Ruger 1911 Question I Just Bought???

AC Man

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Bought my first full size Ruger light weight aluminum frame. The gun seems awesome except the trigger is all loose in the non shotting position. You can freely jiggle the trigger up , down, and side to side quite a bite. I can live with it but do not have a trigger that is loose and flops around on any other firearm. What say you?
 
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Bought my first full size Ruger light weight aluminum frame. The gun seems awesome except the trigger is all loose in the non shotting position. You can freely jiggle the trigger up , down, and side to side quite a bite. I can live with it but do not have a trigger that is loose and flops around on any other firearm. What say you?

And buy a Colt, Springfield Armory, or Smith and Wesson
 
Look into aftermarket replacement triggers. Something like a Cylinder & Slide Videki trigger you file to fit. A drop in trigger will likely be loose too.

I once read you can peen a trigger to reduce slop but there was too much in my case. A Videki unit cured the issue.
 
And buy a Colt, Springfield Armory, or Smith and Wesson

Like I said I have other brands that have zero slop in the trigger, This is the only one. If you were not paying attention you would not notice.
 
Look into aftermarket replacement triggers. A Videki unit cured the issue.

Great advice.

Of course Videki hasn’t made triggers for some time now, EXACT high quality “duplicates” are available and are described as such. I started fitting/using them years ago but they are in my Colt’s.

I’m not familiar with Ruger .45’s, (or their trigger breaks/quality or settings of their sear springs,) but if you do replace the trigger, maybe clean things up if needed and replace or adjust the sear spring. Cheap bang for the buck and fun to do.

Jim
 
You might want to reinstall the Factory trigger (if it is an after market one in there now) or at least a high quality one from another source. I am not familiar with Ruger 1911's as mine are all Colt's. Some here who actually own Ruger 1911's might know more.
 
Sounds like a poorly fitted trigger. You can buy a true, match grade, fitting required trigger and install it or have a qualified gunsmith install it.
 
I've had an SR1911 for close to 10 years now. I don't recall the original trigger being substandard at all, but as soon as I got it I had a gunsmith friend install a new one. It had nothing to do with the trigger quality, I just wanted/needed a short trigger.
 
I've had an SR1911 for close to 10 years now. I don't recall the original trigger being substandard at all, but as soon as I got it I had a gunsmith friend install a new one. It had nothing to do with the trigger quality, I just wanted/needed a short trigger.
A lot of handguns that I own have had at least one upgrade here and there, even if it is replacement grips. If you like tinkering, get a match grade trigger of the length you prefer and fit it. The trigger bow fits into slots in the frame, where there could be play and the trigger fits into a slot where there can be play. A match trigger usually requires hand fitting. Don't mess too much with the frame unless there is an obvious burr. Do all the fitting and removing of metal on the replacement trigger.
 
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In December 2024, my GP100 in 44 Special developed a crack in the barrel shank/ forcing cone area. Ruger couldn’t repair it, so I got to choose a gun in the same price range. I chose an SR 1911 Target. I had my SR 1911 T in about 2 weeks from the time I sent the broken GP 100 in. Fantastic customer service!

Maybe it was “Luck of the Draw”, but my SR 1911 T thinks it’s a Gold Cup. Great sights, 3 shots around an inch and a half at 25 y firm a sitting braced position. The trigger on mine breaks at 4 pounds, 10 ounces consistently. Other than the slack that is inherent in the design, the trigger, once it hits the wall, you can’t feel it move until it goes off. Very nice!

I’m just guessing, but I’d say up and down play is maybe 25 thousands, side to side is maybe 10 thousands. It’s a production Ruger…. I don’t expect champagne at a beer price. Ruger makes a very nice, maybe not quite as pretty as some, 1911 that will shoot with all but the best of them
 

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A match trigger usually requires hand fitting. Don't mess too much with the frame unless there is an obvious burr. Do all the fitting and removing of metal on the replacement trigger.

Absolutely.
This advice to modify the cheaper, easier to find, easier to replace component goes for just about everything, not just guns.
 
Shoot the pistol and see how it shoots. It is not that unusual to have some "wiggle room" in a trigger. To tight a trigger adds to the weight of the trigger pull. My original Series 70 Gold Cup National Match has a bit of lateral and vertical play in the trigger.

I also have a Ruger SR1911 10MM. The trigger has more play in it than my Colt Gold Cup National Match. But in no way does it affect the trigger pull.
 

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EVERY 1911 that I've owned over the years (Colts, Sigs, Springfields, Kimbers) including my current Colt Defender have/had 'wiggly' triggers. Not sloppy, not excessive, just 'wiggly'. I don't think your Ruger 1911 is any different. It's just the nature of the beast. I wouldn't sweat it.
 
I don't own a Ruger 1911 either, but I have several other 1911s, including a 1911 (NOT A1) made in 1919. They are all stellar shooters, and ALL have some trigger wiggle. I guess since I can't handle the OP's gun I don't know how to compare it.
 
Thanks for the replies. What I am talking about is you can just jiggle the trigger up, down, and side to side. I am not talking about the trigger action. You can shake the gun and the trigger just wobbles around in all directions. I guess not many own a Ruger 1911
 
Thanks for the replies. What I am talking about is you can just jiggle the trigger up, down, and side to side. I am not talking about the trigger action. You can shake the gun and the trigger just wobbles around in all directions. I guess not many own a Ruger 1911

Understood. Like I said, 1911 triggers will do that. Nothing to be concerned about.
 
Thanks for the replies. What I am talking about is you can just jiggle the trigger up, down, and side to side. I am not talking about the trigger action. You can shake the gun and the trigger just wobbles around in all directions. I guess not many own a Ruger 1911

Understood. Like I said, 1911 triggers will do that. Nothing to be concerned about.

Totally concur. !911 trigger do move around. Some of the custom triggers are made oversized and have to be fitted. That said they do not work any better then the ones that jiggle.
 
I have 4 Ruger SR1911's and all of the triggers have some play in them. They also features nice clean breaks at 3 1/2 lbs right where I like my single action triggers to break. Yeah I did tune the triggers but out of the box they averaged about 4 1/2 lbs so it was very simple to tune the leaf springs for a slightly lighter break. The play in the triggers doesn't bother me a bit, I've handled some Colt and S&W 1911's that were just as bad or even worse. BTW the S&W had a very sweet trigger with a sear creep equal to a S&W revolver in single action. My Rugers have a bit more sear creep and that Colt was a train wreck with about 1/16 inch of sear creep and NO detent at the Safe position for the thumb safety because the notch was MIA. Frankly I wouldn't touch a Colt, while very pretty the quality of that pistol was bad.

IMO if you want a truly hand fitted 1911 you need to spend the money for it. Meaning you need to have a Lowest price of about 1600 dollars and plan on spending up to 4000 dollars or a bit more. Which means the top of Springfield's line, Dan Wesson, and Ed Brown or Les Baer and the like.
 
I don’t normally shoot factory ammo, but my son left 20 Mag Tec 230 hardball behind. I didn’t know what to expect from factory hardball. But it obviously shoots well in my new SR 1911 Target.
That group is about 2.5 inches. The Sharpie is there for scale. There are no strikes hidden beneath the Sharpie.
 

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