Last updated and checked October 30, 2026 · By Nick Hall. Prices are the lowest new listings in our feed of 200+ retailers on October 30, 2026.
If you have ever pulled the trigger on a stock Smith & Wesson M&P and thought it could be a lot better, Apex Tactical Specialties is the company that built the fix. Apex makes the Flat-Faced Forward Set kit for the M&P, the Action Enhancement kits for Glock, the new Evo 6 kit for Gen 6 Glocks, and drop-in parts for CZ, FN, Springfield, Ruger, Walther and Smith & Wesson revolvers. One thing up front, because it gets misunderstood: Apex is a handgun and revolver company. It does not make an AR-15 trigger. Here is who they are, what they make, and what is worth buying.
Table of Contents
Who Apex Tactical is
Apex Tactical Specialties is a Peoria, Arizona maker of drop-in pistol and revolver triggers, founded in 2001 by revolver gunsmith Randy Lee. It is best known for M&P and Glock trigger kits that install without a gunsmith.
Apex started as a gunsmithing shop, not a parts company. Randy Lee’s double-action revolver work made it the go-to house for wheelgun competitors who wanted a Smith & Wesson action smoothed out, and that is the reputation the company was built on. In 2009 Apex stepped beyond custom work with its Fully Machined Sear, its first drop-in part for the M&P. That one sear turned a revolver shop into the trigger company most M&P owners know today. You can read the company’s own account on the Apex Tactical about page.
Today Apex is a licensed Type 7 FFL manufacturer and ITAR registered, with its address in Peoria, Arizona, in the Phoenix metro. Its Gen 6 Glock kit page says the parts are 100% manufactured in the USA, right there in Phoenix. And here is the detail nobody expects: Apex also runs a side line called the AZ Nunchuck Co., selling a 9-inch nunchuck set for $100, a wall mount for $40 and an orange “Ichabod Pumpkin Flail” for $200. A trigger company that sells nunchucks tells you something about the people in that machine shop.
On the tier question, Apex sits in the premium-but-reachable band. Most of its trigger kits cost $65 to $180 direct from the maker, which is less than a full custom trigger job and more than a bare replacement shoe. What you pay for is engineering that keeps factory safety values, not just a lighter spring.
What Apex makes
Smith & Wesson M&P, the flagship
The M&P is home ground. The Flat-Faced Forward Set Sear & Trigger Kit is the one that made the name: Apex says it takes the pull to about 3 to 4 pounds and cuts overall trigger travel by about 40%, and the design is patented. It is $180 from Apex, with versions for the original M&P, the polymer M2.0 and the metal-frame M2.0. A Basic Forward Set kit for the polymer M2.0 is $110 for shooters who want the geometry without the full kit. The Shield gets its own Action Enhancement and Duty/Carry kit at $165, and the SD and SD VE get $65 kits that are the cheapest way into an Apex trigger.
Glock, including Gen 6
For Glock, Apex sells complete Action Enhancement Kits (trigger, trigger bar and Performance Connector) for Gen 3/4 at $140, for Gen 5 at $135 and for the slim-frame G43, G43X and G48 at $135, plus cheaper polymer-shoe versions at $90 and $70. Apex’s own claim for the Gen 5 kit is modest and honest: about 1 pound off the pull, with shorter pre-travel, over-travel and reset. The standalone Action Enhancement Trigger for Gen 3/4 guns is $85, but Apex lists it as not for Gen 5, the G42, or 10mm and .45 ACP frames, so check the fit list before you order.
The newest piece is the Evo 6 Trigger Kit for Gen 6 Glocks at $145. It replaces the factory trigger, trigger bar and connector, and Apex rates it at 3.8 to 4.8 pounds depending on whether you keep the factory striker spring or fit Apex’s reduced-power competition spring, which Apex labels range and competition use only.
CZ, FN, Springfield and the rest
Apex covers the CZ line with trigger kits plus slide and magazine releases, the FN 509 with triggers, a durable striker, barrels and slides, and the Springfield Hellcat and Hellcat Pro with an Action Enhancement trigger. Ruger, Walther and the Girsan MC P35 also get parts, and 1911 owners can buy hammers and armorer’s tools.
Revolvers
This is where the company started, and it still sells Smith & Wesson revolver hammers and hammer kits, firing pins, spring kits and optic mounts. If you want a smoother double-action pull on a Smith & Wesson revolver, the spring kits are the place to start.
Barrels and SIG Sauer parts
Apex makes M&P barrels, including gunsmith-fit ported and threaded versions at $250 to $300. For SIG Sauer, the current lineup is optic mounts for the P320, a Failure Resistant Extractor and +4 magazine base pads for the P226. Apex no longer lists SIG P320 triggers, and the few still in our feed are leftover stock.
Pros
- Drop-in kits, no gunsmith needed
- Keeps factory safety values
- US-made, $65 to $180
Cons
- No AR-15 or SIG triggers
- Forward Set kits take patience
- Check fit lists by generation
Build quality and the Arizona shop
Apex machines its parts in the Phoenix area and says so on its product pages. The engineering idea that runs through the catalog is simple: change the geometry of the trigger, sear and connector rather than just swapping in lighter springs. That is why the carry kits feel cleaner without dropping to a weight you would not want on a holstered gun, and why the center-mounted pivoting safety on the Glock triggers keeps the factory safety values Apex keeps repeating in its listings.
The honest trade-off is price against a plain connector swap. A $15 Apex connector on its own will lighten a Glock a little. The $135 kit changes how the trigger moves. If you only want a lighter number, the connector is enough. If you want a better trigger, buy the kit.
How Apex compares
The names you will cross-shop are Timney, Johnny Glock, ZEV and, for the Gen 6 Glock, CMC, which now sells a Gen 6 trigger too. Competition-first triggers from those makers can go lighter and flatter than Apex’s carry kits. Where Apex wins is coverage and safety-first carry weights: one company with kits for M&P, Glock including Gen 6, CZ, FN, Hellcat, Shield and revolvers. If you want the lightest possible competition break, look at a dedicated race trigger. If you want a carry gun that feels better and still behaves like a carry gun, Apex is the default.
Who should buy what
- M&P owner, range and competition: the Flat-Faced Forward Set kit, about 3 to 4 lb.
- M&P on a budget: the $110 Basic Forward Set for the polymer M2.0.
- Glock carry gun, Gen 3 to 5: the Action Enhancement Kit for your generation, about 1 lb lighter and much cleaner.
- Gen 6 Glock: the Evo 6 kit with the factory striker spring for carry.
- Shield, Hellcat or FN 509: the matching Action Enhancement kit.
- Revolver shooter: the Smith & Wesson spring kits.
Look elsewhere if you need an AR-15 trigger or a SIG P320 trigger. Apex does not make either.
The Apex philosophy
Apex thinks like a revolver gunsmith. On a double-action revolver there is nowhere to hide a rough action, so the work is all about sear geometry and surface finish. Apex brought that to striker guns: a defined wall, a positive reset, and safety values left where the factory put them. The company’s own line is that when a new pistol comes out, one of the first questions is whether Apex makes a trigger for it.
How to choose your Apex setup
Start with the exact model and generation, because Apex sells different parts for an M&P and an M2.0, for polymer and metal frames, and for Gen 3/4, Gen 5 and Gen 6 Glocks. Then decide what the gun is for. A carry or duty gun gets an Action Enhancement or Duty/Carry kit and the factory striker spring. A range or competition gun can take the Forward Set kit, or the Evo 6 with the competition spring. Most Action Enhancement kits install with a punch and a few minutes. The Forward Set kits move more parts, so if you are not comfortable detail-stripping the pistol, pay an armorer. Function-check every install before live fire.
The revolver roots, and the nunchucks
It is easy to think of Apex as “the M&P trigger company,” but the foundation was wheelguns. Randy Lee built the name smoothing Smith & Wesson double-action pulls for competitors who had to shoot fast and accurately, and the revolver hammers and spring kits are still in the catalog more than two decades later. That obsession with how an action feels is the thread running from a 2001 revolver shop to a 2026 Gen 6 Glock kit. The AZ Nunchuck Co. side line is the reminder that the people behind it are shooters and tinkerers first, and that a good machine shop will make whatever it finds interesting.
Facts and Figures
- Founded: 2001, by revolver gunsmith Randy Lee.
- Based: Peoria, Arizona (Phoenix metro); Type 7 FFL, ITAR registered.
- First drop-in part: the M&P Fully Machined Sear, 2009.
- M&P Forward Set kit: about 3 to 4 lb, about 40% less travel, $180.
- Glock Action Enhancement Kit: about 1 lb lighter, $135 (Gen 5) to $140 (Gen 3/4).
- Evo 6 (Gen 6 Glock): 3.8 to 4.8 lb by striker spring, $145.
- Cheapest kit: $65 for the S&W SD and SD VE.
- Odd one out: AZ Nunchuck Co., 9-inch nunchuck set $100.
Maker prices are from apextactical.com on October 30, 2026. Retail prices in the cards and carousels below are live.
Shop Apex Tactical Parts & Prices
Live products and current prices for Apex Tactical Specialties, organized by department and updated automatically.
Triggers
Frame Parts
Where Apex Fits in Our Buying Guides
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- Best Competition Triggers
- CMC Glock Gen 6 Trigger
- S&W M&P9 M2.0 Review
- Glock 19 Gen 6 Review
- Springfield Hellcat Review
- FN 509 Review
Apex Tactical FAQ
Where is Apex Tactical based?
Apex Tactical Specialties is based in Peoria, Arizona, in the Phoenix metro. Its product pages say its parts are 100% manufactured in the USA in Phoenix, and it is a licensed Type 7 FFL manufacturer.
Does an Apex trigger reduce pull weight?
Yes, by different amounts. Apex rates the Glock Action Enhancement Kit at about 1 lb lighter, the M&P Flat-Faced Forward Set kit at about 3 to 4 lb, and the Gen 6 Evo 6 kit at 3.8 to 4.8 lb depending on the striker spring. All of them shorten travel and reset.
Are Apex kits drop-in or do they need a gunsmith?
Most Action Enhancement kits are true drop-in with basic tools. The Forward Set kits replace more parts and take more care, and the gunsmith-fit barrels need fitting. If you are not comfortable detail-stripping your pistol, use an armorer.
Does Apex make an AR-15 trigger?
No. Apex is a handgun and revolver parts company; its only rifle products are an FN SCAR bolt handle and a stabilization attachment. For AR-15 triggers, look at CMC, Timney or Geissele.
Does Apex make a trigger for the Glock Gen 6?
Yes. The Evo 6 Trigger Kit for Gen 6 Glocks was $145 from Apex on October 30, 2026. It replaces the trigger, trigger bar and connector and is rated at 3.8 to 4.8 lb.
Does Apex still make SIG P320 triggers?
No. Apex's SIG Sauer section now lists optic mounts, a P320 Failure Resistant Extractor and P226 +4 base pads, but no triggers. Any Apex P320 trigger you find is leftover stock.
Which Apex kit for an M&P 2.0?
Pick the M2.0 kit that matches your frame. The Flat-Faced Forward Set kit ($180) is the full upgrade for range and competition; the Basic Forward Set ($110) is the budget polymer-frame version. The Shield uses its own $165 kit.
What tier is Apex Tactical?
Premium but reachable: US-made, safety-first drop-in triggers at $65 to $180, with what Apex says is more pistol and revolver coverage than any other trigger maker.
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