OEM vs. Flat Face Triggers

OEM vs. Flat Face Triggers

Posted by Jeff Wilson on Aug 10th 2023

Why OEM Triggers Win Against Flat Face Triggers


Our customers occasionally ask this question:

“Do you have flat face triggers?”  

Many polymer-framed handguns, including Glock, come from the factory with a curved trigger. There is a recent trend to replace this factory trigger with an “after-market” flat face trigger.

On a firearm that has a sliding trigger, such as the Model 1911, a flat face trigger can make perfect sense.  It allows the same action regardless of where the trigger finger is placed vertically on the trigger.

On the other hand, triggers on Glock handguns do not slide directly to the rear like a Model 1911. The Glock’s trigger pivots on the trigger pin and moves in an arc as the trigger travels toward the rear.

The front surface of a Glock factory trigger is roughly the same radius as the arc that the trigger swings through as it travels toward the rear. This allows the force exerted on the trigger to remain 90 degrees to the face of the trigger throughout the trigger pull. This provides consistent pressure as the shot is released.

On an “after-market” flat face trigger, the angle changes as the trigger swings through its travel. This produces a different angle at the end of the trigger pull compared to the beginning of the trigger pull.

We have tested “after-market” triggers from several manufacturers. We have found the results to be mostly undesirable.  In some cases, the intended function is compromised. These results are due to changes made by the “after-market” manufacturer and how far they have strayed from the original factory design.  Some of these manufacturers claim to be 100% OEM. We assure you that they are not.

Glock does not make a flat face trigger.  GlockTriggers.com takes pride in offering our customers a trigger produced with 100% OEM parts. This sets us apart in the industry and maintains the legendary reliability that has made Glock such a success.  This same standard of reliability applies to all our products and has earned our reputation as an industry leader.

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