Ballistic Engineering AR-15/10 Adjustable Trigger: A Must-Have

Customizing the trigger on your AR-15 is one of the most important upgrades you can make. A smoother and often lighter trigger can increase your accuracy and speed. Today, we are looking at the Accurized Match Grade trigger from Ballistic Engineering. This is a single-stage, flat trigger for an AR-15/AR-10 rifle with an adjustable weight.

Upgrading the pistol grip, stock, handguard, pins, or other items is fun because it changes the look of your rifle. The trigger can be one of the more expensive upgrades to make and doesn’t change the looks that much. However, it does improve the functionality of your rifle, and that can certainly be worth the price tag.

I went years without upgrading any triggers for my AR-15 rifles. In the law enforcement world, the idea of “modifying” your weapon was viewed as a bad thing. A lighter trigger was particularly viewed as a liability if used in the line of duty. We won’t get into the reasons or debate the rationale behind that theory today, but it scared me away from trigger upgrades for a long time.

Why make a trigger upgrade?

When I attended a firearms class taught by a competition shooter, I was introduced to the benefits of an upgraded trigger. Until then, the only training I had was from law enforcement instructors. At those classes, mil-spec rifles with mil-spec triggers were all that could be found. At this new training event, however, everyone had modified custom rifles, which is something I wasn’t used to.

I felt like the new kid in kindergarten and was probably the slowest, worst shooter in the group. My “law enforcement” rifle was an old Bushmaster M4 Patrolman with the carry handle on top. Now, this was a long time ago, and having a carry handle was not uncommon back then. Equally, making upgrades to your AR was not as common as it is today.

After seeing the speed and accuracy of those rifles, I became a believer in upgrading my rifle. While trigger upgrades are still not allowed in our agency-issued rifles, I upgraded my personal ARs.

About the Ballistic Engineering Single-Stage Trigger

There are a lot of great trigger upgrades on the market, but this trigger has some features I really like. First is the quality of the components. The hammer is NiB-X Nickel-Boron coated, which is a harder coating than other Nickel-Boron coatings. This helps improve wear resistance.

Next is the trigger, which has a WS2 Tungsten Disulfide coating, a low-friction, dry lubricant coating that reduces friction and wear on the trigger. All the internal parts are made from A2+S7 steel, and the bushings are 17-4PH stainless steel. All trigger components are contained within a 6061 anodized aluminum housing.

For those who have never removed or installed trigger components in an AR-15, it may appear intimidating. It’s not as hard as you might think, but don’t worry; this upgrade is even easier. Because the trigger is pre-assembled in the aluminum housing, installing it is extremely simple. It contains a full-power hammer spring and comes in flat or curved trigger options.

Installing the Accurized AR Match Grade Trigger

Before installing the new Ballistic Engineering trigger, you need to remove the old trigger group. For this, the safety selector and two trigger pins must be removed. If you have not done this before, take off the pistol grip and be sure not to lose the safety detent spring. This is a little spring that is held in by the pistol grip. Pull the grip off slowly, and you should be able to see the spring. Then, just pull the spring out, along with the safety detent.

Next, remove the trigger pins with a small punch. On most rifles, you can push the pins out by hand. You may need to tap some of the pins with a small hammer. Keep pressure on the top of the trigger group with your thumb as you remove the trigger pins. Once the pins are out, let the pressure off the trigger group and remove the pieces from the lower receiver.

Now, set the new trigger into the lower receiver and place the safety selector back in place. Insert the trigger pins, then reinstall the safety detent, spring, and grip. The last thing you need to do is tighten the two set screws on the inside of the trigger housing. These screws contain Loctite and will feel like they are hard to turn. Unscrew each screw one full turn, then screw them back in until they are tight.

Adjusting the Trigger Weight

As I mentioned above, the trigger on the Accurized Match Grade trigger is adjustable. To adjust the trigger weight, use the same wrench you used on the set screws to turn the adjustment screw in the middle of the trigger housing. You can adjust it from 2.5-5 pounds. I set mine at 3 pounds. There is no play in the trigger at all, so I recommend some dry fire practice before shooting it.

I opted for the flat trigger, but a curved option is also available. The type you select is really dependent on preference. Some like flat triggers, and others like curved ones. The trigger’s reset is extremely short, which helps with firing multiple rounds while staying on target. The less movement your finger has to make, the better.

Overall Thoughts

I installed this trigger on my Daniel Defense M4 and could tell an immediate difference. While I love the ambidextrous controls and everything else about the DDM4, the mil-spec trigger is the one thing I wanted to upgrade. When performing drills that require rapid-fire, a short reset makes a big difference.

I like any type of drill that focuses on speed and accuracy, like the Bill Drill or the D.O.P.E drill. I have only fired a few hundred rounds with the new trigger so far, but I like it. Again, it takes some getting used to when there is no play in the trigger, so give it some time. Most triggers have some slack that must be taken up before you feel the wall. With this trigger, it’s at the wall before you apply any pressure.

The Ballistic Engineering Accurized AR Match Grade Single Stage AR-15 trigger appears to be well made and performed excellently on the range. It has a feature that allows the safety to be on even when the hammer is down. If you’re looking for a trigger upgrade for your AR-15 or AR-10, check this one out.