Smooth operator safety plunger

FrankenGlock

FrankenGlock

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The Smooth Operator mod is one of a few steps to make a Glock/clone trigger function more smoothly. This mod also helps the Vertical Extension on the trigger arm slide back over the safety plunger during the firing cycle. If you ever had a gun that just gets hung up right before it returns to battery, this is one trick that helps that symptom. Many just replace the RSA but this mod can help alleviate that need.

Be careful not to remove too much material on the shoulder in your attempt to round out the safety plunger. If you remove too much, the safety plunger will not function as it should and will cause the striker to nick the safety plunger potentially damaging your striker and ruining your safety plunger. The stock Glock G21ā€™s striker already has the smooth operator plunger but it is wider at the base than the standard G1-4 plungers. You can modify one to work in the non .45 caliber models but this is an easier and cheaper solution.
 

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Buying something when it can be easily built/modified for half the cost goes against this sites spirit of use, would necessitate removal of your builder's card, and bring shame and humiliation from all your builder friends. šŸ˜œ
 
The Smooth Operator (y)
I have used them on several builds now. I used to modify cheap safety plungers, but they still don't fit as close as The Smooth Operator. I think that the LW plungers were the worse fitting plungers I have used, especially the one that came in the 21-part kits. That one was so out of specs it wouldn't plunge and if it did it stuck.
That's when I started checking sizes on plungers along with slide hole for fitting. I found that slide holes where all that same but plungers very a lot along with different angles.
Another thing to look at with plungers is how they fit with the angle for the shark fin. I did a write up at one time on how to fit them for a smooth operating fit.
 
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Hawkeye said:
The Smooth Operator (y)
I have used them on several builds now. I used to modify cheap safety plungers, but they still don't fit as close as The Smooth Operator. I think that the LW plungers were the worse fitting plungers I have used, especially the one that came in the 21-part kits. That one was so out of specs it wouldn't plunge and if it did it stuck.
That's when I started checking sizes on plungers along with slide hole for fitting. I found that slide holes where all that same but plungers very a lot along with different angles.
Another thing to look at with plungers is how they fit with the angle for the shark fin. I did a write up at one time on how to fit them for a smooth operating fit.
Click to expand...
Forgot about how poorly they fit. Yep, did the reverse smooth operator on them as the base was too large and would get stuck or not even go into the plunger hole. LW makes great everything except internal slide parts and trigger housings.
 
I agree with your smooth operator mod; it is a must on all my builds. However, don't stop at 1000 grit. Take it all the way to 3000, and then finish it off with some Mother's metal polish! ;)
 
Truth be told, I finished on a buffing wheel with stainless rouge. Didnā€™t want those doing the mod to think it was necessary.
 
Is there any fix for the cheap ones that plating is peeling off from?
Just replace them or can a guy do this mod sanding enough off then polish?
And I didn't know what a shark fin was until you all told me here.
 
Yes, sand then polish. Canā€™t stand when suppliers chrome these parts just to make them look shiny. It causes issues when that chrome starts clogging movement.
 
FWIW, we've been using the ROOK S.O. plungers and so far, so good. All of ours are in DLC. I've had a few other aftermarket plungers that caused 'Squirt-Gun Trigger' issues, but these haven't. Also make sure your plunger springs are OEM, or exact spec aftermkt, or that also will cause the same thing, or make it worse.
 
The "squirt gun trigger" is a phrase used by Johnny Glock to describe what happens when the connector is too far inboard and the bird's head of the trigger bar slips over the top of the connector without dropping down enough to release the firing pin lug. The trigger comes all the way back but the gun does not fire. Not sure how this relates to the firing pin safety. Maybe it means that the sear drops but the striker is blocked by a firing pin safety that is not sufficiently depressed?
 
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