Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles I wuz warned...

...not to mess with an AR trigger. By rost495 in particular, if my memory serves me.

Daughter #1 shot my Ruger .308 Scout and Hawkeye .280 Rem last time she was out here and decided she wanted to hunt elk with the .308 because the trigger was nicer. I tried to convince her the 16.5" barrel and velocity loss might not be ideal and the .280 might be a better choice. To help her change her mind I did some more work on the .280 trigger (best to take these things in small increments IMHO) and now it is even nicer than the Scout.

While I had the Dremel out I decided to see if I could further improve my AR triggers as well. Both the RRA 5.56 and S&W .300 Blackout came out nice but the S&W .300 BLK developed a new problem - if the trigger was pulled with the safety on and a round chambered and the safety was subsequently moved to the 'off' position, the hammer dropped. Not good...

The problem was I had reduced sear engagement on both rifles. On the S&W it turned out to be a bit to much. When the trigger was pulled with the safety on the sear would disengage. The hammer bottom now had more of a spiral shape than a round one and as the hammer rotated the trigger would contact the increasing diameter of the hammer, stopping its forward motion. When the safety was then released, the rear of the trigger would rise, dropping the front and allowing the hammer to continue on its journey.

Short version, I'm now in the market for a new trigger. I plan to spend the coin for a relatively nice one with little creep, probably in the $160 to $200 range. Don't need or want a competition trigger but don't want a combat trigger, either. Something in-between will do nicely.

If I like it I might get two, one for each AR.

Suggestions?

I like Timney 3 pounders.
Drop in, tighten allen head screw to pull assembly against pins, and your done.

Its hard not to tinker. I know that big time. Learned my lessons on the AR due to surface hardening.

Even learned it twice the harder way, PAYING someone that supposedly knew wtf they were doing.....albert turner plano TX. LOL.

We all learn one way or the other.

Really no loss, want a better trigger you have to buy one. Thats about it.As long as you don't pay quite a bit for someone to tune a stock one that will eventually either fail or burp on you.

Good luck! Jeff

PS I'd advise trigger, but I have only the knowledge to like 2 stage ones and most that are not used to those, have a tough time with em.

Some men learn by listening
Some men learn by watching
Some men learn by reading
And some men learn by whizzing on the electric fence!

For that price I'd look at a Geissele G2S if you wanted a two stage trigger.

In a single stage you could be well off with a ALG ACT trigger with a lighter spring set in it. That could be had for $75ish.

BD, which ALG ACT trigger/spring set would you put on your work rifle?

thanks, mike r

For a work rifle I'd just shoot it like it is. I shot one recently and was really impressed with it for what they cost. It'd be a good option for someone who just wants a less gritty and less creepy factory trigger.

But it seems like everybody wants a 3-4# trigger and it'd need lighter springs for that.

ETA: I wouldn't know what spring set to get. I've never used any aftermarket springs but I think some guys here have.

if its lighter trigger spring, just bend em.. worked for years..

What I don't get is folks that tweak something and then when the spring wears some, or the surfaces mate in better or such, complain after 10K or 100K rounds the trigger ain't what it used to be... DUH>.. neither is the compression on your engine or other....

Thanks, that is exactly what I needed to know. I will order one soonest.

mike r

I just bought a Geissele DMR, and will be taking out a SSA. I'll make you a deal on it, if you like.

And yeah, I decided a long time ago if I have one burp and had to explain it, I'd just say that I bought it like that

A good deal on an SSA is never a bad thing.

Dibs on the SSA (If I may).

BMT

Unless you are a qualified gunsmith, what made you think to do that?

You ever work on your own vehicle? Have you ever painted your home? Done any plumbing repair?

That should really qualify someone for gunsmithing.

The point I'm trying to make is that people do tons of things they are not "qualified" to do, so it's not so surprising that he might try to work on the trigger of a rifle. As is often the case when people do such things, he'll now have to pay for his dalliance.

The thing about working on things, trying things, is that it often pays off...you find out you can do things. In a way, it's the basis for innovation and the improvement of our standard of living. If no one did anything they where not "qualified" to do, we'd all likely be worse off. It's not like he was asking someone else to pay for his mistake.

I don't consider myself a qualified gunsmith either.

But I'm not stupid, i can figure out mechanical things, I can play with them, and I can follow You tube videos or 6BR forum instructions...

Of course I don't have a lathe etc.... but folks can do things like change spark plugs, etc... in fact I knew nothing about motors to speak of but feel confident at this point with playing with them, that I could totally rebuild one sans the machine work, myself with no issue.

Not a mechanic at all though, but about to take out the soleniods and valve body from my transmission and replace.....

PS he "ruined" a POS trigger anyway, not like there is any loss involved... LOL..

Dremels were probably designed by gunsmiths to increase business profits. If I was a gunsmith I would be a dremel dealer and offer frequent specials on them at the local gunstore.

The gunsmiths at work throw themselves across their benches when I enter the shop. I could mess up an anvil w/ a rubber hammer.

I recently painted my Tikka t3. If being unrecognizable as a firearm defines camouflage I did a good job.

mike r