The Apex kit is worth every penny especially if you're going to be carrying it and shooting it at the range, trust me. The aluminum trigger and all the springs, etc are top notch and make for a great kit, making the gun enjoyable. I shot my grandfather's stock shield after having my Apex shield for almost a year and I can tell you I did not like the stock trigger or pull. It's too curved. You can do the work yourself if you have a nice, brass punch, hammer and the correct punch for the frame pins (you should keep these tools handy anyways if you own a gun, never know if you'll need to repair anything.