I need a better trigger for my AR

[RaceFan]

Love Velocity triggers. I have them on my rifles. They're available from a NWFA sponsor (https://simplytriggers.com/best-ar-15-triggers/) who also carries a few others at great prices (no affiliation with seller; helping our community whenever possible). The 3# Velocity is $135 shipped at the website.

Good series of 3 videos showing different triggers, measured creep and reset travel, and general pricing (circa 2019).

Part 1: https://youtu.be/OrvHI0h6cwA
Part 3: https://youtu.be/qjTg50sH1II

 

[JuglansRegia]

I feel your pain, my first RRA NM trigger is amazing, the second one l got a few years later left me disenchanted. So for my next build l went with a giessle, the non adjustable one. Got it on sale somewhere.

 

[waglockfan]

ALG ACT, BCM PNT, and the Sionics Weapons Systems triggers are all excellent trigger or the money. You'll spend $65 to $75 on either the ACT or the PNT, but the Sionics is usually around $55. Thing is, that availability for Sionics was in the past and now the LPK's are where it's at. $85 gets you their LPK with the trigger and ambidextrous safety. Add the grip and trigger guard of your choice. Best value - bang for buck LPK I have ever used.

 

[DizzyJ]

Kinda shocked. I've always been very happy with my RRA national match and varmint triggers. Has the quality gone down lately?

Larue does a great job with their offerings and I've used them for awhile now.

I currently have a Timney AR and Geissele SSA-E waiting to be installed, so I'll have a better opinion on them down the road a bit. I believe my Larue PredatAR came with a Geissele back in the day, but I don't recall which model it came with at the time.

I will say almost any trigger will be an upgrade from a factory milspec. I saw my groups shrink significantly when I replaced the stock, heavy, gritty trigger in my first Smith & Wesson AR.

A good trigger will not however magically turn a bad trigger puller Into a good one. Practice, practice and then practice some more!

 

[Ironbar]

Kinda shocked. I've always been very happy with my RRA national match and varmint triggers. Has the quality gone down lately?

Larue does a great job with their offerings and I've used them for awhile now.

I currently have a Timney AR and Geissele SSA-E waiting to be installed, so I'll have a better opinion on them down the road a bit. I believe my Larue PredatAR came with a Geissele back in the day, but I don't recall which model it came with at the time.

I will say almost any trigger will be an upgrade from a factory milspec. I saw my groups shrink significantly when I replaced the stock, heavy, gritty trigger in my first Smith & Wesson AR.

A good trigger will not however magically turn a bad trigger puller Into a good one. Practice, practice and then practice some more!

My Rock River triggers have been on the rifles for some time now, and they both have what I would consider an unacceptable amount of creep and over-travel as well as too high a trigger pull weight.

 

[Galil223AR]

I'm tired of the Rock River triggers I have on my current AR's. They were inexpensive at the time, and they feel like it. Too much creep, to much poundage for trigger pull, and reset is so sharp that it pops back rather than clicks.

Not looking to spend hundreds on a new trigger, so what's your suggestion for the best AR trigger for lower than say $200.00?

Try a Rise Armarment RA140. I put one in my AR and its is awesomely better than mil spec crap.

 

[Dinglenutz]

I'm tired of the Rock River triggers I have on my current AR's. They were inexpensive at the time, and they feel like it. Too much creep, to much poundage for trigger pull, and reset is so sharp that it pops back rather than clicks.

Not looking to spend hundreds on a new trigger, so what's your suggestion for the best AR trigger for lower than say $200.00?

I just got a TImney 3# for $110, and the Velocity triggers, which are made by the guy who used to run Timney's AR trigger dept, are often around $135. I'd recommend either, they drop in easily and work well for me.

Another option is the PSA trigger, around $80 last I checked, and pretty good as well.

 

[bentoncity]

LaRue Tactical MBT-2S Trigger - LaRue Tactical

Have 4 of them. Zero issues. $87.00/ea
I don't need 'cute', 'fancy' or "look what I got bragging BS". Function works for me!

Dan

 

[American123]

LaRue Tactical MBT-2S Trigger - LaRue Tactical

Have 4 of them. Zero issues. $87.00/ea
I don't need 'cute', 'fancy' or "look what I got bragging BS". Function works for me!

Dan

And if you get them on the Christmas sake they were $70 if you bought 5.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Easy.

$165- Traditionally the Geissele avoidance is cause of price. The SSA is a combat rated trigger (tested by crane, for NSW). As such they test 100% of the parts in production. The G2S is their trigger that has similar feel with a sub 2 hundo price point, while still able to reliably burn wolf and other harder primer rounds. They use a full power hammer spring rather than light spring and stock geometry.

OR

$69- if it's just a plinker you could do an ALG ACT with the light hammer spring, result is a 4 ish pound trigger. But I WOULD NOT use that for self defense/ duty as it might not reliably ignite all primers.

 

[jnynetwk]

I have a CMC trigger and, as others have mentioned, I think they're pretty good and reasonably priced. However, one option that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Wilson Combat single stage trigger. I purchased it for ~$150 on Optics Planet and it is surprisingly crisp and quick. I was really surprised how much I liked it and will likely use it again in my next build.

 

[titsonritz]

And if you get them on the Christmas sake they were $70 if you bought 5.

So get them drunk on rice wine during the holidays and you get a deal on triggers?

 

[titsonritz]

ALG ACT, BCM PNT, and the Sionics Weapons Systems triggers are all excellent trigger or the money. You'll spend $65 to $75 on either the ACT or the PNT, but the Sionics is usually around $55. Thing is, that availability for Sionics was in the past and now the LPK's are where it's at. $85 gets you their LPK with the trigger and ambidextrous safety. Add the grip and trigger guard of your choice. Best value - bang for buck LPK I have ever used.

Yep, all 3 along with the Centurion Arms AMT are basically the same trigger, a quality Schmid Mil-Spec FCG that has been cleaned up with a slick finish added. I think SIONICS is a little better because I like the Robar Np3 which they us over other options. They are top of the food chain for solid, reliable single stage Mil-Spec triggers.

 

[spookshack]

CMC.....

 

[titsonritz]

LaRue Tactical MBT-2S Trigger - LaRue Tactical

Have 4 of them. Zero issues. $87.00/ea
I don't need 'cute', 'fancy' or "look what I got bragging BS". Function works for me!

Dan

The LT MBT-2 is a lot of trigger for the money, but for just a few more bucks a Centurion Arms AST is a pretty big step closer to a Geissele SSA.

 

[titsonritz]

Try a Rise Armarment RA140. I put one in my AR and its is awesomely better than mil spec crap.

I just got a TImney 3# for $110, and the Velocity triggers, which are made by the guy who used to run Timney's AR trigger dept, are often around $135. I'd recommend either, they drop in easily and work well for me.

I have a CMC trigger and, as others have mentioned, I think they're pretty good and reasonably priced. However, one option that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Wilson Combat single stage trigger. I purchased it for ~$150 on Optics Planet and it is surprisingly crisp and quick. I was really surprised how much I liked it and will likely use it again in my next build.

CMC.....

Cassette triggers freak me out.

 

[DirectDrive]

Cassette triggers freak me out.

The hobby folks like them I think, because they don't have to deal with all the individual "parts" of the conventional FCG.
I would never use one because they can't retain conventional pins and you are forced to use C-clips, E-clips, button heads or dog bones to retain the pins.
Not a fan of that scenario and I'd bet many don't realize this until they open the package.

AFAIK, the Wilson is the only cassette AR trigger that can self-retain a mil-spec pin.
I would give that one a try.

 

[Dinglenutz]

The hobby folks like them I think, because they don't have to deal with all the individual "parts" of the conventional FCG.
I would never use one because they can't retain conventional pins and you are forced to use C-clips, E-clips, button heads or dog bones to retain the pins.

I've used both cassette and mil, and the TImney/Velocity use std pins.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I really like the CMC trigger in my AR.

I agree. I had some reservations when l bought one for my "heavy" carbine... paid my money and THEN went looking for reviews, my usual bass-ackwards routine. Some people didn't dig it.
After a few thousand rounds I'm sold on the flat bow trigger and the quality of the CMC drop-in unit. It uses standard sized, milspec pins, BTW.

70 bucks and done. Best affordable trigger upgrade.

The "cleaned-up" milspec triggers from ALG Defense are a fantastic upgrade. I put the NiB unit (a slight upcharge from the ACT) in my "light" carbine and have never regretted it.
I even went back and bought both carbines FF handguards from ALG... those also turned out to be good investments.

I've got a RRA two-stage in my .223 Wylde right now and, like the OP, looking to change... don't love it. I think I'm on the list for a LaRue when they come back in stock.

 

[powermad]

I'm pretty sure the CMC trigger I have can use the supplied pins or standard ones.
I didn't think the cassette style was easier to install as you have to pop the safety lever out to drop it in.
Not that it's hard to do but it's more steps than just dropping in a regular one.
And for the regular ones I just lopped off a couple of drill bits to hold them together as I push in the retaining pins, pretty much makes them a drop in too.

I run a BCM in my AR15 and have no plans to change it.
It's an excellent trigger for that application.
It had a PSA EPT trigger and I swapped them out to see if one was better.
They both felt smooth but the BCM had a lighter pull at 6# and the reset wasn't as sharp so I left it in there.

My SR762 came with a two stage that I like and won't be swapping that out.

I'm running the CMC 3.5# in my AR9 that's pretty slick.

I like all three styles for what they are used for.