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ALG Defense triggers

Bob Shaver

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 30, 2006
177
0
Illinois
Anybody have any experience with ALG's ACT (Advanced Combat Trigger) or QMS (Quality Mil-Spec) triggers?

I'm trying to decide which to use for a build but having a hard time picking their marketing lit apart and differentiating their products.

Anybody got any trigger time on either or better yet both?
 
I have an ACT in use. Not super impressed with it. It's just a GI trigger with polished surfaces and a fancy coating. It's still fairly heavy and has a long trigger pull with a bit of camming action, I would describe it as "smooth creepy." The Geissele-branded triggers from the SSA on up are in a whole different and higher class than the ACT. And the ACT is not much if any better than a better than average GI trigger with the sear surfaces greased.
 
I have an ACT in use. Not super impressed with it. It's just a GI trigger with polished surfaces and a fancy coating. It's still fairly heavy and has a long trigger pull with a bit of camming action, I would describe it as "smooth creepy." The Geissele-branded triggers from the SSA on up are in a whole different and higher class than the ACT. And the ACT is not much if any better than a better than average GI trigger with the sear surfaces greased.


Then you didn't adjust it properly. I have one in an 18" and two more sitting here I'm about to go install. Of course the SSA is "a whole different....class". It's 4 times the price. That's like saying a Veyron is in a "whole different class" from a Ferrari 355. Of course it is. Doesn't mean the Ferrari is a piece of shit.
 
Then you didn't adjust it properly. I have one in an 18" and two more sitting here I'm about to go install. Of course the SSA is "a whole different....class". It's 4 times the price. That's like saying a Veyron is in a "whole different class" from a Ferrari 355. Of course it is. Doesn't mean the Ferrari is a piece of shit.

Seriously? I "didn't adjust it properly"??? You can look up the ACT instructions at the link below. Please tell me where in these instructions it talks about adjusting it properly:

ALG Defense - where triggers with tradition, value and regulatory concerns are of primary importance

It's a GI-spec trigger. Basically Geissele's answer to the Spike's Tactical trigger and any other fancy-coating GI triggers. It's a good idea, but it's not very special. The GI trigger has geometry and feel more worthy of a submachine gun than a precision rifle, not surprising given that's basically what its goal was at the time of its design. (All the original assault rifles were intended to provide SMG size, weight and automatic fire along with 300-400 yards of effective range instead of <100.)

Your analogy is pretty silly, that's more like comparing the Geissele SSA to their Hi-Speed match trigger. A Ferrari 355 and Veyron are close to the same class as each other. I'd say it's more like comparing a BMW 5-series (SSA) to a Ford Focus (GI) to a Honda Civic (ACT). And I paid less than 3x as much as the ACT for my several SSAs... back when they were $170 and often on sale for 10% or more off that price.
 
I have one in my S&W MP-15 and while not great, it was a big improvement over the factory trigger. For $65 bucks, not a bad deal.
 
I agree with the discription given by rdsii. However I have no problem using mine in my competition rifle because I ran an M16a4 in the Marines for years that didnt have a trigger half as nice as my ALG and it doesnt bother me one bit. For the money I dont think you can beat the ALG..


Just my 0.02

Good luck,
Merritt
 
Brownells has a parts kit that contains these triggers, I bought the kit that has the more expensive trigger (the one with the coating. )

All my other AR-15's have dpms parts kits in them and I can say this new trigger is a big improvement over the std trigger. Much smoother. However, I am not sure I would buy just the trigger by itself to replace my others with.
 
Seriously? I "didn't adjust it properly"??? You can look up the ACT instructions at the link below. Please tell me where in these instructions it talks about adjusting it properly:

ALG Defense - where triggers with tradition, value and regulatory concerns are of primary importance


Oh calm down Tweek. Did I say "adjust it per ALG's instructions"? No, I didn't. So don't use a strawman argument claiming I did.

If your ar lowers don't come with the trigger adjustment screw already built in, you're not a very savvy fella. Or you're buying shit lowers. Even $55 Aero blems have built-in adjustability. That you don't know how to do it is no reason to go getting all menstrual on me.

Just because other people here are able to shoot perfectly fine without needing a $200+ trigger, is no reason to get all pissy about your own inability. :)

And for the record, I have two ACT's that went into receivers last night that were $50 each. so your "i bought them long ago before prices went up" horseshit is moot as well. That's like saying "I bought a Corvette in 1963; if you're going to complain about how much they are now that's your fault for not being born."

Full retard. You went it.
 
Wow, you're a real basement-dwelling troll, aren't you? You did say "you didn't adjust it properly." IT'S A NON-ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER. You didn't say "oh you loser you don't have one of those silly adjustment screws in your lower that can back out and isn't found on mil-spec lowers." I'll have to check my Noveske lowers but don't remember seeing a hole for that screw. That screw isn't needed if you just get a good trigger to begin with.

Seriously, I give a sincere, useful reply to the first post, you come at me with a silly and insulting comment even though my post wasn't directed at you, then I show, by using the manufacturer's own website, why your comment is wrong, and you come back with a pile of middle-school level insults? What are you doing here?

Oh calm down Tweek. Did I say "adjust it per ALG's instructions"? No, I didn't. So don't use a strawman argument claiming I did.

If your ar lowers don't come with the trigger adjustment screw already built in, you're not a very savvy fella. Or you're buying shit lowers. Even $55 Aero blems have built-in adjustability. That you don't know how to do it is no reason to go getting all menstrual on me.

Just because other people here are able to shoot perfectly fine without needing a $200+ trigger, is no reason to get all pissy about your own inability. :)

And for the record, I have two ACT's that went into receivers last night that were $50 each. so your "i bought them long ago before prices went up" horseshit is moot as well. That's like saying "I bought a Corvette in 1963; if you're going to complain about how much they are now that's your fault for not being born."

Full retard. You went it.
 
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I ran an M16A4 for 5 years in the military and I would say the ALG QMS and Advanced Combat Trigger are an excellent upgrade and value for the money. They provide a smooth, reliable, and repeatable trigger pull. I would recommend the Advanced Combat Trigger as it tends to be a touch lighter on the pull weight than the QMS. You wont be disappointed.
 
If your ar lowers don't come with the trigger adjustment screw already built in, you're not a very savvy fella. Or you're buying shit lowers. Even $55 Aero blems have built-in adjustability. That you don't know how to do it is no reason to go getting all menstrual on me.

I have built "a few" lowers, many different brands(including at least 8 or 10 Aero Precision's), many different lpk's, etc... and I have NEVER seen one with any kind "trigger adjustment screw" in them.

Im interested to see what this screw is that your lowers possess that EVERY OTHER lower does not have(unless of course I am an idiot as well and am simply "over looking" this feature). Im from Missouri so "show me" i.e. pictures would be helpful.

And if these magic "trigger adjustment screws" turn a shitty GI trigger into something rivaling a Giessele SSA why then does not the entire industry start doing this, which would cost about a penny for them to drill a new hole?
 
I bought a couple when primary arms ran the combat version for $49.99 on black Friday/cyber Monday. I ordered a couple of the JP reduced pull spring kits to try on them and should have one of the rifles done by the new year. The two ars I am building are just fun rifles, not match, so no big deal. clean and crisp around 5 lb pull is okay with me.

OP, what will you be using this rifle for mainly?
 
The JP springs do nothing for the ACT, use the springs it comes with. I tried it on my 15-22 thinking the yellow springs would make a difference and it didnt. The ACT is a great trigger for the money. If a 200+ trigger isnt going in then I use the ACT.
 
If I wasn't putting a Giessele in, I use an ACT NiB. I have both and think the ACT is very good combat trigger, but that is what it is - a combat trigger, still heavy with a long pull and a fair amount of over travel - not a Giessele.
 
An ALG came standard in my PWS mod 0. I agree with others who said ok but nothing special. Very crisp break but pretty stiff. I was not a fan. I would go to replace it then try it out and say hey not so bad then the next time I took it out I would hate it again.
 
I think he is confusing the screw that some lowers come with that allows you to take out the play between the upper and lower recievers. My C3 defense has one and I believe some Aero Precision lowers have them.

possibly. I havent seen an Aero lower with the tension screw(or whatever they call it) and I am not even sure they are still doing that.

I personally have 2 that I got in maybe 09-10 time frame and they do not have the tensioning screw for the upper. Not that I would use it anyway as its a useless feature just like an "accuwedge".
 
These guys nailed it for 65 bucks if you are doing a build you can't go wrong with it i have one and i feel it was well worth the extra coin. now If when i upgrade the trigger in my LMT MWS i am going to go with a SSA-E . but for my Fun Gun Ar 15 that trigger was a much needed improvement over a standard GI trigger . it cleaned up a bunch of the creep and has a crisp break . but again its a 65 dollar trigger not a 230 dollar SSA-E
 
Wow, you're a real basement-dwelling troll, aren't you? You did say "you didn't adjust it properly." IT'S A NON-ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER. You didn't say "oh you loser you don't have one of those silly adjustment screws in your lower that can back out and isn't found on mil-spec lowers." I'll have to check my Noveske lowers but don't remember seeing a hole for that screw. That screw isn't needed if you just get a good trigger to begin with.

Seriously, I give a sincere, useful reply to the first post, you come at me with a silly and insulting comment even though my post wasn't directed at you, then I show, by using the manufacturer's own website, why your comment is wrong, and you come back with a pile of middle-school level insults? What are you doing here?

Rofl. Nice rage and name-calling. Good to know you're level-headed enough to handle minor disagreements with professionalism and as an adult. Hopefully you aren't as violently argumentative in real life, or you have no business owning firearms. As for the basement-dwelling troll comment, only in the off-season when I'm not working with TF373 (2009) out of FOB Salerno, or attached to 466D EOD as I was from Sep2012-Mar2013 at Leatherneck.

Maybe it's best to shut your fucking mouth and not make personal attacks when you have absolutely no idea about someone else. I've kept it on topic. Right now you're not helping your own cause by acting the way you are, so man the fuck up and act like a goddamned adult, instead of like a 7-year-old who wants another piece of candy at the checkout lane.

I have built "a few" lowers, many different brands(including at least 8 or 10 Aero Precision's), many different lpk's, etc... and I have NEVER seen one with any kind "trigger adjustment screw" in them.

Im interested to see what this screw is that your lowers possess that EVERY OTHER lower does not have(unless of course I am an idiot as well and am simply "over looking" this feature). Im from Missouri so "show me" i.e. pictures would be helpful.

And if these magic "trigger adjustment screws" turn a shitty GI trigger into something rivaling a Giessele SSA why then does not the entire industry start doing this, which would cost about a penny for them to drill a new hole?

I think he is confusing the screw that some lowers come with that allows you to take out the play between the upper and lower recievers. My C3 defense has one and I believe some Aero Precision lowers have them.

Here ya go kids.

Junk Yard Genius.com AR-15/M-16 Pages, page 1.

click the link, and learn something new. Happy to help.
 
Out of curiosity I checked out the link and there is a major bit of misinformation provided there...........the thread pitch for the pistol grip screw is 1/4-28" not the 1/4"-20 listed. Lots of junkyard not much genius......
 
Out of curiosity I checked out the link and there is a major bit of misinformation provided there...........the thread pitch for the pistol grip screw is 1/4-28" not the 1/4"-20 listed. Lots of junkyard not much genius......

Shocked! Shocked I say!
 
I have a few of the ALG QMS triggers and feel that moderate cost (+$10) over a standard GI trigger is a worthwhile expense. I have not experience with the ACT version but I don't see the added benefit for the added cost - I certainly don't need a NiBo coated trigger group.
 

It's a website. People use them to share information over what has come to be called the "internet". Sniper's Hide is a website too. Does that answer your question? If not, perhaps you should elaborate exactly what the shit it is you're questioning, instead of just posting three letters and expecting everyone to know what you're talking about.
 
Im completely new to this but I just bought the ALG Defense ACT trigger along with a RRA LPK without the trigger. I just couldnt justify spending $150 more for a trigger as a new shooter. I got to try this trigger vs a standard GI trigger at the range and the ALG felt much smoother wiyh a crisper break.

For the money I think its great especially if you're building the rifle.
 
There's no doubt their better than a GI trigger and worth the upgrade unless you have the cash for a really good unit. Think of it as possibly the best "stock" trigger.
 
I just put an ALG trigger in a build for my wife, I used a set of JP yellow springs and it works pretty good. For a single stage "upgraded" mil-spec trigger it's alright considering the cost. No fancy full of frills high speed 2-stage anything, just a simple better mil-spec trigger. Want a fancy full of frills 2-stage trigger, buy a Geissele. Heck they even offer a budget 2-stage now.

As for the people that don't understand, the ALG is not adjustable, yeah I know it was stated above but I am re-affirming it, to some peoples surprise there are lower receivers that do come with a tensioning screw and a screw for taking up any slack in the safety play. The Seekins billet lower I used happens to have both........

photo1_zps6ded0c54.jpg
 
I have a new DPMS Gen2 Recon in .308, and I installed the ALG/ACT in it along with the JP 3.5 spring set and some Permatex Anti-Seize on the contact areas and I absolutely love it.

Very smooth and consistent pull with a predictable roll-off.

I have gone through about 500 rounds of Lake City 7.62 M80FMJ with absolutely no ignition issues at all. No feeding or ejection issues either for that matter. Having said all that, I strongly suspect that all the work that DPMS did with the bolt carrier group as well as the feeding and ejection issues had much to do with the ignition performance.

But I am quite pleased with the ACT upgrade. It's worth the extra money, because those parts are incredibly slick and smooth. The JPS 3.5 spring kit made a very noticeable improvement over the factory ALG set.
 
Anybody have any experience with ALG's ACT (Advanced Combat Trigger) or QMS (Quality Mil-Spec) triggers?

I'm trying to decide which to use for a build but having a hard time picking their marketing lit apart and differentiating their products.

Anybody got any trigger time on either or better yet both?
I've had both. 10x better than parts kits triggers. The NIB coating is really just for looks (gieslle says so himself). I'd reccomend a set of JP springs as well. It's the sweetest single stage set-up you'll get for well south of $100.
 
The JP springs do nothing for the ACT, use the springs it comes with. I tried it on my 15-22 thinking the yellow springs would make a difference and it didnt. The ACT is a great trigger for the money. If a 200+ trigger isnt going in then I use the ACT.
Well this is untrue in most cases (perhaps you got really light springs or a bad example of the trigger). When I replace the factory springs with the JP I got b/w .8-1.2lb difference. Not earth shattering, but decent for an extra $10-$15.
 
To anyone still interested, I say save your money for a better trigger if you want a real upgrade. ALG is proportionately as overrated as the Geissele triggers if you're comparing the ALG to a good mil-spec and the Geissele to many other premium triggers.
 
To anyone still interested, I say save your money for a better trigger if you want a real upgrade. ALG is proportionately as overrated as the Geissele triggers if you're comparing the ALG to a good mil-spec and the Geissele to many other premium triggers.

I'm the exact opposite. I'm not much of a trigger Nazi at all, and am in no way interested in a $200- $300 trigger. But for $65 I have put ACT's in every single one of my AR's that previously had mil-spec triggers in them. They are far superior in my opinion, for a very minimal investment.
 
I tried an ALG with the JP springs. I did not care for it. I just as soon have the milspec trigger with the JP springs as the ALG. I have built a few lowers and for low price upgrade the RRA National Match is far better (and even better with the JP springs). I have 4 lowers with the RRA triggers. My favorite trigger is the Wilson TTU single stage (have 2). Have a Geissele G2S for another upcoming project.

The adjustment screw reference above is NOT the tensioning screw for the upper/lower. Sometimes referred to as the "25 cent trigger job" where you can modify the trigger by either cutting a leg off the trigger spring or bending to reduce the trigger pull pressure. Some also do this to the hammer spring. Another 'trick' is to use a 1/4X28 screw inserted through the grip screw socket to contact the trigger. Some receivers are tapped all the way through but many or not. You tapped the threads the last ~1/16" with a die, insert the 1/4X28X1/4 screw and adjust. You have to use a shorter screw to attach your grip. Basically you are taking out the 1st stage of a 2-stage trigger.

Or you can buy a special grip screw that has concentric screws to make adjustment.

Everybody has their own likes (dislikes). Can only try it and see. If you are happy, GREAT. "It's only weird if it doesn't work".
 
To anyone still interested, I say save your money for a better trigger if you want a real upgrade. ALG is proportionately as overrated as the Geissele triggers if you're comparing the ALG to a good mil-spec and the Geissele to many other premium triggers.

What's an example of a good mil-spec trigger?
 
To anyone still interested, I say save your money for a better trigger if you want a real upgrade. ALG is proportionately as overrated as the Geissele triggers if you're comparing the ALG to a good mil-spec and the Geissele to many other premium triggers.

Now that right there is funny, I don't care who you are.
 
To anyone still interested, I say save your money for a better trigger if you want a real upgrade. ALG is proportionately as overrated as the Geissele triggers if you're comparing the ALG to a good mil-spec and the Geissele to many other premium triggers.

Not sure what's worse; claims of "good mil-spec triggers" or claims of geissele being over rated...
 
Not sure what's worse; claims of "good mil-spec triggers" or claims of geissele being over rated...

Or claims of Geissele being the best by people who've never really tried any other premium trigger.

Look, all I'm saying is that the ALG is not that much of an improvement over what you would probably get in the vast majority of lower parts kits. Not enough to be paying another $45-$70 over what you already have. Now if you're starting a new build from scratch, spending a little more to get an LPK with an ALG trigger isn't that bad. Still not that great but not that bad.

As far as Geissele being overrated, when my first trigger was an AR Gold and my first Geissele experience was with an S3G, I couldn't help but be disappointed considering the cost of an S3G for a lot less trigger than the AR Gold. For a bit I thought Geissele could be OK and may just have to settle for second best. But then I tried a JP which pushed it down in the rank and then I tried a Wilson TTU which pushed it further down. The last straw was probably trying the CMC, which cost $50-$75 less, and even that was way better than the Geissele.

The final nail in the coffin was Geissele's use of cast metal parts even for their Hi-Speed triggers. This got me thinking about what the heck are we paying for? I just don't understand the price premium for lower cost materials no matter how nice they polish it up. Btw, besides the S3G I've tried the SSA, SSA-E, and the Hi-Speed and they still rank below the others premium triggers I prefer. The only one that might be competitive is the Hi-Speed and again I still wonder why I'm paying so much for cost compromising materials. Not to say these parts are low quality but they do save Geissele a bit of money which is not transferred to the consumer in lower prices. Heck even their S2S model which was supposed to compete with the RRA NM 2-stage is priced much higher than its target competition and for the money, there is a part of me that thinks the RRA is way better value.

Just in case you're wondering where I'm getting my Geissele uses cast parts info from: Check Here
 
I've got a half dozen "parts kit triggers" ranging from Daniel Defense to PSA . Not a single of them is even in the ballpark with my ACT's.
 
I've got a half dozen "parts kit triggers" ranging from Daniel Defense to PSA . Not a single of them is even in the ballpark with my ACT's.

+1 I was planning to write the exact same response. The ACT is a marked improvement over any of the parts-kit mil-spec triggers I've tried. I actually gave up buying parts kits some time ago and just buy the individual parts now since I was using less and less of what came in the kits. I found buying this way actually costs me less, not more, as you might have guessed.
 
Geissele triggers are made from castings. So are GI triggers. Big whup. If you've ever flown on an airplane, your life is depending on castings. Casting is fine if done properly.

I have two or three GI triggers that have a feel and break at least as good as my ALG ACT, probably a little better. Some GI triggers clean up dramatically after a few hundred pulls, others suck from day 1 through day 10,000. You can mix and match. I may try an ALG QMS sometime, it costs less, has the same machining steps as the ACT without the coating, and personally I've had better luck with greased sear surfaces than fancy coatings. Note that Geissele's $200+ triggers do NOT have the fancy coatings (Ni-B and Ni-teflon or whatever), nor do any high end bolt gun triggers I know of.
 
I think Mr. Geissele does a better job of explaining all his triggers than any of us can. He explains the ALG triggers at 27:40 in the video in the link below. It seems to me that the Geissele goal for the two ALG triggers was met and most of the comments in this thread confirm that. He clearly states it is not a match trigger and was only ever intended to smooth out a mil spec trigger without changing the geometry.

I have a National Match DMR in my precision AR, and I like it so much I will install the SSA in my carbines that I would go to if I wanted to grab a rifle for a defensive purpose. If the SSF is in use by military SOF (since replacing the original two-stage trigger provided by another well known manufacturer) I trust the semi auto version SSA in my guns.

Choosing the Right Trigger for You - Geissele Automatics and ALG Defense - YouTube
 
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Geissele triggers are made from castings. So are GI triggers. Big whup...Casting is fine if done properly...

I'm not denying the potential quality of a good casting but why the price premium if it cost less to make. I'm sure you guys are happy with your Geissele and ALG. And when bundled with an LPK, it's not a bad deal. But for me, I don't find it worth buying it as an extra trigger if one already came with my LPK.

As for the Geissele love fest, which of you guys have tried the other triggers I've mentioned for a true comparison? Or is the love just based on the improvement from a run of the mill GI trigger?
 
I use the SSA & SSA-E G triggers. They are not the best triggers I've ever tried but they are up there, and for me, the best combination of a smooth pull, clean break and safety. They retain the long pull of the standard AR trigger but change the profile to a light take up followed by a good increase in weight for a clean break. I don't like the long reset, but it's a feature that eliminates doubling when a shooter milks the trigger.

I like a good clean single stage trigger with no travel or backlash and can tune a Timney or old school Remington trigger within an inch of it's life. But that's for a bolt action. For a self loading rifle, I prefer the safer geometry of a two stage trigger.

The ALG is, as others pointed out, what the standard AR triger should have been in the first place. Buying a generic standard AR trigger is a crap shoot. You can pull two identical ARs equipped with standard AR triggers and they'll have two different pulls. They could be really gritty or not so gritty, they could be anywhere from 5 lbs to 12, whether greased or dry. But take a pile of ALG triggers, grease them up and install them, they will all feel about the same. They are consistent from trigger to trigger whereas the generic standard AR triggers are a crapshoot. If I'm gonna use a standard AR trigger, it's worth $45 to get one I know will be smooth, consistent and predictable
 
Who said it isn't? I mentioned two ALG triggers, as in the two models they sell. Are you referring to that or something else?

No reference to you particularly. My apologies if your feelings were hurt. Seems this thread has stirred up a lot of emotions.

Just the general references the ALG should have been the milspec trigger and comparisons to Giessele triggers, etc. Apples and oranges. May be the favorable opinions are more towards the crispness of a single stage to those using 2-stage triggers.
 
I have the ACT in one lower and a regular GI trigger from a CMMG parts kit in another lower. The ACT yields a 6.4lb pull and the GI a 6.7lb. These numbers were averaged out over ten pulls on each trigger using a digital gauge. While the pull is still heavy, the ACT is noticeably smoother than the GI and also breaks "crisper". I'd like to try the JP yellow springs and bob the ACT hammer to decrease the lock time when using the lighter spring. Not sure if it would do much, but it's fun to try.

It's not a trigger I would use for long range target shooting, but it's great for a general purpose rifle.
 
No reference to you particularly. My apologies if your feelings were hurt. Seems this thread has stirred up a lot of emotions.

Just the general references the ALG should have been the milspec trigger and comparisons to Giessele triggers, etc. Apples and oranges. May be the favorable opinions are more towards the crispness of a single stage to those using 2-stage triggers.

No emotion, just trying to see if my statement caused confusion. The comments about the ALG and mil spec triggers are valid. It is a part sourced from a mil spec supplier and re worked/refinished by Geissele. As you point out, the Geissele two stage triggers are totally different and I don't see anyone trying to compare them directly.