What is the best factory trigger on a semi-automatic?
- Thread starter adrian44
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Uncle Malice
New member
There isn't much that can compare with a true single action design like the 1911. Even a bad 1911 trigger is still better than just about everything....
Outside of the 1911... I'm a mighty big fan of SIG triggers. Solid, smooth, crisp... perfect.
Outside of the 1911... I'm a mighty big fan of SIG triggers. Solid, smooth, crisp... perfect.
The 1911 will be the # 1 answer because that is the best trigger most shooters have ever encountered. You say factory no custom or after market tweaks, but what about semi-custom 1911s and guns like Performance Center guns from S&W? If money is not a factor there are factory guns which can some close to custom guns.
That said I still think a good 1911 is hard to beat but there are a lot of other guns which are close. IMHO there is not a striker ever made that will come close to the 1911. The 2 that immediately come to mind which are comparable to the 1911 straight from the factory are the Sig P210 and the S&W 952.
Both of these are $2500+ guns so a fair comparison to them in the 1911 world is a Semi-custom Wilson, Les Baer, Guncrafters, Ed Brown etc... which are hard to beat. For me head to head I will take a custom or semi-custom 1911 over these other two but a P210 and 952 are on my wish list.
That said I still think a good 1911 is hard to beat but there are a lot of other guns which are close. IMHO there is not a striker ever made that will come close to the 1911. The 2 that immediately come to mind which are comparable to the 1911 straight from the factory are the Sig P210 and the S&W 952.
Both of these are $2500+ guns so a fair comparison to them in the 1911 world is a Semi-custom Wilson, Les Baer, Guncrafters, Ed Brown etc... which are hard to beat. For me head to head I will take a custom or semi-custom 1911 over these other two but a P210 and 952 are on my wish list.
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The production triggers of SIGs I've handled recently have run the gamut of quality. Some of them do meet what you describe above, but plenty don't. I am not sure what you mean by solid. Smooth seems hit or miss, as well as crisp. If you can inspect it go for it. But I've literally handed multiples of the same model from the same case in a store with production dates only a week apart to find one excellent and the other quite frankly mediocre at best. If I wanted to recommend a DA/SA trigger I honestly think the best would be a Walther P99.
Uncle Malice
New member
I mean no trigger flex. Metal-to-metal the whole way. When you move the trigger, it moves the trigger bar.
Many guns have triggers that flex a bit... HKs, M&Ps, etc. There is a little bit of flex in the trigger before it actually starts moving. Hard to explain I suppose.
I don't find that on HKs (the trigger is metal covered in polymer), but I get what you're saying.
I'm not aware of a pistol that uses a polymer trigger bar, so all of the interacting parts are still metal. A stock M&P does flex a bit because of the hinged trigger safety, but many polymer triggers don't seem to flex too much to me, though as you said it's subjective.
Best trigger for what?
I would say most of the factory triggers Ive shot have been fine. I dont like the overly light triggers some of the 1911's come with, as think they are to light for serious use. Most of the DA/DAO triggers Ive shot have been good, as have the striker fired triggers.
I personally think people worry on the trigger way to much. If you practice with the DA triggers on a regular basis, and have them mastered (not a biggie either), you can shoot pretty much anything well.
I would say most of the factory triggers Ive shot have been fine. I dont like the overly light triggers some of the 1911's come with, as think they are to light for serious use. Most of the DA/DAO triggers Ive shot have been good, as have the striker fired triggers.
I personally think people worry on the trigger way to much. If you practice with the DA triggers on a regular basis, and have them mastered (not a biggie either), you can shoot pretty much anything well.
Cyanide971
New member
Grand Power P1 Mk7, a pistol that can be had all day long in the
$400-450 range.
$400-450 range.
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Cyanide971
New member
^^^^^THIS! [emoji106]
Like many others have said in other threads, the Walther PPQ trigger is pretty nice. I handled a used M1 today for the first time and wanted to buy it... but I was there for an LCP.
In personal experience, excluding the 1911 and my Browning Hi Power, my favorite trigger has been on a Ruger SR9. I like how it breaks with very little movement. But I may be alone on that one.
In personal experience, excluding the 1911 and my Browning Hi Power, my favorite trigger has been on a Ruger SR9. I like how it breaks with very little movement. But I may be alone on that one.
Best trigger out of box on sub $1000 gun w/o any changes? Imho: browning buckmark. Only 1911s I've felt better were over $1000 or had work done. Sig w/ srt and short riggrr is pretty nice too, but buckmark was very surprising.
I know you said price is no issue, but at a certain point the gun may be 'stock' but have a trigger that should count as an aftermarket tweek.
A $2500 Wilson Combat is a better gun than a $600 Rock Island. I can buy that Rock Island and drop a C&S Ignition kit in for under $800. After fine tuning the trigger itself, its trigger may be indistinguishable from the Wilson Combat: even if it cost $1700 less.
However your standards in the original post would allow the WC 1911 and exclude the RIA 1911.
Price IS a consideration of any meaningfull comparison.
"Price is no object, but which factory original car (no aftermarket engine tuning allowed) has fastest acceleration?"
Do you want to hear Corvette, porsche, ferrari, Lambo, Maybach, Bughatti, maclaren or what? Btw, my 'tuned' motorcycle cost under $12000 with tuning, but does 0-60 in @2.9-3 seconds. Not with me on it, but it was rated at 3.1 befor I added 20-30 horse and 20ft/lbs torque.
Seems silly to really be comparing a $12000 vehicle to a $2mill one.
Like it seems silly (to me) to not allow changes to a guns trigger, but allow guns costing over $4000 to be compared to $300 ones. Above a point they may be 'factory' by some standards, but should be thought of as a gunthat had trigger work done.
Maybe your definition should be to compare guns that were assembled only: none that a gunsmith fits parts to individually. Again, that will prob keep the cost undrr $1000.
I know you said price is no issue, but at a certain point the gun may be 'stock' but have a trigger that should count as an aftermarket tweek.
A $2500 Wilson Combat is a better gun than a $600 Rock Island. I can buy that Rock Island and drop a C&S Ignition kit in for under $800. After fine tuning the trigger itself, its trigger may be indistinguishable from the Wilson Combat: even if it cost $1700 less.
However your standards in the original post would allow the WC 1911 and exclude the RIA 1911.
Price IS a consideration of any meaningfull comparison.
"Price is no object, but which factory original car (no aftermarket engine tuning allowed) has fastest acceleration?"
Do you want to hear Corvette, porsche, ferrari, Lambo, Maybach, Bughatti, maclaren or what? Btw, my 'tuned' motorcycle cost under $12000 with tuning, but does 0-60 in @2.9-3 seconds. Not with me on it, but it was rated at 3.1 befor I added 20-30 horse and 20ft/lbs torque.
Seems silly to really be comparing a $12000 vehicle to a $2mill one.
Like it seems silly (to me) to not allow changes to a guns trigger, but allow guns costing over $4000 to be compared to $300 ones. Above a point they may be 'factory' by some standards, but should be thought of as a gunthat had trigger work done.
Maybe your definition should be to compare guns that were assembled only: none that a gunsmith fits parts to individually. Again, that will prob keep the cost undrr $1000.
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Dragline45
New member
Gotta agree with others and go with a quality 1911's trigger. As far as strike fired, believe it or not the Ruger SR series has one of the better factory striker fired triggers I have ever felt.