Hiperfire EDT (Enhanced Duty Trigger®) DM (Designated Marksman) for AR15 / M16 & AR10 Rifles

The Hiperfire EDT DM “Designated Marksman Enhanced Duty Trigger®” is a significant upgrade for your AR platform rifle. Chosen by Military; LE/SWAT; and discriminating shooters, this high quality Single Stage, Semi-Auto trigger features Radical Sear Mechanics; a choice of included 4½ or 5½ lb. pull Hammer Springs; and a heavy, SwingFast Hammer Head. Get faster lock-up; a crisp, clean, trigger break with very short over-travel and a very, positive reset you can feel and hear. Included in the package are: Trigger; Hammer; Disconnector; Green Hammer Spring (4.5 lb/pull weight); Red Hammer Spring (5.5 lb/pull weight); Two AR 0.154″ diam. pins; AR Disconnector Spring; AR Trigger Spring; Drift Pin and Assembly Pin (already installed to hold trigger and disconnector together for easier assembly). The Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger carries a Lifetime Warranty through its manufacturer – HiperFire. All made in the U.S.A.” – Source: Windham Weaponry

I think that we can all agree that any A2 trigger leaves us wanting and not wanting. We don’t want too heavy of a trigger pull and we don’t want to light of a trigger pull; both can be detrimental in many number of ways. We want an excellent trigger pull with very little take-up, a crisp break, and very little over-travel. We also want a quick trigger reset for follow-up shots. One of the prime upgrades to “Stoner” based firearms seems to be the trigger, and there are many trigger options on the market. I would like to introduce you to one of those options.

In two cases, I have simply had a qualified and competent gunsmith smooth out the existing trigger. In the case of the Windham Weaponry R20FFTM-308, I had a target trigger installed prior to delivery. The trigger in the Windham Weaponry 7.62×39 SRC remains untouched, although that may change in the future.

The Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9mm carbine also uses the A2 trigger and when Windham Weaponry announced that they now sold the Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger for AR15 / M16 & AR10 Rifles, I knew that I wanted to try one. When firing the R16FTT-9mm carbine from the bench I had no issues with the A2 trigger, although it was on the heavy side. When standing and delivering; however, the heavy trigger became evident that it was affecting my shots, beside me becoming evident that I was also affecting my shots. I felt that I needed a better trigger that allowed me to concentrate on the shot rather than the trigger pull.

Although the HiperFire trigger is not a drop-in unit, the Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger is a direct replacement for the A2 trigger, and Windham Weaponry even has a video to show how it is done. Simply choose the desired hammer spring (Green Hammer Spring (4.5 lb/pull weight); Red Hammer Spring (5.5 lb/pull weight)) and have a qualified and competent gunsmith install it for you, or if you are the DYI type, install it yourself as I did as it is really not that hard to do.

The trigger and sear come as an assembly, with the trigger and sear held together with a short pin. Hiperfire provides two trigger pins and a conical-shaped drift pin that is used for installing the trigger/sear assembly and the hammer/hammer spring assembly (after installing the desired hammer spring). Replacing the stock trigger with the HiperFire unit took about fifteen minutes (which included cleaning of the trigger well and installing the hammer spring on the hammer).

For evaluation purposes, I installed the hammer with the “Green” spring, as the trigger unit was going to be installed in the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-9mm carbine and I would be shooting commercial ammunition. The heavier of the two (Red Hammer Spring (5.5 lb/pull weight)) is used for firing hard primer ammunition such as MIL SURP ammo. The “Green” spring is rated at 4.5-pounds of trigger pull and is used with commercial ammunition.

I am not going to go into the installation of the Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger except to say that it is very simple to do. If you decide to purchase and install the Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger, I do recommend that you watch the instructional video from Windham Weaponry, as Erik Winter does a fine job teaching how to install the HiperFire trigger.

The installed trigger of the WW R16FTT-9mm, while somewhat heavy in pull weight (7 pounds average), is relatively smooth with little take-up and over-travel, as is typical of most A2 triggers. After installing the Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger with the green hammer spring, the pull weight dropped to 5-pounds. This was somewhat expected as the trigger is new. But, the real test, of course, is at the range and letting the trigger mechanism break in.

I found the Hiperfire EDT DM Trigger trigger to be extremely smooth (after break-in) with very little take-up and over-travel. Reset was excellent and the break crisp.  At first, there was some initial grittiness during take-up and reset, but that seemed to go away after shooting about fifty rounds of ammunition. Another thirty-five rounds was fired and no longer concerned myself with the weight of the trigger pull. Out of twenty rounds fired, two were fliers (bad ammunition, bad?) and eighteen wound up in a 1.5” group at twenty-five yards (Aguila and PMC ammunition).  I found that I could also get back on target quicker because of this trigger. Reset grittiness also disappeared. Overall, it is a very smooth trigger.

While not in the territory of the Elftmann Drop-In Single Stage Match Trigger for .308/AR10 Rifles that is in the Windham Weaponry R20FFTM-308, it is an excellent improvement over the standard A2 trigger.

Resources:

Hiperfire EDT (Enhanced Duty Trigger®) DM (Designated  Marksman) for AR15 / M16 & AR10 Rifles: https://shop.windhamweaponry.com/product/8448592-edt3/

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About Taurian

Taurian is a U.S. Army veteran and former LEO and Defensive Tactics Instructor. Taurian also has over fifty years of experience as a Technical Writer and Training Program Developer. After leaving home at the age of ten without any shoes, Taurian continues on with many years devoted to the keeping and bearing of arms.

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