Trigger bar variations

vaeevictiss · Oct 23, 2014

Is there some type of difference between trigger bars?

When putting my apex in earlier this year, we messed with the loop a bit too much and while it was reliable, I didn't like the feel.

So I finally ordered a new one. The only kind I found was the "s" stamped bar. My current one is blank.

I got the new one polished to a nice mirror finish on the loop and the part the pushes the plunger up. Get it in and tune it to where it actuates the sear.

Put the slide on, pull the trigger, nothing. Now I spent all night swapping the new one and old one back and forth, comparing them, even down to using a caliper to measure everything. From what I can tell, they are exactly the same.

What the problem seems to be, is once the pressure from the striker is on the back of the sear, when you pull the trigger, the loop actually slides of to the right side of the pistol to the side of the sear.

I noticed this when I took the back plate off as well as the striker. The sear moves just fine until the weight of the striker is back on it.

So, I bent the bar in very slightly so the loop couldn't slide of the sear. Doing that I got the striker to drop every time, however, now it won't reset. You can fire and cycle 100 times, but when you pull the trigger and hold while cycling the slide (to simulate actual fire) the striker does not reset.

Any idea what the hell is going on with it?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Jiman · Oct 24, 2014

Yes, there are different versions of the trigger bar. The most recent should be the ‘H’ stamped version. I don’t know where the ‘S’ or unstamped version you have falls into the evolutionary changes.

There are lots of threads that you’ll be able to find here about that.

As for the movement question, the trigger bar (TB) is supposed to move to the right as you pull the trigger and the striker falls, as you describe. As you release the trigger it goes back to it’s original starting orientation to reset for the next shot. IMHO, you shouldn’t have bent the arm because it’s causing the issue of not resetting again.

Although I haven’t had to make the following suggestion, if you watch the Apex Youtube videos on the TB adjustment, they state that on some TBs you may have to open/close the TB ‘loop’ slightly to allow reliable over-travel for the TB/sear/striker engagement. IIRC, it should be 1/16th thousandths. Randy (the guy in most of the Apex vids), suggests getting feeler gauges from your auto parts store to use in the proper adjustment. Basically you open/close the TB loop by bending the opening until the 1/16th feeler fits in that space.

Here's the link:
Trigger Bar Loop Adjustment - YouTube

Hope that helps solve your issues. If not I’d suggest letting us know what Apex mods you made to better trouble shoot the problem. I’m sure someone here will have the fix for you.

Good luck.

vaeevictiss · Oct 24, 2014

well check out this post i made a while back...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...6479-m-p-picture-thread-23.html#post137747054

youll see how much of a gap there is, and i dont know why it had to be that much. I did the work at my buddies gun shop because he had the tools and knowledge. He never personally did an Apex in an M&P however (The majority of their work is on ARs, Glocks, and 1911s).

The kit i have is the DCAEK with the aluminum version of the trigger. We actually had to file away the frame a little bit behind the trigger to even get it to go back far enough AND bend the loop as much as you see in the picture. When i say "file away a little bit" it was enough to where the little trigger safety thing serves no purpose.

Im sure some people will flip out about that, but i honestly think that is a useless thing and a lofty term to call it a safety. The chances of putting just enough finger on the trigger (or any object getting in there really) so press on the trigger but not the safety is so slim.

That being said, i always hear about others having to barely adjust the loop (like this video). It makes me feel something is wrong, but there was really only one way to put everything in there.

The only reason i tried to swap in a new trigger bar, is i started to get really picky. I just didnt like how it felt anymore. There is a small gap between the loop and the sear, so i feel that initial take up, then the fast ramp up makes it feel like it gets heavier all of a sudden.

With the new one in, at the point im at now. It literally feels perfect, if i could just get it to reset the sear id be good. I also dont get that nice firm reset click when you release the trigger like in the vid, not sure why that does that either.

thanks for the help btw

cmichael · Oct 24, 2014

vaeevictiss said:
well check out this post i made a while back...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...6479-m-p-picture-thread-23.html#post137747054

youll see how much of a gap there is, and i dont know why it had to be that much. I did the work at my buddies gun shop because he had the tools and knowledge. He never personally did an Apex in an M&P however (The majority of their work is on ARs, Glocks, and 1911s).

The kit i have is the DCAEK with the aluminum version of the trigger. We actually had to file away the frame a little bit behind the trigger to even get it to go back far enough AND bend the loop as much as you see in the picture. When i say "file away a little bit" it was enough to where the little trigger safety thing serves no purpose.

Im sure some people will flip out about that, but i honestly think that is a useless thing and a lofty term to call it a safety. The chances of putting just enough finger on the trigger (or any object getting in there really) so press on the trigger but not the safety is so slim.

That being said, i always hear about others having to barely adjust the loop (like this video). It makes me feel something is wrong, but there was really only one way to put everything in there.

The only reason i tried to swap in a new trigger bar, is i started to get really picky. I just didnt like how it felt anymore. There is a small gap between the loop and the sear, so i feel that initial take up, then the fast ramp up makes it feel like it gets heavier all of a sudden.

With the new one in, at the point im at now. It literally feels perfect, if i could just get it to reset the sear id be good. I also dont get that nice firm reset click when you release the trigger like in the vid, not sure why that does that either.

thanks for the help btw

RAM will get a nice firm reset click.

vaeevictiss · Oct 24, 2014

ohh ok, yea i didnt get that part.

robkarrob · Oct 24, 2014

I don't know how your testing for the reset, but the slide moving rearward moves the sear loop out from under the sear. Once the slide is back in battery, as you release the trigger the sear loop should snap back under the sear (reset) and be ready for the next trigger pull. Bending the sear loop down causes the trigger to move further rearward to get the break and bending the loop too far down may cause you to not get the break. Bending the loop up causes the trigger break point to move more forward and bending it up too much may cause you to not get the sear reset. See Rastoff's video below which shows the basic trigger function.

Bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_RoDAOQGnQ

Trigger bar variations

vaeevictiss

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Jiman

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vaeevictiss

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cmichael

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vaeevictiss

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robkarrob

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