In the last couple of weeks we have introduced a couple of new products for the Taurus PT111 G2, PT140 G2, 709 and 740.
First, our Stainless Steel Striker (firing pin) guide locks out the Taurus Security System lock and smooths the trigger feel by not having the firing pin bump over the hole in the factory striker guide and it locates the firing pin more precisely for a crisper feel.
G2 Striker Guide Top
And, since little springs sometimes wear out or go flying when working on pistols, we have the Firing Pin and Firing Pin Return springs available for those same pistols as well.
Firing Pin Spring and Return Spring for Taurus PT111 G2, PT 140 G2, 709 and 740
I have three Taurus pistols with the trigger system used in the PT111 G2, 2 PT111 G2s and a PT140 G2. The first one I purchased has thousands of rounds through it and the trigger is very smooth with a pull weight in either single action or double action of just over 4 lbs on average. The second pistol has I would guess about a thousand rounds through it, and the third is brand new (PT140 G2).
The trigger on the PT140 G2, and to a lesser extent, the second PT111 G2 have a gritty feel, particularly in the last bit of their travel before they release the striker. I went on a mission last week to see what I could do quickly and easily (no major disassembly and a process that could be done in 15 minutes or so). Sure, I know I could completely strip the frame, polish all the bits that rub, and have a trigger every bit as good as the oldest one on all three triggers. But, I also know most folks don’t like to do that and I wanted to see if I could find an easy way to get at least part of the benefit of a stoning and polish job. Or, if I could avoid having to expend a thousand plus rounds to get a smooth trigger, so much the better.
The first thing I did was remove the slide from the pistol. I found the striker moves in the slide without any of the gritty feeling and was pretty consistent across all three pistols, so I set the slides aside.
Next, I worked the triggers on all three pistols, paying particular attention to what was moving when they felt gritty. Time for a photo:
What I found is that on the last little bit of trigger movement, when the part marked with a blue arrow above moves, the trigger felt gritty.
I also looked at the well worn in pistol, and its trigger bar looked polished for nearly a half inch towards the muzzle from the disconnector.
The trigger bar can be moved around with a finger. The new pistols felt very gritty as it was moved both up and down and back and forth.
To cut to the chase, I also found I could get most of the benefit of the polish job by applying a lube (in this case a grease, like Tetra gun grease) in the areas in the first photo shown above. It takes a toothpick, to work it all along the top and sides of the trigger bar while holding it down below the disconnector. I applied it liberally and worked it in. Then, I took a cotton swab and cleaned out the excess.
The two newer triggers are almost as smooth as the old trigger with that done. Since the springs are still a bit stiffer, the pull weight is still a little higher on the new ones even after lubricating the trigger bar. I had sprayed CLP and Rem oil on the trigger bar area with no improvement. I also cleaned out the trigger bar and the rear mechanisms as best as I could with GunScrubber before lubricating it again. A lubricant like motor oil, manual transmission fluid, etc may work as well. I think it takes something with more film strength than CLP or Rem oil.
If you have a gritty trigger, give this a try and comment on whether it helped or not. I would love to hear if this works for others. And, have fun shooting those Taurus pistols!
James Foster posted a video comparison test between the Lakeline LLC and Galloway Precision recoil assemblies for the Taurus PT111 G2 in the Facebook group Taurus PT111/PT140/Millennium Shooters.
I like to test things. I test our products every chance I get. I also evaluate similar or competitive products to see how we stack up and how we can improve. In light of that, I ran some tests on our Taurus PT111 G2 recoil assembly versus both the factory and a competitor’s, Galloway Precison’s, aftermarket assembly.
All three operated the pistol without any malfunctions for 200 rounds. There was also very little degradation in the spring force on any of the units. Neither the Lakeline nor the factory assemblies showed any noticeable degradation other than residue from firing. The Galloway unit was stuck, and had to be tugged out of the slide. The reason shows in the photos below and is due to the washer deforming and allowing the spring to come partway past the washer. The end of the spring was also wearing the corners of the shoulder in the slide.
Here are some photos of the Lakeline and the Galloway after 200 rounds fired through each, before cleaning:
Muzzle end of Lakeline recoil assembly after 200 roundsEven fit of large spring on Lakeline recoil assembly after testing.Lakeline Muzzle end close up
The Galloway unit was a replacement sent for our first unit after they recalled them for the springs coming out of the slides. Galloway said the problem was due to a tolerance problem on the Taurus PT111 G2 in their recall notice. The fix included a washer at the end of the large spring. The end cap was also highly polished on the reworked unit compared to the original. It could be due to needing heat to remove the end screws for reworking the parts and polishing off the marks from a torch.
After 200 rounds, the washer had deformed, causing the recoil assembly to ride unevenly in the slide. It required some force to remove from the slide. It was also wearing the edges of the slide shoulder and rounding the corner where the washer was pushing through the slide and the spring end was moving against it. The muzzle end screw was no longer centered as the spring had pushed it off to one side. Shiny areas where it was rubbing the slide were evident.
Washer deformation on Galloway Recoil assembly after 200 roundsAnother view showing the deformed washer, rubbing on the slide and where the spring rides on the slide after 200 rounds with the Galloway recoil assembly.
