Can't improve Glock trigger

V

VoodooMountain

New member
Let me preface by noting that I have 4 Glocks and am familiar with them including their triggers.

The trigger on my Gen 4 17 just won't lighten up enough. I have a polished (LW I think.) connector which helped a bit. I then polished all the mating surfaces by hand and even swapped out the trigger bar for a Gen 3. No real noticeable improvement with these actions.

It is smoother, reset is great, but it still breaks too heavily. I am unable to keep the front sight steady during dry fire.

None of my other Glocks have given me this issue and i found it odd there was no real improvement when swapping to a gen 3 bar.

I have a polished connector (LW?)
I polished the trigger bar including the gen 4 bump, striker safety, and end of striker.
I temporarily swapped to a gen 3 trigger bar

Anything else recommended?
 
you changed the trigger bar? that won't make a difference. i've found the gen4 trigger bar feels better anyways.
Did you replace the disconnector?

You might also look to adding the Wolff 6lb competition trigger spring or the Lightning Strike titanium striker safety with lighter spring(because the titanium plunger is lighter).
 
A factory 3.5# connector, +1 trigger spring, -1 striker spring, and bevel the firing pin safety plunger. This will get you to about a 2.5# pull with a shorter reset.
 
It is smoother, reset is great, but it still breaks too heavily. I am unable to keep the front sight steady during dry fire.
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What's your definition of too heavy? Do you have a gauge?

I'm going to be honest, when I see people saying a stock Glock trigger is too heavy I do one of these :rolleyes:. The front sight might move a tad on the trigger break, but on the range it should be fine.
 
I can try swapping a couple springs to see if that helps.

And I realize it isn't a precision handgun but I have 3 others in my collection to contrast with and I have shot a few others as well. This trigger is heavier than it should be, I don't have a gauge, it is annoying.
 
I'm going to be honest, when I see people saying a stock Glock trigger is too heavy I do one of these . The front sight might move a tad on the trigger break, but on the range it should be fine.
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Me too. I was going to ask whats wrong with the stock triggers?
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Depends upon what model Glock you want to talk about. The G43 I purchased had a trigger that broke between 11.5 and 12.5 pounds - never repeated at the same pull weight. It was gritty, spongy and every bit the equal of a Jennings or other incredibly cheap gun with a bad trigger.

So, let's not pretend that all you have to do with any Glock trigger is simply get used to it or practice a lot.

The G43 trigger is atrocious from the factory.
 
The G43 trigger is atrocious from the factory.
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That wasn't my experience, but I don't doubt your account. Thing is, we're not talking about a G43. There may be something actually wrong with this pistol, but without a trigger pull gauge and without a reference for what is "too heavy" it's hard to give recommendations to get to what the OP wants.
 
So, let's not pretend that all you have to do with any Glock trigger is simply get used to it or practice a lot.
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I have 15 or so Glocks, all factory stock (for the most part, or at least trigger and internals wise), and two of those are 42s, which have a somewhat heavier trigger than the others. None are hard to shoot well with, and none are by any means "atrocious".

All my guns have stock triggers, and for the most part, always have. Other than a couple of oddballs, none have been an issue. I can pick up pretty much anything, and have no problems shooting them.

I swear, these days, so many seem to be "trigger phobic", and cant shoot, unless they have some sort of custom tuned trigger of some insane weight. And even then, from what Ive seen, most have trouble standing still and shooting "slow fire" to boot, even with the supposedly "better" trigger.

If anything "reduces" your overall skills, its the perceived need for that tuned trigger to shoot well with. If youre worrying on,or even thinking about the trigger when you shoot, youre not paying attention to the proper things.


This was shot with one of my 42's getting it zeroed when I first got it. Everything you see was shot offhand at 10 yards. Each "group" is multiple (more than a couple for most) mags. The "flyers" were towards the end, when I was getting bored and started shooting a little "quicker"......

ry%3D480
 
You may have excessive over travel on this particular pistol. It too will make the sight picture move upon trigger break.

-TL
 
It is smoother, reset is great, but it still breaks too heavily. I am unable to keep the front sight steady during dry fire.
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Unless the trigger is really heavy and/or gritty/rough this is a technique issue.

I have a semi-auto with two features. The first is a really heavy DA pull. Up over 10lbs. The second "feature" is a safety which disconnects the trigger--it still pulls through the same arc but the pull weight is essentially nothing. I use this pistol for dryfire practice because of the heavy trigger.

One day during dryfire practice I put the safety on and did a couple of pulls with the trigger disconnected. What I found was surprising. The sight moved exactly the same amount with the light trigger pull as it did with the heavy pull. What was causing my sight movement was NOT the weight of the trigger pull. There was a problem with my technique.

With that information I was able to adjust my technique and get to the point where I can deal with triggers as heavy as 12-13lbs while still keeping the sights steady.
The G43 I purchased had a trigger that broke between 11.5 and 12.5 pounds - never repeated at the same pull weight. It was gritty, spongy and every bit the equal of a Jennings or other incredibly cheap gun with a bad trigger.
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That gun was broken/defective. A factory Glock trigger on a non-competition model should break in the range of 5.5-7lbs. If the trigger pull is significantly higher than (and it's not a specially requested trigger configuration), and/or gritty then there's a problem that needs to be addressed.
So, let's not pretend that all you have to do with any Glock trigger is simply get used to it or practice a lot.
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If by "any Glock trigger" you include guns that are broken or defective, then your statement makes sense. However, I don't think it's reasonable to make that inclusion.

Therefore it is reasonable to state that all a shooter needs to do to shoot well with a Glock is to practice/get used to it. That's generally true of most quality firearms from quality firearms manufacturers these days although there are some exceptions out there.
 
I'm not sure how my post has ruffled some feathers. I can shoot just fine, I own (let's just say) several other handguns including revolvers.

I'm not a trigger snob. I'm not stating flock triggers are somehow inferior. I am saying this particular example is rough. I have no issues with other handguns in my collection but I would compare this trigger to an m&p that I bought a few years ago. It too was heavy and rough.

I can still shoot this glock, the trigger just isn't nearly as nice as the others I have shot or own.

Notice in the target the gun shoots left as well. Again, that is a characteristic of this 1 example. This is the first target I shot with this gun at about 10 yards. I have since installed night sights and drifted the rear.

EDIT: I cannot get my photo to upload from my iphone as it exceeds the jpeg size limit. I'll try to figure it out

EDIT 2: I converted to PDF
 

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A G17Gen4 normally comes with Glock's "dot" connector to yield the average 5.5 pound trigger pull. An lighter connector, will typically only yield a ~5 pound pull in a Gen4, not the 4.5 pound pull in a Gen3.

Any specific gun could vary a bit, also. You may just have one which is at the heavier end of the "bell curve".

Some companies advertise their connector as "3.5" pounds, but they're likely the same angle as what Glock calls its "minus" connector, aka 4.5 pound connector.

I'm a bit concerned you, to OP, put a "?" mark after "LW" in describing the connector. a LoneWolf connector is distinctive in its appearance with "LWD" stamped on the connector. See:
http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=919488&TERM=connector

If you're not sure what you've got we're assuming a lot. As already said, a trigger pull gauge at this time will be of benefit as 1/2 pound can be difficult to feel.

Lastly, don't forget to lube the connector/trigger-bar interface; and ensure the trigger spring is not sideways in the trigger bar hole.
 
My last Glock had a very crisp 2.5 lb trigger. I fell in love with it. I talked to their gunsmith at a local match and he told me how to get such a light trigger.

Use the 3.5 lb connector, polish the internals and cut down the firing pin and main spring as well as replace the reset spring with one from my local hardware store.

I wish I could remember all the exact modifications but it wasn't hard to do or to repeat on my next Glock. It was good enough for me to win my division at the GSSF.
 
The G43 I purchased had a trigger that broke between 11.5 and 12.5 pounds - never repeated at the same pull weight. It was gritty, spongy and every bit the equal of a Jennings or other incredibly cheap gun with a bad trigger.
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That gun was broken/defective. A factory Glock trigger on a non-competition model should break in the range of 5.5-7lbs. If the trigger pull is significantly higher than (and it's not a specially requested trigger configuration), and/or gritty then there's a problem that needs to be addressed.
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Not true. The 11 pound plus trigger pull on a G43 has been reported by a number of people. I looked at two of them at the gun dealer (the display model and the one I purchased) and they both had the same trigger pull.

But, I suppose the two I looked at plus a number of others reported in forums by other people could all be defective. In which case, Glock has a real quality control problem.

Instead of making excuses for Glock, just accept the fact that the G43 trigger is awful. I've even read creative excuses for the G43 trigger including, "They probably made it that pull weight for safety because people could carry it as a pocket gun."

I guess you need to think whatever you have to in order to continue with the façade about "learning to shoot the Glock trigger."

The G43 trigger pull is bad enough that Glock Triggers makes a complete drop-in trigger to replace the factory trigger. The Glock Triggers replacement has a trigger pull of 6 pounds. Safe for carry and manageable for the shooter.
 
Instead of making excuses for Glock, just accept the fact that the G43 trigger is awful.
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Thing is on the examples I've handled it hasn't been 11 lb. It just hasn't. I have DA pulls that heavy and they haven't been in the same ballpark. While I can't discredit your experience, I also can't throw my own away and pretend it didn't exist. It was stiffer, I'd say 7 lb. or so, but it wasn't 11 lb. Idk what the answer is there.

I'd also remind folks that before we get too far into the weeds, this thread isn't about the G43.
 
The 11 pound plus trigger pull on a G43 has been reported by a number of people. I looked at two of them at the gun dealer (the display model and the one I purchased) and they both had the same trigger pull.
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The G43 trigger pull is specified at 5.5lbs, same as the rest of the Glock product line.

https://us.glock.com/products/model/g43

TRIGGER PULL: ~2.5 kg / ~5.5 lbs.

The normal variation in pull weights due to tolerance differences plus differences in how the pull is measured might result in a measurement of up to 7lbs on a normal trigger, but if it's significantly more than that the gun should be returned to Glock for repair/warranty work to bring the gun into compliance with the specification.
Instead of making excuses for Glock...
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I'm not making excuses for Glock. I'm telling you that if you have a G43 with a defective trigger (specifically one that is clearly out of spec in terms of trigger pull weight) that you should contact Glock and have them remedy the problem at no cost to you.
 
Talking to a friend last night. He had some Glock parts worked over by the area's top Glock Improvement Braggart. This guy has done nice work. His, his family's, and his buds' Glocks have light to very light smooth trigger pulls that hold up in regular IDPA competition.
He turns stuff loose on mere paying customers that is not so hot.
This friend got, in two guns and varying combinations of parts, a sub-2 lb trigger, a trigger that fired on the pull and again on the release, and one that did not work at all.
Another friend got one that was great for a couple of months and then quit resetting, she went back to a simple polish job on standard bits.
 
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