1911 Trigger Swap?

[EdInk]

I own a Spingfield Armory Mil Spec 1911 Stainless in .45acp and my wife owns a Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 Stainless in 9mm. The problem is she has VERY small hands and finds the 3-hole trigger on the Loaded difficult to reach but can use the short trigger on the Mil Spec without any problems. (FWIW we have already put super thin grips on her gun.) I have average size hands with long fingers and can use either trigger just fine. This leads to my question...

I was curious if it is possible to simply switch the triggers in the two pistols or if it would be better to just buy and install a new trigger in her gun? (I will probably have a gunsmith do the work either way, if it makes a difference.)

 

[Jim Watson]

Granted gunsmith involvement, I would get her a new trigger.
They are not expensive and a proper fit will give smooth operation.

But considering they are the same make, a simple swap might work.

If you can take the guns apart and get them back together, it would be simple to try.

 

[Jammer Six]

Since you're going to use a gunsmith, (which I think is the right thing to do) I would get a new trigger, that way you only have to pay the 'smif to work on one gun.

 

[grandpajoe]

If you are even a little bit mechanically inclined you can do the swap yourself. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=282/schematicsdetail/1911_Officers_ACP This is a schematic for an Officers Model but internally it is the same as either of yours. Just study the guns a minute and then do it if you get in a spot study them some more, you'll see the simplicity of them.

 

[jmstr]

A swap can be done by a lot of people, fairly easily.

What takes practice is setting the take-up and over-travel adjustments on the trigger, and any necessary adjustments of the back of the trigger bow to the grip-safety for clearance.

You probably can just swap them without worry about those characteristics, but you may have what feels like a 'sloppy' trigger, or one that is too tight for your tastes, after you are done.

Or you may have no problems.

I am a firm believer in people learning how their products work, but I also am a believer in safety. If you are mechanically inclined and can read diagrams and understand written directions, I'd have no problem if you tried it out yourself. Remember that live fire testing of firearms after repairs is recommended with no more than 3 rounds in the magazine for 20-30 rounds worth until you are sure it isn't going to go full-auto for some reason. This is a safety precaution for ALL work involving the fire control parts.

I always start with a mag with 2 rounds, second mag with 3 and then I do 20 rounds out of mags with 4 rounds, if the gun passed mag 1 and 2 tests properly.

OR, just go to a gunsmith. They need the work to stay in business and I want them to be around for us. We need skilled/trained gunsmiths in this world!

 

[Martowski]

I put a Cylinder & Slide short solid aluminum trigger in my Kimber to reduce reach and it helped feel quite a bit. Very easy, and just required me stoning the top and bottom of the trigger until it didn't bind and moved freely. Very easy to do and there's a lot of good online resources to do it, but of course if you're not comfortable w/ that then a smith is the way to go.

Took me about 30 min at my kitchen table with basic tools.

 

[CastleBravo]

If there isn't a good gunsmith in your area (which is common, most gunsmiths are terrible) Novak's will do a trigger swap for a fair price with no hassles and a quick turn-around. They recently did one for my Caspian 1911 and I have no complaints.