[Joe Long]

I just got my MP9 back from David at Bowie Tactical Concepts after having some work done. All I can say is DAMN! The gun went to get mag well cuts, polish the feed ramp and a trigger job. The mag well cuts look like they were done at the factory when the frame was in the mold. The edges are crisp and clean. The feed ramp now bears a striking resemblance to a mirror. It's all bright and shiny with no tool marks to be found. The trigger is, for lack of a better term, awesome. David did one of his "S" type trigger jobs. This gives the gun a bit of pretravel. The trigger breaks like a glass rod at about four pounds, though it feels a good bit lighter. There is just enough overtravel for it to be reliable, and reset is about one tenth of the travel it had previously. In addition, it no longer has the double reset that it seemed to have before David did the laying on of the hands. The work done was definitely done very well. Absolutely worth every penny spent. If you need any kind of work done, David is the man to talk to. Thanks amigo.



Joe

 

[Jester]

I agree with you, My bowie M&P 40 is the cats meow.

 

[matteblack]

Great choice. I have an S package from Bowie as well, it is AWESOME to say the least. I had it set at 5lbs. I liked it so much I have sent my other 9mm to him. And, when I get my .45 I will send that to him as well. 8)

 

[Tacoma213]

Got the fever

Matteblack,

You gave me the M&P fever back when I bought your Springfield PRO; now I'm going to get several of these things as well. Hope your Berryhill is everything it looks to be.



Have you found anyone up your way who is taking orders on the M&P 45? I cannot find anyone down here.



T213

 

[Wilsoncreek]

I sent my M&P9 to David Bowie last week. Unlike everyone else, I chose the Long Trigger job. It will be interesting to see how this compares to other's experiences. Can't wait until its back.

 

[GaryXD]

How long did it take?

 

[Joe Long]

I don't remember. I got the gun on Saturday, fired about two hundred rounds through it, and sent it to David the following Monday. I promptly hid the box from myself and went right back to my Glock. That way I didn't go nuts waiting for it.



Let us know how the L trigger works out. Knowing David, it will be great. When we did sight development to make the Big Dots for the M&P, we had David's M&P at the shop. I fell in love with the trigger job, so I had one done just like it.



Joe

 

[Bowie Tactical]

Gary I am turning triggers alone out in about a week to two weeks.

CHECK 360 David Bowie

 

[Wilsoncreek]

My M&P9 came home today from Bowie Concepts (gone not quite two weeks)where it got the Long trigger job. Couldn't go to the range but dry-firing is very gratifying. Definitely shorter travel than stock as well as smooth, light, and crisp. I chose the 4 lb weight that David offers as his minimum. So far I am very satisfied.



To the range tomorrow and I'll have more to report.

 

[chefdog]

Wilsoncreek,

Please let me know how the Long trigger works for you. I'm very interested to know what it feels like. Specifically i'd like to know where it breaks compared to stock.

Since i don't have experience with 1911s i was a little skeptical about the standard trigger jobs where the trigger breaks all the way back in the travel. I'm trying to get used to my stock trigger, adjusting my grip, dry fire etc. before i get any work done. So if the L trigger job retains the same basic trigger movement and break point as the stock one, i think it would be easier for me make use of the improvements (since i wouldn't have to learn a different setup).



Anyway, anything you could tell me would be appreciated. You can PM me if you'd like.

Thanks,

Jake

 

[readyme]

trigger jobs... S vs L

I too am interested in getting a trigger job (along with a substantial list of other things) done from Bowie. I only have experience with my M&P, Glock and Sigs. Is the difference between the S and L, where the trigger breaks? At rest, is the trigger in the same place? Do they both travel the same distance, they just break at the front or rear of the movement? It is just a little confusing to understand through words, where as a video would make things much more clear.

Hopefully somebody can shed a little light for me.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Wilsoncreek]

Well, shot the M&P9 with Bowie Long Trigger job today. Have to say its pretty sweet. By the time you take up the trigger safety and tighten up your trigger finger its ready to fire. No over-travel, either. The trigger stops well short of the stop on the trigger housing. The trigger weight gauge trips right at 4#, too.



I might try to take some pics but they would match those on David's site. I thought about making a small video but not sure how to put it on the forum?



I have small hands with associated short fingers but this length feels very good to me. I'm an old 1911 shooter that was discouraged with the safe-action and striker-fired triggers. I know, I know. Apples and oranges but I still hoped for a good compromise. Then I felt the Springfield Custom Shop XD at last year's Single Stack Championship. Whooee, it was nice. So I knew it was possible. I know there are other exceptional trigger jobs (Dan's for one) but I wanted one with less take-up. David Bowie's Long Trigger gave me what I was looking for. I can't wait to shoot a match with it.



I have two other M&P's and they will both be going to David for Long trigger jobs. I like them that well. The only reservation is the cost. While the trigger job itself is not that bad ($85), the shipping adds a considerable amount. You definitely need to check the freight costs to your location before making your decision.



Dave W.

 

[chefdog]

Thanks Dave,

Sounds like a ringing endorsement for the "long" trigger

Personally i feel like if i didn't have to move my trigger finger as far(towards the rear) it would help me be a little more accurate b/c i have a tendency to squeeze my hand as reach the rear of the trigger's travel. Does that make sense? If so, do you feel the Bowie L trigger accomplishes that? Thanks for posting your opinions, i guess i have to start saving $$$.

I appreciate the info,

Jake

 

[readyme]

The Long trigger sounds like a great setup...for competition. I am not sure that would be the best for carry. I personally worry about accidental discharge, and the best way (in my view) is to have a bit of a long take up. Would this be accomplished with the Short trigger, or is it the same setup as the Long, just farther back in the trigger guard.

I am looking for a long take up in case I accidentally get something (clothes, finger etc) inside the trigger guard inadvertantly. Pesonally, I think the stock trigger is pretty good, it just needs to be smoothed out considerably.

 

[TexanAviator]

I would like to add that I too am a bit confused between these two triggers....



Also, wanted a recommendation on the "L" vs the "S" in regards to my dry-firing practices....



Dry firing, and reading this thread just now, I found that when the trigger broke, the front sight would SLIGHTLY snap to the right hand side (straight across, MAYBE a little downward as well)



Saw "chefdog's" post and figured I would ask as I think this means I might be squeezing the grip too much, though I am not too sure on how I would like for the trigger to have no pull prior to it breaking as I believe the "S" does.



Thanks



Nic

 

[chefdog]

Texan,

Check out the diagram showing why we shoot low, left etc. http://mp-pistol.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=888

My thought was that having the trigger set to break a little earlier in the travel might help keep the trigger finger isolated. It seems like a natural thing for the rest of your hand to tighten up as your index finger is brought farther back towards the palm, maybe causing the gun to slightly twist in your hand.?.



Like readyme asked, i'm still unsure of exactly how the trigger's movement is changed. I know the overall travel and reset are shorter, but is it the same amount of movement for L vs S??

I THINK i might have an analogy that would help us laymen who're still a little fuzzy on the subject.



Assume that the stock trigger starts at the 25 yard line, has 15 yards of slack (pretravel), breaks at the ten yard line, and then has 10 yards of overtravel stopping at the goal line. How do the Short and Long trigger jobs compare?? If you guys think this is a good way of understanding the characteristics of the two trigger options, i can either start a new thread in the Smithing forum, or just contact Dan or David and get a response right from the horses mouth.



Anyway, I'm still trying to get a complete grasp on this trigger job business too. I appreciate hearing everyone else's thoughts on this, thanks for posting.

Jake



Update: I sent a PM to Bowie Tactical with the same question, so i'll let you know what he says when i get a response.

 

[Wilsoncreek]

I'm sitting here with my two M&P9's, one modified by Mr. Bowie, the other stock out of the box.



To use the football field analogy by Chefdog: For the stock gun, 15 yds of take up, the break(at about 7#), then 10 yds of overtravel which leaves the trigger resting against the stop on the bottom of the trigger guard.



The Bowie Long Trigger has 5 yds of takeup, a VERY crisp break at 4#, and practically 0 overtravel. The trigger does not travel to the stop on the trigger guard. I found that the pictures of the Long Trigger on David's site were exactly what mine looked like.



It seems logical that the less you have to deflect the trigger the more accurately you can shoot. Hence target firearms being built with nearly zero movement and extremely light pulls. Like readyme I don't think this is appropriate for carry guns. For action shooting sports either, for that matter. Reading the experts makes me believe that the Short trigger with a break of at least 5# is the best option for Carry. That would seem to give some margin of safety for an high-stress, adrenalin-charged situation.



My competition guru's like the Long trigger at 4# for USPSA. But then most of them shoot 1911-style handguns(with as light as 2# pulls) most of the time and the Long trigger is the closest thing to a single action trigger that I've experienced in a striker fired pistol. So it will be Bowie Long Triggers for my Production Class USPSA guns and Short or Burwell Triggers for my Compact.



Hope some of this makes sense.



Dave

 

[Walker]

Nice write-up chefdog, I learned something new today thanks to you.

 

[choochboost]

Wilsoncreek, I got the impression that you think the short is more appropriate for carry regardless of trigger weight. Did I get that right? If so, why? Can't the long trigger be had at 5# or more as well?

 

[Wilsoncreek]

I didn't ask David but I would assume that the Long Trigger can have any pull weight that the Short Trigger can have. My thought that the Short Trigger was better for Carry was based on the longer takeup of the Short giving more of a margin before gun fired in a gunfight. Another fraction of an inch, or second, if you will, to make a fateful decision. I know, and subscribe to, the rule that you don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to pull it but lots of literature has shown that in actual shootings that often is not the case.



One could argue, though, that this type of action allows you to get on, and "stack" the trigger before it releases. I know people who do this but won't get into the good/bad points of it.



The Long Trigger is closer to a 1911. Little to no play or takeup there. It seems to me that as soon as you tighten up on the trigger safety its ready to go.



I guess it comes down to what type of trigger motion you prefer. How much takeup do you want before the gun goes bang. We have great options for either camp.