What does a disconnector do when a 1991 type pistol is fired?
It disconnects the trigger from the sear. Visualize the pistol
firing- you pull the trigger, sear moves, allowing hammer to fall,
gun fires, slide recoils, ejects empty, slides forward, chambering
fresh round- but you still have the trigger pulled. Without the
disconnector, the hammer would have followed the slide forward,
either being out of cocked position for the next shot, or causing
full auto fire. However, the disconnector acts faster than your
reflexes, and unhooks the trigger from the sear, until you release
the trigger, and pull it again.