What is a 'good' trigger pull?

[Olle]

Originally Posted by G.T.

Hi to all, there's a lot more to a good repeatable trigger pull then just weight, also important are take up, slack, creep, break(as in crisp & uniform), over travel along with sear break weight... it's not just the pounds of pull on a luger trigger, it's all the rest as well... Of course, one is certainly limited by very expensive replacement parts, and hard to modify parts as well... Plus on top of all that, the design doesn't really lend itself to modification very well, as there is plenty of "In & out" as well as "back & forth" to contend with... As a result, I think in general, we've ended up with a lot more machine pistols then improved triggers..at least for the first few go arounds!... Best to all, til...lat'r....GT

I have done a few trigger jobs myself, and I agree. There's good trigger pull and there's safe trigger pull, but what you want is a good, safe trigger pull. I usually work with more modern guns with way simpler trigger mechanisms, but have still managed to create some full-auto pistols and rifles by being careless with the honing stone. It's no fun having to buy new parts and start over just because you didn't do your homework.

You would think that the sear is most important, but that's not always the case and it's usually the last thing I look at. A slick trigger pull feels much lighter than what the gauge may tell you, and you can get a very nice (and safe) pull by just polishing all the bearing surfaces, pins etc. In some pistols I have found that the greatest improvement was after polishing the sides of the hammer and the sear. In short: Polishing anything that can rub or bind is a safe way to improve the trigger. Changing spring weights can also make a great difference. Lugers and Borchards are of course totally different animals, but the same principles should apply.