This is a particularly bad example of a stock AR trigger – we picked through five guns at a local shop to select this gem. The worst of all possible worlds, the trigger really heavy at nearly 10 pounds. See that stuff at the top that looks like the Sierra Nevada mountains? That is the grit your finger feels as it drags the sear over the hammer bent. The actual trigger movement is over 6/10’s on an inch, just horrid. Oddly, this gun had all sorts of cool expensive stuff bolted to it – but it was rendered all but useless by this heavy, gritty staple gun trigger.
Many of you also shoot 1911’s and have a primacy of training with that weapon, and more particularly that trigger feel. As you can see, this trigger scan exhibits many of the traits of the American Trigger Tech AR Gold trigger; a light short take up with and abrupt change of weight at the start of the second stage. This is a 1911 with a pretty nice trigger set to about 3 pounds. In other words for you 3 Gun Shooters, you can set your AR Gold to pretty much match the feel of your 1911 trigger. I guess if the demand is there we could add enough parts and springs to make it feel like a GLOCK. | Here is an American Trigger Tech AR Gold adjusted to a break weight of about 3 pounds with minimal sear engagement and over travel. While both of these triggers could be described as pretty similar in type (two stage) weight (under three pounds) and second stage travel - there feel is really quite different. Let’s start with the take up, we are both light and short with a very abrupt change of weight when you start the second stage. This allows you to confidently move through the take up with out fear of accidentally pulling through the second stage. You see that once the second stage begins the weight build almost straight up with minimal movement of the trigger – this is what your brain will register after the fact as crisp. This is what a great feeling High Speed Precision glass-rod trigger looks like – there is no comparison. "For those that demand the best in a precision trigger for the AR-15 rifle, American Trigger has cracked the code with the AR Gold trigger, It simply is the final word in 'crisp sear release' for target or competition shooting." Ken Hackathorn In contrast, here is a good aftermarket trigger, a Jewell, set to about 2.5 pounds. Compared to stock, well there is no comparison. You see a fairly level but heavy first stage, than a gradual transition to the second stage with a break at about 2.5 pounds. I had this trigger installed on my Prairie Dog AR some years back. While it is good in that application, the blurred transition between the first and second stage is a hindrance to High Speed Precision – you have pay attention not accidentally pull though the second stage. | 
