The Best AR 15 Trigger Reviews to Up Your Game in 2021

The Rise Armament AR-15 Super Sport trigger is the most bang for your buck in this article.

The Super Sport is only a little more expensive than an enhanced mil-spec trigger but reduces the trigger pull to a more friendly 3.5 pounds.

It has almost no trigger creep and very little overtravel. Once the hammer has snapped, the reset is tactile and audible.

Since it’s a drop-in trigger, installation is easy. The only trouble is that it uses standard springs which you’ll need to keep out of the way when you put the screws in.

The Super Sport is easily the best option for anyone who wants a do-it-all trigger that’s a massive upgrade over their mil-spec trigger and won’t break the bank.

The Elftmann AR-15 SE Trigger is Elftmann’s offering to the budget conscious competition shooter.

The SE provides a competition-grade trigger pull and a very short, tactile and audible reset. There’s a very tiny bit of trigger creep. However, the break is extremely crisp.

The pull weight is set at 3.5 pounds, which is an excellent all-around competition weight. It’s also acceptable for defensive and duty guns, if you’re the type who likes a really nice trigger on their work gun.

It’s a drop-in trigger, so installation is easy. However, there are two set screws that remove any play. It’s best to apply threadlocker to these screws once you’re set with this trigger. Otherwise, they come loose easily.

That’s a small gripe. This is easily the best competition trigger for the competition shooter on a budget or those who want a really nice trigger for their defensive or duty gun.

The CMC Triggers AR-15 Tactical Trigger Group provides the lightest trigger pull in this price range.

The pull weight is 2.5 pounds. There’s no trigger creep, and the reset is short and audible.

The drop-in trigger group is protected with a sturdy steel shroud. However, there is a tad bit of play in the entire trigger group when installed in the lower receiver. Some people have put a slice of foam under the trigger to eliminate the play.

This trigger is available with a curved shoe and with a flat shoe, to suit everyone’s tastes.

Even with the little bit of play, this is still the best option for those looking for the lightest possible trigger pull at the best price.

The Hiperfire AR-15 Hipertouch Series is a redesigned mil-spec trigger that achieves a much lighter trigger pull than traditional mil-spec triggers.

Hiperfire managed to get the trigger pull down to 3.5 pounds with their modified mil-spec design. However, the trigger still has a little of the trigger creep and overtravel of a mil-spec trigger. But it’s significantly less trigger creep than a standard mil-spec unit.

The reset is crisp, but not tremendously loud or tactile.

But the hammer strike is greatly improved over traditional mil-spec triggers. It’s one of the most positive primer strikes available.

The installation is a bit trickier than a standard-mil spec trigger, since HIperfire’s design has a couple extra parts. However, it’s just an additional couple of steps.

Those who want mil-spec reliability, a light trigger pull, and don’t mind a slight bit of mil-spec trigger movement will love this piece.

Timney does drop-in triggers better than just about anyone else. The Timney Drop-In Trigger Module boasts the best performance for the price of any drop-in module in this article.

This trigger comes with three pull weight springs: 3 pounds, 4 pounds, and 4.5 pounds. So you can choose the pull weight that’s best for your context. The only downside is that you have to take the unit out if you want to change the pull weight.

There’s no trigger creep and the reset is short, loud, and tactile.

Installation is easy. The springs can get in the way. However, Timney includes their own proprietary tool in the package that helps alleviate this issue.

Given the cost and quality, this is definitely the go-to trigger for those that want a one-size-fits-all drop-in trigger.

The Triggertech TT-AR-15 is a two-stage trigger. Two stage triggers are usually used for long range shooting. The two-stage design provides a steady trigger press, but takes some getting used to for rapid fire.

The trigger pull is adjustable from 2.5 pounds to 5 pounds, which makes this trigger viable for any shooting context, as long as you’ve got good two-stage trigger control.

But the trigger is adjustable while it’s in the receiver, which is convenient.

There’s no pretravel. The trigger goes straight into the first stage. However, there’s a tad bit of overtravel.

The reset is short and clean all the way back to the first stage, which is nice for slow fire.

This is definitely the trigger for shooters who want to push their accuracy at max range, but occasionally need to do some short range shooting with the same rifle.

For 3 gun shooters, it doesn’t get much better than a trigger designed for 3 gun competition. The Elftmann AR-15 3 Gun Trigger is an adjustable, single-stage trigger designed for fast action shooting.

The trigger pull weight adjusts from 2.75 to 4 pounds. This is an excellent range for competition shooters. But some may find it a bit on the low side for defensive and duty guns.

There’s zero pretravel or trigger creep, and the break is incredibly crisp. The reset is very short and audible, but not so tactile.

This is a single-stage trigger, so it’s already good for rapid fire.

However, Elftmann uses double wound piano wire springs for extra low lockback times and even faster follow up shots.

The only trouble with this trigger is that the spring needs to break in a little bit to take advantage of the full pull weight adjustment range. New 3 Gun Triggers often only adjust down to 3 pounds or so.

But, with a little use, this can easily be the best trigger for 3 gun competitors who want the absolute fastest strings of fire.

The Timney Calvin Elite was designed as the CEO’s personal trigger. Very few triggers offer more customization.

The trigger pull is set at 1.5 pounds. This is a true hair trigger, which is excellent for precision shooters and serious tactical competitors. But it’s too light for a defensive or duty rifle.

Where the Calvin Elite really shines is in the trigger adjustment options. It comes with four different trigger shoes, enough for any finger shape or preference. The length of pull and trigger length are both adjustable. So you can adjust this trigger to perfectly fit your hands.

As far as the pull goes, there’s zero trigger creep or pretravel and the break is amazingly crisp. There’s the tiniest bit of overtravel, but nearly unnoticeable. The reset is short and audible, though not tactile.

The only trouble is that all the adjustments are done with screws, which can easily loosen if you don’t use threadlocker on them.

Overall, this is the best trigger for high level precision shooters and tactical competitors who want a trigger that’s tailored to their hands.