Apex DCAEK review

[Shmackey]

I installed the Apex DCAEK in my M&P 9mm this weekend. It consists of two major parts--a replacement sear and a replacement striker block--and some springs that you can use or not, depending on the trigger pull weight you want. I installed the sear and striker block but left the trigger pull spring alone instead of installing the heavier "duty spring".

With my laptop on the bench playing the Youtube videos, I found the kit surprisingly easy to install. You definitely need a 1/8" punch but not a whole lot more. Getting the sear housing and thumb safety back into the frame, under the trigger bar, was the trickiest part--but even that took only a couple of minutes.

I was concerned that the rear sight would be very hard to drift, but it was not a problem at all. The set screw had what looked like red Loctite on it, but it turned easily.

That's the good news. The bad news is that it isn't going to make an M&P trigger feel like a great trigger.

For those not in the know, the stock M&P trigger has (at least) five stages: (1) smooth takeup of the pivoting lower half of the trigger itself; (2) smooth takeup of the trigger before the trigger bar reaches the striker block; (3) cringe-inducing crunchy takeup when the striker block is raised; (4) classic bendy, squishy, creepy plastic gun feel when the trigger "breaks"; (5) overtravel between trigger break and hard trigger stop.

The first two stages aren't a problem (although I consider the pivoting "trigger safety" pointless). The DCAEK kit addresses the crunch in stage 3 by using a striker-block plunger that's rounder and more polished along with a lighter striker-block spring. The DCAEK kit also seems to address the overtravel in stage 5 by moving the break point farther back. What the DCAEK kit can't address is the bendy, squishy, creepy plastic gun feel of the "break" stage. That's because the trigger break has little to do with the sear or striker block. If you look through the side of an assembled M&P while pulling the trigger, you can actually see the trigger bar (it's one-armed, unlike a 1911 trigger bow) flex. The plastic frame and trigger contribute their own flex. There's the source of the bend and squish. A look at the sear engagement surface--even on the replacement sear--as well as the end of the trigger bar will show the source of the creep. It's not a sharp, defined "hook" mechanism, so the break has to happen over time.

The end result after installing the kit is a trigger with some extra pretravel, no more striker-block crunch, and no overtravel. The squish remains. Would I do it over again? Probably not. I would probably polish/round the stock striker-block plunger myself and see if I could get rid of the crunch. If that didn't work, I would probably just get the Apex striker block and not bother with the sear.

 

[psyshack]

Clean up the striker contact area. And if need be deck out the top of the sear a tad. Your M&P won't break like a 1911 and to think one could would be,,, foolish. There striker fired weapons.

I did my own trigger job. Very simple on the M&P with good improvements over stock. Some folks go the Apex way.

 

[torrejon224]

I have three M&Ps, a 9c, FS 357sig and FS 45. One the 357 I did the entire Apex kit but went back and installed the Mass trigger spring as the pull was way too light for a carry gun. With the Mass spring it's perfect. The 45 took the trip to Springfield for the PC action/trigger job, OK but the Apex is much better. The PC installed the PC sear, smoothed out the contact points and from the looks of it took a dremel to the plunger. Since I have an extra Apex plunger I'll drop that in when I have time. The 9c was a DIY following the instructions on Dan Burwells site. Overall, for the money and amount of time invested the Apex kit is the way to go IMO. There was an immediate change in the trigger and no time involved for the new parts to "wear or break in". The PC was a waste of time and money but at the time I wanted fast results and did not have access to a sight puller. The PC had my 45 back within 5 working days and while there was an improvement, the trigger still felt "crunchy or gritty" which I attribute to the safety plunger not being perfectly rounded like what you get from Apex. I realize it will smooth out in time but I'll still put the Apex plunger in. The work I did on the 9c was worth the time and effort, again still not near the Apex quality but a definite difference. IMO the Apex parts are the way to go, for under $100 and 45 minutes of time you'll turn a good gun into a great one!

 

[9mmepiphany]

The plastic frame and trigger contribute their own flex. There's the source of the bend and squish. A look at the sear engagement surface--even on the replacement sear--as well as the end of the trigger bar will show the source of the creep. It's not a sharp, defined "hook" mechanism, so the break has to happen over time.

The end result after installing the kit is a trigger with some extra pretravel, no more striker-block crunch, and no overtravel. The squish remains.

Each part of the Apex Tactical Specialties replacement parts addresses a different customer concern.
1. Their Hard Sear reduces trigger overtravel, shortens the reset and cleans up the release (that is why the include the different weight springs, folks were complaining that it made the trigger too light)
2. Their Ultimate Striker Block addresses the gritty trigger travel
3. Their the Reset Assist Mechanism (RAM) improves the tactile feedback of the reset

They also offer an extractor optimized for the 9mm round for their customers who compete or other wise use their M&P very hard. In the pipeline is an improved trigger and trigger bar to address your remaining stated concerns

The amazing thing about these improved parts is that they are real DIY drop-in parts

 

[Skylerbone]

I would love a solid steel trigger (with no hinge safety) and stiffened trigger bar. With the slide removed one of the first things noted was how much twist the OEM bar has at the connector which deflects it into the frame. Though I polished it up it still isn't everything it could be and I'm glad APEX is heading the charge to correct it. Put me down for three, maybe 4 by year's end...

 

[LiveLife]

I did the trigger job myself on my M&P45 and it's now a light/clean 4 lbs with much better release feel. It's not a 1911 crisp release, but much better than my Glock triggers, which I do like BTW.

 

[Manco]

I consider the pivoting "trigger safety" pointless

Without the trigger safety, wouldn't the gun possibly fire when dropped so that it lands while pointed straight up?

 

[Shmackey]

Without the trigger safety, wouldn't the gun possibly fire when dropped so that it lands while pointed straight up?

You mean the trigger's inertia would somehow cause it to be pulled back as if there were a finger there? The plastic trigger is so light I don't see how that's possible.

I think it's far more possible that I would become possessed by the spirit of an ancient "prankster god" and would shoot myself in both kneecaps for fun. I'm daring by nature, though, and willing to take my chances.

 

[Hammerdown77]

The trigger pull on my M&P45 was 7.25 lbs. stock. The Apex hard sear dropped that to 4.0 - 4.25 lbs. The gun is WAY easier to shoot now, although I may add the heavier trigger spring to bring the weight back above 5 lbs. since this will be a carry gun.

Apex is coming out with a different trigger/trigger bar assembly and forward set sear to mimic the trigger pretravel/break/overtravel of a 1911. Initial reports are very positive. It will never feel "just like a 1911" because the whole system is different, but it should be as close as you can get with a striker fired set up.

 

[Hammerdown77]

Also, that "squishy" feeling is not just flex (which I think contributes very little to what you are feeling), it's the cocking of the striker. On a striker fired gun you will never completely eliminate trigger creep, it's inherent to the system. If you look at your original sear, at the surface that contacts the striker, it has an angle or ramp to the face that cams the striker back as you pull the trigger. You are partially cocking the striker with each trigger pull. The Apex sear has a less aggressive angle, so it does not cock the striker as much and therefore requires less force and creep, but it's still there.

Just the nature of the beast.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have installed the APEX kits in two Smith M&Ps (9JG and 40FS) and the triggers are better than the 9Pro. I am happy with them.

The trigger actions are different than the M1911 triggers and I don't expect them to be the same.

 

[Tommy B]

I have a question...

My M&P full size 9mm has the magazine disconnect feature that didn't really concern me when I bought it 3 years ago, but I'd rather not have it now. My question: does the mag disconnect in anyway complicate installing the Apex kit? I already have the USB and I know that's not going to be a problem to install. Thanks, Tom.

 

[9mmepiphany]

No problem with their parts until you get to their RAM.

They have two kits for this part, one for folks who want to keep their Magazine safety, one for folks who don't

 

[Hangingrock]

From my view point I’m extremely reluctant to modify the mechanical OEM features of a service/self-defense weapon as it comes from the manufacture. If it’s a weapon intended for competition under the games we play then no harm no foul.

I’ll admit it took me a long-long time before I acquired my first Glock and my only M&P series S&W pistol is the M&P9mm to date. The only modification I’ve made is changing out the OEM sights for a combination sight setup Novak/10-8 this maybe an extremely conservative approach.

Back in the revolver days I do remember a Sherriff’s deputy that asked me to examine their S&W service revolver. The action was packed full of gunslick grease, coil’s removed from the rebound spring, and the strain-screw shortened in length. While the double action was extremely smooth the weapon was subject to primer strike issues.

I’ll side with caution till other wise proven.

 

[LiveLife]

My question: does the mag disconnect in anyway complicate installing the Apex kit?

I have both mag disconnect and frame safety on my M&P45 and replacing the sear will not affect either.

From my view point I’m extremely reluctant to modify the mechanical OEM features of a service/self-defense weapon as it comes from the manufacture.

I thought about disabling the frame safety as both models are sold in CA legally. After shooting several thousand rounds with the frame safety, it really is no issue for me anymore and I'll leave it be (BTW, it's really simple to remove and has no affect on operation of the trigger action).

We've been changing trigger/various components in 1911s and Glocks for decades now. As long as you are using quality aftermarket components, they are often higher in quality than OEM and perform better (i.e. Ghost trigger for Glock).

If you have any concerns, instead of modifying OEM M&P parts, just use replacement drop in APEX parts. If you have any issues, drop in the OEM parts back in.

 

[Manco]

You mean the trigger's inertia would somehow cause it to be pulled back as if there were a finger there? The plastic trigger is so light I don't see how that's possible.

The plastic trigger itself is extremely light so that its inertia won't be able to overcome even the small spring force that keeps the trigger safety engaged, let alone cause an unintended discharge. However, I was thinking that the rest of the trigger system--including all of the internal metal parts thereof--may collectively have just enough inertia to make the risk of a hard drop causing a discharge non-negligible. In such a scenario, unlikely though it may be, the trigger safety is designed to remain engaged and thereby prevent the rest of the trigger system from firing when dropped. It is intended to serve the same purpose as the trigger safeties in Glocks and other typical modern striker-fired polymer guns--to eliminate a source of unlikely but possible unintended discharges, making the gun completely drop-safe by design. Without it, the gun can potentially fire when dropped.

Either that, or it truly was included in the M&P's design for no reason, compromising the trigger for no gain. I tend to think that there was a reason for it, however, and for what it's worth the one that I just gave is the general reason for the existence of trigger safeties (not snag resistance, although that may be a mild side-effect of some trigger safety designs). If you still don't think it's necessary, that's fine because it's not necessary for a gun to be completely drop-safe--it's just a nice idea for more timid folks.