What's the appeal of fancy triggers?

T

Tool

New member
It seems that people are willing to spend a lot of money on triggers. I only have LWRC and Daniel Defense rifles and can not speak for other brands, but I think the stock triggers are just fine. I've seen LaRoe MBT-2S in the local store. That thing seems to be of excellent quality already. Why would people be willing to spend 3 times as much on the triggers?
 
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triggers

I have seen it written that "the trigger is the connection to your target".

While some AR rifles have good triggers right out the box, not all do. You might well find that the triggers on some entry level AR rifles leave a lot to be desired. In fact, a poor factory trigger is not all that uncommon on many rifles. The new Ruger 10/22's are frequently thought to have poor triggers. My entry level AR's all have triggers which are functional, but not at all the equal of any of my sporting bolt rifles, in fact a far cry from them.

What is a good trigger? For general use, say 3 llbs, no take up , creep or over travel, and breaks like the proverbial glass rod. That is a high standard, achievable, but requiring some attention to detail in fitting and tuning. The AR two stage trigger is immediately challenged due to its design. The slam bang nature of the AR action imposes its design limits as well. Finally, there's the liability aspect. In this tort crazed world we live in, no manufacturer wants to risk suit with a light trigger and a irresponsible or inexperienced user. The result, heavy lawyer proof triggers.
 
After a not mis-spent youth spending lots of time with a Remington 40X match rifle, 3 pound trigger about 1/2" wide, in 50ft rim-fire competition the military M-16 triggers felt like squirt guns: spongy and gritty with inconsistent release. Many AR triggers feel the same though I learned to deal with them.

Would I put an equivalent of that Remington trigger on an AR? Probably not an exact match because that trigger is wider than most AR trigger guards making it a safety issue.
 
I've found the old adage that "you'll shoot better with a good trigger and poor sights than you will with good sights and a poor trigger" to be entirely true.

Best is having good sights and a good trigger, though.

Most stock AR 15s have neither... ;):D
 
It’s simple, a good quality trigger adjusted to your liking will increase accuracy. Until you’ve experienced it you’ll never quite understand.
 
Unless you're in a crazy, intensive firefight where you're squeezing the trigger with everything you have, trigger features can make a big difference. Soft, hard, amount of pre-load, consistency, etc. All that. That's why. Most owners base triggers and such on the only thing they will ever do; a little range - time which they then envision as the same environment as "defending" he homestead. And of course, that's a mistake. I have several high-end triggers. But I know if anything goes down and I use about any gun I have, most likely that trigger might as well be mil-spec.
 
That thing seems to be of excellent quality already.
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Everyone has different standards and needs from what they want out of a trigger. For a bench rest rifle I don't want anything with a lb or more pull. But my hunting rifles I will not go under 3.5 lbs pull. The act of pulling the trigger introduces torque forces into the shooting equation in heavier pulls--but it is entirely possible to train and compensate for them. If it works for you--that's all that matters. A few of my ARs still have the stock mil-spec triggers on them because I see value in being able to shoot them that way. :)
 
Many thanks for this super educational discussion. Now I start to fathom the importance of nice triggers.

That said, I have a very strange taste. I love heavy triggers. I always try to use the strongest springs I can find. I dry fire way more than live fire though.
 
Many thanks for this super educational discussion. Now I start to fathom the importance of nice triggers.

That said, I have a very strange taste. I love heavy triggers. I always try to use the strongest springs I can find. I dry fire way more than live fire though.
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Have I got the gun for you! I bought a gorgeous BLR in 7mm-08--only problem is that it was delivered with an 8.5 lb pull. I can still shoot good groups with it--but it has to be on a good day when my heavy-haul technique is spot-on.:D
 
stagpanther said:
Everyone has different standards and needs from what they want out of a trigger. For a bench rest rifle I don't want anything with a lb or more pull. But my hunting rifles I will not go under 3.5 lbs pull. The act of pulling the trigger introduces torque forces into the shooting equation in heavier pulls--but it is entirely possible to train and compensate for them. If it works for you--that's all that matters. A few of my ARs still have the stock mil-spec triggers on them because I see value in being able to shoot them that way. :)
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With a 1lb trigger, a good jar can potentially set that gun off without pulling the trigger. That’s just not something I like, especially with my kids. Anything under 3.5 lb trigger pull is just not welcome. For safety reasons.
 
I have found, for the $, that the jp enhanced reliability spring kit will give you a great trigger that will set off hard military primers for something like $11. Its where 90% of people should start imho.

I also have a larue mbt-2s that i got on sale for $75. Fantastic trigger. Wanted a cleaner, crisper, lighter, target style trigger.

I ponied up $260 for an AR Gold trigger a few months back.

Reason i paid the money? I learned that triggers wear out. Cant find the thread, but if i remember right a mil-spec trigger maybe 10k rounds before ot needs rebuilt., engagement surfaces out of spec. Ar gold has a rated life of around 100k rounds. They also have a lifetime warranty so if it does ever wear out they will fix/replace it.

Also, short take-up, crisp break, 3.5lb pull, super shory reset, hole in the bottom to let out and primers should one come out. Shoots really nice and fast.
 
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I think some people like modular triggers because they are so easy to install. I found that in polymer lowers the trigger and hammer holes can be off enough to get 2 or 3 rounds to fire on a single pull, so I used McCormick triggers in those. I have also used Saber and one Hyperfire in some other builds. But I have never spent more than $150 for a modular trigger. Installing a mil-spec type trigger can be a struggle until you’ve done it a bunch of times. But my favorite mil-spec type is a Rock River match, which I find to be excellent and not a ton of money. Larue works good too. I have so many extra trigger parts that have been thrown together and mismatched, that I can grab a hammer and trigger and get a happy accident fine trigger…or not. If not, I change one or the other, or try a different spring and eventually get a good trigger out of it.
 
I will second the Rock River 2 stage National Match trigger for about $100 to $125,
Those dependably give me a trigger that leave me with no excuses,

I have Jewell,Gisselle, and Timney modular in other guns,but the last two triggers I bought were Rock Rivers.
 
But the Internet said Rock River triggers tend to lose the 2nd stage with time, and LaRue has never had that problem. Is that true?
 
Just received my complete lower from Aero Precision. I was so tempted to upgrade my trigger. Call me crazy, but I find myself falling in love with the stock trigger. What's wrong with me?
 
Here is my take: if you want to shoot people effectively in a short-range confrontation, like under a hundred yards, mil-spec is fine, and the difficult trigger pull is safer. If you want to shoot sub-MOA slowly, pay the money get a real trigger.

I have a couple of LaRue triggers, and I consider them pretty lame for accuracy. I have a Timney or something in a bolt gun, and it does half the work for me. But I wouldn't want to have a Timney in a defense gun, going off unexpectedly and hitting people I like.

I also have Savage Accutriggers, and I like them a lot for accuracy.

Do you really need a slick one-pound trigger for burglars? I don't think so.
 
I bought a $300 air rifle some years ago. Just something to tinker with. Upgraded the scope having fun. I was LUCKY to get quarter sized groups at whatever range I was shooing (I don't recall). I then dropped an aftermarket trigger in it and I was suddenly shooting less than dime sized groups with no other changes. Many holes touching one another.
 
Swifty Morgan said:
Here is my take: if you want to shoot people effectively in a short-range confrontation, like under a hundred yards, mil-spec is fine, and the difficult trigger pull is safer. If you want to shoot sub-MOA slowly, pay the money get a real trigger.

I have a couple of LaRue triggers, and I consider them pretty lame for accuracy. I have a Timney or something in a bolt gun, and it does half the work for me. But I wouldn't want to have a Timney in a defense gun, going off unexpectedly and hitting people I like.

I also have Savage Accutriggers, and I like them a lot for accuracy.

Do you really need a slick one-pound trigger for burglars? I don't think so.
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Very helpful information.

For me, I prefer a safer trigger than those that can go off easily. Is LaRue a good choice in that regard?
 
Tool said:
Very helpful information.

For me, I prefer a safer trigger than those that can go off easily. Is LaRue a good choice in that regard?
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The larue mbt 2s comes with a standard and heavy spring. Standard is about a 2.5lb pull. Heavy was dead on 4lb for me, imho an excellent defense trigger with a smooth break.

If you want cheap, try the jp enhanced reliability spring kit for like $11. Will make a mil-spec trigger way nicer to shoot. But will still be reliable and not anything close to a hare trigger. In my experience it has gotten me around 4 to 5lb, down from 6 to 8.
 
With a 1lb trigger, a good jar can potentially set that gun off without pulling the trigger. That’s just not something I like, especially with my kids. Anything under 3.5 lb trigger pull is just not welcome. For safety reasons.
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That is not always true. I have a 1.5oz trigger that doesn’t jar off. I have 3-3.5lb triggers in my fighting AR’s. They are single stage and not excessively light. I run 2-3 lb triggers hunting.

I have seen triggers jar off. Generally this requires poor machining and low spring forces. This causes sear surfaces not to engage firmly and squarely.

But the Internet said Rock River triggers tend to lose the 2nd stage with time, and LaRue has never had that problem. Is that true?
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I had one for a few thousand rounds. It was fine, but it was the ADCO modified version.

I have had about 10 AR triggers. They very wildly. The end result of buying and trying all those is I like Triggertech Diamond for precision shooting and Rise Armament for a fighting gun.

The heavy stock triggers and Geisslle triggers have so much sear engagement for full auto use.
 
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