The Best Aftermarket Glock Triggers
Written By
Kenzie Fitzpatrick
Competitive Shooter
Edited By
Michael Crites
Licensed Concealed Carry Holder
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Updated
Apr 2023
Glock pistols are popular for a good reason: they’re durable tools that serve people well around the world.
Whether it’s in military settings, law enforcement, tactical or civilian uses from self-defense to the highest echelons of competition, you’re likely to find a Glock anywhere someone is using a handgun.
In This Article
Glock Trigger Comparison
Below is my list of the best Glock triggers. I list the best choices in terms of value, performance, design, and cost.
Click on the name to head to the product page, read reviews and check prices or skip ahead to the list of triggers.
Name | Selection | Price |
---|---|---|
Best Overall | $74.95 | |
Runner-Up | $150 | |
Best Polymer Trigger | $59 | |
Premium Option | $249 | |
Lightest Pull | $133 |
Glock Trigger Reviews
1. Best Overall: Tyrant Designs
Tyrant’s “Improved Tyrant Trigger System” (or I.T.T.S.) tops our list because it’s both an extremely well-made component that fit perfectly in our G17 and its half the price of other top-end options. The trigger itself is a cross between a curved and flat-faced trigger, which is both unique and offers the best of both trigger worlds.
Like any factory Glock trigger you get a blade safety, which is light but noticeable and the 30 percent power spring gave me quick resets that sped follow-up shots over the factory go pedal.
Trigger installation isn’t particularly “techy” but can seem intimidating to the uninitiated, which is why Tyrant’s installation videos are such a nice feature — they’re available for every product and are well produced.
For the trigger install you’ll need a punch, hammer, and handgun armorer’s block if you have one; if not, a roll of duct tape will suffice.
We also have a full review of Tyrant Designs products if you want to dive deeper into the world of CNC-machined custom Glock componentry.
2. Runner-Up: Agency Arms
This trigger gives you all the benefits of upgrading a Glock trigger. With the Agency Arms Drop-In Trigger you’ll get an aluminum, flat-faced trigger with much less pre-travel than stock, leading to a cleaner break and one of the best shooting experiences of any aftermarket Glock trigger.
Also, the trigger is bright red if customizing your Glock is a priority. They offer this in a few models, so make sure to take a moment and confirm which generation of Glock you have before ordering. Installation is fairly simple, but if you haven’t done it before asking a friend who has for an assist is a good idea.
3. Best Polymer Trigger: Overwatch Precision
While the price tag on the Agency Arms is well worth it for the enhancements that trigger offers, some might not need that level of customization. That’s where the Overwatch Precision Trigger comes in. Effectively, this kit is the internal parts of their more expensive triggers, with a polymer trigger shoe to cut down on costs.
The result is a budget-friendly trigger that will provide a much better shooting experience when compared to standard Glock triggers.
4. Premium Option: Zev Technologies Pro Series
If what you’re going for is ultimate performance, this is the trigger you’re looking for. The Pro Series from Zev has modified face geometry and the snappy reset of a competition trigger with a lighter trigger spring which drops the pull weight considerably.
The clever thing here is that they retain the factory striker spring to maintain the Glock’s legendary reliability, which makes this suitable for duty and self-defense use as well. The Zev is a top-tier drop-in Glock trigger, and it’s designed for standard Gen 4 Glocks, making for a smoother trigger pull without the need to send your gun to a specialist.
5. Lightest Pull: Apex Tactical
The standard Glock trigger isn’t bad per se, and you can absolutely find people who like its pull and feel. If that’s you, and you simply want something a little bit lighter, then the Glock Action Enhancement Trigger from Apex Tactical is what you’re looking for.
With a little less over-travel, a cleaner break, and about a pound less pull weight, the Action Enhancement Trigger is a simple aftermarket Glock trigger upgrade for duty use or concealed carry Glocks.
This isn’t recommended for someone looking to build a competition gun, or who wants a huge difference from a standard Glock trigger, but if you want to speed up the trigger reset, lighten the pull, and have a better shooting experience Apex Tactical’s Action Enhancement Trigger will give you all that and more.
Why upgrade your Glock’s trigger?
Like any tool, some things can be improved. Glock themselves admit this; which is why there are generational improvements worked into Glock designs every few years. One thing that some people, in particular competition shooters, find a little lackluster on the Glock is the trigger.
This is especially true of people who are coming to the Glock pistol from other formats, such as the 1911-style pistols offered by myriad manufacturers, known for the crisp trigger break that isn’t always there in stock Glock triggers.
Luckily, the Glock has massive aftermarket support, making it a widely modified firearm with a huge array of available upgrades.
This robust aftermarket means lots to choose from when it comes to drop-in trigger upgrades, and there are many reasons you might want to try a new trigger: the accuracy and feel of a handgun depend largely on the trigger pull, and the best Glock triggers give you more variety in everything from pull weight to pre-travel, post-travel, flat-face options and trigger reset. Plus many offer smooth action when compared to the stock trigger.
How a Glock Trigger Works
A stock Glock trigger works much like most other striker-fired firearm triggers, with a few safety features that make the pistol unique.
Assuming the pistol is cocked, when you press the trigger past the break it releases the striker, which strikes and ignites the primer, fires the chambered round and cycles the firearm, allowing the trigger to reset as you release it. Once the trigger resets, you can begin the cycle again with another trigger pull.
How a Glock trigger safety works
What makes Glocks innovative is their integrated trigger safety: that little blade in the middle of the trigger is a physical safety.
Without pressing this safety the trigger will not release the striker. When this innovative safety design first appeared on Gaston Glock’s original G17 in 1982, it was very different from common trigger safety designs of the time and is still considered one of the things Glock owners like most about their handguns. That trigger safety is the primary Glock safety feature and makes them less prone to accidental discharges.
The Glock firing sequence
The pistol simply won’t fire when dropped or absent compression on the trigger safety blade. Combined with a relatively heavy stock trigger pull weight, Glocks are also some of the safest handguns on the market.
The safety placement on Glock triggers makes finger control all the more important. Not only do you have to press the trigger in a way that leads to accurate shooting, but also in a way that seamlessly engages that safety.
Benefits to a Trigger Upgrade
1. Reducing Travel
Adding a trigger kit to your Glock can help reduce pre-travel, over-travel, and lower pull weight. Pre and over-travel are the amounts of movement before and after the trigger breaks to release the striker. The more you can cut those down the more consistent your trigger pull will be, enabling you to shoot quickly without impacting accuracy.
This is especially true if the trigger kit you pick reduces pre-travel, which causes many shooters to adopt poor finger placement in order to compensate for the slop.
2. Improved Geometry
Additionally, some kits change trigger geometry: the standard Glock trigger is curved. Many trigger kits these days come with a flat-faced trigger, which many shooters prefer over the stock Glock trigger or options with a curved face.
3. Better Components
Most high-quality kits also come with more durable components, often made out of 7075-t6 aluminum alloy. These parts not only add longevity to the gun through wear and corrosion resistance, but they can also remove a lot of the travel inherent in a stock Glock trigger, making them a great drop-in upgrade for competition guns in particular.
4. Better Feel
In addition, trigger upgrades can be very useful for improving the feel of older Glocks, which may have chrome or nickel-plated stainless steel components (like the trigger bar connector) . These parts can wear through this plating off over time, and as friction removes layers of plating from the safety disengagement protrusion on the trigger bar it can impact feel and break dynamics, leading high round-count Glocks to feel less snappy than a stock trigger.
A simple drop-in trigger upgrade will reset the tolerances on many of these parts, but it well may be worth replacing the trigger bar and connector to get the most out of your trigger upgrade.
5. Improved Aesthetics
Some trigger kits offer aesthetic improvements as well. While this might be less of a consideration for self-defense or duty guns, a lot of competition shooters spend considerable time and money making their Glocks look unique, which is an important consideration for defining the best Glock trigger.
Use case matters!
What to Look for in a Replacement Trigger
There are a few things that you’ll want to keep in mind when picking Glock trigger upgrades.
1. The feel you want to achieve
First and foremost is the kind of feel you want to achieve. Ideally, you will have the chance to pop into a gun shop and try one out or borrow a friend’s gun and use that for a frame of reference before determining what makes for the best Glock triggers for you. The amount of pre-travel that any given trigger has only matters in the context of how you, the shooter, feel about it.
2. Improved Ergonomics
The same can be said of trigger geometry. These days, the flat-face trigger is very popular, and it’s clear why: they can be extremely crisp and help you shoot better. Other Glock fans prefer the standard profile of a curved trigger, and that’s fine too.
Flat Triggers vs Curved Triggers
When perusing the aftermarket trigger world, you’ll likely encounter two variations: flat and curved. There are reasons for considering both, but often it comes down to personal preferences.
Flat Triggers
Flat triggers offer two potential benefits: uniform contact and consistent trigger pull. With a flat trigger, your finger makes uniform contact with its flat, vertical surface. This helps produce an even feel because your finger won’t land in the exact same spot on the trigger with every shot, especially when you’re moving quickly or drawing from a holster.
It’s also helpful when it comes to finger placement for a variety of hands. Big hands sit lower than small hands on the same gun, so bigger hands often mean more trigger travel. That flat trigger plane gives you consistent pull no matter where your finger ultimately makes contact.
This consistent pull means consistent resistance, so a flat trigger breaks reliably even if your finger sits higher or lower on the blade.
Curved Triggers
Curved triggers have the advantage of shorter reach at the center of the trigger blade (trigger reach being the distance from the grip to the trigger face). This means that when your finger lands at the trigger’s center you have the shortest pull. The curved nature of the blade also makes locating the center relatively natural, so there’s little variation when it comes to finger placement.
3. Name Recognition
There aren’t too many objective standards when it comes to “the best Glock trigger”. One simple rule to help avoid disappointment is to make sure you only consider a trigger kit that’s from high-quality, reputable manufacturers. Agency Arms, Zev, and Apex Tactical are all great producers (and are included in our list below.)
Sticking with proven manufacturers means your kit is likely to perform to expectation, and there will be some kind of recourse if you are less than satisfied with the option that you do end up purchasing.
There are lots of great trigger kits out there, and we wouldn’t be shocked if you end up trying more than one: that’s part of the process of customizing a firearm and producing a better experience.
The One Tool You’ll Need
A quick note –to disassemble a Glock, you’ll need a good punch. Several companies make great ones that are designed specifically for Glock trigger disassembly. Factor one into your trigger upgrade budget and you will thank us later.
Additional Reading
- Alien Gear Holsters, Ben Hoober, Flat Trigger vs Curved Trigger: Is One Better Than Another?, November 20, 2019
- NPR, Fresh Air, How The Glock Became America’s Weapon Of Choice, January 24, 2012
- Robert Sandowski, Book of Glock, 2018
In Testing
March 17, 2023 — We’re planning on testing Glock’s new OEM performance trigger, but for the time being we continue to stand by our picks. We’ve updated images and links where appropriate.
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