The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: Bender on September 10, 2008, 11:20:55 AM
-
I just purchased the new ParaUSA PDA .45 with the LDA trigger. In case you didn't know, the trigger has vertical ribs or groves and its rubbing my finger raw. OUCH!
I put 250 rounds through it one day (breaking it in) and that is all I could do for that week. I had a nice cherry on my finger that had to heal before I could take it to the range again. Am I doing something wrong? Do all LDA's have this same trigger design? Is it possible to get a smooth trigger? If so where?
Thanks,
Jeff
-
Wow. I'd call Para and ask for the QA dept. I"m not sure who's in charge there now, but it used to be George Wedge. He's been helpful to me in the past, and I'm sure he will somehow help you .
-
If the trigger is bare metal you could try taking a softener to it. My first pick would be one of those scotch pads for cleaning pots and pans...made out of scratchy plastic. A good rub with that might soften the edges. If not, some light steel wool or rouge.
OR...ask them for a better trigger. Maybe you'll get lucky.
-
All 4 of my LDA's have smooth polished triggers. ??? If it were mine I would take the trigger out and use some emory cloth to get the serrations out and then polish on the buffing wheel.
-
My LDA has a smooth trigger too. If it didn't I'd take it out and attack it with a rat-tail file. That's exactly what I did with a pellet revolver I got when I was a kid. After a coarse file I used a finer half-round file then various grits of sandpaper. By the time I was finished it looked like it was made that way. Another option would be to get hold of Para and tell them you want a smooth trigger. In the meantine you can try to stick a piece of tape or heat shrink tubing on it. Gloves are not an option for me.
-
If you use Scotch brite try to find the red or brown they were made for deburring metals and hard plastics and are quite a bit courser than the green for dish washing.
-
After I posted the thing about filing it down I started wondering... how deep are the grooves? What do they look like?
-
(http://www.nrapublications.org/si/images/PDA1.jpg)
There's the trigger. All my Paras have serrated triggers, but they are SA and that poses no problems - trigger moves straight back on the squeeze. The LDA trigger on the PDA works like a revolver trigger. Your finger slides down the trigger slightly on the squeeze. You may want to get 400 or 600 grit wet/dry paper from the auto supply store and cut a piece that fits over the trigger. Place a drop of gun oil on the paper, spread it around and then dry fire the pistol a few times with the paper between your finger and the trigger. It may not take much.
Is the sore area of your finger near the bottom 1/4? That may be another issue.
-
(http://www.nrapublications.org/si/images/PDA1.jpg)
There's the trigger. All my Paras have serrated triggers, but they are SA and that poses no problems - trigger moves straight back on the squeeze. The LDA trigger on the PDA works like a revolver trigger. Your finger slides down the trigger slightly on the squeeze. You may want to get 400 or 600 grit wet/dry paper from the auto supply store and cut a piece that fits over the trigger. Place a drop of gun oil on the paper, spread it around and then dry fire the pistol a few times with the paper between your finger and the trigger. It may not take much.
Is the sore area of your finger near the bottom 1/4? That may be another issue.
Thanks for posting the photos... I was getting ready to but you beat me to it. I would say yes the sore area of my finger is the near the bottom 1/4. As far as filing down the grooves, I think the trigger is too thin and the grooves are pretty deep.
I sent a letter off to Para to see what they have to say about it.
Thanks for all the responses,
Jeff
-
By the way, I went to the range last Friday and 100 rounds is the limit before my finger starts wear out. No blister, just a sore spot. I tried slightly different finger position but it still rubbing my finger in the same place.
I guess I could keep going to the range on a regular basis and develop a callus then I would be okay. ;D
-
Can you move the web of your shooting hand up higher and tighter on the grip safety? I think you may be getting sore from the bottom of the trigger pushing into your finger as the pistol flips. The fine wet/dry paper and oil won't lower the grooves, but it will take off any tiny burrs and polish the serrations, letting your finger slide down the trigger w/o catching on anything.
-
Can you move the web of your shooting hand up higher and tighter on the grip safety? I think you may be getting sore from the bottom of the trigger pushing into your finger as the pistol flips. The fine wet/dry paper and oil won't lower the grooves, but it will take off any tiny burrs and polish the serrations, letting your finger slide down the trigger w/o catching on anything.
Thanks Fatman,
I'll check my grip and try the wet/dry paper and see how things work.
-
In case you are wondering... I tried the sandpaper trick and it seemed to help a little bit. I contacted Para and they said they would replace to serrated trigger with a smooth one with no charge. I just had to pay for shipping. It goes out today. I'll let you know how things turn out.
;D
-
Good luck.
We don't need no more sore trigger-digits..... ;D
-
You know what's weird? I asked Para about that...my early LDAs have smooth triggers, while my new one is serrated. Their customer service guys told me that the serrated triggers were added because of "overwhelming" customer demand. They thought it was weird, too, since all of us have spent years grinding the serrations off revolver triggers.
Luckily, my Carry 9 is Old Skol with a smooth trigger. BTW, in ev ery class I've gone through I end up with a shredded trigger finger regardless of gun...I apparently have girly man hands...
Michael B
-
..I apparently have girly man hands...
Michael B
Hey, I can type 70 words a minute and have the scars to prove it!!!! :o
-
Wow... Para is fast... Sent my pistol in on Tuesday, October 14, and got it back yesterday, Tuesday, October 21.
They replaced the serrated trigger with the smooth one and did some other checks as well. Haven't been to the range yet but during some dry fire exercises it does feel better. Doesn't bite into my finger as much as the old trigger.
-
Now you know why all my .45s are Paras. ;D Customer service is wonderful. When I got my P12, I had questions about the guide rod, and particularly about it's lifespan. They answered the questions, then sent me a spare w/o my asking and at no charge with a note saying "...use the one that came with the pistol for practice and use this one for carry. That should ease your mind on the chance of breakage just when you need the pistol the most."
I wouldn't doubt that they tuned the pistol for you. When I had a squib in my P14, (found the swollen barrel when I cleaned it - it apparently happened when I was double tapping, second round hit the jammed one) the ammo manufacturer requested the pistol and the empty ammo box. After an inspection they sent the pistol to Para for a new barrel and slide check, and Para replaced the barrel with a match grade one and fully tuned the pistol.
-
All my .45s are Paras too. My 12.45 LDA was having quite a few malfunctions which is something that never happened with my other two Paras. I sent it in and they replaced the Colt-Officers-Model-type of recoil system with a Warthog-type system. Now it has dual concentric recoil springs with one spring captured, instead of one spring and a separate guide and plug. They also tuned and polished the extractor, and some other parts, replaced one mag and replaced the springs in the 3 other mags. And they test fired it to make sure it worked. All done at no charge. It would cost a good amount of money to have it tuned that well by anyone else. And it's a LIFETIME warranty so if I ever have another problem I can get it fixed for free again.