Colt 1911

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Delmagjoe

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Hi, my name is Joe (DelmagJoe) and I am new to the board. I have a colt 1911 and also a Smith and Wesson 1911. The Smith and Wesson trigger pull is perfect. The trigger pull on my Colt is so light I often fire my next round uninpotentionally. I am pretty sure this is not something I can adjust or have adjusted but I figured I would ask anyway. I’m sure I will get used to it with practice.
Thank you, Joe
 
Do you mean you bump fire during recoil? Or that you fire, intentionally reset, and then fire the next round as you replace your finger on the trigger or begin to apply pressure for the next shot, before you’re ready?
 
If it's a range toy rather than a self defense pistol, a light trigger is certainly better than a heavy one.

I would leave it the way it is and get used to it. I have a couple like that and I've learned to not fire them unintentionally. It just takes practice and some concentration.
 
The pistol is a gold cup national match series 70 with less than 1000 rounds through it. Sorry about my original post, that was supposed to read unintentionally not uninpotentionally which isn’t even a word.
After reset, squeezing for my next shot the pistol fires before I’m ready. I will practice with it and try to get used to it but every time I shoot one of my other pistols, which all have heavier triggers not counting my Browning Buck Mark, it’s going to be a problem for the first magazine or two.
I will check with a gunsmith. If not it’s still one of my favorite pistols. Thanks for all your help.
 
Delmagjoe

Sounds like the trigger pull is way too light, even for a Colt Gold Cup. I had a "customized" Colt Government that I bought used. When I first tried it out the gun occasionally doubled and might have gone full auto if I loaded more than two rounds in the magazine. I took it to a gunsmith and I seem to recall that he replaced the disconnector, sear, and hammer.

I would definitely take it to a qualified gunsmith and have it looked at.
 
Here's an exploded view of the 1911
Colt_Oframe_schem.jpg
Let's take note of #49

The chief culprit her will be this spring
Tool02.jpg
Since the sear (49) is resetting, odds are that left "finger" is not pressing quite hard enough against the back of the trigger bow (56). (Middle one holds the grip safety (14) up.)

If the sear spring pressure were off, you generally see things like the hammer not locking back. Or of light hammer strikes following the slide forward. (This presumes the meeting surfaces of seat and hammer are adequate--no burrs, rounding, etc.)

Getting to the combo spring (49) is easy enough. You press the mainspring housing pin (29) out, and slide the housing (28) off the frame. This frees up the combo spring. But, bending those fingers is not easy or obvious (not that this has ever stopped a legion of Bubbas out there).

This is where a gun plumber with specific experience with 1911 is well worth the price.
 
The early GoldCup’s are prone to this with standard (non-target loads). The lightened slides and wide, heavy steel triggers prompted the sear depressor assembly to help eliminate trigger bounce.

I can’t remember when Colt stopped using the lightened slides (thought it was with the intro of the 70-Series), but regardless if someone has modified any part of the fire control group it will exacerbate the problem.

If so, replace with good parts including a new, factory Colt sear spring. The best thing is to replace the trigger with the newer aluminum part. Kings used to make them but they shuttered-up a few years back. The new GC’s come with them so they should be available for purchase.

Original, early sears configured for the depressor are difficult to find though later parts can be modified if necessary. The aluminum trigger will alleviate any need for the depressor assembly. If desired, a competent gunsmith should be able to modify and polish the 3-hole aluminum trigger to closely resemble the original.
 
Since the sear is resetting, odds are that left "finger" is not pressing quite hard enough against the back of the trigger bow. (Middle one holds the grip safety (14) up.)
One small correction. The right finger is what holds the grip safety out. The middle finger pushes on the disconnector.

Bending the middle finger forward so that it pushes harder against the disconnector will increase the trigger pull weight. A little bending goes a long way.
 
Yes, a gunsmith can change the springs.
One of which most certainly can make the trigger pull a little, or a lot harder.

Welcome to thr.org o_O;)
 
Hello and welcome Joe. Over the last 40+ years I have owned several Gold Cups, carried a Gold Cup, been to the Colt O-frame armorers school,etc. None of my Gold Cups had a trigger so light as to cause the issue you describe. I would consider that trigger unsafe, and have it addressed. Since it is a safety issue, if you contact Colt customer service they will send you a prepaid shipping label to send it to the factory for repair. Trigger pull weights can definitely be adjusted. Were it mine, I would not try to "get used to it with practice"......ymmv
 
Being this pistol is less than a-year-old with few rounds through it, I believe I will contact Colt. First I will pick up a trigger pull gauge and check it against the specs which I believe is about 4 pounds. I will also check my S&W 1911 which has always felt just right to me.
 
I like nice triggers on my 1911s. But the trigger should never be so light as to cause the hammer to follow the slide when it's released on an empty gun.
 
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