Picked up a Geissele SSA-E trigger from Rainier Arms today. Gotta give them boys two thumbs up. They were patient, brought out a bunch of parts to be fondled and answered many questions although they were pretty busy with an unusual number of customers. It was tough choosing between the SSA-E for $200 or the adjustable High Speed Match trigger for $279. I love to tinker and really wanted to see what I could do with the High Speed. After some thought, I realized the pull on the SSA-E was good enough to not need any tinkering and that purchasing it would save $80.
The trigger group came as two sub-assemblies (trigger and hammer) along with a slave pin and a small tube of grease (pin & grease not pictured). Prior to installation, lube according to instructions. A lubed Geiselle trigger is a happy Geisselle trigger.
The lower had no trigger previously installed so no dis-assembly was required.
The trigger sub-assembly of the SSA-E comes with the trigger pin installed. The slave pin is used to temporarily replace the trigger pin and hold the disconnecter in place during installation.
Push the trigger pin out with the slave pin-
-until the slave pin fits evenly on both sides of the trigger sub-assembly. Note the trigger and hammer pins have two grooves cut in them, one near the end. The Geissele instructions show the pins being installed with the end with the groove being installed to the left side of the receiver. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I followed the instructions!
Carefully place the trigger sub-assembly in the trigger housing of the lower receiver. Tip it so the tail slips under the safety. Make sure the legs of the springs point forward and rest on the receiver on either side of the trigger cut-out.
Press the trigger sub-assembly down until the slave pin lines up with the trigger pin hole
Then carefully push the trigger pin into place. It will push the slave pin out the other side. The pin can be pushed in from either side of the receiver. The pin should slide into place with just finger pressure.
Next, install the hammer. The hammer comes with the hammer pin already installed and is held in by an internal spring. The pin must be removed prior to installing the hammer. The pin can be removed by simply pressing it out with a punch or something similar, with hand pressure. The slave pin is not needed to install the hammer.
Drop the hammer into place making sure that both legs of the hammer spring will rest on top of the trigger pin. Press the hammer down until the pin hole in the hammer lines up with the pin hole in the lower receiver.
Make sure the hammer pin starts in the hammer pin hole. The hammer spring will make this task a little more challenging than installing the trigger sub-assembly but with a little patience it's not too difficult. Drill rod, a pin punch or even an Allen key used as an alignment tool may be of help. Once the pin is started, you may need to tap it lightly with a small hammer and a brass punch. Tap the pin into place only until it's seated in the hammer pin hole. Do not try driving the hammer pin all the way through.
Pressure from the hammer spring will keep the pin from aligning with the pin hole on the opposite side of the receiver. Flip the receiver, grasp the hammer and use it to line up the holes. Once aligned, the pin was pressed into place by finger pressure. NOTE: If the end of the pin is pressed against the inside of the receiver, it will create enough binding that the hammer cannot be lined up. Make sure the pin isn't causing binding.
This is what the pins will look like once everything is in place
Here is what the Geisselle SSA-E trigger looks like installed!
Once finished, assemble the upper to the lower and test for proper functioning according to the Geissele instructions. DO NOT DRY FIRE ON AN UNASSEMBLED LOWER! The hammer striking the lower could cause damage.
The new SSA-E is crisp and clean without being heavy. I don't have a trigger scale so I don't know what the actual weight is. (I didn't let the hammer fall on the unprotected lower. During the function tests, I caught the hammer fall with my thumb.) The pull is cleaner and crisper than any other auto loader trigger I've tried. It's better than the trigger on some bolt action rifles!
Installation of the Geiselle SSA-E was a breeze. It was accomplished in less than an hour (including taking the above photos) at a leisurely pace with nothing more than a small hammer and a punch.
Can't wait to finish the rest of this build and to give the trigger a workout. I have a feeling I'm going to like it very much!
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