Groo here
Looking to get an M&P .
How do the triggers compare between the two?
The gun will have a red dot [one way or another ] and a 357 sig barrel.

Don't have a 2.0, but had a PRO with terrible trigger and a CORE with an OK trigger supposedly the 2.0 has much better trigger.

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M&P 9, Shield9.

I can only speak for the 2.0 but I find the trigger perfectly acceptable.

Of course I'm no trigger snob. All I require is a crisp, predicable break with a minimal amount of over travel and I'm happy.

groo
bump

I'm not a trigger snob but I think the Core and 2.0 are very close. I would just get the core if I was going to add a red dot that way I wouldn't have to spend extra money to get it milled. There are a few aftermarket companies who remove the rear dovetail for the red dot then place it in the front, just something to think about.

The increased cost of CORE is close to the same as getting a slide milled. The real difference is whether you have chosen a certain red dot sight and are willing to dedicate the gun to that sight's footprint. If not, and you want to change to different RDS's, then a CORE might be better. However, the generic CORE mounting is considered by many to be inferior to a milled slide.

The new 2.0 5" has a loaded Chamber Indicator, I believe, that would interfere with milling the slide. I'm not sure if the 4.25" slide has the same LCI. So before buying a 2.0 because of the improved trigger, check to be sure you could mill the slide for a RDS.

The preferred co-witnessing iron sights placement for a number of reasons is to have the rear sight behind the RDS at the back of the slide. Some competition guns are set up with no backup irons, but personal defense guns should definitely have elevated backup sights. 2.0 sights are standard height, so you would have to replace them to co-witness with a milled RDS.

Thus, you cannot base your gun choice simply on the improved trigger on the 2.0 if you also plan to mount an RDS. There are additional mechanical and financial decisions needed.

Since the 2.0 may not be RDS friendly, and the original standard model has a sometimes ok trigger, but often a ****** one, maybe you should look at a Performance Center gun with the improved trigger. Here again, the increased cost might be a close trade off if you get the standard model, install APEX trigger guts which will be better than any factory trigger, mill the slide for an RMR, get suppressor height sights, and you will have a top tier fighting handgun. It is the most expensive route, but the total increased cost over the CORE/2.0 proposal would probably only be about $250, depending on which sight you choose.

Sorry to complicate your decision making process, but there are more factors at play here than your original post indicates.

Triggers are about the same. Do yourself a favor and get the core. That way you can use a red dot if you want . Alot easier and faster than sending a pistol off to get milled for 1 specific rds in the future. My 45acp 2.0 is going to L&M precision next week to have a rMr milled . I already have a core(deltapoint) and a pro series (Docter ll)which are both bad ***.
GET THE CORE.
Do a trigger job/polish yourself.
I can email you a step by step pdf on how to do a trigger job w. Pics.

I'd go performance center core not "pro" core. the trigger on my PC 9L
(now that I have an apex ram installed) is just under 5 pounds , has a great short
reset and a nice crisp break to it. Even the striker block that came with it is nice and rounded
and polished (much more so than any other "stock" S&W" striker block I've ever seen)
I've had a couple of red dots on mine(the shield mini sight that came with it , and a vortex venom)
both work just fine on it, although I don't think S&W is consistent with their milling.
I need to use a Shim on mine with the Shield, but I know others that have been good out of the box.
the Venom did not need a shim. Cabelas is running a sale on the Trijicon V1 Rms at almost 1/2 price
right now, if you don't already have an RMS picked out take a look at that.d