D9Firearms

We’ve been very busy building DPMS rifles since Christmas and again had a great time doing it and built out some really cool rifles. Additionally we also developed some new friends out of the deal and plan to expand on one of those friendships in about two weeks when we take a trip down to Texas for a little hog hunting.

Shown above DPMS “Pigs-in-a-blanket” LR-308 TAC20.

The first is the TAC20, which we setup for our new friend Sterling, who has a menacing feral hog problem and has invited D9 down to help communicate his dissatisfaction with their behavior. The TAC20 comes standard with a 20” heavy barrel, extended 4 rail hand guard, flash hider, and carry handle. We the upgraded the flash hider to a Miculek and replaced the A2 stock with a Command Arms (CAA) 6 position collapsible stock, added a Hogue rubberized grip, and installed the bipod adapter and Harris Bipod. This seems like it will be a very versatile rifle for eliminating confrontational feral hogs and for deer and coyote hunting as well. I think this will be an excellent gun shot off of a bipod or rest for medium and long range, but will still serve well in quick free hand shot. (We plan to have some photo’s from this little exercise and are ready for action.)

DPMS LR-308 SASS w/JP Miculek topped off with an IOR Valdada 3×18x42. (You won’t need Cialas with this.)

After working with Sterling he told one of his friends who just bought a DPMS LR-308 SASS, (before he knew about D9Firearms) and asked us to help him out with some optics. He was looking for something commensurate to top off this long ranger and naturally we recommended IOR. Johnny was familiar with IOR and was able to get to a store and look through some of their glass. He decided to go with the 3×18x42 w/a 35mm tube. What a smoker optic. Johnny sent his upper here to us and we mounted, aligned, and bore sighted it for him and shipped it back down. We also installed a JP Rifles Miculek style compensator. He will also be joining us for a little pig roast down in Austin.

Another rifle we built was for a coyote hunter up in Michigan near Detroit where we setup a LR-260H. One of the concerns was the weight because he will be packing it but once on site will be shooting from a bipod. The LR-260H (hunter) model fit the bill perfectly for the weight requirements and shooting conditions combined with the .260 bullet it will be an excellent long range coyote hammering machine. This rifle was outfitted with a OD Hogue rubberized grip, JP trigger and speed hammer, Harris bipod, Burris XTR 2×12x50 (30mm tube) with Warne rings, and a Bulldog rifle case. Plans for this rifle include camo paint job to go with the OD optics and grip.

Another really neat rifle we enjoyed building was for a work colleague of mine Ray, who’s also going down to Texas with me to send a clear message to these loud-mouthed hogs who are molesting Sterling’s deer population. However, Ray cooked up this idea after checking out a couple of different rifles we had on hand and decided on a real unique configuration.

Ray liked the look, feel, and operation of the standard slick side upper receiver (without forward assist & dust cover) but wanted it in the 16” AP4 carbine barrel. Since the barrels and bolts are gauged and head spaced by DPMS changing out the receiver doesn’t cause any loss of accuracy or feeding so we changed it out the A3 receiver. We then added a carbine length 4 rail and replaced the A2 post site/gas block with a standard Koelbl gas block to eliminate any interference with his optic. We upgraded the standard CAR stock with a CAA collapsible, added a Hogue rubberized grip, installed a JP adjustable w/speed hammer, and added the tactical bolt and carrier release. To crown this little swineinator Ray chose our favorite optic manufacture IOR and put a 1.5×8x32 w/illuminated MP-8 reticule, and 35mm tube. He chose this for the larger field of view. I can say as I was bore sighting it for him I found this to be a perfect match for the rifle, his targets, and the distances he would be operating at.

DPMS LR-308B w/A3 receiver/fluted/threaded/Extended 4 rail/CMMG micro gas block/Miculek, Panther grip, Harris bipod & adpater, IOR Valdada 10×42, JARD 2 stage trigger.

We also cooked up a couple of LR-308B’s A3 w/fluted/threaded rifles we had special ordered. This is an excellent platform and modified this with several configurations. Within about 1 week we received orders for three of these rifles all with varying configurations. We outfitted one for a local paramedic, which in his line of work he needs a couple of them, and another for a fellow down in Huntsville who replied that even his wife was impressed. The final one we will be hand carrying down to a fellow in Austin (transferring it through a local dealer) and he went with an extended 4 rail, JARD two stage, and Hogue grip.

DPMS LR-308 w/A3/fluted/threaded/Miculek/Burris 4.5 -14×44.

DPMS LR-308 w/A3/fluted/threaded/4 rail carbine length/ACE Ltd collapsible/JP adjustable w/speed hammer/CAA G27 grip/Harris Bipod & adapter/IOR Valdada.

DPMS LR-308B w/A3/fluted/threaded/Miculek/JP w/Speed hammer/Harris bipod. Brandon outfitted this when he received it with a Magpul and Bushnell 3200 Elite. Very nice.

We received this follow up comment from Brandon:

Darrel,

Brandon

DPMS LR-308 24″ SS fluted bull w/steel receiver. We sold this at the gun show to a local fellow and we are in the process of loading some David Tubb Final Finish bore preserving bullets. Rifle shown with D9’s Night Force.

The DPMS LR-308B shown above and below. D9 dreaming up idea’s. Lower rifle shown with SASS 4 rail. I thought it was pretty cool.

Our next project which we are in the process of organizing and laying out is a customized DPMS AR-15 lower. We ordered only the springs & pins, but can provide all the standard DPMS parts, and combined it with CAA, Badger, JP, JARD, Jewell parts without buying all the entire kit.

If you’re interested in a DPMS LR-308, LR-260, LR-243 or AR-15 customized lower please contact us here at D9Firearms. Thanks again.

Safeaction’s rifle shown on top of a simulated failed drive by attack.

Bernhard or as he goes by “Safeaction” (Must be a Glock Man) was the first client of ours to purchase the new DPMS LR-260L rifle. Since we haven’t had a chance to shoot any of the 260’s yet Bernhard obliged us with some real world data. We currently have a couple other 260’s out in the field and are hoping to get more data posted on the loads that are being used and what seems to work the best.

Bernhard also provided us a couple of awesome pictures. By the look of it, it makes sense why crime rates are lower in Texas. For any of you inner city drive by shooting gang-banging thugs, coyotes, or other incestuous varmints, do not attempt to psis-off any one with an LR-260L.

The DPMS LR-260L is a 260 caliber AR-10 platform rifle that comes standard with a customized Miculek compensator, heavy barrel, mini gas block, A27 grip, JP adjustable trigger, and A2 skeleton stock. We added a tactical carrier release and JP speed hammer.

Darrel, hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

This week I got the mount and today I had a chance to take the gun to the range. Once the rifle is broken in (200 rounds according to the DPMS manual) I will pay special attention to accuracy. I’ve shot 40 rounds.

I bought a busload of Sierra MK 140gr , Nosler BT 120gr and SST 129gr. I’ll work with IMR, Winchester and Reloader powder. Usually I prefer Hodgdon Varget and Vihtavuori but I got the aforementioned powder half price.

Today the Remington Factory Accutip performed poorly which does not really surprise me. In none of my rifles Accutips group well. It is a Minute Of Koyote load, though.

I also brought self-rolled ammo: Hornady SST 139gr/ IMR 7828 which printed 1.6 MOA consistently.

I should be able to develop a sub- MOA load with the Sierra Match King. We’ll see.

I like the trigger although I have to get used to it. The weight of the rifle is perfect, and I love the way it looks. I’m pretty sure I’ll have a good time with it and the varmints won’t.

This trigger was factory set and we added the JP speed hammer. The benefit of the JP is you can adjust the engagement and overtravel. We have a tendency here to set minimum engagement and overtravel. However, instructions on how to adjust this can be found on JP Enterprises website. Or let us know when we install it for you.

I’m looking forward to do some rapid fire drills.

I thought that the lower would be identical to my DPMS 308 but it is not. Upper and lower don’t fit as tight as my 308. Is that by design?

This is consistent with past results of all DPMS rifles. Certain rifles will come out extremely tight to the point you need to use the front end of the barrel for leverage to break them apart. Over time, this does wear in and become easier. On a couple of particular rifles I’ve had to swap an upper and lower to eliminate movement between the two.

The only downside so far is that 260 Rem brass is hard to find and that the ejected brass shows nasty scratches on the neck.

Our good friend in Reno, Earl P., just purchased a 260 24” SS upper at a gun show (where’s the loyalty, LOL?) and he called us and described his enthusiasm in more colorful terms of “being happier than a pig in $#!^”. He was pretty pumped when I spoke with him. But on to the point. he was using necked down 308 brass and recommended using lots of case lube.

BTW, would a 300 SAUM upper fit on the 260 rem or 308 lower?

Yes, all AR-10 frame sizes are interchangeable. This is a great part about these rifles. However, when purchasing a complete receiver separately the cost tends to be about $50 more per receiver than buying a complete rifle and parceling off the part you don’t want.  However, it is still cost effective to getting multiple calibers uppers or variation because most of the expensive upgrades are done in the lower (trigger, grip, stock), which can add a minimum of $140 up to $500.

-Bernhard

Follow up questions by D9Firearms on how the rifle handled.

Recoil is mild and handling is excellent. It’s one of those guns that is appealing for both, hunting and target shooting.

I’ll write a complete review in few weeks. I just want to check out the 140 grainers since I think the twist of the rifle asks for a rather heavy bullet.

Personally, I’m keen on improving my 600 yard shooting. It could be fun to compare the 6.5mm140 Sierra MK to the Sierra .30 155 Palma for that range.

-Bernhard

We appreciate Bernhard’s feedback and we look forward to posting more information from him and Earl as it becomes available. (Don’t worry we still like you Earl, we know we can’t be all things to all people.)

If you are interested in curbing drive by shootings in your neighborhood, live in an area that is crawling with incestuous predators, or just want to express yourself do it with a DPMS LR-260L by calling D9Firearms.

Another shot of Safeaction’s rifle.

We recently built up some DPMS LR-308B rifles and before we had a chance to test one out for a review 3 of the 4 were out the door. The fourth was almost out the door, when DPMS came through and delivered us a LR-308 24” w/SS, fluted, threaded bull barrel for one incredible patient and understanding client of ours. So I decided to build this one out with everything that would make this the ultimate PD-SASS (Prairie Dog – Semi-Automatic Sniper System).

I basically striped it down to the receivers and installed all tactical latches (carrier release, bolt release, magazine release, and safety), I put in a JP adjustable with speed hammer, 4 rail free float hand guard (carbine length), Miculek compensator, Command Arms SRS adjustable stock, Harris non-swivel bipod, mounted an IOR Valdada 10×42 w/MP-8 reticule using Warne QD 30mm rings, and packed it in a Bulldog aluminum double rifle case. (Rifle package as shown $3000) Also, shown is a Bushnell 15×45 spotting scope. ($280)

Unfortunately, it sat on my bench for about 2 weeks before I got caught up on all the other things my wife had planned for me. Finally, I had enough and told my wife to get in the kitchen cook me dinner, get the laundry done, mow the lawn, scrub the floors, and be ready for me when I get back from the range. Well, it didn’t all go quite like that but I still got a couple of hours of range time.

I loaded up my PD-SASS in a new Bulldog case and brought out my new Blackwater drag bag. Typically when getting a rifle with optics that we mount, align, and bore sight, which we have to ship we will use one of these cases for extra protection and to complete the rifle package. The case has 2 key locks and two combination locks, has an aluminum shell and lined with eggshell foam. This case is rated for airline travel and will protect your rifle. (A good case like this will run about $85.)

I also brought out my new Blackwater drag bag, which is way cool. You can latch your rifle in position, has compartments for ammo, accessories, and more ammo. You can strap it to your back like a backpack, and once you get into position and setup, it folds out into a shooting mat for you prone shooters. (There are several variants on drag bags and can range from about $90 - $180 for a decent bag. This one we bought at a local store for $90.)

Photo looking down range at Mill Creek Rifle Range at the 100yd, 200yd, & 300yd. This is an excellent range.

Upon grasping the rifle by the four rail free float tube, which is made from T6 aluminum, has a totally industrial rated look and feel. It adds a little wait to rifle, but you know when you grab its solid. (These are not necessary and add about $170 cost to the rifle, but if you plan to put a light or laser, or just want the in your face attitude type of rife they are nice.)

I decided to setup first on the bench just to site the rifle in after having only bore sighted it. I had a guy I work with develop some D9Firearms targets for me which are laid out for a sight in large center target and then 4 smaller accuracy targets. We then printed it out on a 17×27 white target which makes easy for seeing bullet holes. We hope to start offering these in the next month. We are also developed these for 300 yd and on the center dot we put a 1” solid black line and then had ¼” wide lines spaced a ¼” apart until they reached 3” so you could see the bullet hole breakup on the lines.

The first shot was completely astounding. I’ve only shot the DPMS LR-308AP4 w/Miculek and was impressed, but this was totally awesome. The Miculek takes the recoil and muzzle lift down to that of a 223. Compared to my DPMS LR-308 24” SS bull, I would guess it removes 70% of the recoil and lift. I could probably have my 5-year-old daughter behind the trigger on this rifle.

Close up of a Miculek compensator.

After about 5 rounds of sighting in, I decided to try my Blackwater drag bag/mat out. It took a few minutes to get setup and into position. Here is where I can say some of the options I installed on the rifle became apparent as to why they were developed.

The whole effort took about 10 minutes to get the rifle positioned and the bipod and monopod set. Now that the stock is setup, I estimate it will take half that time to get into position. One issue that I feel is important is the bipod adjustment. I don’t use a swivel and each leg can be adjusted in any increment. (As a note, I will be adding a level to optic next.) This allows you to tweak each leg without locking into set increments and having to dig out some rock or dirt.

Notice each leg can be adjusted to any position.

I then setup the stock to get the right eye alignment and adjusted the pull and the butt plate. These are super cool features. One issue on the collapsible portion of the stock adjustment I didn’t like was a lock down torx setscrew, this should be on a thumb screw. If you were always needing this position, that’s good, but it’s a collapsible stock. However, it still works fine and there is no noticeable movement without it locked down.

I was a little skeptical at first of the monopod, but compared to using your fist, or a sock with sand, or media, it was very beneficial. It has two separate adjustments to get you out to about 6” or 9” and then you just tweak it by twisting either direction. This was very nice and was very solid and had no noticeable flexing on the stock.

At this point, I had the rifle already charged, but as you can see from the picture, the tactical carrier release makes charging the rifle considerably faster since you can charge it without reaching over the stock and getting around your optic. (This is a $20 adder and is well worth it on all of these rifles regardless if you’re using an optic or not.) I had also added the tactical bolt and magazine release are nice features for fat fingering and not having to look at your rifle to drop the bolt or magazine. (These both cost $20 and are nice but not as important as the carrier release when it comes to operation.)

Next was the Panther tactical grip, not only does it look cool, but the swollen grip fits nicely in your hand and the floor rest allows you to rest your hand in place. Next the tactical safety switch, (we can also install an ambi as well) with its oversized lever was very easy to reach with the thumb and didn’t have to look at my rifle and take my eyes off the target to get me into the firing position.

The first couple of shots were to get acclimated and setup in the prone position. I had to adjust the bipod and monopod before getting it where I wanted it. Next time, I will have a better idea of the comfort height for the prone position. I then decided to go for an accuracy test on the rifle.

I picked the upper accuracy target and went for a 3 shot grouping. The ammo I was using was our hand-loaded bullets using 168grn SM HPBT. We’ve written about the ammo before, but it has now been tested in several manufacturer’s rifles and with the exception of the Springfield Armory M1-A it delivered anywhere from .3” to .7” @100yd. (I’ve tested it out to 300yd in my Tikka Varmint and was 1.5” with on flyer out of 5 rounds.)

In roughly a minute time frame for 3 rounds I had two overlapping and one flyer that put me at about .5”. I decided to finish off the last 4 rounds in a speed test which lasted about 20 seconds. What is totally impressive about the rifle is the follow up shot capability (although I’m a former Marine “One shot One kill” this is very beneficial when a platoon of crazed prairie dogs are coming right for you.) The compensator does an excellent job of keeping the muzzle lift and recoil to a minimum and didn’t have a significant compression feel, like a 50BMG has. As I recall the 16’ seemed a little more aggressive but I was standing up and directly under the canopy.

Overall, and I’m not saying this because I built it and want to sell lot’s of these guns, which I do, but when I compare the cost of a high end bolt action that I can get .25 to .5” accuracy and the cost is twice or more as my DPMS I’m hard pressed not to recommend this rifle. I’m not disparaging the bolt guns and some may say I can get as many off in the same amount of time, but for a guy who doesn’t use it for business purposes; it almost makes you feel like one of the guys who do. It just seems at some point the diminishing returns on accuracy. However, to juxtapose this, another friend of ours brought over his GA Precision rifle and I can say he did get what he paid for.

As a supporting comment to this, I was speaking with Earl from Reno, one of our friends (most of our clients seem to become our friends and we like that) who purchased one of the first of these rifles, made the comment to me on the phone the other night that “I would trust my DPMS with my life.” I agree.

The two photo’s above were provided by our friend Earl, who obviously puts the author’s skills to shame.

These two photos are of a DPMS LR-260 24″ fluted & threaded SS bull barrel with Miculek.  We also added the JP trigger and speed hammer, tactical carrier release, Harris bipod, Panther tactical grip, and Burris 6.5×25 w/ballistic plex packed in a Bulldog case.

If you’re interested in a DPMS rifle and would like it factory standard or delivered with options we would be glad to provide it for you. If we have the rifle and options in stock, we can generally turn it around in a week to 10 days. Thanks for interest.

D9.

On a regular basis we call a variety of manufacturers whose products we use to get some additional information on a particular item. If you’ve been to our site before you will know that DPMS AR rifles are our favorite. DPMS has continuously supplied us with quality rifles and have 1^st rate customer service. Since we were getting ready to modify some DPMS rifles with a JP trigger upgrade, we decided to call JP Enterprises directly.

JP Enterprises is no exception when it comes to quality products and customer service. As I was placing my order for several JP triggers, they asked me if I needed any Speed Hammers. Up until now I’ve not installed one on my rifle and hadn’t had any request for them. The standard JP is premium to begin with and thought that for an after market product to an AR rifle, short of having a true professional gun smith mills it to perfection, this was all I needed. They informed to quite the contrary. (By no means am I disparaging gunsmiths.)

He proceeded to describe that the factory hammer has substantially more mass which increases lock time. (Lock time is the time from when the trigger releases the sear, the hammer travels through its arc strikes the firing pin strikes and the pin hits the primer). It’s during this time as the hammer is swinging through its arc that it is transferring part of the energy into the entire rifle causing the rifle/shooter to come off the point of aim. He explained with their low mass hammer it reduces the lock time and the amount of energy transferred into the rifle allowing the rifle to stay closer to the aim point.

He told me take my rifle and site in on a target and perform a dry fire test and see what happens. So naturally I had to investigate this, of course not that I didn’t believe him, but I grew up in Missouri (Show Me State). So I took out 3 rifles, a standard AR with no mods, my personal AR-10 with JP trigger, and then installed a JP with speed hammer into another rifle. Of course the standard is course and heavy and not really geared for high accuracy. Then I tried mine with the JP, and it was clean and crisp and you could feel the hammer and confirmed the dry fire test. During the install of the new trigger and speed hammer I have to perform several dry fire tests and so I knew the answer before I took the final test. You can hear, feel, and definitely see the difference with the Speed Hammer.

I will be placing another order with them to get additional speed hammers to retrofit my rifles and keep several on hand. This is a definite recommendation, especially if you are using the heavy barrel rifles. For the tactical rifles, it’s not imperative you have the speed hammer because pin point accuracy is not as critical.

If you’re interested in a JP Adjustable w/Speed Hammer please contact us here at D9Firearms. We would be glad to install one in your new rifle. If you like to do things yourself we will be glad to ship you one. (Both options of course for a nominal fee.) Also check out DPMS and JP Enterprises web site for more information.

http://www.jprifles.com/index.php

http://www.dpmsinc.com/

Once again thanks for checking out our site and if you would like to post your findings please sign up and we would be glad to hear from you.

Darrel

This is not so much a comparison of which trigger is best, but which application the trigger seems to work best in. At D9Firearms we’ve installed dozens of JP adjustable triggers in a variety of DPMS Rifles. DPMS is fully aware of their standard trigger, and is their first recommendation when discussing upgrades. Granted economics is definitely an issue when considering trigger upgrades. The second concern in upgrading the trigger is which trigger you should use?

Most of our experience has been with JP Adjustable triggers. They are not that difficult to install once you’ve done a couple and it helps to have the right tools (punch, grinder, small hammer, and loctite). The JP has smooth clean break which for standard AR-15 rifles is about 3lb. For the AR-10 (308 calibers) JP recommends keeping the original hammer spring to insure proper discharge, which has about a 4lb pull. However, I have used the lighter spring on my LR-308 bench gun, which of course is used to eviscerate menacing prairie dogs, and have never had a problem. (JP strongly recommends the heavier spring for Tactical and Law Enforcement AR-10 rifles.)

The picture below shows the standard DPMS trigger on the left and the JP Adjustable on the right. The picture below it shows the entire JP Adjustable trigger system. The JP uses the existing hammer, but the hammer shown in this picture is the optional speed hammer. The Speed hammer is a lighter which allows for faster re-engagement, which gives you faster target re-acquisition, when dealing with multiple threats.

Up until recently we have only installed the JP’s but decided to try a JARD 2 Stage NM trigger. We installed this in a DPMS AR-15 6.8mm AP 4 16” w/quad rail rifle. Knowing the JP feel, I immediately dry fired the rifle, and it was a completely different action. The break was crisp, clean, and immediate. Unlike the JP which seems to have a smoother trigger pull this just broke clean and crisp. This combined with the type of rifle we installed it on seemed to be a perfect match. The trigger mechanism does not seem so much geared for the long range accuracy as it does for driving multiple rounds crisply into an “able” style target.

The JARD 2 Stage NM is shown below and you can see the difference between the JP and JARD. As we stated it’s not which trigger system is best but which application is it suited best for. If you want to upgrade your trigger system please contact us here at D9. The typical costs are:

JP Adjustable w/o Speed Hammer $150 installed

JP Adjustable w/ Speed Hammer $185 installed

JARD (AR-15) 2 Stage $145 installed

JARD (AR-10) 2 Stage $155 installed

If you are interested in a JP or JARD trigger system please contact us here at D9. We would be glad to provide it loose or installed.

Thanks

Here at D9Firearms we look for additional value for our clients by offering upgrades to guns we provide. We have shown the different trigger system upgrades which as we stated and DPMS stated is highly recommended, but a couple of other comfort upgrades include the Tac Latch, Hogue Grip, and Optics.

Since optics are a very personal choice we offer mounting, aligning, and bore sighting when providing optics of your choice. However, a nice feature for a AR rifle optics is the Tac Latch by Badger Ordnance shown below. The benefit of this latch is the extend charge handle that allows easy access to charging your rifle. Typically the ocular lens of your optic is positioned directly above the charging handle and is some what of a pain to access it. The Tac Latch extends it out for easy charging. However, we have heard from on of our clients that when you lay the rifle on its side, the extended Tac Latch can release the charging handle from its latched position. The Tac Latch installed cost $25.

Another nice comfort feature is the Hogue grip. Hogue makes very good rubberized handgrips for just about every pistol grip gun. I’ve had these on several of my pistols and on all of my DPMS rifles. Compared with the standard hard plastic grip the rubberized grip enhances your grip for a more finger form fit and reduced hand slip. The pictures below show the difference between the standard and the Hogue. Additionally when installing these on the DPMS AR-10 receivers the safety spring inset hole in the top of the grip needs to be milled out slightly. The Hogue Grip installed cost $25.

Although it is not an upgrade we maintain a supply of DPMS 308 factory magazines. These typically sell for $30.

The rifle shown was just outfitted for one of our local clients. This one we outfitted with a nice 6-18×40 Nikon Prostaff w/SF, BDC, and target knobs. One quick note about optics is Nikon provides a quality scope economically priced.

If you are interested in an upgrade for any rifle or pistol we sell please enquire. If it falls under our expertise we would be glad to offer it.

If you’re interested in accessories or upgrades for you’re firearms contacts us we would be glad to provide them and install them if they fall within our expertise.

Thanks

Typically you walk up to the counter and say hey cowboy let me see that there rifle and the obliging big box store attendant says yes sir. You immediately ratchet back the bolt and proceed to aim at a discontent rhinoceros baring down on you and as you make eye contact you start to lightly squeeze, and then squeeze some more and even more and finally the trigger breaks and the rhinoceros goes down for the count. But was the trigger pull smooth? Did it break clean? Did you jerk when the trigger finally broke? Or was it smooth, with a clean crisp break and the target went down with a clean heart shot and the natives are celebrating. These are just a few issues to consider when evaluating the trigger on any firearm.

In an effort to increase accuracy of your standard factory firearm modifying the trigger or installing an aftermarket will typically produce the most immediate and noticeable results. First you can feel the difference when you squeeze the trigger and secondly and most importantly you will see the difference, hopefully when it is directed at one of God’s little miscreant fur ball creature’s hell bent on the destruction of the cattle population. (Sorry for the digression, but I have prairie dog fever.) Depending on the firearm you may or may not be able to modify the trigger. Additionally some firearms just don’t require it or you wouldn’t want to adjust it. For instance, standard deer rifles or brush guns where you don’t want a tweaked trigger, but when accuracy becomes a focal point of the firearm you’re using the trigger is the first place I tend to look at for changes.

All things being equal the trigger is the one area that can be easily modified to produce immediate and very noticeable effects. Mechanical design has never been my strong suit and so I always find it interesting to study how the system works only to see how ridiculously simple it is. The genius behind a good engineer is KISS “Keep It Simple Stupid”. I also think about the mechanics behind the firing control system of my guns. Have you ever stripped down a semi-auto handgun, or bolt rifle, or even your shotgun and studied how the trigger mechanism actually works? Although I could never design a fire control system I can understand, see, and appreciate the ingenuity behind it.

The first installation was for Mike and his DPMS LR-308. Briefly Mike is quite an enjoyable fellow who routinely drops by Saturday mornings and gets it all kicked off by talking about one of our favorite topics, shooting and what he wants next. So Mike decided to go with the JP Adjustable trigger that I have been recommending and personally have in both of my DPMSs. This trigger will reduce the pull from 6lbs down to 3lb. This trigger allows you to set the break point and adjust the over travel. The process is relatively straight forward and requires a punch set, small hammer, and a dremmel tool. Once the original trigger is removed and the new one installed the trigger must then be set for engagement and over travel adjustment. This is a repetitive process until everything is lined up and breaks clean and smooth. Once this is completed, you need to take out the set screws and apply loctite, then re-adjust it again. The overall process takes about 30 minutes that is after you’ve done a few. The triggers sell for $130 - $135. We offer the trigger installed for $150.

Another fire control mechanism we are also reviewing and starting to work with for the DPMS rifles is the speed hammer. I’ve just received it in and plan on installing it on my DPMS Sweet 16 Bull. The objective behind the speed hammer is to reduce lock time which increases accuracy on follow up shots, not that I need a follow up shot, but occasionally a prairie dog deserves a second shot. (Actually they’ve escaped death a few times to many; hence the replacement trigger and speed hammer.)

A few weeks ago I sold a Glock 23 (40SW) to another local client and I had him test the difference between mine, which has the 3.5lb disconnector, and his new one. He immediately recognized the benefit of dropping the pull on this pistol. So I ordered in a 3.5lb disconnector to replace the factory disconnector, which has about a 5.5lb pull. While waiting on the trigger to come in, I recommended that he get acclimated and shoot a couple of boxes of rounds through it. The trigger came in about 3 weeks later and I had my new shooter come back over so we could install the disconnector. Since I haven’t done this for awhile it took a little more effort but 30 minutes later the pistol was back together and operating as smoothly as my personal Glock. He was immediately pleased with the new pull.

As I wrote in earlier reviews I have modified both of my Remington 700’s with an aftermarket trigger on my VLS and VSF, which has made an incredible difference. I’ve used both the Timney and Rifle Basic replacement trigger and have been very pleased with both of them. Each trigger took me about 30 minutes to install and did not require any adjustment. However they are both adjustable, but I just like mine set light.

So if you are interested in an after market trigger please contact us here at D9. We will be glad to provide a trigger and provide installation. However, depending on the firearm we may opt not to install it if it is something we have no experience with. As always we hope this information is beneficial.