I recently picked up a PPS M1 that has a date code of AL. I had a Shield 9mm which I sold when I picked up my XDs 45. I work for the largest FFL in Florida with 8 stores, & 45 gun shows a year where we have 82 tables per show, & usually sell 500 guns per show. So I always keep my eyes open for used guns that were hardly used. I get them at a great price, & when I get get tired of them, I sell them for what I paid, & not lose any $. The trigger on all these polymer striker does not bother me, as they are defense guns, not target guns. Should I "need" to use one, it will probably be at a distance of 5 feet, so again, I'm good with the trigger. So a few weeks ago when the PPS found me, I compared the trigger with a new PPS M2. The newer gun had the typical mushy striker fired trigger pull like my Shield, & XDs had. But the PPS M1 has a very crisp trigger. Much better than any other striker fired gun I have fired. Once the slack is taken up, if the trigger moves, the gun fires. Like a Gen 2/3 gun in single action mode. A few years ago, my friend bought a 40 PPS M1 from me while working at a show. He loves it. Now I'm not putting down a Shield, & with the $75 rebate from S&W, it's the deal of the century, but the PPS is the better gun to me. I have no experience with an Apex trigger, but by looking on line how gunsmiths can improve a few factory trigger parts that come with the Shield, I wonder why S&W can't do this. GARY