My new 6920 came with a horribly creepy trigger pull…my 6721’s trigger, while expectedly “gritty” out of the box, smoothed out in no time and stayed that way. The best trigger I’ve ever felt on an AR is on my preban Eagle Arms…no grit, creep, and frankly very little travel…talk about a glass rod breaking.
Alternatively, I’ve felt great stock triggers on NIB Bushmasters, only to have them get very creepy after shooting (after the disconnector lets the hammer “slam” against the trigger surface a few times").
I have a theory for the cause of common stock AR trigger creepiness (aside from possible metal softness). I think, for whatever reason, the trigger sufface and hammer surface are often too far apart in the receiver, so the trigger face is more exposed to the sharp edge of the hammer than the hammer surface itself. This exposure allows the sharp hammer edge to dig into the trigger face and create a divot, which I think accounts for some of the horribly creepy trigger pulls I’ve experienced. I certainly detected an obvious divot in the face of my 6920 trigger. I just don’t think these divots would be possible, or at least as prevelant, if the trigger was just a little bit longer and engaged the hammer a little sooner/further up. I think variances in trigger/hammer dimmensions are more likely than variations in the way hammer and trigger pin holes are drilled in relation to each other.
After giving this even more thought, I’m wondering if the FCG manufacturers are taking off too much metal when they “polish” the trigger front and top. I can see where either too much off the top OR front could adversely impact the angle of engagement between the parts. Is there anyone that doesn’t “polish” their triggers?
I don’t think the trigger on my preban Eagle Arms was “polished”…at least not as much as others I’ve seen since, and, again, it has the best trigger pull of all. Does anyone know if the triggers are case hardened before or after they’re “polished”?
And sorry if I’m annoying the hardcore “just shoot it” folks here, but after comparing some really good stock triggers to some really crappy ones, I would think this would be an easy problem for manufacturers to fix…especially if many of the problems experienced are due to their over-compensating by misguidedly “over-polishing” the triggers or simply not case-hardening or heat treating them properly.
I would also like to add, after reading some of the DPMS threads here, that I got a complete DPMS lower over Christmas, and it also has one of the better stock trigger pulls I’ve felt, and it stayed that way after firing. The DPMS hammer seems to be cast, but the lower as a whole sure has impressed me so far.
Given the fact that the hammer and trigger are both mass produced parts that are made seperately and not really matched up any way sometimes you just get lucky. They are usually just produced and finished to specs that will ensure the system works safely as designed and nothing more.
Hammer notch depth varies per manufacturer. Some polish the trigger/hammer contact points. Others have mirror cut surfaces left by nice sharp tooling, some have swirls left from dull cutters. I have seen most all types andcombinations with close to 600 AR trigger jobs done in the last 3 years.
Well I just got in a new hammer from Specialized Armament for my 6920, and it made all the difference in the world. This one has a simple “C” stamped in it, while the original had 2 “S” symbols stamped in it. I had already stoned the gouge out of my trigger…I didn’t touch the new hammer before installing it, and now the trigger pull is buttery smooth after a few dry fires. There’s still quite a bit of travel, as I expect from all AR triggers except for my preban Eagle Arms, but every bit of the travel is smooth now. Time will tell if it stays smooth, but I have alot of confidence in it.
So if anyone else is battling with a bad trigger in their Colt, and it’s the “S” variety, I’d recommend trying to find a hammer with a “C”. I think my 6721 has the “C” hammer also, and it’s very smooth after just a little use, as previously stated. YMMV
Funny this post should go up right now - just got my new Colt 6920 and found the same thing - trigger seem gritty. Just ordered a geissele trigger (who needs to eat this month - $$$$$) from G&R -after a recommendation from Grant at G&R Tactical. Also ordered a set of KNS pin non-rotational pin retainers.
I think every AR I’ve ever owned came with a nasty stock trigger.
I always remove the trigger and lightly polish the mating surfaces with a fine stone. Not to change the geometry, just to smooth whatever burrs or uneven spots are there. It improves the trigger pull immediately, and it only gets better with use.
Out of curosity, can you tell us what letters are stamped on your hammer and trigger when you replace them? After being “tricked” by a few Bushmasters that had perfectly fine triggers out of the box (only to get creepy after firing), I’m much more comfortable with a trigger pull that’s a little “gritty” out of the box. “Gritty” trigger pulls usually indicate (to me) decent heat treatment and usually smooth out with just a little use. But true creep just seems to linger or get worse (as with my 6920 and a few others I could name) and seems to be due to improper dimmensions, heat treat, or both.
Others may disagree, but “grit” and “creep” have separate meanings to me. “Grit” is just a rough feeling you feel in the pull due to machining marks until the parts get mated. “Creep” is what you get when the “grit” is long worn off and is due to irregularities in the metal, caused by either improper dimensions, or perpetuated by poor heat treatment.