Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Cheapest/Easiest Trigger Mod?

Hi guys, Pretty new to AR's (so please take it easy). I have a Bushmaster carbine. The trigger pull is awful. Any cheap/easy mods to make it lighter? Thanks much Dave

The cheapest is to look up the "15 min AR trigger job". It is free and involves cutting & bending some springs. If it does not work out for you it's time to get the #3 lb skeleton Timney.

youtube has some videos. worked good for me

Bill Springfield

Not saying.... but has anyone run Bills triggers for say 5-10K rounds? Changing sear angles would almost always cut through the surface hardening and that is not a good thing in the future.

But then again anything is better than stock....

I'm thinking, while not the "cheapest", but probably the best "bang for the buck" on triggers is the RRA Match Trigger.

From serious match competitors that I know of, this is a very reliable alternate.

Price wise it's not that bad, and...

There's a WORLD of difference between this trigger and the stock triggers.

Every friend who's got a stock AR who shoots mine with the RRA orders one right away.

That's a pretty good endorsement if you ask me.

Oh yeah, I pretty much totally agree with that. Its no stock triggers, tuned or not for me, all have either RRA or a better version.... nothing in between.

A 3-lb drop in Timney single stage for me from here on out...

You gotta stop by on the way through with one of those timneys... I keep hearing but have yet to feel a good single stage version.....

Not to be difficult, but I suggest to the OP that he stick with the stock trigger if he cannot afford the best. The RRA, TImney, JP and so on don't last. They all break down at some point. The Geissele and (perhaps) the Knight are the only ones you want in your rifle and neither are cheap.

Bring it on, I don't care. Geissele or stock. Period, end of story.

An acquaintance of mine, who's a Distinguished Marksman with his Rat Gun, recommended the RRA to me (this being before the Geissele was available)

He said in his experience typically it would last at LEAST 6,000 rnds, which was more than any of the other aftermarket triggers.

While some shooters burn up LOTS of ammo, to me 6,000 rounds of precise good trigger pulls is a lot of shooting.

I'm starting to like you... Tell Bill to do some large pin non-adjustable ones and I'm in. But I won't give up my re-enforced RR's.

You'd like the Geissele SSA if you like beefed up RRA's.

I've had stock but tuned RRA(IE not beefed up ones) in some practice uppers that have seen 5 barrels so far, read that generally at least 4-5K rounds per barrel and no issues. Not saying it doesn't happen, but then again not all folks on this forum are top line picky match shooters like FTR and myself are. So a stock RRA will still beat the snot out of a factory SS trigger anyday regardless of what FTR says.

This comes from multiple P100, Disting rifleman, almost dist pistol, 495 club, and High Master in both XC and LR all with a service rifle/pistol. And a few more accomplisments than that... not braggin, just saying I've put as many rounds downrange with the AR as a lot of other folks have. Not more, but as many....

And thats not a slap on FTR either, just a different opinion.

I've got some Milazzo that are NOT bad, I've run Stoner, Knight, Jewel etc.. and the other second hand ones like CLE, AS,Bushy etc...that aren't even close. Right now I'll still have an RRA, a tuned RRA or a Geiselle...

But we don't all like redheads either....

The point is the OP wants a CHEAP alternative to the stock trigger, and with all due respect, there isn't one that will be as durable as the stock trigger. He will have to pay big money ($300 delivered) for the Geissele. It has been MY experience the others mentioned here have had longevity issues and need constant care.

Redheads are fine.

You know we respect each other, thats not an issue....

I don't know that any 2 stage trigger will run as long as those miserable stock triggers.

That being said the RRA NM trigger as is, has been as low as 65 bucks at times... and the most horrible part is supposed to be the one pin... easy to replace but yet its given us easy 20K rounds with only sear adjustment in a couple of guns.

But while I'd bet that a stock trigger would go 100K probably, its also, as I've said, the only trigger out there that I've seen break in all the matches I've attended.... and I'm not saying thats how it is, thats what I've seen.

My Milazzos have had to have some adjustment here and there, and like I've said, the RRA eventually loose weight due to spring issues and such, but doesn't mean others dont too, but thats still working,just not "legal" in our matches....

Did you get enough info on team shooting or need more?

The non-adjustable Geissele SSA can be had for around 170.00.

Jeff, I just added that line in case others might think I was being, shall we say, confrontational.

Experiences are funny things and can bring about differing conclusions. I guess it's fair to say that many failures of aftermarket triggers were probably due to improper installation or heavy tinkering by the users. Hell, I know people who can break an anvil by just using it.

The most foolproof aftermarket trigger I know is the Geissele and I have yet to see an "unimproved" milspec stock trigger fail. But then again, I have surely not seen everything.

As for triggers losing weight, my answer is of course, chrome silicon springs. (At least I am consistent.)

I think we are good on team shooting, thanks for the info and let me know if something changes.

Hound_va, I have heard of that fabled bird, but I have yet to see one. Also the Geissele site is virtually closed down, it only says they are backordered until a week from eternity. It seems the .mil crowd is buying everything he makes except for the match triggers which can be bought at Sinclair, for example. Well, the small pin ones.

I"ll scream quick if it changes... as it looks right now we are hoping beyond hope that along about that weekend it'll be moving weekend for a couple of weekends unfortunately.... I know it ain't gonna happen any sooner.

I like your answer on CS springs.... even though I've never done it, had I stayed in the game actively any longer I'm sure I'd be there.. I just tend to give some thigns a couple of years to see how they work out...

Hey, we gotta talk some day too... I have a gun that will need a barrel and I'm always about dual duty....22/6mm or something in the 6mm line..... its gonna be a varmint/deer rifle, but along the way other things it could be for would be a bit of target duty at times... I have a pair.. one is 243 will be 243AI... and just got rid of my 22-250 to become a 308... so I'll be kinda short in that area... but then I kinda always wanted a 6ppc... or 6 br....

Jeff

It's nice to want things.

I think you might want to focus on one goal and see where that takes you. I hear F-class calling out for you.