Timney Alpha Competition Glock Trigger

  Timney is well known for their rifle triggers, so when they first came out with the Alpha Competition Glock trigger, I was definitely intrigued. All the hype said it was similar to a single action, but with a Glock twist. Once I had it in hand, that description was pretty spot on. 

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  Installation of the Alpha trigger is pretty straight forward. Everything needed comes in the box, as one would expect. If you are not comfortable with the trigger install, take it to a reputable gunsmith. A nice set of paper instructions is included. I like paper instructions. I can set them on the workbench to look at them, unlike on-line instructions. There are two differences in the trigger install over a standard style trigger. The first is the trigger receiver. This goes inside the pistol's trigger housing and locks in place with a screw. A different trigger return spring is also used. This is an “L” shaped spring that installs on the left side of the trigger. This style of spring also allows the trigger to fully reset forward, even if the striker has not been reset.

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  Enough about the install, let’s get into the trigger itself. Say goodbye to the factory plastic trigger, the Timney Alpha is made from anodized aluminum. The trigger shoe is a flat face design and anodized black. It is also chamfered on each side of the face. This leads to a very comfortable feel of the trigger shoe. The slightly wider trigger safety, anodized in red, also has a unique feature. Besides sticking out a little more than some trigger safeties, it is slightly curved outward. Why? I am not sure, but it seems to not pinch my finger like a factory trigger does. Once depressed, it still sits flush with the trigger shoe. To also smooth everything out, it comes with a nickel teflon coated trigger bar and sear.

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   The Timney Apha Competition trigger is the best feeling, Glock style, trigger I currently have. The trigger pull breaks at 3 lbs, consistently. And that’s with a “drop in” trigger. The initial take up is around 0.200”. This is adjustable through a set screw at the top of the trigger. I have it adjusted as far in as possible while still allowing the trigger safety to function properly. Then you come up against that wonderful wall. Which then takes around 0.100” to pull through. Then about 0.075” over travel, which is not adjustable. The reset is very tactile. No mushy resets with the Alpha Competition trigger. So the feel is - take up, wall, crisp clean trigger break, slight overtravel, reset. Since the striker is fully cocked back with the Timney trigger, that is why it has such a short trigger break. Essentially taking the “Safe Action” to a safe “single action”. 

  I have the Timney in a full size Polymer 80 with a compensator and red dot. Which is perfect for this competition trigger, I would not recommend this trigger for a duty or carry gun. But Timney specifically calls it a “Competition” trigger, and that is probably why. 

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  This Alpha Competition trigger shoots and feels fantastic. When shooting the pistol, I don’t even notice the initial take up, it is that smooth. The 3lb pull and crisp break allow for fast accurate shot placement. The great reset allows me to get faster follow up shots and split times. The trigger is almost everything I want in a competition trigger. My only complaint would be that the initial take up is too long. Other than that, this thing is a great trigger upgrade for your “Glock” style pistol.

  Timney did a bang up job with the Alpha Competition Glock Trigger. They essentially made a drop in single action style trigger for competition use. The price is great at $150 for a drop in trigger system. It has great features and will probably make your pistol shoot great. I’m definitely going to recommend the Timney trigger to anyone who asks about a Glock competition trigger upgrade.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Complete 3 lb trigger system for Glock pistols

Target Market:

Competition shooters

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

• Teflon nickel (NP3) - trigger bar and sear (this process virtually eliminates friction, allowing for an extremely smooth feel) 

• Crisp trigger break

• Straight aluminum trigger with safety blade (anodized)

• Uses all stock Glock parts and springs

• COMPATIBLE WITH STOCK GLOCK PISTOLS.

• FITS GEN 3: G17, G17L, G19, G22, G24, G23, G34, G35

• GEN 4: G17, G19, G22, G23, G34, G35

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

For Gen 5 Glocks

What others are saying?:

5 Stars at Brownells

GREAT TRIGGER!

I just got this trigger in and put it in my G19, and it was good enough that I felt like I needed to get on here and write my first review. It breaks exactly at 3 pounds, and it feels way better than any of my other upgraded triggers. Very smooth and clean break. Install is a little different than the others, but it took me less than 5 minutes (they included tools). This trigger is definitely the way I'll be going for all my builds from now on. 100% recommend

Link to other reviews:

Tactical Considerations on Youtube

Price point:

MSRP = $149.99

Retail = $149.95 at Brownell’s or Primary Arms

I need it now! Availability:

Timney, Brownells, or Primary Arms

Our Rating:

Pros:

• Drop-in

• Trigger pull weight of 3 lbs

• Crisp trigger break

• Great trigger reset

• Price

• Flat face trigger shoe

Cons:

• Too much take up

• No option for carry/duty gun

Score: 9.00 Amazing

Favorite Link:  Matador Arms

Volquartsen Custom Scorpion .22 LR Pistol Review

Review Picture 4

Written by: Ryan Michaud

The .22 rimfire pistol market is one of variety. From inexpensive plinkers to tricked out, high performance raceguns, I don’t know of a market that offers the discerning consumer more choices in terms of fit, finish & quality. In contrast to a few years ago, .22 rimfire ammunition has started to make a comeback in areas where it was scarce for quite some time, and that has made taking these rimfire pistols back out to the range much more of a possibility. Gone are the days of 99 cent Winchester White boxes of 50 rounds like I remember, but .22 LR still offers good performance and practice options at a far reduced price compared to full size centerfire ammunition. As mentioned before, there are many different tiers of .22 LR pistols. The Volquartsen Custom Scorpion is definitely securely placed in the top-tier of .22 LR handguns; it is a lightweight .22 LR Pistol designed for high performance and is equally at home in the competition arena, or out in the field.

The Volquartsen Custom Scorpion can mount many optics such as this Burris Fastfire

Back in March I did an interview with Scott Volquartsen of Volquartsen Custom about their business. I came away impressed with their commitment to quality as well as to their employees & customers. Scott stated that Volquartsen had worked to make the finest rimfire handguns and rifles for competition and other uses that money could buy. We spoke about potentially having me test a handgun, and after NRA Show 2015, we spoke about what my desires would be if I was contacting Volquartsen to purchase a custom .22 LR handgun. I told Scott that if I were to call and order one, I would want a handgun that could fill a couple roles: competition & handgun hunting. I am a fan of hunting with handguns, and many .22 pistols simply aren’t precise enough for small game hunting. I have also thought about getting involved in rimfire competition, and would want a handgun that could fill dual roles. Scott suggested their Scorpion line, with a 4.5” barrel, the 1911 style VC Target frame, and Fiber optic front sight with the Volquartsen Target rear sight. The handgun would be fitted with all Volquartsen internals and would have an accessory rail on the top if I desired to mount any optics.

The Competition Bolt is coated in a variety of finishes for superior performance.

The Scorpion is a combination of the Lightweight VC Target Frame and the LLV Upper. It comes standard with the Volquartsen Competition Bolt. The Volquartsen Competition Bolt is CNC Machined and ground for superior tolerances, fit and finish. It features the SureStrike Firing Pin and the Exact Edge Extractor to ensure reliable feeding & function. The bolt is also offered with four different coatings, Diamond Like Carbon, Chromium Nitride, Titanium Nitride and Titanium Carbo-Nitride. The example I have here has the Diamond Like Carbon Coating. I can attest to the reliable functioning of the bolt and pistol, as I put a little over 3,000 rounds of various brands of .22 rimfire cartridges through the pistol in about a months time with not a single malfunction. This was with extremely minimal lubrication and almost no cleaning aside from wiping the bolt with a soft cloth.

The VC Target Frame and LLV Upper combine to make the Volquartsen Scorpion

The VC Target Frame is manufactured by Volquartsen, and is offered with a MKIII style grip angle or a 1911 style grip angle. The example I have is the 1911 style frame. It is CNC-machined from aluminum alloy and with a 6oz base weight, is very light and handy. You can get the frame in a variety of finishes & colors, with the Black, red, blue and OD green frames being Type III hard anodized and the Silver frames being NiB coated. The VC frame is fitted with all Volquartsen internals, including the Accurizing Kit with Extended bolt release, CNC Machined Target Trigger, Wire EDM Cut Target Hammer and target sear. It also sports a CNC machined disconnector, extended safety and in the MKIII models, a spring-loaded magazine ejector for positive ejection of spent magazines. Volquartsen has eliminated the magazine disconnect from this frame as well. Their trigger is outstanding, with minimal take-up and an adjustable overtravel stop. The manual lists the trigger pull weight at 2.25 lbs and I found this to be true, with the average over 10 trigger pulls reading between 2.25 and 2.3 on my Lyman trigger pull gauge. I cannot say enough good things about the trigger on this pistol.

The Volquartsen Target Rear with Fiber Optic Front presents a fantastic sight picture

The LLV Barreled receiver/upper is hard anodized & CNC machined. The receiver and barrel shroud are precision machined as one piece from aluminum alloy. An integral picatinny rail is machined into the top of the receiver for easy mounting of any of the optical sights available on the market today. It is fitted with a precision stainless steel barrel that is machine-honed and lapped and is available in either 4.5” or 6” lengths. The standard configuration LLV comes with 1/2 x 28 muzzle threads with either a thread protector, or with their LLV compensator.

The LLV Compensator mates perfectly with the LLV upper and tames the mild .22 LR recoil to almost nothing.

  My example has the LLV Compensator which functions very well and tames the already mild recoil of the .22 Rimfire down to almost nothing. The pistol runs well with a suppressor too, as you can see in the video. You can also choose any number of sight options, such as Hi-Viz front and Tritium rear, Hi Viz Front and Target rear, or Volquartsen Target sights. You can also opt to not have sights installed and simply use electronic optics.

Grip options for the VC Target Frame include Volthane Target Grips or Laminated Wood Target grips for the MKIII style grip angle, and Aluminum Grips or the Hogue Monogrip for the 1911 Style Grip angle. My example sports the Hogue Monogrips. They were very comfortable and made the gun easy to handle, especially after many hundreds of rounds downrange in a single session. This whole package comes in at under 2 lbs.

Multiple brands & types of ammo were used in the evalutation

At the range, I found the Scorpion to be incredibly accurate and fast. From close-up shooting on multiple steel targets as fast as possible, to 45, 55 and even 60 yard shots on an 8” steel plate, the Volquartsen Scorpion delivered. I fired many different brands & loads through the Scorpion over the test period, and the pistol functioned flawlessly with every single one. I used CCI Mini-Mag .22 LR hollowpoint 36 grain, Winchester Super X .22 LR round nose 40 grain & Aguila .22 Pistol Match 40 grain LRN. Also mixed in there were some Winchester 40 grain Dynapoints during the suppressed fire. At about 25 yards, the CCI Mini Mags were the most accurate for me, with groups of 0.58” being common.

It seems my particular sample really likes the lighter weight 36 grain bullet of the Mini-Mag. The rest of the ammunition didn’t shoot as tight groups for me, but all were well under an inch from a rest at between 25-30 yards. I had the most fun doing rapid fire steel drills on multiple 8” steel plates from 15 yards. It is REALLY fun to run this pistol fast.

Groups like this one (minus those two flyers from a previous group; the sticky fell off) were commonplace with the Volquartsen Scorpion at 25 yards

The Volquartsen Custom Scorpion is really an outstanding .22 pistol. The combination of high quality features really make for a handgun that is a cut above the rest in the rimfire pistol world. When I spoke with the folks at Volquartsen, I said that I would want a pistol that would be equally at home out in the field hunting small game as it would be in the competition arena. This pistol really delivers. It is eminently customizable to fit your needs, and  you can tell the people at Volquartsen really care about the desires of the customer. Every question/request I had was answered in a timely manner and with a high degree of detail and explanation. With a price range between $1,175 and $1,236 depending upon chosen options, it is definitely in the higher range of .22 pistols, but you are getting a high quality, high performance handgun that will definitely last you a lifetime.

Firearms Insider Reviews – 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame: Super High Quality .22 LR Pistol intended for competition or target shooting use.

Target Market: Shooters who need a .22 LR pistol for competition or small game hunting.

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

• High quality internals

• Light weight

• Superb Trigger & Sights

• Optics Mounting Options

• Fantastic Customer Service

• Support a family-run firearms business

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

• Black, Red, Blue & OD Green Type III Hard Anodized

• Silver is Nickel Boron (NiB)

• Target Grips

• Aluminum Grips

• Various Options for Compensators

• 1911 style or MK III Style Grip Frame

Price point:

MSRP = Between $1,175 and $1,236 depending upon chosen options. This is a custom pistol.

I need it now! Availability: You can purchase the Volquartsen Custom Scorpion directly from Volquartsen Custom.

Pros:

• Custom built to the user specifications

• Uses high quality components for the internals

• Trigger is AMAZING.

• Coated Competition Bolt almost eliminates the need for lubrication.

• Reliability over 3,000 rounds with almost no cleaning whatsoever is amazing in a .22 rimfire pistol.

• Accuracy is top-notch even at long distance.

• Worked fantastic with a .22 LR suppressor. Very very quiet and accurate. Also, the sights can be used with the suppressor attached.

Cons:

• It is definitely in the upper end price range for .22 LR pistols. However, this isn’t really a “con” as it IS a high quality custom .22 LR pistol intended for the highest levels of rimfire competition.

95

Our Rating: 9.5 AMAZING!

Visit Volquartsen Custom for more information and to place an order!

Visit Ryan Michad over at Handgun Radio and the Handgun Radio Facebook Page

Kimber Eclipse Target ll

I have had this gun for about 10 years now and its still my gun safe queen!  Recently I have resolved to bring her back out and start using it more often.  After all isn't that why we buy guns...so we can enjoy them right?  As soon as I got this Kimber in hand, I decided to put on an extended magwell and Kimber tactical grips.  But that's it! Those were the only mods that I deemed necessary for this beautiful piece of firearm bliss.

OK ... time to get into the meat of the matter.  I have fired approximately 1,500 rounds through this Eclipse.  To be completely honest with you guys, when I first took it to the range, I had some feeding issues with the first 300 rounds.  However after getting it tall broken in, the gun ran flawlessly for the last 10 years.  If you have never held a Kimber, they are extremely tight tolerances with no loose rattling like most other 1911”s.  Everything is worked by hand to ensure maximum accuracy and it is very accurate! My ol’ man can punch an 1”-1 ½” group with this firearm. The Kimber Eclipse has a crisp 4-5lb aluminum match trigger and when you pull the slide to the rear, its very smooth.  In fact, everything about this gun is crisp and smooth. I do have one major qualm with the Kimber …. the black oxide finish seems to wear off too easy, especially on parts like the safety that get a lot of skin contact.  Other than that, the pistol has a solid steel slide and frame that is very well balanced.  The target 2 model comes with a 5” match steel barrel and meprolight adjustable night sights.  Last but not least, the Kimber Eclipse has 30 LPI checkering on the front grip (I love this feature) and come with two 8 round mags.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame: Superb detail, accuracy reliability and smooth operation.

Target Market: Serious 1911 fans, competition and law enforcement.

FNB's (features and benefits of this product):

• 5" match grade barrel and bushing
• Aluminum match grade 4-5lb trigger
• Meprolight adjustable night sights
• Contrasting brushed stainless finish over black infill
• 30 lpi front strap checkering

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?:  Brushed stainless flats/ black oxide contrast

What others are saying?:  "Kimber 1911's are what 1911's should be"

• The Firing Line
• GUNS

Price point:

• MSRP: $1,393.00
• Retail: $1,210.00

Our Rating:

+ Accurate + Reliable + Beautiful + Superb Quality + Balanced

- Expensive - Break in period - Black finish wear

Score: 8.0 Great

Crosman MAR177 PCP AR-15 Upper Receiver Conversion Kit

Have you ever considered a conversion kit for your AR-15 platform rifle or carbine? Perhaps a 22LR kit that snaps onto your lower receiver and allows you to shoot the economical 22 Rimfire. How about a conversion kit that shoots an even more economical round and keeps your guns clean?

Let me preface this with telling you that I am NOT the target market for this conversion kit.  This product is designed for the precision rifle competition shooter, so from my point of view the price point was a real shocker at first. However, I do see value in more than just a competition setting. This could be a really good training option for any AR-15 shooter. I would compare it to a 22LR conversion in some ways. Yes, it’s more expensive, but the ammo is way cheaper than even 22LR. You can purchase 1,250 (177) caliber pellets for about $14. So over time you may break even with a 22LR conversion kit. One of the big benefits of an air rifle upper is that they are very CLEAN, you will rarely, if ever, have to clean this. Not something you can say about 22LR conversion kits.  My one big issue is that fact that you have to manually charge the action every time you take a shot. I’m sure this is not an issue for the intended users since they mostly shoot bolt guns in small bore competitions. Overall I'm very pleased with this conversion kit, it leaves a smile on my face each time I shoot it.  Whether you're training for 10-meter rifle matches, plinking cans or shooting apples, I would recommend taking a serious look at the Crosman MAR177.

Claim to Fame: The MAR177 conversion kit replaces your existing AR-15 upper receiver and converts it into a PCP(Pre Charged Pneumatic) .177 caliber competition air rifle.  Designed to support 10 meter match air rifle competition.

Target Market: The MAR177 is built for National Match Air Rifle competition shooters

Features & Benefits

Key Features

• Match grade accuracy
• Ready for competition out of the box
• Meets the National Match Air Rifle competition requirements
• More range time - even indoors
• Low noise and minimal recoil
• Up to 120 shots per fill

Key Benefits

• Practice with your competition AR-15 Trigger Group
• Use the same lower, stock and pistol grip of your AR-15 Rifle
• It’s possible to put an optic on the rifle
• Very accurate
• Affordable clips $14.99

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available? Only Black

What others are saying?

1. Review by Jim on Crosman’s product page - “I sold off one of my NM uppers to buy this air rifle conversion so I could train in the off season. The cost was a little high but well worth it. I pinned the rear sight and now it works a lot better. The winters are not going to be as boring as they used to be. Thanks for a really good item.”

2. Review by “The Truth about Guns”

Price point (MSRP versus actual retail)

MSRP = $650.00 from the Crosman Corporation

Retail = $600.00 on Pyramyd Air Gun Mall

I need it now! Availability In stock at the above places as well as: Amazon.com for currently $600

Our Rating If the price point was a few hundred dollars less I would give this 9 stars out of 10 since it would open it up to the 22LR conversion market with comparable price points.

+ Rifled Lother Walther steel barrel + Good alternative to a 22LR conversion kit + Fun to shoot + Very accurate for even a rifle noob like myself + Velocity up to 600 fps + Built in pressure gage

- Very heavy and bulky - Must be charged from a scuba tank or a VERY high pressure hand pump (1,000 to 2,900 psi) - Expensive

Score (7.5)

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