Failure to reset, with Apex Tactical Competition spring

[shotslow]

I have the Apex Tactical sear, striker block, RAM, and competition trigger spring in a M&P 9mm Pro. Works great, BUT. Thrice (3), during practice, several weeks apart, the trigger failed to reset. One being yesterday. Have others experienced this? Anyone know what is happening? I love the 2.5 lb trigger. Still get a low left once and a while, but 90% better during rapid fire I still have the stock trigger spring and would put it back. But I am at the maximum number of swear words for this month.

Yes, I checked each misfired round. No strike. Each one placed in magazine and fired.

 

[POTS]

hmm, I run a similar setup without issue w/over 1000rds. Have you disassembled the striker assembly to check for issues there? Also might check your firing pin block, might be binding and stopping the pin?

 

[SMMAssociates]

shotslow:

Sounds like you have the dreaded "dead trigger" problem.... The sear bounces around a bit, and isn't ready to grab the striker during recoil.

Apex has a fix - you have to send 'em your sear block, which you can ship - it's not considered a firearm, but they recommend UPS so you can trace/insure the package.

AFAIK, S&W might be willing to help, but.... Apex is getting something under $50 for this from customers, and a tad more for non-customers.

What you need is the Massachusetts-compliant sear block, and a larger sear spring and plunger. These aren't DIY, unfortunately - you need a good mill, the right cutter, and some skill. I suppose you could talk Apex out of a plunger and spring, though, and if you have a newer DCAEK kit you already have the spring. S&W is now slowly switching over to using just that block, but while we think they started in October 2010, it doesn't appear to be across the whole product line.

If this is a new gun, that seems to be the only fix. Older guns could just be dirty. It's a combination of that and tolerances getting stacked against you. I've got three M&P's, and only one had the problem.

Randy is going to post (or maybe already has) a better explanation in a video, but this'll get you started.

Regards,

 

[C4IGrant]

Dead trigger issue (sear flutter). Contact S&W and they will replace the sear housing block.

MAKE SURE to install the factory parts in the gun before you send it off to them.

When you get the gun back, you will need to use the larger sear plunger spring in the gun (which Apex has and includes with newer kits).


C4

 

[SMMAssociates]

shotslow:

C4 is correct, but S&W may not send you the newer block that accepts the newer plunger.... Apex wasn't including the newer plunger, AFAIK, but has been supplying the proper spring along with one for the older setup.... That could have changed.... Apex has the plungers, but I don't know if they'll ship you one.... (Easy enough to ask them .)

What makes this so confusing is that while the DCAEK (and similar) Apex kits can speed up the appearance of this problem, it appears to be designed into the basic gun itself. You still may never have the problem, but you'll find out faster when you install the Apex parts.... This puts Apex and S&W in the hot seat, IMHO, in that you and the kits force the problem to appear, but some guns will do it anyway. Apex, meanwhile, has to do with a relative certainty situation, if the gun was going to ever do it....

("Certainty" and similar comments, above, are my opinion. The Apex guys will help out as necessary. S&W seems to need a bigger nudge .... They are gradually switching to the MA-Compliant sear block and larger plunger. Sure fixed it for me anyway - Randy at Apex handled it.)

I'll eventually send my other two sear blocks in - it looks like they're not going to be a problem due to the Apex kits, but it's pretty cheap insurance.

Regards,

 

[C4IGrant]

shotslow:

C4 is correct, but S&W may not send you the newer block that accepts the newer plunger.... Apex wasn't including the newer plunger, AFAIK, but has been supplying the proper spring along with one for the older setup.... That could have changed.... Apex has the plungers, but I don't know if they'll ship you one.... (Easy enough to ask them .)

If you call S&W CS and tell them you have a dead trigger, I gurantee that you will get the new sear plunger. Apex now ships two different plunger springs (so you can have either size plunger).

What makes this so confusing is that while the DCAEK (and similar) Apex kits can speed up the appearance of this problem, it appears to be designed into the basic gun itself. You still may never have the problem, but you'll find out faster when you install the Apex parts.... This puts Apex and S&W in the hot seat, IMHO, in that you and the kits force the problem to appear, but some guns will do it anyway. Apex, meanwhile, has to do with a relative certainty situation, if the gun was going to ever do it....

You can get a dead trigger with the Apex sear, S&W Performance Center Sear or the factory sear (specifically in the .357 SIG guns).

("Certainty" and similar comments, above, are my opinion. The Apex guys will help out as necessary. S&W seems to need a bigger nudge .... They are gradually switching to the MA-Compliant sear block and larger plunger. Sure fixed it for me anyway - Randy at Apex handled it.)

Switched sear housing blocks about a month ago.


C4

 

[shotslow]

WOW Thanks for the replies. I will have to read this and digest it. Did a cursory search for "dead trigger". Was suprised. A call to Apex Tactical is in order. I like their products. I like my M&Ps with Apex Tactical products.

Thanks again. I will post any results.