Having been issued a Government Model 1911 .45ACP when I was a Military Policeman years back, that weapon became the standard by which I judged other pistols. It wasn't until the Glock came along a few years later that I found something of a newer design that I felt would stand up to "the standard". Decades later now, I've come to enjoy my Glocks almost as much as my 1911, but there are a few things I'd change about them if I could. One of those things is the Connector. For those of you who aren't Glock savvy, the Connector is that piece which pulls the trigger bar away from the striker mechanism, allowing the weapon to fire. How that connector is shaped, angled, smoothed, etc can translate into trigger pull differences. This week's review is of a Connector made by Ghost Inc. and it really made a noticeable difference in how my Glock trigger feels.
The photos to the right show (from top to bottom):
- The gun I installed the Ghost Connector into: My second generation Glock Model 19 9mm.
- A close up view of the Ghost connector next to the standard Glock connector
- The tools necessary for installation: a 3/32" punch and a metal file
Recovery of the trigger - releasing it sufficiently to re-engage the firing system was also quick and crisp. There wasn't a lot of release to be covered. When you think about it, the amount that you have to release the trigger to re-engage the firing system is equal to the amount of over-travel a trigger has. While I'm no fast shot expert, it seems to me that shortening the amount of extra travel back and forth in your trigger, the faster you can get repeat shots on your target.
The standard Glock connector does nothing to stop the trigger from traveling much farther backward than actually required. All the standard Glock connector does is to direct the trigger bar down once enough load has been placed on the firing pin spring, eventually disengaging the trigger bar from the firing pin (or striker if you prefer) so that it can move forward to fire the chambered round. The Ghost Connector, however, has an additional metal nub that you custom fit to your weapon. Its purpose? To limit the over-travel of your trigger. That nub, once fitted, stops all rearward movement of the trigger bar. If you fit the Ghost connector properly, the movement of the trigger bar is stopped almost immediately after the firing pin / striker is released.
Now, with all that in your head, let me tell you how hard this was... it wasn't. That said, if you're not a Glock Armorer with a clear understanding of the detailed disassembly of the trigger mechanism and what function each piece performs, I'd not recommend you doing this yourself. Take your weapon to a Glock armorer and have him or her do the work.
If you ARE a Glock Armorer, make sure you have the tools shown above available. You will need to detail strip the trigger group and you will need to shorten the stop bar on the Ghost Connector to fit your weapon. How much do you need to shorten it? I didn't measure. The good news is that if you haven't shortened it enough you probably won't be able to get the trigger bar connected to the trigger group properly. I know I couldn't. Once I had shaved the stop bar down sufficiently then I was able to get the trigger group back together and into the weapon. Ghost Inc. also provides a short (orange) back plate for your slide so you can see the disengagement sequence clearly. The Ghost Inc. orange back plate is slightly shorter than the ones Glock uses for armorer inspection.
Once you have the Ghost connector modified and the weapon reassembled you can look at it to see the disengagement and engagement sequences. If you're someone who shoots on a regular basis you'll immediately notice the difference in the way the trigger used to feel and how it feels with the new connector in place. As with any changes you make in your weapon I recommend you take it to the range and test it out before you entrust your life to it. I was very pleased with how the weapon felt with the Ghost Connector in place. Except for the trigger safety rubbing the pad of my trigger finger, the Glock trigger broke and felt like that of my 1911.
You can find Ghost Inc. online to check out more information or order your Ghost Connector. They are also a good source for other standard Glock parts (which was why I called them in the first place - I needed to replace a firing pin).
Stay safe!
