Having purchased a Smith and Wesson M&P 9f in Massachusetts, I knew what I was getting myself into. The first pull of the trigger cemented my fears of the “MA-compliant 10-lb trigger”. It was a nightmare: Long, typical striker-fired trigger pull, but accentuated by excessive grit, (actually audible and tactile) and a final heavy, teeth grinding squeeze to drop the firing pin. I had a “What have I done?” moment, but committed myself to keep shooting. Never having been a threat for an IDPA title, but always having been fairly proficient with a pistol, I have been struggling as of late and this wasn’t going to help things – not one bit. It was then the opportunity to install an Apex came into play and the unbearable M&P has been transformed into a really superb pistol.
The Apex ‘Duty/Carry Action Enhancement Kit’- (DCAEK), was designed by Apex to “provide the M&P (9 mm, .357 Sig & .40 only) pistol owner a smooth, consistent 5 - 5.5 lb trigger pull with the advantages of shorter over-travel and reduced reset.” The Apex DCAEK “arrived in three individual packages: First, the Apex Hard Sear. Please note this is for the 9mm, .357Sig and .40 S&W only and is not intended for the M&P45. Next was the M&P USB, (Ultimate Striker Block). Lastly, the Apex Increased Rate Sear Spring and the Trigger Return Spring. It should be noted that the sear spring will not work on MA-compliant M&P’s. In order to make the dreaded Massachusetts compliant trigger, Smith and Wesson had to engineer a larger diameter sear spring and plunger. Massachusetts Apex customers can expect a trigger pull in the 6-pound range, while free-staters can look forward to a trigger pull in the 5-pound range.
There has been some speculation that Apex kits are little more than “repackaged Smith and Wesson parts”. This is simply not the case and when you compare the parts – especially the Apex hard sear to the MiM factory sear, it becomes even more evident. From the shot-peened springs, to the CNC machined, tool steel, hardened sear, every part has a look and feel of exceptional quality standards. In my mind, this is where I favor Apex. You’re not just having a reworked MiM sear reinstalled into your gun – you are actually installing a new, already reworked, (as in reengineered) hardened steel sear into your M&P. And some of the folks at Apex aren’t just engineers and marketing gurus – they are pistolsmiths and competitive shooters with decades working in the firearms industry.
When I first looked at the packages, I have to admit it seemed like a daunting task to install the DCAEK. It became less so after watching the ‘how to’ videos at www.youtube.com/apextactical. Still, I decided to err on the side of caution, realize my limitations with tools and the space to use them and turn to a friend who not only had the tools and space, but had actually done an Apex install on his M&P 45. Hopefully, KMM696 will chime in with the finer points of the install, but after going over the videos and the nuances of the install with KMM696, I would feel comfortable attacking this project myself. If you’re a confident tinkerer or DIY-guy, this is right up your alley. While Apex markets this kit as “drop-in”, they also recommend installation by an “armorer or gunsmith”, which I think would be a win-win. In this case it wasn’t needed and the results were nothing short of stellar. My only criticism with Apex regarding the parts is the packaging of the Increased Rate Sear Spring. It really needs to be packaged within the package, (mine was loose in the bag). It’s so tiny as to be easily lost, so use extreme caution when opening the spring package! I had visions of my AR-15 build and crawling around on the floor with a magnet and a headlamp for an hour and a half…
Prior to the first round heading downrange after the install, my memory will always be the grin on the face of KMM696 has he handed me my M&P. He too had experienced the gritty mush festival that was my M&P 9 trigger. It was just awful – not just for a Massachusetts compliant firearm, but for a firearm period. I’m not sure why Smith and Wesson can’t make a smooth 10-pound trigger, or at least one without so much excessive grit and crazy long reset, but I’m no engineer and don’t play one on TV. I suppose in the end, they had to work within some ridiculous guidelines and just threw in the towel when they finally got close. Either way, if anyone is sitting at home with a MA compliant M&P and you have not done anything about your trigger, get something done as soon as humanly possible and watch your shooting improve. That’s what happened to me – instantly. Many gun product reviews are done by people who spend countless hours on the range – sometimes daily. They are competitors, gun writers, law enforcement officers and gunslingers. I’m none of these – I’m just a shooter who has found himself struggling with consistency over the past year and a half. Be it age, failing eyesight, eroded technique, or a combination of all, my proficiency with a pistol has been slowly ebbing. As a 25-year “45-guy”, I turned to the 9mm for a variety or reasons, (from ammo cost and availability, to lower recoil). I turned to the M&P for feel, features, availability and value. You’ll not find me a “blame the gun” kind of person, but in this case, if I were to tackle the issues I’m having on the range, the stock M&P was not going to help.
The installation of the Apex DCAEK has removed any concerns I may have had about the M&P. The rest is up to me. The first pull of the trigger was almost shocking and certainly a grin producer. Gone was the grit and the seemingly mandatory tug to get the firing pin to drive home. The pistol just fired. I was operating as an RSO on the rifle range that day, so by rule we’re limited to shooting at 50-yards. When I heard the 9mm “thwap!” the 24”x24” target board I just kept smiling. When I repeated it, I was like a kid at Chucky Cheese. The most surprising thing to me was the reset. It seemed before that resetting the trigger almost felt like you had to release the trigger completely. This is not the case anymore. Reset is short and crisp. First shot travel feels about the same, but the grit, (both felt and audible) is completely gone. On the indoor range, shot groups have shrunk considerably and once consistently, left of center, groups are gradually moving back to the sweet spot. The M&P is just a joy to shoot now. When I bought this gun, I didn’t want to like it. It was just a tool in a toolbox and for all intents and purposes it still is. The addition of the Apex DCAEK to my M&P9 has changed my thinking completely. It’s still a tool, but it’s one I now really like a lot. So much so, that an M&P compact is on the horizon for me. In the future I will be posting some before and after photos of my target improvements and perhaps a side-by side of Apex parts compared to factory. For now however, here are some stats:
- Apex DCAEK: $89.95
- Install Time: Approximately 1 hour
- Trigger Pull Before Apex: 10.6-lbs
- Trigger Pull After Apex: 6.3-lbs
- Grit: Gone
- Pull: Smooth
- Reset: Sweet (how’s that for technical jargon?)
I’d like to thank the folks at Apex for engineering such a superb addition to the Smith and Wesson M&P. The dedication to your craft absolutely shows in the finished product and the performance speaks for itself. It truly has transformed my pistol from a gun I keep in the safe, to a gun that I carry every single day and that to me says a lot. If anyone is on the fence about an Apex install and would like to try mine, drop me a PM – you’re welcome here in The Berkshires anytime and I’ll even pick up the range fee. Bring along your stock M&P and compare the two side by side. You’ll walk away realizing: “there is no comparison”…
http://www.apextactical.com/
The Apex ‘Duty/Carry Action Enhancement Kit’- (DCAEK), was designed by Apex to “provide the M&P (9 mm, .357 Sig & .40 only) pistol owner a smooth, consistent 5 - 5.5 lb trigger pull with the advantages of shorter over-travel and reduced reset.” The Apex DCAEK “arrived in three individual packages: First, the Apex Hard Sear. Please note this is for the 9mm, .357Sig and .40 S&W only and is not intended for the M&P45. Next was the M&P USB, (Ultimate Striker Block). Lastly, the Apex Increased Rate Sear Spring and the Trigger Return Spring. It should be noted that the sear spring will not work on MA-compliant M&P’s. In order to make the dreaded Massachusetts compliant trigger, Smith and Wesson had to engineer a larger diameter sear spring and plunger. Massachusetts Apex customers can expect a trigger pull in the 6-pound range, while free-staters can look forward to a trigger pull in the 5-pound range.
There has been some speculation that Apex kits are little more than “repackaged Smith and Wesson parts”. This is simply not the case and when you compare the parts – especially the Apex hard sear to the MiM factory sear, it becomes even more evident. From the shot-peened springs, to the CNC machined, tool steel, hardened sear, every part has a look and feel of exceptional quality standards. In my mind, this is where I favor Apex. You’re not just having a reworked MiM sear reinstalled into your gun – you are actually installing a new, already reworked, (as in reengineered) hardened steel sear into your M&P. And some of the folks at Apex aren’t just engineers and marketing gurus – they are pistolsmiths and competitive shooters with decades working in the firearms industry.
When I first looked at the packages, I have to admit it seemed like a daunting task to install the DCAEK. It became less so after watching the ‘how to’ videos at www.youtube.com/apextactical. Still, I decided to err on the side of caution, realize my limitations with tools and the space to use them and turn to a friend who not only had the tools and space, but had actually done an Apex install on his M&P 45. Hopefully, KMM696 will chime in with the finer points of the install, but after going over the videos and the nuances of the install with KMM696, I would feel comfortable attacking this project myself. If you’re a confident tinkerer or DIY-guy, this is right up your alley. While Apex markets this kit as “drop-in”, they also recommend installation by an “armorer or gunsmith”, which I think would be a win-win. In this case it wasn’t needed and the results were nothing short of stellar. My only criticism with Apex regarding the parts is the packaging of the Increased Rate Sear Spring. It really needs to be packaged within the package, (mine was loose in the bag). It’s so tiny as to be easily lost, so use extreme caution when opening the spring package! I had visions of my AR-15 build and crawling around on the floor with a magnet and a headlamp for an hour and a half…
Prior to the first round heading downrange after the install, my memory will always be the grin on the face of KMM696 has he handed me my M&P. He too had experienced the gritty mush festival that was my M&P 9 trigger. It was just awful – not just for a Massachusetts compliant firearm, but for a firearm period. I’m not sure why Smith and Wesson can’t make a smooth 10-pound trigger, or at least one without so much excessive grit and crazy long reset, but I’m no engineer and don’t play one on TV. I suppose in the end, they had to work within some ridiculous guidelines and just threw in the towel when they finally got close. Either way, if anyone is sitting at home with a MA compliant M&P and you have not done anything about your trigger, get something done as soon as humanly possible and watch your shooting improve. That’s what happened to me – instantly. Many gun product reviews are done by people who spend countless hours on the range – sometimes daily. They are competitors, gun writers, law enforcement officers and gunslingers. I’m none of these – I’m just a shooter who has found himself struggling with consistency over the past year and a half. Be it age, failing eyesight, eroded technique, or a combination of all, my proficiency with a pistol has been slowly ebbing. As a 25-year “45-guy”, I turned to the 9mm for a variety or reasons, (from ammo cost and availability, to lower recoil). I turned to the M&P for feel, features, availability and value. You’ll not find me a “blame the gun” kind of person, but in this case, if I were to tackle the issues I’m having on the range, the stock M&P was not going to help.
The installation of the Apex DCAEK has removed any concerns I may have had about the M&P. The rest is up to me. The first pull of the trigger was almost shocking and certainly a grin producer. Gone was the grit and the seemingly mandatory tug to get the firing pin to drive home. The pistol just fired. I was operating as an RSO on the rifle range that day, so by rule we’re limited to shooting at 50-yards. When I heard the 9mm “thwap!” the 24”x24” target board I just kept smiling. When I repeated it, I was like a kid at Chucky Cheese. The most surprising thing to me was the reset. It seemed before that resetting the trigger almost felt like you had to release the trigger completely. This is not the case anymore. Reset is short and crisp. First shot travel feels about the same, but the grit, (both felt and audible) is completely gone. On the indoor range, shot groups have shrunk considerably and once consistently, left of center, groups are gradually moving back to the sweet spot. The M&P is just a joy to shoot now. When I bought this gun, I didn’t want to like it. It was just a tool in a toolbox and for all intents and purposes it still is. The addition of the Apex DCAEK to my M&P9 has changed my thinking completely. It’s still a tool, but it’s one I now really like a lot. So much so, that an M&P compact is on the horizon for me. In the future I will be posting some before and after photos of my target improvements and perhaps a side-by side of Apex parts compared to factory. For now however, here are some stats:
- Apex DCAEK: $89.95
- Install Time: Approximately 1 hour
- Trigger Pull Before Apex: 10.6-lbs
- Trigger Pull After Apex: 6.3-lbs
- Grit: Gone
- Pull: Smooth
- Reset: Sweet (how’s that for technical jargon?)
I’d like to thank the folks at Apex for engineering such a superb addition to the Smith and Wesson M&P. The dedication to your craft absolutely shows in the finished product and the performance speaks for itself. It truly has transformed my pistol from a gun I keep in the safe, to a gun that I carry every single day and that to me says a lot. If anyone is on the fence about an Apex install and would like to try mine, drop me a PM – you’re welcome here in The Berkshires anytime and I’ll even pick up the range fee. Bring along your stock M&P and compare the two side by side. You’ll walk away realizing: “there is no comparison”…
http://www.apextactical.com/
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