In order for the shooter to realize the accuracy potential of a weapon, the trigger must be controlled. Any movement induced by pressing the trigger may result in the round going somewhere other than where we want it to go. If shooting from a bench at a paper target, a very light trigger makes sense. There are numerous triggers for the AR15/M16/M4 that fit the bill. However, such a trigger is not usually the best choice for law enforcement, military or defensive applications. They often have set screws that may come out of adjustment at the worst time and are often set too light for the intended purpose.

Geissele understands triggers. They offer several triggers that are considered by many to be some of the best available. Some are deployed with our military forces in the War on Terror. If there is a downside to their triggers, it would be the price tag. Coming in around $280, they are not inexpensive.

Geissele has recently introduced the SSA trigger. This is a non-adjustable two-stage combat trigger that sells for about $170. At this price, the trigger is now very competitive with similar triggers.



The drop in trigger is actually easier to install than a standard one. The springs are already in place and the trigger assembly is held together with a slave pin. Trigger engagement surfaces are nicely prepared. Once installed, the trigger has the same external appearance as a standard trigger.




I’ve been working almost exclusively with carbines and wanted a change of pace, so I opted to drop the SSA into a full sized rifle with a government profile barrel and an Aimpoint ML2. After a quick function check, I did a bunch of dry firing. It was immediately apparent that this trigger was a keeper. The take-up was light, but not too light. The second stage was distinct and broke cleanly. I didn’t have a trigger gauge handy, but it felt like it was breaking at around 4 smooth pounds. There was no break-in required and there was no apparent change in the weight during my testing. All of the ammunition that I tried, both commercial and milspec, ignited without issue. Primer strikes were solid.

Since I spend the vast majority of my time on standard triggers, I might consider swapping out the supplied trigger spring with a heavier spring to bump up the weight a bit. I spoke with Bill Geissele and he explained that another option was to put a small bend in the hammer spring to increase the spring pressure a bit.

Feedback from others has been positive and demand for this trigger is expected to be high. The SSA trigger is duty ready.

The SSF (depicted in Stickman’s photographs) is similar to the SSA, but has full auto compatibility.