5 pound pull with virtually no takeup and crisp break and say it is the greatest thing in the world, but a Glock with a Minus Connector, longer takeup and spongier trigger will cause you to have an ND.

With any trigger work, have it done by a competent armorer or gunsmith and test it repeatedly before staking your life or someone else's life on it.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr