Guys, I have read issues of aftermarket triggers like Timney, such as the Tavor IWI 5.56, the hammer actually cracked and failed after so many rounds. I also read people who own Geissele's also had failures specifically with their 3 gun model.

Looking at a stock milspec trigger, everything about it seems much thicker and heavy duty compared to the competition triggers made for lighter pulls. I am wondering for SHTF, is it better to leave the mil spec trigger in? Are they actually more reliable and designed to last a lot longer? Seems that aftermarkets just don't hold up very well.

AR aftermarket stuff is all over the map. Some is very good quality, some is questionable, with most somewhere in between. Find a brand that consistently gets high ratings and stick with them or research a particular part for ratings. Or, just go with OEM.

This is just my opinion, and we all know what those are like, but if you want to stick with the ruggedness of your milspec trigger but want a slightly smoother trigger pull I would consider getting one of these. Read the reviews if you got the time. I am probably going to get one myself for my M4 clone I swore I was through messing with (LOL). It's currently got a milspec DPMS lower parts kit/trigger in it but I would like to upgrade to the ALG:

Advanced Combat Trigger (ACT)

Generally speaking, the standard trigger is undoubtedly a simpler, more robust unit than most of the aftermarket triggers. While many of the after-market units are very good, if you want absolute maximum reliability the standard trigger's the way to go. It's unfortunate most standard triggers aren't all that great, but a bit of judicious polishing can make a standard trigger quite useable without compromising function.

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Pisgah

Been told polishing a hardenend stock trigger would not be good. But comparing both the Geissle to a stock mil spec, the Geissle obviously has less metal and seems more prone to failure I know there Sabre for the Tavor has been known to crack in half after hard use.

A bunch of grunts have managed to get along with military OEM triggers under adverse conditions for a pretty good number of years. Never really thought they were that bad myself.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

If it ain't broke...don't go fixin'.

this is so true and while I love my Geissle triggers, I am also thinking they may not hold up to hard use. They have less metal so I think they are and will be more prone to failure. so I think it is good to have a rifle that is bone stock

I've got a PSA lower with a polished and plated firing system. It pulls about the same as my SWaMPy Sport 15 I, around 7.5 lbs.
I did reasonably well with both carbine and rifle.
Geoff
Who wouldn't do a target trigger justice at his age.

Well the SOCOM approved Geissele SSF seems to hold up pretty good under their firing schedule which I suspect is quite a bit more rigorous than most civie's. The SSA should do just as well, for serious use those, the G2G, ALG, KAC or stock mil spec are the only ones I would consider using. Stay away from the Geissele gamer triggers. Also be aware that not all parts advertised as mil spec are, I no longer trust DPMS among others. But FCG parts are wear items, I used to hear it is a good idea to replace them when you replace a barrel around the 10,000 round mark, now days barrels are lasting longer and a lower may use multiple uppers but any FCG with that many rounds should have a spare available. The better triggers really shine when using magnified optics, shooting at 700-800 meters or longer with a mil spec trigger is a PITA.

Theres a few aftermarket guys that make good stuff....Geissele for example. They have several versions depending on what you want to achieve. Even a duty version.

I personally don't change much if anything on guns I own. A $300 trigger is worthless without a $300 case of ammo. I believe in more training vs more gadgets. And I just don't like tinkering with guns. It actually bothered me to have to change the grip on my ARs. I even contemplated just getting rid of them and finding one already built to my specs

If you're going to buy one buy something already proven and known quality. But I think most people would benefit from more training and less accessories

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You might weigh your original trigger and see what the weight actually is. The quality of the trigger is more important than the actual weight (OK, my stock trigger is crisp and breaks at 5 lb, 3 oz). You can learn to preload the trigger so that your final press is less than the total weight of pull.

The ALG triggers are prepped mil-spec items. They'll tend to get you to the lower end of the trigger spec (5-8.5 lbs).

Approval for purchase/use of items by SOCOM is nice. The question is what specific use is intended? Also, those folks have a lot of support and operate in teams. If you're looking at something for your very own use in adverse circumstances, you might want to think twice.

Practice ammo and training are generally better investments than widgets.

That's why I'm interested in getting one, myself. They are still milspec, they're just a little more fancy and polished, etc.

I tried to build my "early model M4" copy as close to a plain Jane milspec gun as I could. I replaced the original 16" barrel with a 14.7" Brownell's "Military Barrels" and had a A2 flash hider pinned and welded on there. This is what it looks like now:



Anyway, I'm probably gonna order one of these triggers eventually. Not sure I like that gray color or not, so I think I will probably slap a bunch of masking tape on it and just paint the part that is visible with some flat black ceramic engine block enamel.

Specific use intended is combat, doesn't get more adverse than that and the Geissele SSF has proven up to the task, the SSA will perform the same. Their are other aftermarket triggers that are better for say match shooting, long range target, varmint, gaming etc. but they are not combat rated triggers. They will not be reliable or go as many rounds without failing, the SSF/SSA are a good balance, improved lighter trigger pull with long life expectancy. Why spent the money? Some mil spec triggers are surprisingly good, some are not, with a carbine and a red dot sight a good mil spec is quite serviceable. With a solid rest and magnified optics they can even work OK, but you are fighting the trigger. I used to be a shooter who thought the aftermarket triggers were not needed until I tried scoped AR at distance, sure you can make the mil spec work, but that hard single stage pull slows you down and causes more fliers. The SSA two stage pull is much faster and more consistent, it is a much better trigger for scope or offhand shooting if you are interested in quick hits. If you wait around for a sale at Brownells, PSA or Primary Arms you can find them for as little as $160-180, which is not a bad price for a combat approved two stage trigger that will increase the speed and accuracy of your shooting. Try shooting gongs offhand at 250 meters with a mil spec vs SSA and you will see what I mean.

Have you considered checking Utube for videos on doing your OEM?
Steve