The most difficult thing about customizing the 1911 is tuning the trigger. Based on past experiences I can safely say that it takes a 1911 gunsmith to tune the 1911 to its true potential. On the few 1911’s I’ve built, someone else did the trigger work for me. With Nighthawk Custom’s new “Drop-In Trigger System” – DTS - this is no longer a worry.

Drop-in trigger assemblies are not new. The assembly contains all the parts you’d find in a factory group, but they’re all assembled and contained within a housing that you install in the frame. There are drop-in’s for AR’s, and 10-22’s and others, but the Nighthawk DTS is the first such for the 1911 pistol.

Ben, who works with me on knives and revolvers, has a 1911 that’s been customized, but it’s had a few miles on it. The weight of the trigger was very light. It might be fine for bull’s eye target shooting, but was dangerously light for defensive use. Instead of buying parts, then having someone install and tune them I suggested the DTS. After buying parts, paying for labor and shipping if required the DTS is probably the best value. Plus, you don’t have to wait and the results are predictable.

The DTS replaces the hammer and strut, sear, disconnector – all machined from 416 stainless steel – and new “sear” spring - you reuse the hammer and sear pins in the pistol. The new “sear” spring only engages with the grip safety. The disconnector and sear spring are contained in the steel housing. This is all you need to get a sweet 1911 trigger with a pull weight between 3.75 and 4 pounds. The really cool thing is that, if need be, you can swap it from one pistol to another.

Installation begins with disassembly of the pistol, which is an easy task. Just make sure to use the proper tools, and remove pins from the correct side of the pistol. Drop the DTS into the frame, using your same sear and hammer pins. Now, after about thirty minutes of taking apart and puttin’ together it’s time to reassemble – in theory.

With any custom parts – even drop-in’s – it’s not uncommon to have to do some minor fitting. And Nighthawk states this up front, “Minor gunsmithing may be required.” Since everything else is contained in the DTS, that only leaves the thumb safety to modify. But, don’t worry, Nighthawk covers all this with videos available on their website. And of course, this is what was necessary on Ben’s Springfield Armory pistol.

Which is why this is a two-part column. Next week we’ll cover fitting the thumb safety, and a trip to the range for test firing the DTS. Plus, that will give me time to get a new battery for my Lyman trigger gauge so we can provide “scientific” data on the final trigger weight.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.