Aftermarket Tavor Trigger Roundup
Matt Korovesis 01.17.14
The IWI US Tavor SAR has been on the market for just under a year now, and aftermarket accessories (like Gear Head Works’ Tavor Modular Forearm and Manticore Arms’ ARClight Tavor Rail) are beginning to show up online. But for fans of the Israeli bullpup, perhaps the most exciting news is that at least three different light-pulling triggers will be available by the end of the year.
Though the rifle is very reliable and its ergonomics, balance, and manual of arms are excellent, its heavy trigger pull has been the target of criticism. Luckily for shooters, ShootingSight, Geissele, and Timney will be offering high-quality trigger solutions very soon. I made it my mission at the 2014 SHOT Show to try out all three of these experienced manufacturers’ Tavor triggers, and my collection of technical specs and other info on the bang switches is detailed below. To get one important question answered and out of the way early, all three triggers are simple drop-in replacements for the factory trigger pack. Thanks for making it easy, IWI!
ShootingSight
Art Neergaard, the owner of ShootingSight, has extensive experience with trigger manufacturing and is an exceptionally innovative individual. His work on triggers and other shooting-related accessories is well-lauded in the firearms community. Art was one of the first (if not the only) manufacturers to get involved with Tavor owners and IWI US proper. He’s been sharing his progress on websites like BullpupForum.com, and it’s been fascinating to follow his development process. I met him at the IWI US booth and got all the details on his trigger that I could. Its specs are as follows:
- Pull weight: 5-6 lbs
- Type: Two-stage
- MSRP: $315
- Planned release date: “When it’s ready.” Art still wants to get some high round-count testing done before he brings it to market, but he is certainly aiming for sometime soon.
Geissele
Geissele is well-known for its match-grade AR triggers, and its offering for the Tavor keeps to the same quality standard established with their other products. Here are the specs for its trigger:
- Pull weight: 4.5-5.5 lbs
- Type: Two-stage
- MSRP: $350
- Planned release date: “Hopefully” mid-spring. Geissele is currently in the process of moving some of its operations, which may cause delays.
Timney Triggers
Timney Triggers’ products are prolific—you can find a Timney Trigger available for nearly every type of modern firearm out there. Our own Dick Jones reviewed a Timney Trigger for a Serbian-made Mauser just a few months ago, and loved it. Timney’s Tavor trigger is a bit different, being a single-stage instead of a two-stage. Its specs are as follows:
- Pull weight: 4 lbs
- Type: Single-stage
- MSRP: $352
- Planned release date: “Late February/early March.”
Impressions
All three of the triggers felt leaps and bounds better than the stock switch. I’m torn between the ultra-light and clean-breaking Timney and ShootingSight’s super-tactile trigger. Despite being advertised as having a “two-stage” feel, I found the Timney’s take-up to be minimal, and it still broke very smoothly. The ShootingSight piece provides everything I could ask for in a combat rifle trigger. I’m working on getting samples of each to test in full. Until then, I’ll be following all three manufacturers for more updates.
Note added 1-18-2014: This article has been edited to fix incorrect information about the Timney trigger.
I've been a history and gun enthusiast since I was a kid. I love to shoot just about anything, from silenced bolt-action .22s to fully automatic heavy machine guns, and I love even more when I get to write about them. My main interests are modern small arms and the military small arms of World War II and prior conflicts, with a particular focus on Russian and Finnish firearms. Reading about guns like the Mosin-Nagant rifle in books and on the internet got me interested in collecting, shooting, and writing about them, and I hope to do the same for others through my work.
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