Glock Talk banner

$0.25 trigger job dangerous?

49K views 178 replies 86 participants last post by  roughrider119 
#1 ·
In a conversation with a Glock tech support team member I was told Glock recommends against performing a $0.25 trigger job. The tech told me Glock recommends against polishing any component because it could compromise the integrity of the part.

Having very carefully performed the $0.25 trigger job on my Glocks should I be worried? Are some components more likely to fail than others?
 
#38 ·
When I sold my G26 it was all stock, in the box, looked like new. And due to about 1500 rounds thru it and an equal amount of dry fire the trigger was very nice. The guy who bought it asked me if I had modified the trigger and I said nope. Glock triggers break in very nice but it takes a lot of pulls.

I personally tested a couple G26's, G43's and a few G42's that had aftermarket triggers and had been tweaked and polished and all that and none of them suited me better than the stock trigger that had been pulled a couple thousand times. The only thing a Glock trigger really needs is cycled till it smooths out on it's own.

Then again, I'm not a trigger nut either and don't see what all the fuss is about triggers unless it's on my AR shooting paper at 300 yards. Then I get picky about triggers but even then prefer good glass over trigger jobs.

VooDoo
 
#41 ·
Two interesting things for consideration:

1) it is well-established in this forum and I have experience myself that practicing makes the trigger smoother and approves your trigger control without messing with the gun. Even dry fire practice will smooth out the triggers.

2) I know it’s ridiculous, but unfortunately it’s true. Attorneys make a big deal out of trigger modifications. Criminal and especially civil attorneys will come after you for your “hairpin trigger “ and try to use that to show you had the intentions of being offensive. I’ve heard that from multiple attorney sources. It Never helps your case to do any trigger modifications. Ridiculous, and sad but true.

#2 is a myth and has been debunked hundreds of times. It's simply not true, and nobody can point to a case that criminalizes the victim in a self defense case.

It bothers me that this bad info won't die.
 
#59 ·
That's what I do for a living and you are 100% correct.
 
#42 ·
Balderdash!!

Warnings against doing anything to a Glock is standard procedure, whether uttered in print form, or from the mouth of one of their employees, techs, or armorers. The "Standard Product Liability Warning" was developed by manufacturers for one reason only, to legally help them remain free from liability...ANY liability. It doesn't mean that anything you do to the contrary would be bad for you...it means that it could potentially be bad...for them!!

The careful and correct polishing of where intermingling parts intermingle with each other can accomplish a better surface to surface condition than the 1,000 round trigger job, without actually firing 1,000 rounds. This better/smoother/polished surface finish between interacting parts reduces the friction between them, and less friction equates to the reduction of the energy required to motivate said parts or mechanisms.

The 0.25¢ trigger job will in no way create a hair trigger - only a drastic change in geometry can physically accomplish this.

Polishing will also in no way degrade a material's qualities of stength, in fact, removing the sharp edge(s) of sheared or stamped metal (i.e., as found on a stamped sheetmetal Glock connector) via radiusing or polishing will decrease the chances of fractures that would normally originate at these sharp edges, if some strange outside force that was not originally anticipated by the manufacturer was placed upon it. I don't see that happening inside a Glock pistol.

I'd be more worried about those who swap out their connector, trigger group, magazine release, recoil assembly, slide & internals slide parts, i.e., swapping out the OEM parts for a titanium striker, safety plunger, etc., before they've even shot a single round out of the pistol, then come here looking for answers about why their Glock doesn't function as designed!
 
#47 ·
You make it sound as though shooting a thousand rounds is a bad thing. Shooting is why I buy guns.
 
#43 ·
Change this to a car and call the MFR and ask if it's okay to do a valve polishing job on the car's engine and ask "you'll still warranty everything, right?"

To a skilled operator with the time & expertise, yeah, that will improve performance and fuel efficiency a little.

Doesn't mean the factory wants Joe Average tearing into the engine to try and accomplish the same
 
#44 ·
I get the point you are making, but comparing a little Flitz work on the Trigger Bar contact points to doing a valve job on a car engine is a little over kill. FWIW, you can do mods to brand new American made vehicles such as adding cold air intakes or aftermarket long service air filters like AFE or K&N provided they are certified for the emissions standards of your state. In so doing, the mfg can't by law void your warranty unless they can prove the part added caused the failure.
 
#45 ·
Basically all manufacturers discourage OEM part modifications because it is a major liability issue for them.

And I don't need my degree in engineering in order to understand that polishing the internals weakens them to a point of fracture.
To the point of fracture? Really?
 
#50 ·
If I were in a gun making business or a corporate lawyer hired by a gun company, I would of course make sure that all employees advise their customer against a $0.25 polishing job or any modification or work to the company’s gun, and make it an official policy. I would not care if it actually improves the gun’s functioning or has any ill effects because in the legal (and political) world, sadly what is empirically and scientifically true does not seem to matter any more....
 
#57 ·
Several people have discussed the difference between polishing and grinding. Is there a third possibility?

Is it possible that polishing too vigorously with a Dremel could heat the metal to the point it alters any heat treating, making the metal softer? This would take a really heavy hand with a Dremel, so I'm not sure it could happen.

Any metallurgists out there?

John W in SC
 
#60 ·
There just saying that to save their butts just Incase you wernt use to the easy trigger pull. The .25 cent trigger job is just to smooth out your trigger pull. You can get down by removing the shoe and trimming some of the bar off to make it even lighter but if you do so it’s all on you. But I think any armor would be against it just so they can polish it up themselves and charge you a $100 an hour rate. Gets some mothers or flintz those work best
 
#61 ·
Two interesting things for consideration:

1) it is well-established in this forum and I have experience myself that practicing makes the trigger smoother and approves your trigger control without messing with the gun. Even dry fire practice will smooth out the triggers.

2) I know it’s ridiculous, but unfortunately it’s true. Attorneys make a big deal out of trigger modifications. Criminal and especially civil attorneys will come after you for your “hairpin trigger “ and try to use that to show you had the intentions of being offensive. I’ve heard that from multiple attorney sources. It Never helps your case to do any trigger modifications. Ridiculous, and sad but true.
I never once heard of an attorney dissecting a gun to see what the internals are. Hell have the attorney and judges don’t even know how a gun operates let alone to know the difference between a polished trigger and a non polished trigger hell 75% of police don’t even know that much about firearms they just know how to break them down for cleaning so all this talk about an attorney bashing you for your internals is just a huge myth
 
#65 ·
I put premium in my truck that called for regular. I inverted the air cleaner housing to allow more air to the carb's. (yes I'm old).
God forbid I get a speeding ticket or accident......

I wore out the original OEM tires on my truck. Put on another brand that were not OEM.
God forbid I run into another person....

I took out the old AM radio in my truck and installed a FM stereo. Then wired in myself,....two more speakers.
God forbid I lose my hearing or have an electrical fire.....

I was too lazy to go in the house for a drink of water so to quench my thirst and prevent any dirt on the Mrs. tile floor,I drank from a garden hose....and one with an adjustable nozzle that was bought separately
God I hope I don't spray myself in the eye or worse yet,accidently spray my neighbor.
 
#66 ·
I have done the .25 Trigger job on 6 out of my 7 Glocks. Only reason that one had not yet been done is that I gust got it as a backup to my IDPA/USPSA G17 and have not had time. I did have two malfunctions on my Primary Competition G17. One was the recoil spring was worn, and the second was a broken Double Diamond connector (old style with the two cut out Diamonds). This is after 7-8000 rounds

The .25 Trigger job is about reducing friction. If done right you are smoothing out rough spots and NOT changing angles or trying to remove metal.

The Glock parts are simple stamped parts probably with generous tolerances.

If I was glock I would say the same thing, do not modify it in any way. CYA statement.

Most high end 1911 gun smiths will go nuts grinding, polishing and shaping a stock 1911. So a bit of polish on a glock is minor.

My CYA statement is leave it alone. But who am I to listen to myself?
 
#68 ·
I hate stock Glock triggers, I shoot a hundred times better with a flat trigger. Chances are I'll never use any of them for sd anyway. My two main carry guns both have aftermarket triggers G33 has a Wheaton Arms with a 3.5 connector and my G23 has a Suarez International with a 3.5 connector both pass the drop test so I'm happy
 
#72 ·
In another thread I posted these photos of my new 43.
Taking that hump off and cleaning up the surfaces ain't gonna make the pistol unsafe.
 

Attachments

#73 ·
A Glock trigger is only unsafe when you screw with the geometry of the trigger bar if you can drop it and the bar falls off the shelf then by the book it's unsafe. But even then you still have the firing pin block. I seriously doubt you would do time for a aftermarket trigger or a modified stock trigger unless you said you didn't mean to discharge your gun. I seriously think everybody takes the Glock perfection thing way too literal, always room for improving.
 
#74 ·
I've been doing the $0.25 trigger job since it cost a nickel. Never had a problem with "integrity" of the parts.

The admonition against it is just their lawyers talking.
"NO USER SERVICIBLE PARTS INSIDE"
 
#75 ·
I polish the surface enough to make the contacts shine, with Flitz, using a Q-tip.

I don’t use a tool to perform it.

The amount taken off, I would guess is in the microns. I seriously doubt it would affect the integrity.

I would guess if a piece of the steel was reshaped then it could cause a major issue in reliability, or undue stress.

I have been running mine fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
#76 ·
I didn't actually do a .25 cent trigger job. I just cleaned all the gunk out of the inside of my pistol. So clean some of the metal shines. Sure did make the pistol function better. Especially the trigger.

If anyone is taking any metal off while working on their pistol. They are not going something correctly.

Smooth,clean, and lubed parts cause less friction thus less wear.

But like I said. I just gave it the best cleaning that I could. Some may call it a .25 cent trigger job. But I just did a thorough cleaning. I sure did not change the shape of any component in any way.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top