There’s no doubt about Gaston Glock’s pistol, it’s a good gun.
But can it be better?
Absolutely.
One of the most obvious improvements would be an upgraded trigger system. There are roughly a million different upgrades for the trigger out there…so how do you choose?
That’s where we come in…we’ve bought, used, and tested the most popular triggers over thousands of rounds.
Obligatory disclaimer that you should have a qualified gunsmith install and test all this stuff.
THE QUICK LIST
Stock Glock with 25 Cent Trigger Job & 3.5 lb Connector
Let’s establish a baseline trigger.
Many will say to get a better Glock trigger, you just have to shoot it. And they are right.
Thousands and thousands of rounds (or dry-fire) will polish up the internals and make the trigger much better. Not custom 1911 level…but better than when you bought it.
We cover how to do the infamous Glock 25 Cent Trigger Job with some polishing compound and Dremel.
Another affordable upgrade I do is upgrading the stock 5 lb connector with a Lone Wolf or Ghost 3.5 lb connector. If you built a Polymer80 Glock with a Lone Wolf frame kit…you already have the 3.5 lb connector.
Doing both in my G19 brings the trigger pull down from around 6 lb 6 oz to 5 lb 4 oz and makes it much crisper and with a smoother reset. Perfect for general purpose and maintaining the stock safeties.
Here’s a quick video on the first pull and reset so we have a baseline for the others.
Perfectly manageable, but still room for improvement!
Best Glock Triggers
1. Apex Tactical Glock Enhancement Trigger
Apex is well known for improving the turd of a trigger that comes on Smith and Wesson M&Ps, especially the first models that hit the streets. Obviously, they’ve expanded, or they wouldn’t be on this list.
Apex’s Glock Enhancement Trigger came out a few years ago and is one of the most affordable drop-in trigger systems.
When I say drop-in trigger…I mean it.
It’s a self-contained system with a trigger, trigger bar, and disconnector all built together. You remove your standard Glock guts and fill in the blank. It’s a very simple installation process and very convenient.
The Apex trigger gives you a quick stop initially, so you know when to ease and squeeze the trigger. There’s some minor pull before a clean break.
Also, a much shorter reset that’s followed by a similar pull and clean break again.
Red not doing it for you…they have purple and black too.
One big difference is the flat-faced trigger that still maintains the safety features of the standard Glock. I definitely like flat-faced triggers after using the Apex a bunch. It’s also a little meatier than the other triggers, which I like.
You can combine upgrades with the Zev Competition Spring kit, which I heavily recommend. With it and a polish job…my trigger pull is 5 lb 7 oz and much smoother.
However, I found with mine that I got light primer strikes with the use of the reduced weight striker spring. So be sure to test.
If that happens to you…you might need the Zev Skeletonized Striker ($79) to take full advantage of the springs.
The Apex Glock trigger is my pick for best bang-for-the-buck since it looks cool, is reliable, improves upon the stock trigger, and is priced right.
What’s your take on the Apex trigger? Rate it below.
2. Velocity Trigger
This Velocity Trigger I got sent for testing, and I put it in a new Polymer 80 build with a SeeAll Sight and matching gold Faxon Barrel.
It’s much thinner than the Apex or stock Glock trigger. The flat-faced trigger is also ridged for your finger’s pleasure with a lower-activating safety.
With stock springs and only a 3.5 connector, I was getting 4 lb 12 oz. With the competition spring kit…it should go down some more.
However…one big thing I didn’t like was that in my P80 build and my style of pressing the trigger (pretty high up with thin fingers)…many times, the “safe-action” trigger wouldn’t engage. And I’d be left with no PEW.
Whatever at the range…annoying at a competition…but potentially deadly in a real-life encounter. Not that I would recommend having anything modified on your gun for self-defense.
Otherwise, the trigger was great…longer pull after the initial stop and a nice click.
I would recommend for competition/range if you’re finger placement is usually on the lower half of the trigger or if you have thicker fingers than I do.
3. Overwatch Precision Trigger
The Overwatch Precision is from another P80 build. It also has the competition spring kit.
With everything…I get a super soft 2 lb 12 oz trigger pull. However…it’s pretty spongy when compared to the other triggers. Nice reset, though.
But…runs into the same safety reset problem as with the Velocity (so make sure you press lower or have thicker fingers).
My pick if you really want a light trigger pull throughout. I personally prefer less spongy (even at the expense of pull-weight), so this is my least favorite trigger out of all the series.
4. Zev Fulcrum Ultimate Trigger
My favorite trigger that lives in my G34 for competition shooting. What I’ve shot the most besides stock Glock triggers.
It breaks the cleanest without a lot of pre-travel and no mushiness. Combined with a little 25-cent trigger job polishing and the lightest springs…it comes in at under 3 lb 10 oz.
It’s not much to look at when installed…but the kit comes with an entirely new trigger assembly, lightened springs, and lightened striker (or else sometimes, when you only change springs, you get light primer strikes).
Plus…adjustable pre-travel and over-travel to get YOUR perfect trigger pull. This all comes at a price, though!
5. Tyrant CNC ITTS Trigger
Want a nicer-looking trigger but don’t want to change your trigger pull?
You can check out the Tyrant CNC ITTS Trigger, which replaces the trigger shoe with something purrty.
Easy enough to install with instructions right here.
It keeps your original trigger pull for safety reasons but makes your Glock look a whole lot better!
And while it doesn’t change the performance of the pull, that machined aluminum sure does feel nice. They come in different color combinations too!
6. Timney Alpha Glock 5
First off, I like the Gen 5 Glock trigger and consider it to be a significant improvement over previous generations.
Pressing back on the trigger, it travels back a few millimeters with minor resistance before stopping at a pretty well-defined wall. Pushing beyond this, the trigger breaks crisply at an average of around 4 pounds on my Lyman Digital Gauge.
Reset occurs after a slight release and is both audible and tactile. It’s a great trigger for a striker-fired gun, and I have definitely gotten used to it.
Given Timney’s overall reputation in triggers, I was excited to try the Alpha Glock 5. So I cracked open the package and started putting it in.
Installation was a little challenging due to the small parts, but the instructions were detailed and included good photos. Then, the trigger return spring has to be compressed on the inside of the locking block while installing the locking block.
After installing, I noticed the surface of the all-aluminum trigger shoe was smoother, and the interface with the safety bar in the trigger was also smoother.
The pull weight felt lighter, and I confirmed this on the gauge at an average of 2.5 pounds.
During press, the previously defined wall before break felt softer. And finally, trigger reset felt a bit longer to reach but was still audible and tactile.
Out at the range, the trigger truly shines with a performance you soon become accustomed to and can repeat easily. It’s a great upgrade for around $150.
Honorable Mentions
There are a lot of Glock triggers. Here are some honorable mentions:
- Agency Arms ($160): Pretty good as well…but I’d still take the Apex with the spring kit. Personal preference, though…tons of people love it.
- Lone Wolf Adjustable ($75): The P80 kit trigger is actually pretty good…and this adjustable upgrade is not too shabby either.
- CMC Trigger ($170): Another popular one, but was meh to me when I tried it.
Final Thoughts
We can all agree that sometimes swapping out a Glock factory trigger for something a little nicer can make all the difference when it comes to shooting.
And hopefully, we’ve given you some options to kick your Glock up a notch.
How did we do…what other triggers did we miss that we can test for the next update? Let us know. For a perfect trigger tune-up, make sure to grab a trigger pull gauge. We have our recommendations here!
