The variety of connectors available for Glock pistols has always interested me, especially when I began to install them regularly and I noticed the variations in cost and claims for performance. A routine theme with aftermarket connectors is that they will reduce trigger pull, often claiming a "3.5 lb trigger pull".
After I installed a tested a few connectors, I began to question my ability because I was not seeing results that came close to the manufacturers' claims. None of the triggers measured 3.5 pounds after I installed the connectors. It had to be something I was doing wrong, I reasoned.
To get to the bottom of this question I devised a comparison test, where I would measure the average trigger pull after installing a connector. Today I completed the first iteration of the test: here are the details and results.
The test was done with an unfired, brand-new Glock G21SF pistol. This is a newly manufactured Gen3 pistol with a Gen4-style trigger bar (P/N 4256-1), an unmarked connector, and a trigger mechanism housing with an ejector marked 8196-2. I did not even clean the gun: I just took it out of the box and put it on the vise block shown in the photo below.
The vise block was designed for .40 and 9mm Glocks, so the .45 ACP G21SF did not fit it well. I had to push against the back of the pistol with my right hand to steady it on the block while I pulled the trigger with the gauge in my left hand. This was not at all hard to do, and I made sure that the pistol was steady in the vise block before pulling the trigger.
The connectors I tested were:
After I installed a connector in the gun, I applied a drop of FP-10 lubricant to the place where the connector meets the trigger bar, and to the side of the trigger bar where it contacts the frame.
The connectors were all in new condition, exactly as received from the suppliers. I installed them, one by one, ran the tests, and recorded the data, which you will see at the end of this post.
The test was be very simple: mount the Glock in a vise block to hold it steady, with the connector installed operate the slide and pull the trigger 20 times with a Lyman(R) electronic Trigger Pull Gauge, recording each reading individually. I then calculate the average of the 20 pull weights, along with standard deviation (just for the heck of it) using a Microsoft Excel worksheet.
The trigger was be pulled by pulling Lyman gauge directly against the middle of the face of the trigger and straight back. In order to get this to work consistently I had to replace the plastic roller on the trigger gauge with a wooden "finger tip" that I ground out of a piece of maple. It isn't pretty, but it fits over the trigger and centers itself, it pulls the trigger safety back, and it does not touch the frame at all when it is in position to pull the trigger back to the "break".
Here is the pistol in the vise block:
Here is the modified trigger pull gauge engaging the trigger:
Here are the connectors as they were tested:
Here is the summary of the results. Details are available in an attached .pdf file.
After I installed a tested a few connectors, I began to question my ability because I was not seeing results that came close to the manufacturers' claims. None of the triggers measured 3.5 pounds after I installed the connectors. It had to be something I was doing wrong, I reasoned.
To get to the bottom of this question I devised a comparison test, where I would measure the average trigger pull after installing a connector. Today I completed the first iteration of the test: here are the details and results.
The test was done with an unfired, brand-new Glock G21SF pistol. This is a newly manufactured Gen3 pistol with a Gen4-style trigger bar (P/N 4256-1), an unmarked connector, and a trigger mechanism housing with an ejector marked 8196-2. I did not even clean the gun: I just took it out of the box and put it on the vise block shown in the photo below.
The vise block was designed for .40 and 9mm Glocks, so the .45 ACP G21SF did not fit it well. I had to push against the back of the pistol with my right hand to steady it on the block while I pulled the trigger with the gauge in my left hand. This was not at all hard to do, and I made sure that the pistol was steady in the vise block before pulling the trigger.
The connectors I tested were:
1. Glock standard connector as delivered in the G21SF
2. Glock "-" Connector
3. GlockTriggers Performance connector 3.5#
4. Lone Wolf Distributors 3.5# connector
5. Zev Tech V3 Race connector
6. Scherer 3.5# connector
2. Glock "-" Connector
3. GlockTriggers Performance connector 3.5#
4. Lone Wolf Distributors 3.5# connector
5. Zev Tech V3 Race connector
6. Scherer 3.5# connector
After I installed a connector in the gun, I applied a drop of FP-10 lubricant to the place where the connector meets the trigger bar, and to the side of the trigger bar where it contacts the frame.
The connectors were all in new condition, exactly as received from the suppliers. I installed them, one by one, ran the tests, and recorded the data, which you will see at the end of this post.
The test was be very simple: mount the Glock in a vise block to hold it steady, with the connector installed operate the slide and pull the trigger 20 times with a Lyman(R) electronic Trigger Pull Gauge, recording each reading individually. I then calculate the average of the 20 pull weights, along with standard deviation (just for the heck of it) using a Microsoft Excel worksheet.
The trigger was be pulled by pulling Lyman gauge directly against the middle of the face of the trigger and straight back. In order to get this to work consistently I had to replace the plastic roller on the trigger gauge with a wooden "finger tip" that I ground out of a piece of maple. It isn't pretty, but it fits over the trigger and centers itself, it pulls the trigger safety back, and it does not touch the frame at all when it is in position to pull the trigger back to the "break".
Here is the pistol in the vise block:
Here is the modified trigger pull gauge engaging the trigger:
Here are the connectors as they were tested:
Here is the summary of the results. Details are available in an attached .pdf file.
Make | Model | Avg Pull Pounds | Std Dev (20 pulls) | Retail Price | Source |