I've recently received a wolf spring kit for my glock 19. I've installed a 3.5 connector, reduced power trigger spring, and have refrained from installing the reduced power striker spring. I have questions about the reduced power firing pin safety spring. What effect will installation have on trigger pull, and what effect on reliability?
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Glock firing pin safety spring
- Thread starter defib360
- Start date
Let's take it one at a time.
Since the trigger spring pulls up and BACK on the trigger bar, it tends to actually works with the trigger finger during during the "take-up" phase of the pull and against the trigger finger during the "break" phase of the pull. Therefore a reduced power trigger spring will increase the pull slightly during the take-up and reduce it slightly during the break. Some people like this because it makes the pull smoother (break is more like takeup).
The 3.5 connector has a longer, more gentle slope and will reduce the force required during the break phase of the trigger pull but will also make the break a little less abrupt due to the longer slope. It will have no effect whatsoever on the take-up phase of the trigger pull. This is another change which will make the take-up and break phase feel more alike (by lightening the break a bit).
The firing pin safety spring is compressed slightly by the trigger bar during the takeup phase of the pull, so putting a reduced power spring in will reduce the pull during the takeup phase somewhat. You can take the magazine out of an unloaded gun and shine a light into the magazine well and then pull the trigger slowly to see where in the take-up phase the firing pin safety is de-activated. Then, if you can detect a "bump" in the trigger pull at that point that you don't like, you could put in the reduced power spring.
Since the trigger spring pulls up and BACK on the trigger bar, it tends to actually works with the trigger finger during during the "take-up" phase of the pull and against the trigger finger during the "break" phase of the pull. Therefore a reduced power trigger spring will increase the pull slightly during the take-up and reduce it slightly during the break. Some people like this because it makes the pull smoother (break is more like takeup).
The 3.5 connector has a longer, more gentle slope and will reduce the force required during the break phase of the trigger pull but will also make the break a little less abrupt due to the longer slope. It will have no effect whatsoever on the take-up phase of the trigger pull. This is another change which will make the take-up and break phase feel more alike (by lightening the break a bit).
The firing pin safety spring is compressed slightly by the trigger bar during the takeup phase of the pull, so putting a reduced power spring in will reduce the pull during the takeup phase somewhat. You can take the magazine out of an unloaded gun and shine a light into the magazine well and then pull the trigger slowly to see where in the take-up phase the firing pin safety is de-activated. Then, if you can detect a "bump" in the trigger pull at that point that you don't like, you could put in the reduced power spring.
Forgot to address the reliability issue...
I wouldn't expect much in the way of decreased reliability from a reduced firing pin safety spring. I suppose it might be a little more prone to stick in the up (safety disengaged) position, but it's probably not something to worry about much. The only thing I can think of offhand that might be something to consider is that if the firing pin channel gets fouled badly you might have the firing pin safety stick. It's impossible to quantify the liklihood of such an occurrence but I'd say it's not something to lose sleep over.
Once you get it installed, and after every shooting/cleaning session, test the firing pin safety by pushing on the little button on the underside of the slide. If it moves freely and returns to the down position positively with the firing pin held slightly to the rear, you're good to go.
Here's a section from the armorer's manual on testing the firing pin safety. My comments in italics.
I wouldn't expect much in the way of decreased reliability from a reduced firing pin safety spring. I suppose it might be a little more prone to stick in the up (safety disengaged) position, but it's probably not something to worry about much. The only thing I can think of offhand that might be something to consider is that if the firing pin channel gets fouled badly you might have the firing pin safety stick. It's impossible to quantify the liklihood of such an occurrence but I'd say it's not something to lose sleep over.
Once you get it installed, and after every shooting/cleaning session, test the firing pin safety by pushing on the little button on the underside of the slide. If it moves freely and returns to the down position positively with the firing pin held slightly to the rear, you're good to go.
Here's a section from the armorer's manual on testing the firing pin safety. My comments in italics.
Hold the slide in a muzzle down position and depress the firing pin safety. The tip of the firing pin should move forward and be visible protruding from the firing pin hole. The firing pin may need to be pushed forward when the pistol is new (or when the firing pin channel is fouled) so that it will protrude from the firing pin hole. This verifies that the firing pin's travel is unobstructed.
A second method of checking the proper movement of the firing pin is to depress the firing pin safety and shake the slide. When the firing pin safety is depressed, the firing pin should be heard moving freely. When the firing pin safety is not depressed the firing pin should be nearly silent.
Next, making sure that the firing pin safety is properly engaged (in other words, not depressed) pull the firing pin backward a bit ... and push forward on the rear end of the firing pin with your thumb. The firing pin should not protrude from the hole. If it does, the firing pin and the firing pin safety should be replaced.
A second method of checking the proper movement of the firing pin is to depress the firing pin safety and shake the slide. When the firing pin safety is depressed, the firing pin should be heard moving freely. When the firing pin safety is not depressed the firing pin should be nearly silent.
Next, making sure that the firing pin safety is properly engaged (in other words, not depressed) pull the firing pin backward a bit ... and push forward on the rear end of the firing pin with your thumb. The firing pin should not protrude from the hole. If it does, the firing pin and the firing pin safety should be replaced.
Ausserordeutlich
Moderator
A heavier trigger spring will decrease pull weight through the entire range of the trigger pull. It doesn't magically reverse at the point of trigger break.
It's not a matter of reversing. It happens when the slope on the connector begins to force the back end of the trigger bar downward.A heavier trigger spring will decrease pull weight through the entire range of the trigger pull. It doesn't magically reverse at the point of trigger break.
The trigger spring exerts a backward AND upward pull on the trigger bar--it doesn't pull STRAIGHT backward. However, as long as the trigger bar is moving straight back, the trigger spring pull is working with the trigger finger since there is no downward motion of the trigger bar during the initial part of the trigger pull (take-up).
But when the trigger bar hits the connector and begins to move downward, now the upward pull of the trigger spring resists the downward motion of the trigger bar that is necessary to release the striker/firing pin. A stronger trigger spring will definitely resist the downward motion of the trigger bar more than a weak trigger spring will.
That translates to a decrease in pull during the straight backward motion of the trigger bar (take-up) and an increase in the pull when the back of the trigger bar is forced downward by the connector (break).
Due to the angle of the spring and the way the parts interact, I would expect that the decrease during the take-up is more noticeable than the increase during the break.