Colt Gold Cup Trigger Job ??

MakeMyNight

MakeMyNight

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Anyone here have a few tips regarding safely reducing the trigger pull on a circa 2008, series 80 Colt Gold Cup Trophy?

I'm not too familiar with auto loader action work, but would like to lighten the trigger on My Colt.
It's a shame that a $1000 handgun has a significantly heavier trigger pull than My High-Standard Sport King, which cost Me only $119 in 1976, or My circa 2001 S&W 22S which cost about $350.
Even My $60 Targa .25acp auto has a superior trigger than My Gold Cup.***frown***

I can easily disassemble the weapon, just not sure exactly what steps need to be taken for this procedure.
FWIW, I can handle action work on most revolver mechanisms, therefore I am not entirely green.

Colt Mfg said to return the gun with $$$, but apparently, all of their older, seasoned employees are retired, and I'm a bit apprehensive because of that.

TY in advance for Your input!
 
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Reducing the trigger pull on a 1911 isn't a simple job done by just changing springs. Involves a lot of detail work. Brownells sells jigs to do some of the work. Unless your good at gunsmithing it is best left to a gunsmith. However Brownells does sell a complete drop in kit for only $50 that might work.

How to Reduce Trigger Pull
 
If you really want a good trigger, the number of smiths who know what that is, and can do it, is pretty small. But, if you're willing to learn through a lot of careful experimenting, probably ruining some good hammers, sears, and springs, and you are good at doing extremely careful work, AND you have lots of patience, you can eventually teach yourself to do a passable trigger on a 1911.

The process won't be easy, quick, or cheap. You will need maybe $100 worth of tools and parts to get a good start. If you are only doing one gun, you can probably come out ahead dollar-wise by just taking the gun to a good smith for a "duty" type trigger job. Real target-grade work is hard to arrange, unless you happen to live close by a really good 1911 builder.

I worked at this project for a couple years one time, when I was younger. I eventually got to where I thought I knew (basically) what I was doing, and I had one 1911 that I was fairly proud of. I had devoted a lot of my time to it, and the trigger on this gun was generally admired by my friends. One day I had the opportunity to compare it to a 1911 trigger done by a real master. It was humbling to find out how little I really knew. The standard we always used to judge was how close it was to the SA trigger of an ordinary S&W K- or N-frame revolver. I those days, S&Ws were almost always pretty darned good. My "trigger job" seemed close - until I tried the one done by the expert. I had fallen into the fog of 1911 trigger work delusion. There is a huge gap between a "decent" 1911 trigger and a real good one.

JMHO on this matter.
 
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Cylinder & Slide offers a drop in kit, but that said I would not count on it dropping right in. I believe in the end you end up with a Series 70 essentially. The kit is $180, but you get alot of parts. If you are not wed to this gun, you could trade it and possibly be ahead.
 
very gently honing the sear and hammer notch engagement points with a very fine stone will smooth the pull out. a little goes a very long way here.
this does not change the pull weight but the smoothness adds more than you can know
 
The trigger on my own Gold Cup has been working fine since 1980. It seems little different from newer high $$$$ custom jobs friends have acquired.
 
Take a look at the 1911forum. In their technical section there is an article by 1911Tuner that discusses a trigger that anyone can do.

1911Tuner knows what he is talking about.

I have done this and it makes a difference. Another big difference is to use a 19lb main/hammer spring rather than the 23 lb factory weight hammer spring. That lighter weight spring makes a world of difference.
These cost about $3 form Wolff gunsprings. Do this if nothing else.

If you want more detail Brownells had a good how to article about trigger jobs.

A 1911 can have the best trigger there is on any auto doing some small amount of work.
 
venomballistics said:
very gently honing the sear and hammer notch engagement points with a very fine stone will smooth the pull out. a little goes a very long way here.
this does not change the pull weight but the smoothness adds more than you can know
Click to expand...

Bad advice! If the poster has to ask , he's obviously not a pistolsmith and doesn't know how or where to do the stoning , what kind of stone , and how much metal to remove , and how to maintain an angle. And he will most likely make it worse , or downright unsafe. More 1911s have been made dangerous with a stone and someone who doesn't know what they're doing , than have been improved. Even by some so-called gunsmiths. Colt Gold Cups have a hand fitted sear/hammer as it is. Weight can be reduced somewhat with a Wolff spring kit.
 
Does this gun have the additional sear gizmo in it to prevent doubling. You need the Khunhausin book at the very least before you start "stoning parts". Believe me I know.
 
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venomballistics said:
very gently honing the sear and hammer notch engagement points with a very fine stone will smooth the pull out. a little goes a very long way here.
this does not change the pull weight but the smoothness adds more than you can know
Click to expand...

ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG :mad:
DON'T DO IT !!!

A:
Goto the 1911 Forum gunsmithing section and read, read, read.
Then buy the books and videos and study them carefully.
Then buy extra parts (keeping the originals unmolested).
Then buy the tools.
Then go to work CAREFULLY.

Just taking a stone to the fire mechanism of a 1911 or 1911 type pistol is looking for TROUBLE :eek: if you don't know what you're doing. Just changing some angles a little bit can be disastrous :eek: :eek:

B:
Take your Gold Cup to a real 1911 smith - You can find them using the previous links.

C:
It IS great to be able to tune up your own 1911 :)
BUT
There's WAY more to it than meets the eye.
 
Gratis for the advice and input, forum brothers.

I'll take a look at the "1911Tuner" thread on the other forum, and will likely buy the Wolff reduced power spring.
This is the specific sort of tip that I was hoping for, as I wasn't aware of a reduced power spring made for 1911s.
I probably should have bought a S&W 1911, or a Kimber instead.

FWIW: I never stone or mess with any critical engagement areas in a handgun, though I do use crocus cloth, or #1200 fine grit paper to polish rough spots inside a revolver.

JcMack: I'm not certain about the additional sear....guess that I will find out soon enough, and I'll let You know.
I'm hoping that a Wolff spring, and a little Gunslick lube here and there will make a difference in the pull.
It's just a shame that My current model Gold Cup needs any attention at all.
 
it probably is best to leave the engagement points alone unless you fully understand the concept.
the idea is to simply do a few passes the level out the machine marks to control the natural break in process.
We arnt looking for a "complete" job on these parts, just a start. Normal use will do the rest in oil.
the hard part to describe is the care and feeding of the sears engagement edge .. which should not be a sharp edge which will promote galling. this part is real easy to over do.
 
One of the worst things you can do to ruin a 1911 trigger: Dropping the slide on an empty chamber. It only takes a few of those to ruin the sear to hammer engagement.
 
JcMack said:
Does this gun have the additional sear gizmo in it to prevent doubling. You need the Khunhausin book at the very least before you start "stoning parts". Believe me I know.
Click to expand...

No, the GC Trophy does not have the sear gizmo of the GC National Match.

The Trophy does come out of the Colt Custom Shop and mine has a pretty good trigger (SN 00XXX). I bought it for Bullseye and all I did was put in the next lighter weight main spring to bring it to the 3 1/2# minimum. My fifty yard load of 4.2gr Red dot and 200 gr Lazercast SWC will shoot 3" from sandbags. (I have since moved up to a Les Bear Wadcutter with an Ultra Dot)

Have fun with your new Colt.
 
Hello, MakeMyNight!

I have a Gold Cup National Match that had a 6 lb. trigger when I bought it. The trigger was fine, short and crisp, but I wanted it to be 3.5 - 4 lb. for Bullseye. One of my fellow shooters took the backstrap off and fiddled with the three finger spring a bit. Put it back together and presto, 3.5 lb. trigger.

YMMV,

GB.
 
For 1st class work, try Jim Clark Custom - 888-458-4126. Located in Princton, La.. I've used them and they are tops in my book. None better.
 
MakeMyNight said:
It's just a shame that My current model Gold Cup needs any attention at all.
Click to expand...

And ya can thank laywers and sue-happy gun owners for that. Especially those whose think they're gunsmiths.

BTW , if you have a Series 80 with the firing pin block , there's a pound or so in the plunger spring and usually a bit of roughness in the linkage.

BTW , I love my 1960 and 1963 vintage Gold Cup National Matches. Neither has had any gunsmithing needed.

P1090005.jpg
 
10 X said:
Take a look at the 1911forum. In their technical section there is an article by 1911Tuner that discusses a trigger that anyone can do.

1911Tuner knows what he is talking about.

I have done this and it makes a difference. Another big difference is to use a 19lb main/hammer spring rather than the 23 lb factory weight hammer spring. That lighter weight spring makes a world of difference.
These cost about $3 form Wolff gunsprings. Do this if nothing else.

If you want more detail Brownells had a good how to article about trigger jobs.

A 1911 can have the best trigger there is on any auto doing some small amount of work.
Click to expand...

This is what I did with my 1979 Gold Cup. The reduced power main spring made a BIG difference.

That, and after a few thousand rounds, it has very nice trigger.

It's probably not nearly as nice as a full custom job, but at 3 1/2 lbs., I certainly like it.
 
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