Folks are often looking for the best components, or sometimes trying to build the best rifle they can for the smallest amount of money. I'd say the path not worth taking, is towards a "do it all" rifle. Or do it all weapon really. The characteristics that make a given weapon fit a role well, often if not always mean it isn't suited for other tasks. Anything that can do it all, will typically sacrifice enough in each area that it is adequate for each purpose. Fine if you understand that, but your expectations may be setting you up for disappointment.

As far as available AR triggers go, you can certainly find many rankings and opinions on what the best is, or a group or listing. Seldom is "for the money" included in "what is the best." Or "what is the best AR trigger for under $150 or some such. Excellence does track with cost, part of what you're paying for is durability and repeatability.

The good news is what is really the case across the AR market. There are a lot of really great choices out there, and you'll almost have to try to buy a piece of garbage.

From the triggers in my ARs now, and the ones that I've pulled, I'd have to say that around $150 is the spot for what you'll be paying for a good quality trigger. There are some cheaper, but much cheaper and you're down to the stock trigger, which is pulling cold oatmeal.

You can certainly pay more for a trigger, and you'll get an excellent trigger indeed. But, it may come with features you don't need, like different weight springs or allen key adjustments. It all depends on what rifle you're putting it in, and what your purpose is.

The gold standard these days seems to be Geissele. Most of their triggers are around $~300. They are indeed excellent, but the only thing I have to compare to them are Knights Armament price wise, at least with the triggers I'm personally familiar with. I can't complain about these triggers, and about all I'd say is, unless you really think you need one, maybe you don't need one.

One trigger I felt was excellent in 2 of my rifles was from JP Enterprises. I don't know if people use these in "work" guns, but there isn't exactly a price point directly attached to competition or duty, except that you're not going to find "inexpensive" attached to either.

My recent purchase of a Larue MBT got me thinking about this, and what was in my ARs. Considering that the MBT is something I'd say most people would feel comfortable with in a duty gun, and it could certainly be used elsewhere, I'd say that it's price point is dead center. (Eh, eh?)

The other triggers that I've used, own, or even consider are all hovering in the 100-200 range typically, and really I think any one of them is a good choice. It just breaks down to:

Do you need one or two stage

Do you need any ability to adjust pull, over travel etc.

Adjustability will bump the price, and if you don't need/want to fiddle and are going to be using the rifle elswhere besides a range, it's not worth it.

As far as one or two stage, it's as much preference as the actual role of the rifle. In the case of a duty gun, you may be required to have two stages, maybe not. The weight of the stages can be divided in different ways, by half, or 3/4 to 1/4, depending on whose trigger.

How you learned to shoot, your purpose, and your preference are going to, or should, guide your trigger choice. I wouldn't worry whether you've got "the best," if it works for you.

One I've always favored is Jard, and they offer a wide variety of adjustable and non-adjustable triggers for reasonable money. I also think that one piece drop ins like Timney are fine choices, but I'm not sure if folks favor a Timney outside range/competition.

There are a lot of choices, but that's good, and it's also good that it's hard to make a bad choice. Whatever trigger you do choose, my advice is to buy some moly-slide, and get a toothpick. Then use the toothpick to juuuust get wet the engagement surfaces of your trigger of choice.

If you're building or buying a rifle, and do nothing else exceptional, the trigger is worth putting some coin into. The stock mess that comes with an LPK or in an off the shelf major brand, will do the job. But not a great one.

My AR rifles have all been switched to Geissele's SSA-E. Even my 9mm AR has an SSA-E....

I built my rifles all in M4 style carbine configurations, and the purpose is as a fighting tool (SHTF, HD, etc). They all have Aimpoint or Trijicon red dots in LaRue mounts.
So I don't need a 1 lb trigger pull to shoot tiny little groups at 800yds.

I have had a few different "name" brands, and they all served the purpose as range toys. But after trying the 2 stage SSA-E I knew this was an investment to install in my rifles to guarantee long term reliability for the purpose I built the rifles.

I have mostly Geissele SSA-E's in my rifles but have been really liking the LaRue MBT's...great price point when you get them on sale. The drop-in cassette triggers look interesting and I'd try them if I weren't already very happy with my choices.

As far as the MBT, it appears to be perpetually on sale at the "I can wait" price. I'd say waiting is absolutely worth it.

I too recently picked up an MBT, and it is excellent.

I like it a little better than my Geissele SSA.

I don't own an AR that still retains a 'stock' trigger because that list bit of interface between myself and the rifle is crucial in my opinion.

I have been using an adjustable JP trigger that contains Allen screws for adjustment for several years and thousands of round now for competition, and it has never lost adjustment or failed. That being said, I don't think I would recommend that particular trigger to a police officer just because there are offerings from Geissele and Larue and others that are nearly as good with less chances for something to go wrong.


I favor a single stage for 3-gunning but I could absolutely make-do with either my MBT or SSA.

For $125 the MBT would be my trigger of preference for many applications.

Triggers are a very subjective thing. Buy whatever floats your boat

I dont know if they are the best but I like them and they have found their wasy into any AR aside from some A2's and M4's I left stock. Geissele SD-E and SD-C

In an AR, I am a 2 stage fan.

The stock Knight's Armament is my absolute favorite, but it came in my SR carbines. Buying the part independent of the carbine, I'd be hard pressed to pay their asking price to drop in.

In my current builds, I went with the Larue MBTs. When they go on sale for $99; it's incredibly hard to beat them. I'd be happy paying the $125 price as well, but they popped up at the most deeply discounted when I needed them.

Another vote for the LaRue MBT. I have three of them currently.

Excellent triggers.

Love my MBT from LaRue. Bought it on this forums recommendation.

We've got 4 of the MBT's.

GREAT trigger!!!

I've got two rifles with MBT's and I'm extremely happy with them. I also have a Velocity drop-in trigger in a spare lower which I feel is a pretty good single stage at about the same price point as the MBT. I've tried the ALG ACT trigger, and although it is a huge improvement over the stock mill spec AR triggers, there's no comparison to either the MBT or Velocity for just a few bucks more.

I have SSA's in my AR's with the exception of a 20" bull barrel AR with an SSA-E.

I recently built a 12" SBR and went with the MBT just because I was feeling cheap and didn't want to shell out the money for an SSA.

I've found the MBT to compare very similar to the MBT.

For future builds, I'll just save the money and use MBT's.

I agree with the post. Unless you are a Taran Butler, or a competitive Hi-power shooter, maybe you don't need the the $300 trigger.

I don't care for two-stage triggers at all. I have no use for one in the kind of shooting I do, which is 3-gun. If I was a Hi-power shooter, you bet your ass I would have a 2-stage as you need the light final pull, and the rules require a minimum total pull.

I like a moderately light single stage for three gun and field use. Something in the three to five pound range. But crisp and with little take up. This is heavy enough to be absolutely safe, and light enough to be accurate. I like the JP rifles trigger. But I'm sure others are good, too.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I agree with the post. Unless you are a Taran Butler, or a competitive Hi-power shooter, maybe you don't need the the $300 trigger.

I don't care for two-stage triggers at all. I have no use for one in the kind of shooting I do, which is 3-gun. If I was a Hi-power shooter, you bet your ass I would have a 2-stage as you need the light final pull, and the rules require a minimum total pull.

I like a moderately light single stage for three gun and field use. Something in the three to five pound range. But crisp and with little take up. This is heavy enough to be absolutely safe, and light enough to be accurate. I like the JP rifles trigger. But I'm sure others are good, too.

I am right with you on this.
I have hated 2 stage triggers.
I used the ACT for all my builds, but just ordered an MBT for my 6.8 SPC.

After reading this, I am glad I pulled the proverbial trigger.


Hope this will aid my shooting for precision with my match grade 6.8 SPC for long distance.

I have a non-adjustable single stage Jard in my Colt 9mm now. I chose 3lb, and it's perfect. I'd say lighter than that in single stage and you're into hair trigger territory. The rest of the ARs are two stage.

JP has a crazy "roller" straight trigger now. Such that the trigger blade is itself a roller bearing, and it is meant to eliminate the slight angular pull of your finger moving across the trigger. I'll let someone else try that and tell me it's wonderful.

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I don't care for two-stage triggers at all.

I am right with you on this.
I have no need for 2 stage.
I used the ACT for all my builds, but just ordered an MBT.

The Larue MBT is a two stage trigger, FYI. Unless they also make a single stage that I'm not aware of.

I think you'll be pleased, unless you really hate 2 stage triggers.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I don't care for two-stage triggers at all.

I am right with you on this.
I have no need for 2 stage.
I used the ACT for all my builds, but just ordered an MBT.

The Larue MBT is a two stage trigger, FYI. Unless they also make a single stage that I'm not aware of.

I think you'll be pleased, unless you really hate 2 stage triggers.

I don't really understand the 2-stage hate, either, as I find it no trouble to pull straight thru the MBT without tripping over the second stage if very fast shooting is needed, and for the lion's share of shooting the 2-stage can be easily mastered to shoot quickly and very accurately.

Only trouble I've ever experienced with 2-stage triggers was when the first stage and second were too close in poundage, and in the cold w/ numbed fingers I found I could not feel the second stage and consequently pulled thru mistakenly. I've NOT found that to be trouble with the MBT, and that is with the "light" spring installed.

I changed my post.
I USED to hate 2 stage.
But from what I hear about the MBT, I wanted to try it on my match grade rifle to see if it improves my accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:
I changed my post.
I USED to hate 2 stage.
But from what I hear about the MBT, I wanted to try it on my match grade rifle to see if it improves my accuracy.

I tried it on the SHTF Challenge on arfcom and my group size was reduced by 10%. That being shot from a field position {sitting, elbows on knees}.