View Full Version : ALG ACT vs. Spikes Battle Trigger
Just like the title says. They are roughly the same price - the Spikes trigger is maybe $5-10 cheaper. From what I'm reading they are pretty similar. Which is better for the money in terms of function and/or reliability? Speak from experience please and not just "**** Spikes", etc because I really don't care about their business practice or price gouging.
I have (2) ACT's, a QMS, (2) SSA-e's, a SSA, and a handful of stock fcg's. The ACT is a good trigger, it's not a SAA but for $65 it is a very nice upgrade IMHO. I have no experience with the Spike's but for a budget minded upgrade you won't be dissapointed with the ACT. Good luck.
Big difference is that Gueiselle (sp) tunes the ACT, while Spikes does coat them, they do not tune them to my knowledge.
Am I the only one put off by Spikes branding it a "Battle Trigger"?
Am I the only one put off by Spikes branding it a "Battle Trigger"?
I understand your point but doesn't ALG call theirs a "Combat Trigger" or some crap? It's just a sales pitch to make us feel like real "operators" :D
I understand your point but doesn't ALG call theirs a "Combat Trigger" or some crap? It's just a sales pitch to make us feel like real "operators" :D
Yea, you're not wrong. I feel like the word combat implies an unfortunate circumstance you may find yourself in, Battle to me implies you went looking for war :) It's just not a word I would chose to market a trigger with.
ALG. It is well worth the extra $ over the Spike's trigger. I had 3 different Spike's triggers when they first came out. The forgings were pretty rough. While the pull was smooth compared to a standard Milspec single stage trigger, there was a good amount of creep in all of the Spike's triggers I had.
The ALG is as good as it gets for a standard single stage trigger.
Yea, you're not wrong. I feel like the word combat implies an unfortunate circumstance you may find yourself in, While this is true,Battle to me implies you went looking for war this is incorrect. :) It's just not a word I would chose to market a trigger with.
Warmonger is the correct term, not battle.
I have a Spike's Battle Trigger and it's the nicest GI trigger I have ever used - very smooth, no creep, nice break.
However, I will be testing the ACT in my next build.
If you really want to save some money on an upgraded trigger, try the QMS. It is identical to the ACT minus the coating, and it is a substantial improvement over the GI trigger that came in my DD parts kit. I like mine.
I have zero experience with Spike's triggers. But, the QMS is the better option in my opinion. The coating means nothing to me. What is important is that the FCG is good quality and the trigger pull is cleaned up to provide a consistent 6-6.5 lb. trigger pull.
I also prefer the QMS. One of the best mil spec triggers I've ever had the privilege to use. Clean break and an audible reset. The ACT isn't worth the extra dough.
The PSA I just ordered has one (the ALG ACT) but sadly I don't have much trigger time on my old bushmaster to know what a good or bad trigger feels like. I do know I did enjoy the bushmasters trigger, was very clean breaking.
BufordTJustice
11-30-12, 00:04
I put about a thousand rounds through a Spikes battle trigger. The nickel boron coating on the trigger sear interface began to chip at 600 rounds. By 1000, it felt like the grand canyon and was the worst trigger pull i had yet felt on an AR. It went back to Spikes for a refund.
The wife's gun uses an ALG ACT now. 800 rounds on that and no visible wear. The ACT has a crisper break and smoother pull even before the chipping on the Spikes. They are NOT the same. There is a reason that ALG uses dissimilar coatings on the hammer and trigger.
Buy the ALG ACT. You can also buy a JP yellow trigger spring to reduce the trigger pull by just less than a pound. Leave the std ALG hammer spring in place. Boom. Done.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
.Buy the ALG ACT. You can also buy a JP yellow trigger spring to reduce the trigger pull by just less than a pound. Leave the std ALG hammer spring in place. Boom. Done.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
Will replacing the trigger spring for a lighter pull potentially cause light strikes?
So I guess at this point it's betwen the ACT and the QMS.....
No experience with the Spikes, but when only a few dollars a part, I'd go with the company that has the know-how and true focus in their business to make/tune an excellent trigger - that's Geissele.
SomeOtherGuy
11-30-12, 10:22
I've owned both, and in my use (not super high round count) there was no real difference in feel or function.
I agree with the comments that ALG knows what they're doing and I would put more trust in them. However, I also think that while Geissele triggers are absolutely wonderful, some companies that make premium products don't do as well at making value branded products (I realize ALG is a separate company from Geissele), and I think some of the early teething issues with the ACT and selector compatibility may show this.
My best-feeling GI type triggers, even a little better than the ACT I have, are run of the mill uncoated, un-worked-on triggers. One is square-S (LW Schneider) marked, the other are unmarked and probably either DPMS or made by whoever DPMS buys from. (EDIT: these are random good GI triggers, you can just as easily get one that is randomly very bad, I have had those too.) I think the fancy coatings are just about lipstick on a pig, if you can be bothered to apply 1 cent worth of grease to the sear surfaces maybe once a year. If you want a bit more assurance of getting a decent pull out of the box, I'd try the ALG QMS.
Will replacing the trigger spring for a lighter pull potentially cause light strikes?
So I guess at this point it's betwen the ACT and the QMS.....
BufordTJustice said to replace the trigger spring with a lighter one, NOT the hammer spring. The hammer spring is the spring which affects the sufficiency of hammer/firing pin strikes.
BufordTJustice
12-01-12, 01:50
Will replacing the trigger spring for a lighter pull potentially cause light strikes?
So I guess at this point it's betwen the ACT and the QMS.....
Please read carefully what I wrote. The std power hammer spring is left in place. The trigger spring is what the trigger bow compresses.
BufordTJustice
12-01-12, 01:55
I've owned both, and in my use (not super high round count) there was no real difference in feel or function.
I agree with the comments that ALG knows what they're doing and I would put more trust in them. However, I also think that while Geissele triggers are absolutely wonderful, some companies that make premium products don't do as well at making value branded products (I realize ALG is a separate company from Geissele), and I think some of the early teething issues with the ACT and selector compatibility may show this.
My best-feeling GI type triggers, even a little better than the ACT I have, are run of the mill uncoated, un-worked-on triggers. One is square-S (LW Schneider) marked, the other are unmarked and probably either DPMS or made by whoever DPMS buys from. I think the fancy coatings are just about lipstick on a pig, if you can be bothered to apply 1 cent worth of grease to the sear surfaces maybe once a year. If you want a bit more assurance of getting a decent pull out of the box, I'd try the ALG QMS.
Don't be too short-sighted. Not if you live in Florida with well over 50% humidity INDOORS with AC and regularly over 70-80% outside on a clear summer day. The coatings are nice insurance that even after years of use, the gun will have the same trigger pull.
It's not for everybody, but it's also hardly a ripoff. That's why the QMS is also offered for sale.
If you don't like 'em, don't buy 'em. But I and others don't get to walk inside when it's raining....so some extra corrosion insurance is nice for a hard-to-reach part that is not very easy to visually inspect the mating surfaces while in the field. Just some perspective.
EDIT: It's 69 degrees in my living room with the heat on right now and 57% humidity. It's in the low 50's outside. The South is brutal on guns and steel in general.
SomeOtherGuy
12-02-12, 14:37
Don't be too short-sighted. Not if you live in Florida with well over 50% humidity INDOORS with AC and regularly over 70-80% outside on a clear summer day. The coatings are nice insurance that even after years of use, the gun will have the same trigger pull.
It's not for everybody, but it's also hardly a ripoff. That's why the QMS is also offered for sale.
If you don't like 'em, don't buy 'em. But I and others don't get to walk inside when it's raining....so some extra corrosion insurance is nice for a hard-to-reach part that is not very easy to visually inspect the mating surfaces while in the field. Just some perspective.
EDIT: It's 69 degrees in my living room with the heat on right now and 57% humidity. It's in the low 50's outside. The South is brutal on guns and steel in general.
My statement was simplistic, but I stand by the general comment - that the slick coatings provide a modest improvement, if any, at significant cost, and some random GI triggers are better than the coated triggers I've tried (while other random GI triggers are worse).
I'm also not aware of any of the $150-300 match or 3-gun triggers having special coatings, and cost is certainly no object with those.
As for corrosion, I don't live in a hot and humid area, much less by the ocean, but hasn't the M16 been on US Navy ships since the early 1970's? If corrosion of the sear surfaces was an issue, I imagine that I'd be reading about it here and the military would have spec'd a stainless steel or chrome plating way back by the time the A2 was configured. And the sear surface on the M16 trigger is HUGE - compare it to the sear surface on a 1911, which is typically a non-stainless steel and more exposed to rainwater, immersion, heavy sweat, etc.
The_Hammer_Man
12-02-12, 16:02
The USN solution to corrosion is Paint... and MORE paint :)
and lots and lots of oil!!!!
So... either paint all your contact surfaces, which is not a viable solution, OR, lube it properly.
I use a low acid oil for long term storage and products like Splip2000 for weapons that will see regular use.
YMMV of course.
My statement was simplistic, but I stand by the general comment - that the slick coatings provide a modest improvement, if any, at significant cost, and some random GI triggers are better than the coated triggers I've tried (while other random GI triggers are worse).....
For a build, the cost adder of the ACT to a stock FCG of say about $30. That gets me a consistent, safe combat trigger right out of the box, without paying a good gunsmith to smooth it up. (I prefer not to "smith it" myself)
As far as whether the coating is worth it, to you, obviously not,
to BufordTJ, me, and others, the coating gives a bit more insurance for corrosion resistance (more than likely a "non" problem) and consistant pull for a long time.
The real price bargain is the QWS, but I went the the ACT.
So far, I'm too cheap to drop the $'s on a Geissele, I'll be getting a JP yellow trigger spring on the way if i want a little lighter pull.
Not sure on the Spike's but glad so far I got the ACT.
It is good to have so many options to suit one's needs and some wants.
To me a lot of would come down to brands, I do think the ALG is the better trigger.
However I would rather support ALG over spikes. Spikes still deserves punishment for thier previous post election antics. Spikes has never made a part for a .mil end user and I am confident they will never be offered that opportunity.
To me Geiselle and ALG defense mind as well be the same company. Geiselle has made parts for tier one and two mil end users. They have a reputation of a company that treats their customers very well, and their stuff is proven to be top notch.
I also loathe Spike's branding, it is just so lame.
However neither trigger interests me or seems worth it over a normal quality mil spec trigger. I think if you are going to upgrade the trigger a full jump to something like an SSA, which is my personal preference, is worth it.
BufordTJustice
12-02-12, 19:33
My statement was simplistic, but I stand by the general comment - that the slick coatings provide a modest improvement, if any, at significant cost, and some random GI triggers are better than the coated triggers I've tried (while other random GI triggers are worse).
For you, there may be no improvement since rust is obviously not an issue. I can tell you that the ALG triggers (both of them) are more consistently good than any single brand of milspec trigger I've seen before. Sure, you won the trigger lottery a couple times...but NEVER has milspec trigger been this consistent with trigger pull weight, smoothness, and crispness of the break. You're paying more to NOT play the lottery. I can rec an ALG trigger (QMS or ACT) to a friend in another state and KNOW that I'm not gonna look like a horses ass when he goes to assemble his lower. It's not the SSA or SSA-E (like I use), but it wasn't designed to be. Also I've seen non-navy AR's have rusted trigger groups (among other parts) at my agency...and they were sitting in a climate controlled office.
I'm also not aware of any of the $150-300 match or 3-gun triggers having special coatings, and cost is certainly no object with those.
They also use completely different types of steels and are specifically designed to NOT be run dry...they require lube for their warranties to be in effect.
As for corrosion, I don't live in a hot and humid area, much less by the ocean, but hasn't the M16 been on US Navy ships since the early 1970's? If corrosion of the sear surfaces was an issue, I imagine that I'd be reading about it here and the military would have spec'd a stainless steel or chrome plating way back by the time the A2 was configured. And the sear surface on the M16 trigger is HUGE - compare it to the sear surface on a 1911, which is typically a non-stainless steel and more exposed to rainwater, immersion, heavy sweat, etc.
Chrome plating does NOT work well on surfaces that experience large impact loading over a small surface area. Navy guns have rusted. I have several friends who pulled improperly lubed (or un-lubed) AR's out of storage lockers and experienced rust spots on everything from the trigger group to the barrel extension. Lots of pushups were done and lots of toilets cleaned for those spots...but it happens. Your inexperience with rust means you've never carried an AR in the rain for hours on end, have you?
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