AR-15 Zero™ Trigger – Flat
$224.99 – $274.99

ATTENTION: THE AR-15 ZERO TRIGGERS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 9MM AR’S OR AR-10’s.
WE ALSO DO NOT RECOMMEND USING THIS TRIGGER WITH MODIFIED BOLT CARRIER GROUPS OR BUFFER SYSTEMS. YOU MAY DAMAGE YOUR TRIGGER. PLEASE USE ONLY WITH MIL-SPEC CARRIERS AND BUFFER SYSTEMS.
The short 2mm reset makes the Zero trigger one of the fastest on the market. The reset is also positive, which facilitates even faster shooting during training or competition. The trigger, hammer, and disconnector are EDM cut and then polished with brass wire to a micron finish in all critical contact areas for a friction-less engagement. The pull-weight and disconnector set screws are also welded after loctite for safety and a lifetime of use.
Zero™ AR-15 triggers are available in two pull weights: 3 lbs and 4.5 lbs. They are available in Black Nitride or Titanium Nitride (MULTiN). Black Nitride is a heat treatment process that enhances corrosion resistance, improves lubricity, and leaves a fine black finish on the surface of the metal.
In short, all of the features of the Zero™ trigger are designed to offer a shooting experience that is exceptionally smooth, crisp, and fast.
*ANTI-WALK TRIGGER PINS ARE NOT INCLUDED BUT CAN BE PURCHASED HERE
*0.1540 inch diameter trigger pins are required. Undersized and out-of-spec trigger pins will cause the trigger to malfunction.
* Primary tension screw: Tighten to 8in-lbs (no Loctite)
* Secondary tension screws: Tighten to 14in-lbs (add blue Loctite)
- Short reset length: 2mm
- Forced reset: No
- Drop safe: Yes
- Design: Single stage drop-in trigger for the AR-15 platform
- Compatibility: Fits any AR-15 lower receiver properly machined to mil-spec dimensions
Frequently Asked Questions
To clean the ZERO trigger when the trigger is outside the rifle, we recommend using camp fuel or white gas. Fully soak your trigger inside a small container of white gas for about 5 minutes. Make sure the container is covered or has a lid. Use clean cotton patches to wipe off all carbon deposits from hammer, disconnector, and trigger.
To clean the ZERO trigger when the trigger is inside the rifle, we recommend using camp fuel or white gas. Place your lower receiver upside down where the hammer faces the workbench. Use a small squeeze bottle to squeeze white gas into the trigger. Repeat this step a few times until all surfaces inside the trigger housing are wet. Without any delay, rotate your receiver and use clean cotton patches to wipe off all carbon deposits from the hammer, disconnector, and trigger. Repeat this process until the carbon deposit is removed from the trigger.
If you chose to use lubrication after cleaning (not recommended), we suggest Hoppe's 9 Lubricating Oil (Model 30128). Only add two drops of oil between the hammer and trigger where the hammer spring is located.
All ZERO triggers are lubricated during assembly. We use Hoppe's 9 Lubricating Oil (Model 30128). This is the only time we add lubrication to the triggers. After you install your trigger into your rifle, we recommend that you not use any additional lubrication. All ZERO triggers are designed to function without lubrication (i.e., run dry). If you choose to run our trigger with lubrication, you must clean your trigger more often.
If you run your trigger dry, as recommended, you should clean your trigger every 800-1200 rounds, depending on the quality of the ammunition you run.
If you elect to lubricate your trigger, you should clean your trigger every 500-900 rounds, depending on the quality of the ammunition you run.
No, the AR-15 ZERO trigger is not designed to function with common AR-10 ammunition, which requires a heavier hammer. For use in an AR-10, please choose our AR-10 ZERO trigger.
No, the AR-15 ZERO trigger is not designed to function with common PCC ammunition.
The trigger pull weight is the amount of force that is required to release the hammer, which causes the weapon to fire. If you are an experienced or competition shooter, we recommend our 3lb trigger. If you are a less experienced shooter or intend to use this trigger in a duty or defense weapon, we recommend our 4.5lb trigger. As with any trigger, we recommend that you routinely train with your trigger of choice.
Both finishes are excellent, but the processes are very different and offer different benefits.
Black nitride is a heat treatment process that enhances corrosion resistance, improves lubricity, and leaves a fine black finish on the surface of the metal. Black nitride processing can reduce the hardness of the base metal by about 5 HRC, but it does not create any dimensional changes. Before black nitride processing, we heat treat (in house) our trigger parts to the maximum possible hardness—about 60-65 HRC for both A2 and S7 tool steel. The 5 HRC reduction caused by the black nitride processing is nominal and will not have any meaningful impact on the life of the trigger.
Nickel Teflon (comparable to NP3) is a plating of electroless nickel co-deposited with Teflon that provides remarkable lubricity and takes on the appearance of the base metal. Nickel Teflon application, does not involve heat and therefore does not reduce the HRC of the base metal, but it does create dimensional changes because it is a coating that is adhered to the base metal. Our trigger design accounts for these miniscule dimensional changes, and we also lightly sandblast the trigger parts before nickel Teflon processing to improve adhesion of the coating and to also offset its thickness.
The most impactful difference between the black nitride and nickel Teflon finishes is that nickel Teflon offers about 3x the lubricity—specifically, nickel Teflon offers a coefficient of friction of .1 (lower is better) whereas black nitride offers a coefficient of friction of .3. This results in a trigger with a smoother feel, which may make a difference for experienced and competition shooters.
We use full strength springs for all of our triggers.
It is a common misconception that the length of the spring legs across the trigger housing will affect the spring force. Our springs are full strength springs with have short legs that do not interfere with the installation of the trigger in the receiver housing.
Question
Joe –
Will the AR-15 Zero trigger work well with a 300 Blackout build? Thanks
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Question
Jonathan Cervantes –
Will this trigger work fine on a ar15 lower with 7.62×39 upper?
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Blackout Defense –
We recommend our AR-10 trigger for 7.62×39.
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Question
Collin Arnold –
Would this trigger work in my M&P15 AR-15 6mm ARC?
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Blackout Defense –
We have customers who run 6mm ARC with our trigger with no issue. We recommend our AR-15 trigger.
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Question
Caleb Hewitt –
Will this drop into a Great Lakes Firearms 350 legend AR
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Nathan Keith (verified owner) –
its a wall, brakes, resets the smallest bit than back to wall.
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Question
Nick –
How much does this trigger weigh. I’m building a lightweight are pistol, and ounces= pounds. I wanted to compare this trigger to the elftman 3 gun trigger.
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Sean Ray (verified owner) –
I installed the trigger and put through 30 rounds of M855 green tip with no issues. Then I loaded 30 rounds of .223 and began to have cycling issues. Since the trigger resets so fast, would it benefit to put in a heavier or lighter buffer? Note when I put back in the original trigger no issues with the .233 rounds.
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Blackout Defense –
Please call us at 480-781-0572 and select option “1” for sales and we will transfer you to our engineering department. 5.56 ammunition is higher pressure than .223, which would normally explain a cycling issue such as failure to feed and would counsel in favor of opening up the gas port diameter if you are using an adjustable gas block and/or switching to a lighter buffer to speed up the cycling rate of the bolt. That being said, it’s odd that you report no issue with the .223 rounds with your factory trigger. We need to better understand the precise “cycling issue” you are experiencing and ensure that your trigger is properly installed.
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Blackout Defense –
Our trigger weigh 0.17 lbs (2.7 oz).
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Randy Jones –
Sweet video
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Question
Vladimir –
Work for 7.62 x39 or for anyone. Thx
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Blackout Defense –
We recommend our AR-10 trigger for 7.62 ammunition.
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Question
Moe Dietle (verified owner) –
Any chance of developing a trigger for the AK platform?
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Blackout Defense –
Yes! This is a next year project but it is definitely on the list.
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Question
Banks –
Will this fit with a SW M&P 15-22?
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Question
John Hancock The Bantha Fodder –
Is this similar to the FRT-15 trigger by rare breed?
Is it a semi automatic trigger, that resets quickly allowing for semi automatic fire only?
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Blackout Defense –
No, the Zero is not a forced reset trigger.
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Question
Hayden Browning –
Will this trigger fit in a Fn-15?
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Blackout Defense –
FN advertises its lower receiver as mil-spec and our trigger will fit in any mil-spec receiver. We have not heard from customers of any fitment issues with the FN-15.
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Question
Drew –
Does the hammer in this trigger have enough force to reliably fire with a .22 conversion kit? I’ve tried lighter springs on a mil spec trigger with no luck.
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Blackout Defense –
We do not currently recommend our trigger with 22 conversion kits.
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David Williamson (verified owner) –
This trigger is it for me! I purchased the 4.5 lb flat face trigger for my first AR pistol build. Absolute perfection! I just finished my 300 blackout AAC and I put the same trigger in it. Awesome stuff! If anyone is looking for a trigger this is the one! 308 is next!!
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Gary harvey –
Currently I’m using an American corporation goldtrigger, how does the blackout compare with it ?
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Blackout Defense –
For a comparison of various competitors triggers, it is best to consult on independent source. There are many independent reviews on YouTube that can help.
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Christopher Marmon (verified owner) –
This was my first purchase from Blackout Defense but it will not be my last. This is the smoothest shooting trigger I’ve ever owned. I purchased the 3 pound trigger in NP3 and man is it quick! Now I have them in all my AR-15s.
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Question
Josh –
Will this fit in the ruger ar15
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anthony.tyndall –
This is my first AR 15 build. I have a Areo Precision M4E1 lower receiver and a Stag 15 upper. Will this trigger work in this combo?
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Blackout Defense –
We have seen some Aero Precision receivers with under-machined trigger-wells that interfere with drop-in trigger housings. Please give us a call to discuss how to measure your receiver’s trigger-well to determine if it is in spec and will fit a drop-in trigger. We are available M-F, 9am-5pm MST, at 480-781-0573.
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Blackout Defense –
Yes.
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Question
Dominic –
Hi how our you, have a question I was review your triggers and noticed it said Thank you! Your contribution has been received and is being reviewed. I haven’t purchased the trigger yet. Can some please clarify these with me. Thank you
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Question
Kai –
Does this trigger allow the activation of the safety when hammer is down and up?
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Blackout Defense –
When the hammer is up and completely disengaged from the sear, the selector should not function.
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Question
Isaac Harris –
Which one is for 300 blackout?
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Luke M –
Does the hammer have enough mass to reliably set off 22LR using a CMMG-style bolt group?
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Blackout Defense –
We recommend our AR-15 trigger for 300 AAC Blackout ammunition.
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Question
Ron Hall –
Is your trigger ATF approved ?
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Blackout Defense –
Our trigger is not a forced-reset trigger and it is not a machinegun.
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Question
Gavin –
Just picked up one of your triggers and was sitting down to install it. I noticed there are 3 loose screws included. The 2 chase screws mentioned in the instructions and a third shorter screw that I can find no mention of. Is there any specific purpose to this screw? I assume it is not just a spare since it is different dimensions.
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Blackout Defense –
You are correct. The shorter set screw is for tuning the trigger tail to the safety selector if your safety selector or lower receiver is out of spec and causes you to feel pre-travel. If you do not feel any pre-travel, you do not need to install this set screw. If you do wish to install this set screw, please call us at 480-781-0573.
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Question
Marty –
Will it work with 7..62×39 steel cased ammo
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Blackout Defense –
No. Please select our AR-10 trigger for 7.62 steel-case ammunition.
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Question
Tommy –
Will this fit for 300blkout sig rattler?
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Blackout Defense –
No. Our Sig-specific trigger is forthcoming.
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Question
Steven Yeung –
Would this work for my ar lower with sig rattler upper conversion rifle?
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Blackout Defense –
No. We have a forthcoming Sig-specific trigger that will launch soon.
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Question
G.A. Smith –
Are the anti-walk pins necessary, if the installer tightens the set screws to the lower receiver housing, including blue loctite? It seems like anti-walk pins shouldn’t be needed after the set screws are putting pressure on the original milspec trigger pins.
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Blackout Defense –
Your pins do not need to have the anti-walk feature, however, it is very important for the pins to be .154″ in diameter. Our pins are centerless ground after nitride to an exact .154″ diameter.
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Question
G.A. Smith –
What is the expected round-count lifespan of the Nickel Teflon NP3 coating vs the Nitride finish? Will these coatings wear off after repeated use…?
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Blackout Defense –
Black nitride is a heat treatment process that penetrates the top layer of the metal. Nickel teflon (NP3) is a plating that is adhered to the surface of the metal. The triggers has metal-to-metal contact in the area of the sear and disconnector, and regardless of finish type there may be some wear in these areas eventually. However, we have round-count rifles with over 30,000 rounds – with both our nitride and NP3 triggers – and we have not seen an alarming amount of wear in these high-contact areas.
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Question
Eric Kerlin (verified owner) –
Are these triggers approved for use in AR-10 DPMS Pattern .308 rifles?
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G.A. Smith –
@joshua Aguilar: I don’t work for blackout defense, but this AR-15 trigger should work perfectly for 300 blackout, because that round uses the same case base and primers as 5.56.
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joshua Aguilar –
does it work with 300 black out?
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Blackout Defense –
Please use our AR-10 triggers for .308 or 6.5mm caliber family
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James (verified owner) –
This trigger has ruined me on using any other trigger. Crisp break, no pre or over travel. Love the flat face shoe. Price isn’t bad for what you get and comparing it to what I’ve spent on other triggers that aren’t close to as good it’s actually a steal.
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Charles Davis (verified owner) –
I shot National Match Competition on the USMC Shooting Team at Quantico “back in the day”. We fired highly-tuned M-14’s built by amazing craftsman.
Everyone was obsessed with trigger performance.
This is the trigger we were always chasing, only better.
First, there really is no takeup. Apply 4.5lbs with absolutely zero creep. The trigger breaks clean, moves about .05″ and stops.
Release the trigger and it resets: click. Press again. Zero creep, breaks at 4.5lbs, and stops dead. All. Day. Long. Absolutely consistent. It’s uncanny.
After the Marines, I worked my entire career with High Tech CNC manufacturers. So, I know what it takes to make something great: engineering, equipment, people, and quality control. It takes them all.
Hats off to Customer Service too: fast, friendly, efficient, responsive and effective. Thanks.
Does this sound like a paid endorsement? It isn’t. I paid full retail for the NP3 All with Trigger Pins direct from the Blackout Defense webstore.
I am just an ex-Jarhead who knows that you (often, hopefully) get what you pay for. In this case, I got more than I thought was even possible. Nice upside surprise.
To my fellow trigger-obsessed perfectionist, you won’t be disappointed.
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Charles Davis (verified owner) –
I used to shoot National Match Competition on the USMC Shooting Team at Quantico with a super-tuned M-14 “back in the day”. The armorers were outstanding craftsmen, and everyone was obsessed with trigger performance.
This is the trigger we were always chasing, only better.
First, there is zero take-up. Apply 4.5 lbs and it breaks clean, moves about .04″, and stops. Zero creep.
Ease pressure, and it resets crisply: Click.
Press, and again, zero take-up, break at 4.5 lbs, and stops clean.
All. Day. Long.
I worked with High Tech CNC machine Shops my whole career after the Corps, so I know quality when I see and experience it.
Obviously: Amazing engineering, manufacturing and quality control.
The Customer Service is also outstanding: Friendly, efficient, responsive, on-the-ball: could not ask for more.
Sound like a paid endorsement? It isn’t. I paid full price. I am just an ex-Jarhead who knows you (usually) get what you pay for. In this case, I could not be happier. If you are a trigger-obsessed perfectionist, you won’t be disappointed.
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Question
Jayce simmons –
Will this fit a ruger 556
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bd_admin –
If they are following MilSpec dimensions in their lower receiver it will fit. If you have any issues please give us a call!
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Troy Meaux (verified owner) –
Installed the Zero Trigger in my DD-V7 and it is hands down the best trigger I have ever used bar none. And the customer service is great thanks Blackout Defense
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Jeffrey Simons (verified owner) –
Great product. Easy to install and the performance is incredible. Already bought a 2nd one to replace another trigger. Customer service is amazing, they go above and beyond to help out.
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Kelsey (verified owner) –
I was only able to throw about 150 rounds down range so far, but I’m so impressed by the quality of this trigger! This is a solid company, shipping was super fast, and they sent me a shirt as well!I really have no desire to run any other trigger after this! Thank you!
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Question
Michael Johnson –
Will the Zero trigger work with 9mm and .22lr uppers?
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Blackout Defense –
No. Please don’t use this trigger in your PCC rifle. We are currently in development of various high performance ZERO-PCC triggers.
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Question
QWen –
Does the hammer strike as strong as the mil-spec trigger does? I do run some steel cases with hard primer through my rifle so I am very curious.
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Blackout Defense –
Yes it does. We use full strength strength springs and tested our AR-15 triggers with steel case .223 and 5.56 ammunition without issue.
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Mike L (verified owner) –
When you get to a point where you don’t know what to give higher marks to, the product or the company, you know you’ve got something good. This is an excellent trigger, dropped into my DDM4 V7, functions flawlessly. Everything is perfectly crisp, striking a fantastic balance between a lightweight trigger pull and a confident, positive click and reset. Can’t say enough good things about it. If you’re on the fence between triggers, let it be known that this company has some of the most incredible customer service you could ask for. This is the way to go.
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Question
Charles J Fletcher –
I seen a video stating the trigger wouldn’t work well in an AR10 308 , is this true?
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Blackout Defense –
This is correct. Based on our engineering analysis, we determined that it was better practice to NOT design a cross-use trigger, and instead design triggers tailored to their platform. We designed our AR-15 triggers to function exceptionally with common AR-15 ammunition. Likewise, we designed our AR-10 triggers to function exceptionally with common AR-10 ammunition. Because AR-10 ammunition typically has harder primer than AR-15 ammunition, it requires a heavier hammer and spring. The added mass and force from a heavier hammer and spring, however, could penetrate and fragment the primer of AR-15 ammunition. Our AR-10 triggers are in production and will be released on the website soon.
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THOMAS M SPEZESKI (verified owner) –
2 -3 months ago I bought a stripped Quantum MK2 (See review) receiver to couple with a long dormant upper. I installed a high quality trigger group I had at the time and then I watched a video on the ZERO Trigger, and I was sold. I ordered the NP3 4.5 lb version on 7/31, the order was completed on 8/1, and delivered on 8/4. Everything fit fine, no adjustments needed except for the internal locking screws. Zero creep, no safety adjustment needed, perfect fit and function. Can’t wait to test it on the range, what more can I say other than their support team is 2nd to none.
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J. Lahey –
I recently purchased a 4.5lb after watching the reviews on youtube and was not disappointed. My POF and geisselle triggers will soon become a thing of the past. I tuned the trigger and got rid of the already miniscule pre travel and this trigger DOES NOT MOVE. no creep, crisp break and 2mm reset. Will be a return customer!
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Justin Burns (verified owner) –
The product and design are incredible but the customer service is amazing. Tom helped me out with my user error and went above and beyond anything I would have asked.
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Matthew Buckley –
Just purchased the M1 QUANTUM 2 weeks ago and it is impressive. I could not be happier with the weapon all the way around. Blackout Defense did an amazing job engineering it, Thank you!
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Ridley Ridley –
Will this work on a tipman m4 22
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Blackout Defense –
The website for the Tipman M4-22 states that it “Allows For Drop in Trigger Assemblies,” however, we have not tested this rifle’s compatibility with our trigger. For that reason we cannot recommend our AR-15 trigger for this rifle or guarantee its fitment.
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