Those that have shot the IWI Tavor know that the OEM trigger leaves a lot to be desired. Geissele among a few other companies have formulated a solution to the trigger making fire control packs that solve some of the stock Tav’s trigger issues. Although these companies have made the Tav’s trigger much better, the trigger bow itself IMO still left room for improvement, enter the Geissele Super Sabra Lightning Bow Trigger. The Lightning Bow trigger is a hybrid between a curved trigger bow like the SSA and the flat trigger bow like the SD-E. If your anything like me then you have really taken a liking to the flat trigger bow and the merits it provides as it spreads the pressure from the triggers squeeze over a larger area giving the shooter more control. The Geissele Lightning Bow trigger is a drop in replacement for the OEM trigger bow that your Tav comes stock with. The lightning bow trigger removes the inherent slack and the looseness from the stock Tav’s long trigger bar, and it also can be adjusted to decrease slack in the trigger.
In full disclosure I am no expert and def not an armorer. Before the Lightning Bow trigger I has never fully broken down the Tav so I was a bit nervous about doing so. Online you can download a IWI Tavor armorers manual that provides detailed information on how to fully disassemble the Tav, I used the armorers manual as a reference to install the trigger and I also used a YouTube video from user MilitaryChannel on complete Tav break-down. Before you even get started though you will need to buy or fabricate a small tool that IWI calls a barrel wrench tool, on the right side of your Tav you can see almost a small key looking hole that once you insert the barrel wrench tool into this and insert a punch into the other side lifting up a tab you can rotate the barrel nut wrench and unlock the barrel from the receiver. ( This step comes after you have removed a few other items from the Tav’s receiver, refer to the manual for instructions.) Anyway the barrel nut does not come with the stock 556/223 Tav which I think is crazy but it does come with the 9mm conversion kit. You can purchase the tool on IWI’s website for $ 14.99 + shipping and for me plus PA tax, so yeah that little tool ended up being very expensive, but I am sure that some of you can make a tool such as this on your own. Getting back to the install, so I would say that the install was fairly easy and almost anyone could install the trigger. Once installed though you should check for rubbing of contact points from the trigger to the receiver. My trigger required minimal fitting and after I function checked the trigger I reassembled the Tav.
My thoughts on the trigger are that it is an amazing upgrade to the mush of the OEM trigger. I do not have the Super Sabra pack from Geissele installed as of yet either ( I should have it in a week) I was a tad worried that having only upgraded the Trigger bow would not yield that much of a difference but I was very wrong. After installation I live fired the Tav for function. The Geissele’s Lightning trigger made the trigger feel like a total different animal, it is crisp, minimal take up and over travel, the trigger feels more like the SSA or SDE trigger now, both in feel and function. I can only imagine how the trigger will feel once I have the Super Sabra pack to go along with the Lightning Bow. Geissele has hit the ball out of the park with this one. I am so happy that I spent the $100 and got one. I will update this thread when I get the Super Sabra Pack and also when I get to put the trigger through some more live fire drills including suppressed firing. If anyone has any specific questions I will do my best to answer them for you.
Very nice, I’m thinking of picking up a Tavor and the fact that Geissele makes a trigger for it only helps. Quick question, who makes that light mount/fore end? And do they have a version that will accept a surefire scout light?
The one on Blak’s is this:http://shop.gearheadworks.com/product.sc?productId=9
Midwest Industries and Manticore Arms also make a fore-end with the under barrel light mount. AFAIK they are all set up for 1" Body weapon lights but I could be mistaken.
Btw Blak, thanks for the great write up on the trigger bow!
Thats correct on Gearheadworks, the forend is called TMF and yes they make a model for the scout. They are great people to deal with. I will be updating my tac light when I get some extra flow, I am thinking going with Elzetta design. For now I am using a Klarus Xt-11 with a Klarus pressure pad, it does the job.
Just to reiterate what I wrote and touch on it a little more, I was worried that by itself the Lighting bow trigger would not do very much on its own and without the Super Sabra pack, but to my amazement it felt like a total different trigger pack all by itself. I am going to get my wife video me dry firing the Tavor with the lightning bow and you can see and hear that familiar Geissele trigger sound. I will post the video soon.
I am glad things are picking up for the Tavor. I was thinking that if someone like BAD co or simular could get on ambi selectors for the Tav they would have a winner as not much else is in the market for them. I think I have seen one or two different safety selectors for it. I also would like to see a different charging handle bar.
Hey guys, have a lightning bow and barrel wrench coming to me. curious how tough the install was? is the actual trigger install a pain or more tedious with having to breakdown the entire rifle? did you have to adjust the set screw in there and did you loctite it ?
The trigger swap itself was very easy. I just disinstalled the stock trigger making sure not to bend the trigger bar, then when installing the new Lightning bow trigger made sure once again not to bend the trigger bar, which was not an issue. when I installed the L-bow trigger you must take unscrew the small trigger pin from the L-bow trigger. After doing this, install the trigger housing roll pin ( the one that does through the trigger and also the receiver housing, when doing this line up the grove in the detent with the hole at the top of the Lightning bow trigger and then you can insert the small trigger pin, if done correctly the small trigger pin will seat correctly in the grove of the capture or housing pin and you will be able to tighten the screw down. From there I adjusted the slack screw, I opened it up until I could not engage the safety and then backed it off a tad. I kinda had to eyeball this adjustment as I did not want to dry fire without the BCG installed, but when I was finished I was content with the adjustment. I did not loctite anything and I did not over tighten. I figured I will shoot 50-100 rounds and check my value, but keep an eye on everything to make sure it did not come loose sooner, I dunno maybe some of the members with more experience can chime in and give advice on loctite and tightening everything. I usually do not use loctite on trigger parts but that is just me and I could be wrong. Besides what I wrote the swap was pretty simple, nothing really to it. I do have many weapon builds under by belt but I am not nearly as experienced as many that frequent here, with that being said do not let the Lightning Bow psych you out, Pm me or email me if you need any specific direction.
As for the barrel wrench I would hate like hell for fellow members to need to spend the extra $$ on that part, if anyone needs to use mine just PM me and we can make arrangements to get it sent out.
I also just got my Super Sabra trigger pack and again WOW! The Sabra trigger equipped with the Lightning Bow is something truly special. I am going to do a full update when I get some real range time. I do want to say again, even by itself the Lightning Bow totally changes out the feel of the trigger and its totally worth it!
Would you be able to take a picture of your Tavor, with the new trigger bow, straight on from the side? In the pics I’ve seen, it appears to be positioned further forward than the OEM trigger.
I apologise for the delay, I will take some more pictures and upload them soon. The L bow trigger does sit much further forward then the OEM. I have noticed nice installing the Super Sabra pack that I need to readjust the screw, I have a tiny bit of creep or play now, I am almost positive that it will go away after the adjustment.
Hitting the range this weekend and should have a full review up soon .
Something noteworthy: you all may have to trim some polymer with a razor in order to get the trigger to not rub against the trigger well/post. I didn’t know that until I received it.
I installed the G-Trigger Pack in my Tavor over the summer and it was a significant improvement. The stock trigger, however, remained very mushy up to the point of break.
I purchased the barrel wrench and the Lightning Bow trigger from Mr. G and did the installation last night. It was not an easy install, but I managed it, alright, with my minimal skill set. I did not have to shave any plastic parts to get the trigger to work freely.
The difference is night and day. If you have the trigger pack and don’t mind a full take-down of your rifle, this is a must have upgrade. No more mush, the take up is short, smooth and the break point is considerably forward of where it was with Mr. Mushy pants.
Highly recommended upgrade.
Question for those of you who have done this upgrade…
How did your rifle hold its zero after all of this dis-assembly? I have a Leupy VXR Patrol 1-4 on mine and am wondering how it will shoot on my next range trip.
I had done the trigger bow & spring trick awhile ago & I thought that was a huge improvement over stock. IMO, it brought it roughly to the level of an ACT, just a bit lighter & a tad mushier.
I did decide to pick up the trigger pack during PA’s sale. $105 off, couldn’t resist. What pissed me off was after installing the pack, I had a dead trigger. It took some researching on the net to figure out that I had to remove the barrel one more time to readjust the bow again now for the new G pack.
I did have to remove my EXPS in the process to adjust the bow. It shot about 1.5" low after reassembly. Windage was still good. I now relocated the RDS in between the top rail mounting screws so hopefully the optic won’t have to be removed anymore in the event I have to pull the barrel again.
IMO, the G pack is too light. It’s nice that its adjustable & the break is crisp but I kinda liked the feel of the trigger with just the spring removed & the G bow. Hindsight, I’d probably forego the pack but trigger feel is personal preference.
