Need an honest review and appraisal of the trigger on this handgun.

My gun store peeps are telling me it is a horrible trigger..long and heavy.....and it's so bad they have stopped stocking the CSX.

They are trying to push me towards the Sig 938. I am not sure if my peeps are even familiar with the new e-series and they may be judging by the original CSX model......

Any comments would be greatly appreciated if anyone has one.

Thanks in advance.

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Some people just have to hate for some reason. This is my 2nd CSX and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t even think about the trigger as it goes bang every time I pull it. The real pro’s who have super human senses might need a more perfect weapon, but for me, it is more gun than I have skill.

I love all these folks that just keep repeating what they have read about the CSX's trigger. Yet when they are finally forced to be honest, they haven't actually ever fired one with live ammo.
CSXs do not have the light squishy let off of most striker fired handguns that seems to be favored by todays "experts" and no it isn't the clean straight back pull of a good 1911. The CSX does not have a 25/50 yard bullseye pistol trigger.
The CSX is meant to be an up close and personal self defense pistol with a trigger that will keep you from popping off an unintended round under stress. Don't think that will ever happen to you, I have seen it multiple times in training classes, with experienced shooters, when put under the stress of a timer or a live fire exercise.
I have 2 CSXs and they both have very manageable triggers when you actually put live ammo on target and learn how to run them.

is either of your 2 the e-series??? and is the e-series trigger better than the original?? I saw a youTube video showing the e-series has a 3 click trigger reset.

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

I picked up the 3.6" model 13957 yesterday afternoon.
On a Lyman digital trigger pull gauge mine runs pretty consistently at 5.5#-5.7# for 10 pull averages.
That's sufficiently light enough for me in a SD gun.
Cheers
James

__________________
Hebrews 9:27

Are they listening to what you ask and actually describing the E model, or do they hear CSX and start ranting.

I've tried the original CSX, and the trigger is OK, but it's no better that the trigger in the best polymer guns these days. Strikes me that too many get sucked into the 'metal gun, must have an excellent trigger' myth.
.
.
.
.

Can you tell I've had recent experience of people not listening or being able to read?

__________________
Release the Kraken

How is the reset, that was the beef with the old one. One tester on Youtube claims there are three clicks before the true reset, but he does not show same on camera, I believe.

__________________
Release the Kraken

I have the CSX, NOT THE E CSX, and it has become my EDC... after a couple hundred rounds the pistol runs perfectly with any ammo, in any situation. the trigger has never been an issue with me...ever, it's a little different maybe but train with it and it will be great. You will regret the sig 938, so borrow or rent a CSX and shoot it for yourself.

If anyone in that store had shot the CSX and worked with it a little, maybe their opinion would be the same as mine...

Attached Images

M&P Shield 45 SAEmissary 9 CSX9.jpg (113.3 KB, 50 views)

Well here is the sit chi ation in a nutshell.....the 2 close ranges do not have one to try out..so I am fumbling around in the dark looking for opinions of this handgun...

Knowledgable about Glocks, Ruger, Springfield all of which I have owned but have all gone away due to one reason or another....Am left with my Shield Plus carry comp and my regular 3.1 shield plus and they meet my needs for a everyday cc....But I do like the CSX e series but really don't have enough info to make a informed decision about it....that's why I am asking for comments ...good or bad ... I have watched all the vids showing the 3 click trigger reset but not feeling one do not know if it is anykind of a problem at all......

I appreciate your commet and take owners opinion to heart above all others.......

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

There are a couple of vids showing the 3 click reset..with click one and 2 resulting in a dead trigger and having to go to third click to refire...What I don't know is.....is this really a problem or just a observation complaint ?????? Local ranges don't have one to try out so just seeking owners assessments which I take stock in

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Good review of new E-series

If you do an internet search, you will find an unbiased review from an E-series buyer on another S&W fan site.

The shooter owned an original CSX which he had shot fairly extensively. He thought that the same issues which some complained about with the original CSX trigger, were still present in the E-Series, and in some way aggravated. He did a fairly extensive disassembly of the E-Series pistol and made some comparisons and conclusions.

__________________
Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

dben002,
Neither of my CSXs are e-series guns. Both of mine are later versions of the original and both were purchased in the 2nd half of last year. The only thing I have done to my daily carry CSX is upgrade to XS Big Dot sights and then put around 750 rounds thru it. My spare CSX is factory stock and has about 500 rounds thru it. Thru both guns I have had exactly 1 failure to fully feed failure and that was within the first 10 rounds of the first magazine fired of the first gun I got to fire.
Neither gun exhibits the much complained about false reset but both have the later white stepped plastic firing pin safety plunger. I also do not manipulate the trigger to just clear reset as again I have seen people get flustered under stress and short stroke their trigger when shooting to reset only. I did learn to move my trigger finger into the first joint, on the trigger face, to avoid pushing my shots to the left. I also learned that in order to tighten up my groups on target, I really have to grip the snot out of this little pistol.
I have been toying with the idea of sending my spare CSX out to be cut for a micro red dot (Holosun 507K Green) and the new e-series would negate the need to send a gun out. I am now tormented with the idea of getting a new CSX e-series just to try a pistol with a micro dot sight for my 66 year old eyes.

Gun store 10 miles away sent me an email that he should have one in stock tomorrow so I will run up there after lunch and see if he still has it and confirm first hand if the trigger really is a problem or just a conceived problem by some.....Yes they do have a 3 click reset but is that bad enough to not consider the weapon at all.......hopefully tomorrow will answer that question if he has not sold it by the time I get there

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

I will post this to the other CSXe series posts that are here simply to throw in my 1.5 cents.


Went to my LGS yesterday to look at the new e series CSX. I have one of the early originals that I modified to rid it of the false reset. I could not have been more disappointed.


The first thing I did was test the trigger and counted three clicks before reset. The first one was very subtle, but I was looking for it and found it quickly. The second and third were pronounced. When I showed the LGS owner, he too was very surprised and said, "I thought they were supposed to fix that ****."


I did take my original CSX down to parts and polished everything. It is notably better than the e series gun I looked at. That saved me a good $500 or more bucks on the spot.


As I said in previous posts, manufactures are falling all over themselves to get out a small high capacity gun to keep up with the Jones' and S&W did a nice job with the CSX, but left out one of the most important parts that turn people away. That is a superb trigger.

I saw one of the "Three resets" videos. The first two clicks were barely audible on the video, and I doubt you would hear them with ear protection. The third click was MUCH louder. What I don't recall the reviewer saying was whether the first clicks could be felt through the trigger.

The reviewer linked in Post#11 is usually bang on with his reviews.

__________________
Release the Kraken

They Can be felt, especially the last two.

Does anyone make an trigger upgrade for the CSX?

after touching both the decision was rather easy and obvious.....
but thanks all for your input...I do appreciate it......

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Decision has been made but I’ll say as an original CSX and E-Series owner…

I think it’s funny how much some people focus on the direction of the trigger that doesn’t fire the pistol.

Seems a bit counter intuitive…

I even went so far as to email S&W asking was there any consideration in the future for a cleaner trigger in the e-series to eliminate the three click reset. They responded to my email by telling me what an improved trigger the e-series had. Just sorta scratched my head and said well the answer to my question is no.

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Smith & Wesson Support
3:42 PM (3 hours ago)
to me

Donald,

      Thank you for contacting Smith & Wesson. The CSX E-Series features the new E-SERIES® TRIGGER - Newly enhanced E-series trigger that has a light, clean break, and an improved reset. You can see all the specifications through the link below.

S&W® CSX® E-SERIES® 3.6 INCH | Smith & Wesson

Regards,
Jonathan
From: Donald Benson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 3, 2025 4:56 PM
To: Smith & Wesson Support <[email protected]>
Subject: S&W Contact Us - Donald Benson

REASON: General Inquiry

NAME: Donald Benson

EMAIL: [email protected]

PHONE NUMBER: 336-497-8164

ADDRESS:



, US

SERIAL NUMBER:

COMMENTS:

Any possibility of the CSX e-series getting an upgraded trigger in the foreseeable future????? As you know the current design has a 3 click trigger reset and it is not as crisp as a true 1911 or even the shield plus models of triggers....

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Why do you care so much about the part of the trigger cycle that doesn’t fire the pistol?

I don’t want to feel or hear my reset… I want it to happen so fast that I don’t consider it because my focus is on the next press… the thing that fires the gun.

Google Search

__________________
Hebrews 9:27

CSX9 E Series unboxing & table top review.

https://youtu.be/tIEjV5eAVW4?si=7OFhRbKyoZZre5b3

Let me apologize now and say that this is more about the original CSX and other options that it is the CSX-e.

I have a CSX. The trigger is pretty bad for a SAO pistol. Especially if you put it up against a CZ or 1911. Or even a 3rd gen Smith. However, for me the false reset is not there as is mentioned on the internet. Mine has a different problem. The trigger randomly locks up and will not move until I rack the slide.

It went back to Smith twice because of this and nothing was done. Probably because it is random and apparantly could not be duplicated by them. Another CSX owner on another forum mentioned that he had the same problem and they ended up replacing the trigger bar?

Anyway, I would like to think that with how much flack that Smith got over the trigger, the new CSX-E has a decidedly better one.

Personally I think that of the SAO micro 9 pistols in current production I would lean toward the FN Reflex MRD. This is compared to Sig's 938, the CSX-E and the Kimber Micro 9.

The reviews indicate it has a good trigger, it comes with a night sight up front, you can mount a dot or a light (none of the others offer this), it can come with or without an external safety. It comes with 11 and 15 round mags (10 round if you live in certain places). It just checks more boxes and is priced to compete with these others.

You are correct...I think whoever is running the CSX show now at S&W must have kicked some backsides because the e-series trigger is a thing of beauty....Let's hope things are getting better at S&W. Obviously when they get an ear full of complaints they have the fortitude to make internal changes.

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Trigger reset is very important for the second time the trigger is pulled.

I picked up a 2022 CSX recently. I had had a 938 SAS model. Personally I like the CSX much better, but agree with the posters above the trigger could be better for an SAO pistol. Went to a lgs that has a huge compliment of S&W to try the trigger and they are consistently sold out of the newer version CSXs

Seems to be the case in a lot of places.. I was lucky the new CSX arrived at the gun shop at the same moment I did... one pull of the trigger and it was mine.. date stamp was 1/27/25. Now after two range trips and 300 rounds down range in all honesty can say that I personally have never shot a handgun as accurate is this thing is and the new trigger is a joy to behold.

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

I was surprised to see that the reviewer Sootchoo on youtube, even though he mentioned the perceived "Bad Trigger" on the original CSX, he admitted that in 2022, with the original CSX model, he still liked it enough to make it his everyday carry, and he has now adopted the New CSX-E as his EDC. I also have noticed other youtubers are liking the CSX-E and it's improvements. I think Sootch00 gets his S&W guns for free...so there may be a bias on his reviews

The trigger on my CSX (the original) has never been an issue and it is even better after over 500 rounds through it. Was at the range yesterday with it...just a great shooting Micro 9...3GF

I have both the original and the e series, I will admit the e series has a better trigger but both are good shooters.

__________________
Max
USCG Ret.

I wanted the CSX when it was released. I like the metal frames. After hearing about the original CSX issue, I went with the Hellcat OSP instead and love it. Then SW released the E-series. I had to check it out. Got the 3.6 and loving it. I like the weight and the feel of the grip over the Hellcat. And tbh, i felt the E-series trigger are better than my hellcat. That's just me.

Now if someone would just come up with a decent leather inside the waistband holster for the 3.6 in for appendix carry but they ain't out there yet

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Keep an eye out for 1791 Gunleather. They had a good one for the CSX 3.1.

I admit to being a trigger snob. My favorite guns that I use in local competitions are a CZ Shadow 2 with an SAO Cajun Gunworks trigger job and a Phoenix Trinity H-TAC 2011with a 1.75 lb trigger pull and very short reset. For carry guns I like S&W's. A couple weeks ago I ordered a CSX-E 3.6" through by favorite FFL. When it came, it was a 3.1", but before we sent it back I got to handle it for a bit. I must say that I was pretty happy with the trigger. I measured the pull to be 4.5 lb. The takeup wasn't too long and the break had only a very small amount of creep. The reset was reasonably short and I could hear and feel only one reset, though it was not as forceful or loud as I would prefer. Still, it was totally adequate and serviceable. I didn't get to shoot it, but it did feel very good in my hand. I am looking forward to my 3.6" coming and hope that its trigger will be as good. Comparing the CSX-E trigger to that of my 4" Shield Plus Performance Center, I would say the CSX-E has slightly less travel and has a bit crisper break.

You are going to be very very happy with the 3.6 inch e-series trigger...so much better than the original CSX...Don't know if or why there would be a difference in the 3.1 vs 3.6 e-series triggers..would think they would be the same, but I only own the 3.6 and never fired the 3.1......

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

Was disappointed in the first CSX, hoping this will be better, but bought a Shield+ which is super, replaced my 938 that was outstanding but had limited capacity.

You'll be very impressed with the new csxe series give it a try

__________________
Hipcocked & Locked

First range day with the CSX-E and I am pleased. I bought it because of the all metal and hammered configuration. Also, because it's a Smith & Wesson. It's trigger has only one reset and it is heard and felt. I felt no grit, but I am not very picky. I like a trigger on a carry that says I meant to pull that trigger. This pistol fits that description well. It conceals well with 15 rounds. It feels great in my hand, I removed the palm swell and went with the simple back strap. Did I say it was an all-metal pistol?