I am about to get a lightened trigger kit for my Xd. It's supposed to give a shorter and lighter pull, a crisp break, and a quick reset (like a 1911). I'm wondering about the legal side of carrying with a trigger job in the event of a legitiment self-defense shooting. I'm not asking about an accidental discharge or the increased possibility of a discharge. I am interested in actual events, or possibilities, where someone was held at fault (or could have been) because of a trigger job. Iit's hard for me to view things from the anti-gun mindset. Basically I don't want to carry a gun with a trigger job if it will cause legal problems in the event that I must use it.
Would reworking a trigger to improve it's operation make the weapon more lethal? Are stock triggers less lethal? HP vs FMJ, commercial ammunition vs reloaded. If the reason you did what you did is sound, why would it matter or even be brought up. If there are questions about you actions, well that's another thing. Why would you volunteer anything about your weapon, if your were involved in a situation like that anyway.
Volunteering info is one thing, having your weapon confiscated during an investigation is another. If there's anything questionable about the shoot, someone's going to bring up the fact that you modified your weapon, especially if it is a lawyer trying to make you look trigger happy. If your shoot is well-justified then it is probably a non-issue. Having said all that, I have a modified trigger in my EDC.
There is at least one case that proves this to not always be true. New York vs. Magliato is a case where both the intent of the shooter and expert testimony given by experts showing the defendant had the gun on a hair trigger mattered, and Magliato was convicted even though had the gun had a longer trigger pull and he shot the guy trying to kill him anyways, it would've been justified. The odds of your trigger job making a difference may be 1 in a million, but the odds of it mattering are not 0.
My guess is that unless it's a VERY clear case of home invasion, or there are many witnesses, a prosecutor would try to hang you with anything - trigger job or not. Hollow points, "hot" or hand loaded ammo, a laser, how many times you fired, having a "killer" mindset, I've heard of all being brought out by a prosecutor trying to get a conviction.
You missed the point of the question I agree 100% and I think some missed the question being asked. I was looking for examples of cases or situations in which it did matter that there was a trigger job on the pistol, like in the post above yours.
If you don't have a clear case in justifying your shoot, nothing else is going to matter. Ammo loads, trigger jobs, lasers, nothing.
Self defense cases are very subjective. Two issues used against Harold Fish were his use of a 10mm pistol and hollow-point bullets. Jurors specifically listed those as persuasive. After the trial one juror stated: I consider the argument ridiculous, but jurors bought it. If you have a borderline case against you, gun modifications could possibly be used to turn the jury against you. It's not likely, but it is clearly possible.
With all the variables involved in any shooting, any possible combination of these individual components can and will be used against you. Which is why I asked about volunteering more information that can and will be used against you.
A more likely scenario is that some future owner of the gun, such as the person you sell or trade it to, has a negligent discharge with it and claims that YOU were partially responsible because YOU sold the gun with a hair trigger (unsafe trigger) and didn't tell him about it. Or maybe you told the person you sold it to, but that person went shooting with his cousin Doofus, and Doofus shot himself in the privates while tucking the gun in his waistband so he could practice quickdraw.
my glock 19 has all glock stock parts including 3.5 trigger bar and extended mag release and extended slide release and a hustified shooting is what you need worry about
I am looking at the Springer Precision kit and their trigger bar. I can't stand the long trigger pulls on the Xd, I want it to feal more like a 1911. What is the travel like the Powder River kit? Is it any shorter? Glad to hear you like it, I may look into it also.
I have a Powder River trigger kit in both of my xds. Much better trigger. The overtravel and reset are both very short now.
What he said. IF you are in court because of the shoot then I doubt it was because of the trigger weight. Thats just something they will try and throw at you to make you look more guilty.