Glock Factory Trigger Options
By T.R. Graham

Understanding & Adjusting Glock Trigger Weights
Without question, Gaston Glock’s revolutionary line of polymer framed pistols are among some of the most popular personal defense handguns available today. Although the pistols have a well proven reputation for being both extremely durable and highly reliable, many people have trouble shooting the GLOCK accurately with the standard trigger pull. However, a variety of factory trigger weight options can easily be installed in any GLOCK model in a matter of minutes by a trained GLOCK armorer. In this article, we will examine all of the various trigger spring/connectors, and offer tips on what types of pull weights you may expect from the various combinations. Note that this information is written primarily for the benefit of GLOCK armorers and gunsmiths, and most definitely should NOT be attempted by unqualified persons unfamiliar with the workings of the Glock pistol.

Trigger Components
As well as being fast and easy to modify, the GLOCK lockwork is unique in that there are only two separate parts, the trigger spring and the connector, which determines what particular trigger pull a GLOCK pistol will have. Currently GLOCK offers four trigger pull weights - the standard 5.5 pound, the competition 3.5 pound, and the heavyweight 8 pound and 11 pound "police" triggers. By far, the most common is the standard 5.5 pound trigger, which can be found installed in practically any GLOCK model. The next most commonly encountered trigger pull weight is the 3.5 pound target trigger, normally found only in the G17L /G24 long slide target guns, the new G34 and G35 "Practical-Tactical" pistols, and in some of the factory compensated "C" models. The least encountered pull weights are the 8 pound and 11 pound triggers, most often found in law enforcement and military issue GLOCKs. When working on a GLOCK, keep in mind that because of tolerance variations present in the pistol’s design the various nominal trigger pull weights (3.5, 5.5, 8 and 11 Lbs.) can and often do vary from gun to gun.

Trigger Springs
Currently, GLOCK manufactures three different types of trigger springs - the stock standard 5.5 pound coil spring, as well as two types of the so-called "New York" trigger springs - the 8 pound olive green colored NY #1 and the bright orange colored 11 pound NY #2, both of which use a short coil spring vertically installed in a specially designed "L" shaped polymer housing which lock snaps into the trigger housing mechanism. On occasion, old style NY #1 and #2 NY trigger springs will be encountered. Unlike the captive vertical coil spring system used in the current NY trigger springs, the old-style NY’s used a "L" shaped leaf spring in an all black polymer housing, although a very limited number were made in white polymer before the current redesign. Old style NY #1 springs were unmarked, while the NY #2 springs had a small "+" marking stamped into the center of the lower vertical inner section of the metal leaf spring. Regardless of type, all "NY" trigger springs work in the same way. All maintain a constant upwards pressure against the bottom of the cruciform sear portion of the trigger drawbar, which allows the forward action of the slide to reset the trigger mechanism.

Connectors
As with the trigger springs, GLOCK also makes three different types of connectors : the 3.5 pound "target", which is marked with a small "-" sign on its inside upper edge, the unmarked 5.5 pound stock standard connector, and the 8 pound "police" connector, which is marked with a small "+" sign on its inside upper edge. Although at first glance a GLOCK connector looks like a very simple part, like almost all GLOCK components it serves more than one function. Made of a heavy gauge spring steel stamping and installed in the triangular shaped "trigger housing mechanism with ejector", connectors work by mechanically camming the trigger drawbar and the attached cruciform sear plate downward. As the trigger is pulled, the sear kickup on the trigger drawbar pushes the firing pin to the rear against the spring tension of the firing pin spring. After a short period of travel, a radiused portion at the rear of the trigger drawbar contacts a precisely angled flat on the connector. This moves the trigger drawbar and the attached sear plate down and away from the projecting lug of the firing pin. The angle of the flat on the connector, along with the trigger spring used will determine what overall trigger pull weight a particular Glock pistol will have. The shallower the angle on the connector, the lighter the weight, the steeper the angle, the heavier the weight. Connectors also function as disconnectors in the GLOCK pistol, moving inward to disengage the radiused surface of the trigger drawbar from the connector angle. The small hook-like projection at the top of the connector contacts a camming surface machined into the bottom of the slide, moving the connector angle in and away from the bearing surface on the trigger drawbar if the slide is not fully in battery. As you can see the connector is a busy little part, which is why I only recommend the use of factory connectors. As has been proven to me many times in the past, aftermarket connectors can and do fail. Also, I do not recommend any of the various aftermarket trigger components. In general, aftermarket trigger components give highly inconsistent trigger pulls due to either poor quality, poor tolerances, or both. Personally, I will not use and do not recommend any trigger components except for original GLOCK factory parts.

Modifying The GLOCK Trigger
With one significant exception, any of the various factory weight trigger springs or connectors can be used to give a variety of custom trigger pulls. The only combination which is specifically NOT approved by the factory is combining an eight pound ("+" marked) police connector with ANY of the NY trigger springs. As well as giving a incredibly heavy trigger pull, installing these two components together can cause failure of the sear kickup on the trigger drawbar to drop down far enough to clear the firing pin lug with some guns. In effect, although the trigger will move back and forth, the pistol will not fire. Furthermore, if this happens the pistol cannot be field stripped to remove these components without first removing the firing pin mechanism from the slide. Here are the various trigger spring/connector combinations for specific shooting applications:
5.5 lb coil trigger spring with a 3.5 lb connector.
This trigger setup generally gives a nominal pull weight of between 3.5 to almost 6 pounds, and has a somewhat long and "spongy" trigger feel in most guns. An excellent trigger combo for target use, but because of liability concerns it is not normally recommended for defensive applications.
5.5 lb coil trigger spring with a 5.5 lb connector.
Nominally breaking at 5.5 lbs, and by far the most commonly encountered of all the GLOCK triggers, this factory standard combination is the one that will have the most variation in overall pull weights between guns. Due to various lockwork tolerances a typical stock GLOCK "5.5 pound trigger" can and will break anywhere from 5.5 pounds to almost 8 pounds in a new and tight pistol.
5.5 lb coil trigger spring with a 8 lb "police" connector.
One of the least encountered of all the heavier GLOCK factory triggers, this trigger setup is also one of the least desirable, combining and magnifying the vague "spongy" feel of a stock 5.5 coil trigger spring with a stiff 8 pound "+" connector. Although mainly found on police issue GLOCKs, it is a poor choice for defense use, and this trigger setup is emphatically NOT recommended for competition use.
8 lb "NY" # 1 trigger spring with a 3.5 lb connector.
This almost bulletproof combination will generally give a nominal pull weight of between 4 to 6.5 pounds in most guns, providing a trigger with a much more defined takeup and a much crisper release point. Because the NY trigger spring is virtually unbreakable, this is an especially useful trigger setup for guns used for both competition and defense applications.
8 lb "NY" # 1 trigger spring with a 5.5 lb connector.
The most widely encountered of all the "heavy weight" GLOCK triggers, this combination gives a nominal pull weight of between 8 to 12 pounds, depending on the gun. Like with the 8 lb "NY" # 1 trigger spring with a 3.5 lb connector, the trigger takeup is firmer and more defined, and letoff and trigger reset is much crisper than the stock 5.5 lb trigger. Also, unlike the stock coil trigger springs, the "NY" trigger springs are virtually unbreakable in normal use, making this an excellent setup for hard duty or rough condition use.
11 lb "NY" # 2 trigger spring with a 3.5 lb connector.
This combination feels much like a 8 lb "NY" # 1 trigger spring with a 5.5 lb connector, breaking at or about 9 to 15 pounds. Applications include rough duty or home defense use. Recommended only as a substitute when a standard "NY" # 1 spring cannot be installed.
11 lb "NY" # 2 trigger spring with a 5.5 lb connector.
The super-heavy weight of GLOCK triggers, this combination averages from 11 to almost 20 pounds trigger pull. Of limited use, applications include home defense for people with young children, or with persons having especially large and strong hands.

Installing Trigger Components
Installation of any of the trigger components is very quick and easy. The only tools needed are a 3/32 inch pin punch and a small flat bladed pocket screwdriver. Optionally, a 3/4 inch wide roll of masking tape can also be used, which acts both as a frame bridge when removing action pins and as a handy keeper for various frame parts. Start by unloading and field stripping the pistol. Place the frame across the tape roll so that the slide stop lever is facing up. Remember, Glock pins are always removed from left to right in a precise sequence and are always installed right to left in the opposite sequence. Using the 3/32 pin punch, remove the trigger housing mechanism pin located at the top rear of the grip. Next, remove the locking block pin if fitted, (note : the 9mm Glock models 17, 17L, 19, and 34 pistols will not have this pin) which is located above and slightly behind the trigger axis pin. You will notice that both of these pins are a simple press fit in the frame. Once this is done, it is time to work on the trigger axis pin which, unlike the other action pins, is locked in place in the frame by the slide stop. To remove, push on the trigger axis pin with the pin punch while simultaneously lifting up and wiggling the slide stop lever back and forth. Note that on new guns, and in particular guns with the new 3nd generation finger groove style frames, all of the pins may be a very tight fit and can be hard to remove. Use caution so as not to slip with the pin punch, which can possibly scratch or mar the frame. Once the trigger axis pin is removed, lift out the slide stop lever and attached spring from its seat from the left side of the trigger. Next, place the tip of the pin punch under the rear of the locking block and while using the left edge of the frame as a fulcrum, lever the locking block up and out of the frame. Once this is done, the entire trigger lockwork can be removed by hooking the underside of the ejector with your index finger and pulling straight up. Separate the trigger drawbar from the trigger housing mechanism by simultaneously pulling forward and moving the trigger drawbar to the right. Unhook the trigger spring from the trigger drawbar and from the trigger housing mechanism to complete the separation. To remove the connector, simply push in on the exposed end of the connector at the left middle of the trigger housing mechanism with a small flat bladed screwdriver. This completes the lockwork disassembly and allows you to change either the trigger spring or the connector. Reassembly is in reverse order.

Troubleshooting
When changing Glock trigger components, realize that even with factory parts there are tolerance variations in different pistols and with different trigger springs/connectors. If after installing a particular trigger spring/connector combination a pistol’s pull weight is too heavy or does not break cleanly, try installing a number of different components until the desired trigger feel is reached. Also, ALWAYS test fire the pistol after doing any trigger work, making sure that the trigger releases the firing pin when fired, the trigger resets when the slide is racked, and that the pistol will not fire out of battery if the slide is retracted.

Summary
As you can see, with a Glock you are not limited to just one standard trigger pull. With a small amount of time and effort you can offer a wide variety of different triggers for any Glock for almost any application - from competition to combat.

T.R. Graham is well known in the Firearms Industry as an Authority
on Glock Pistols. He is a Factory Certified Glock Armorer and
Instructs Armorer Classes. He also has had numerous articles
published in Gun Magazines and is the featured instructor in the
AGI "Making Glocks Rock" video course.


_________________
Robert

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