Free pistol triggers, single stage or 2-stage

[Kel P]

Hi folks,

I'm on the hunt for a free pistol, and was interested in your thoughts on 2-stage versus single stage triggers. In particular, I'm looking at possibilities for a Morini CM84E (and maybe a Pardini FPE, but so far the Morini is winning), and if I order a new Morini, I can get it with a 2-stage trigger.

I've done a lot of free pistol shooting, albeit a couple decades ago in NRA collegiates, with an old Vostok, a Hammerli, but much more with a Pardini PGP 75. I have no idea if the Pardini trigger was single stage, but I sure liked it at the time.

- Does 2-stage offer clear advantages, or is it really a personal call? If it's helpful information, I don't intend to set the trigger terribly light.
- Do PGP75's have single stage or 2-stage triggers?
- If I buy the single stage Morini and want to go 2-stage later, is it a lot of money and is it installable by a fairly mechanically inclined person with no special tools (me)? Price difference new is less than US$60, but I'd have to wait a couple months for the special order instead of picking up the pistol that is in stock now : )

For the inevitable question of "how good are you so we can give tailored advice", I did very well at the National level in collegiate standard pistol but didn't reach any stardom in free or air. But 20+ years later, slow precision fire has a lot of appeal to me. Maybe it's the slow-fire belly muscle that I've acquired in the interim : ) In any event, I intend to find my free pistol game and get into competition.

Kel

[TB]

It is a personal call. No one can tell you what your preference is. If I was in doubt as you, I would go for a two stage as they also can be set up as a one stage if it turns out that is what you like the best. The Moroni is not much more expensive with a two stage and both the Pardini FPM and FPE always comes with a one and two stage option.

[madmull]

- Does 2-stage offer clear advantages, or is it really a personal call? If it's helpful information, I don't intend to set the trigger terribly light.
Kel

answer: NO
I own morini and the weight is in grams or very light.
I would never feel a two stage
so if you a using a two stage trigger and want to feel the trigger must fitted with the heaviest spring. This will resulte in less accurate shot

just my opinion

[TB]

answer: NO
I own morini and the weight is in grams or very light.
so if you a using a two stage trigger and want to feel the trigger must fitted with the heaviest spring. This will resulte in less accurate shot

just my opinion

IMHO that is just wrong. It is a common mistake to think that the lighter the trigger weight the better, espiacially for us non world class shooters. But even some WC shooters have a quite heavy trigger weight. I will give you that though that for a two stage set up to make sense there will have to be some weight on the trigger.

[Gwhite]

If you liked the PGP, and are just getting back into it, I'd suggest trying to find a used one. They are quite reliable, you can still get parts, and I can't imagine anyone trying to charge tons of money for one. Pardini USA has one for $800, which seems to be the going price. There are several others for sale various places.

You could also try advertising for one here on the "Buy, Sell, Trade" forum. I suspect there are a number collecting dust that someone might be happy to see put back into action.

[paw080]

Hi Kel, I don't think there is any real advantage of of one type or the other

type of trigger. I shoot a Morini 84E, and it has a two-stage trigger. The total pull(factory setting)

measures 103 grams; that's 3.66ozs. It take a person with normal sensitivity

approx 3-4 dryfire pulls to know where the second stage is. I also shoot Bullseye

and one of my pistols is a Morini 22CM22 RF and my backup is a High Standard

Trophy. The Morini CM22 RF has a two-stage, while the Trophy has a single stage

trigger; either pistol's trigger is easy to adapt to. I sometimes shoot the 45 Bullseye

class and I've no trouble adapting to that trigger either. All of these Bullseye

pistols have legal triggers. I do need about 10-15 dryfires with my Gold Cup

before switching over from a rimfire pistol. So my answer to your question is, that

I believe both trigger types are effective and are easily adapted to. Okay get

the Morini 84E with the two-stage trigger!

Tony

[Gwhite]

They must be setting them up different these days. My Morini 84E is about 15 years old, and came with about a 30 gram single stage trigger.

As someone pointed out, with a very light trigger, there's not much point to having two stages.

I haven't checked them with a gauge, but the PGP Kel used to shoot was one of the MIT pistols. We're still using the Pardinis. The PGP 75 is single stage, and I bet his was set up for less than 40 grams.

[Kel P]

Well, I did say I liked the PGP75 trigger... but that was way back then. Having read all about what's available today, I am very excited to have an electronic trigger, adjustable sight radius, and adjustable rear sight gap. I can find a nice PGP at some later point, for old times sake.

I do recall cranking up the trigger weight on that PGP. It didn't adjust very high, but I figure I was close to 100g. That's fantastic that MIT is still using the Pardinis. They are so simple, I imagine that the sear and firing pin are all that might wear down.

Thank you all for the great information. Jonathan, if you are reading, I have not forgotten the opportunity for your pistol, and we'll keep trying to sync our schedules!

Kel

[David M]

For a number of years now the Morini Free pistol has been supplied with 3 different weight trigger springs.
This started after a few of us a World cups shot the Free pistols with the first stage spring from the Air pistol fitted. This gave weights from 45g to 120g, better than the origional very light spring.
Set between 50g to 80g the trigger is very controllable.
When Morini made the two stage available (modified air cams with no optical saftey) a number of top level shooters tried it, most have gone back to a single stage trigger. The last I heard was that a couple of asian shooter are still playing with them.

[Reinhamre]

If you buy a 84E with a two stage trigger you do not have the optical safety and MUST have a trigger weight over 50 gram! If you buy the standard 84E, then you have the possibility to go from very light to whatever you like just by changing the spring. Sounds like an easy choice.

[Kel P]

Thank you everyone for all the great feedback! A new CM84E is on its way, single stage trigger. If I'm so compelled, I can get a 2-stage later; while more expensive as an add-on, having both trigger sets would be the only way to go if I'm just experimenting.

*Sigh* shipping plus the eternal 10-day wait.

Kel

[Gwhite]

You are going to love it!