polishing a mil-spec AR trigger?

DutchV · Dec 2, 2017

I've had stock AR triggers that were tolerable, and others that were awful. And while I haven't tried every maker, it seems random whether you'll get a good one or not.

Does anyone know of a reliable guide to polishing an AR trigger? For general use, not competition, so safety first, of course. Super light is not the goal; just smoother and perhaps a bit lighter. I'm interested in trying it myself before I buy aftermarket triggers. What sort of improvement can a guy reasonably expect to achieve?

And while we're at it, I've read that it's possible to polish through the surface hardening on the engagement surfaces. This sounds like it'd end poorly. Is this a valid concern? Or is it just another of those endless gunshop rumors?

Thanks, Dutch

iH8DemLibz · Dec 2, 2017

In the search box, enter: Polishing Compound.

Click on the: "So I polished my first AR trigger today" thread.

Scroll down to: Post #11.

Just remember to clean all parts, THOROUGHLY, before reassembly.

Eeay Peezy-Japaneezy.

DutchV · Dec 2, 2017

iH8DemLibz said:
In the search box enter: Polishing Compound.

Click on the: "So I polished my first AR trigger today" thread.

Scroll down to: Post #11.

Eeay Peezy-Japaneezy.

Thanks for the tip. I will try it. Somehow I missed that thread, even though I posted in it. Must be gettin' old.

CSHS · Dec 3, 2017

Polish. Put these in. You'll be amazed at the difference.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...reliability-trigger-spring-kit-ar-15-3-1-2-lb

Biggfoot44 · Dec 3, 2017

Or , ALG is essentially a mill spec trigger, that is suitably polished , at a very reasonable $ .

John from MD · Dec 3, 2017

Mil spec triggers and hammers are surfaced hardened. If you cut through the hardening, your trigger pull will degrade over time. Additionally, the geometry of a military trigger does not make it a good "shooting trigger". A best bet for cheap money is to buy the Larue MBT trigger assy. For $100 when on sale, they are one of the best deals out there.

GuitarmanNick · Dec 3, 2017

Polishing a mil-spec AR trigger can be done without removing the hardened surface if you 1)do not change the angle of engagement and 2) only stone the area enough to remove the machining marks and make the contact surfaces mirror bright. In most cases it only takes a few minutes of careful polishing to make a noticeable difference in the feel of the mil-spec trigger.

Mine was 6.5 lbs. and had a gritty feel before I polished it. Ten minutes of work and it is now smooth and the pull is 4.5 lbs.

Since this rifle was built as my SHTF weapon, I do not want the trigger to be any lighter. Right now, I consider it to be perfect.

As others have mentioned, this is not something that everybody can or should do themselves. It is very easy to ruin your trigger!

If you are looking to drive tacks, buy a competition trigger. If you may one day bet your life on it in a SHTF situation, stay with a good mil-spec trigger.

molonlabe · Dec 3, 2017

I went with an ALG millspec. They are coated after taking a spanking on MS for polishing. I like it as much as my polish job. The angle is critical, do not alter it. As for surface heat treating on the trigger. I contact DPMS and Bushmaster (the creepiest trigger of them all) also verified by Colt on another forum. Just an internet myth. They are hardened per mill spec. For 45 bucks you can't go wrong with the ALG.

Maybe his holiness of AR's can chime in on this. I chose the mill spec because I already have two HBAR match rifles. I wanted a lighter AR.

3paul10 · Dec 3, 2017

I don't.

Shoobedoo · Dec 3, 2017

Biggfoot44 said:
Or , ALG is essentially a mill spec trigger, that is suitably polished , at a very reasonable $ .

The ALG milspec is a good choice for the money, and for just a bit more you can get the ALG "ACT" trigger which is even smoother. You get two hammer springs with the ACT trigger, a reduced power "purple" spring, and a full power spring, which gives you the flexibility to dial in the pull weight you like best.

polishing a mil-spec AR trigger?

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