[45Colt]

Hi all. Hope you busy pistolsmiths can find one or two extra minutes to help me with a trigger problem.
First off, let me set the scene. I have 4 series 80 Colts and have done the triggers on all of them. 3 are GMs and 1 is an Officers.
3 of them have sweet, smooth and light (3# +/- 1/4#) triggers. My problem is with the 4th one.
When the slide is off, it is perfect. Smooth and light. When it's the slide is on, three things happen.
1. It "grinds" and, in general, feels like a bad trigger.
2. It is between 3-1/2 and 4#s when I weigh it, but when I shoot it it changes pull weight, randomly, to as much as (guess) 8 or 9 #s for one round, then back to 4, then to 6 (guess) and so on. (Afraid to weigh the trigger pull, loaded.)
3. With the slide on it gains as much as 2#'s over the "slide off" pull weight.
I have spent many hours sanding, polishing, and adjusting firing pin safety mechanism, sear springs, trigger bow, disconnector, etc. and can't seem to get this one to act properly.
The disconnector is within spec's (Kuhnhausen's book), and doesn't seem to be rubbing on the slide as far as I can tell.
Is there something I'm overlooking that could cause these kinds of problems?
Thanks for listening (reading). And I appreciate any advice.
Walt

 

[John Bettendorf]

Sounds like you might have to get your local smith in on that
one.
You may have altered your fire control or 80 s components
too much.

Hold Trigger Fully to Rear and Cycle Slide
See What You Feel?

Check frame hammer-sear pin holes for square.
Check sear hammer hook engagement one or two hooks.
Check disconnector-sear drag.
Check disconnector frame tunnel.
Check disconnector mag clearance.
Check trigger bow for drag.
Check trigger bow sear spring contact.
Check trigger bow grip safe clearance.
Check 80 s parts
Check plunger hole-?deburr
Check lift lever height-?drag.
Check lift "levers" camimg properly
Check lift lever frame slot-?deburr
INSPECT FIRE CONTROL AND 80s PARTS WITH GLASS.
BEST BET IS YOUR 80s PARTS-OPS OK W-SLIDE REMOVED
BEST LUCK JB


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JB on 2001-05-21 01:29 ]</font>

 

[45Colt]

John
Thanks for the ideas. Checked many of them, but no luck. THEN ... A MIRACLE.
I took the gun out shooting from a rest, and was getting a failure to fire every other round or so.
After I cooled down from my HOT FLASHES, I happened to notice the extractor was tilted, just a little. Pushed it to vertical with my fingernail, and VOILA, the gun fired. Payed close attention from then on, and noticed the extractor was "clocking" about every other round, with the resultant failure to fire. I reset it, again, with my fingernail, and it fired.
I have returned home, and re-tensioned the extractor and slightly peened the firing pin stop.
It now works correctly.
Since this is a Series 80, my guess is that the extractor was just beginning to loosen, and was "clocking" just enough to put a bind on the firing pin safety, and causing the grinding AND the variances in trigger pull weight.
Thanks, again, for your help.
Walt

 

[gyp_c2]

...Hey thanks yourself...:wink:

Good eye

 

[John Bettendorf]

Good eye indeed-would be a diagnosis nightmare.
Every other 1911 out there got an extractor floating
and rollin.

That ones goin in my notebook.

 

[Teddy Jacobson]

When you worked on your series 80 did you install an adjustable trigger with an over travel stop? If so what number plunger lever are you using, is it the original number 1, WHICH IS NO GOOD WITH AN ADJUSTIBLE TRIGGER. Check your plunger in the slide and see if it is chewed up from the firing pin crashing in to it. Plunger lever N should be used in all series 80 guns when an adjustable trigger is installed. The only problem is that plunger lever N has been discontinued by colt. N elevates at a higher level.

Teddy Jacobson / Pistolsmith
http://www.actionsbyt.com
281 277 4008
[email protected]