The Henning Flat Trigger System
Introducing the Henning Flat Trigger System.
The idea of developing a Precision Machined, straight surface trigger has been brewing for a few years. The need for a better single action trigger exist within most Tanfoglio enthusiasts. Is it absolutely necessary to replace the factory trigger ? It is not, but there are several issues that we have come to realize we want to eliminate in our guns. The new trigger is a result of almost 20 years of shooting Tanfoglio pistols and extensive prototyping to develop a higher quality trigger. What makes this new trigger so much better ?
1) Precise Fit to Frame
If you inspect how the factory trigger fits in the frame you'll see how much sideways wobble there is. You may not think this is all that important, but how would you feel if I told you it was partially the reason why I ended up with a bullet hole in my foot ten years ago ? The frame is equipped with a "trigger guard" which main purpose is to protect the trigger from accidentally being pushed. Well, if the trigger is allowed to move outside the width of the trigger guard, it is exposed which is not a good thing from a safety perspective. Secondly, sideways wobble and slop prevents a precise trigger movement. The new Henning trigger is designed with a width of .335" which will allow for a tight fit inside the frame. The actual width of the lever that you pull with your finger is .250".
2) New Trigger Spring System
The factory trigger uses a two legged coil spring which can be very difficult to re-assemble. I always use a slave pin with the factory trigger spring on assembly. But it doesn't always work and it is still difficult to re-install the trigger if it has been taken out of the frame. So, this was one of the key issues I wanted to address when designing it. The Henning trigger uses a short, coiled spring similar to the Tanfoglio extractor spring. Instead of having a spring held in place by the trigger pin, it is now held in place by a spring pocket. This allows you to easily put the trigger back into the gun while pushing the trigger pin through the frame and locking the trigger in place.
3) Consistent Pre-Travel Adjustment
With the factory trigger, this is one of the major problems. Because of the set screw's positioning, the pre-travel is very difficult to adjust. We completely re-thought pre-travel adjustment and came up with a solution using a big headed screw that has a large surface to interface with the frame. Since we are working with a pivoting trigger, the pre-travel screw will meet the frame at different angles. Using a large headed screw eliminates this problem completely and we can finally adjust the pre-travel very exact.
4) Straight Trigger Surface
The factory curved single action trigger naturally wants your finger to be positioned at the center of the trigger. Well.. that may or may not be where you want to pull it. Having a straight trigger surface allows your finger the same trigger feel no matter where your fingers meets the trigger.
5) Clean Design and Innovative Design
One of the things I wanted to achieve was a modern, no bullshit looking trigger. We are pulling a lever and that's it. So let's make all edges smooth and comfortable.
6) Re-location of the over-travel adjustment screw
The factory's over-travel screw meets with the frame in a position where the frame is curved. This can cause an inconsistent end-of-travel point. I moved the over-travel into the frame where the screw meets a flat surface. It makes the trigger look clean.
There is a lot of attention to detail in this trigger as you will soon discover when you get your own. As usual, we spend a lot of time tinkering before we decide on a design. This trigger is a result of many hours on the drawing board and in the machine shop. I have a great machinist who is willing to work with me into the late morning hours. We spent a lot of time on this project and you can both see and feel the result.
Enjoy !
Henning
