The 1911 disconnector serves a very important role in the firing cycle of your 1911 trigger system, namely not allowing the gun to go full auto. You will often see posts that will recommend modifying the disconnector in a trigger job. While there are certain things that an experienced gunsmith may do the disconnector, if you are home-hobby guy stay away. Let me give you an example.
Several years ago I took in a 1911 from a bullseye shooter who wanted to slim down his collection. This Colt 1911 NM was unbelievable. What he didn’t tell me was that he was also responsible for the “trigger job” that was done to the gun. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the gun because I was running short on time. I put it in the safe and left it there not really thinking about it again. One day a customer came by to pick up a gun and saw the NM. He immediately had to have it. Once again, I didn’t think anymore about it until he called to say he had a full auto pistol.
What happened? First, I should have test fired the weapon before selling it. Bad mistake, won’t ever happen again. Second, I replaced the disconnector and the problem immediately went away. Upon further investigation it was clear the first owner had altered the disconnector beyond serviceable tolerances.
Luckily this story had a happy ending because the customer was a good friend. The disconnector was less than $20, and the problem was solved. However, it could have been a lawsuit or worse. Make sure you leave this link in the system alone unless you have been specifically trained about its form and function. It simply isn’t worth it.