Flat vs. Curved Trigger: What Is Your Right Choice?

A couple of triggers have flat design while others are curved (traditional type).

To get more surface area and a longer reach, some chosen the flat triggers. Others prefer the curved type because of the more comfortable pressure distribution.

Which one is a better choice?

You will likely find the right choice after discovering the differences between the flat vs. curved triggers.

Flat Triggers and Curved Triggers

General Features

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What are flat and curved triggers? In general, there provide:

• Suitable options for pistols
• A greater engagement surface
• Comfort for your finger placement in a stress situation
• Minimization of pull weight
• Optimum selections in SA

Differences

For an SAO action: You can see an advantage when you pull relatively short triggers.

Curved triggers prevent your finger from sliding off but have a slight forward swept portion. With flat design, you can alleviate unnecessary trigger motion.

Leverage: This is to depend on the feeling of each user. Some assume that a heavily curved trigger does not make them natural while going to the lowest position on a trigger face.

Regarding this, most shooters select the flat trigger because it enables them to utilize slightly more leverage and provide room inside the trigger guard for gloved hands.

In SA: Because the flat triggers are further out, you may put your fingers towards the bottom half, and as a result, the perceived pull weight reduces.

According to some shooters, in SA, it requires shooters to break up to 900; however, adjustable curved triggers can break at 90 degrees in SA.

Mechanical interface: A curved trigger provides more contact on the finger pad surface and more comfortable pressure distribution than a flat trigger.

Variation: A flat trigger offers small variation in which you could place your finger and change the lever arm.

We tried placing our finger on the curved trigger of the P229. It creates a small space between the finger and the trigger guard.

In other words, you can move your finger downward a non-negligible addition with the flat trigger.

Force: The flat trigger can help increase the effort to trip the shooter’s trigger so that his finger is closer to the pivot point, especially those who use a rifle.

When you move your finger to the free end of the trigger, you can decrease the required force.

Typical Products

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We chose two commonly used triggers to make a comparison so that you can see the differences more clearly.

CMC AR-15/ AR-10 Flat Trigger

With the new design, this trigger is self-contained and easy-to-setup, providing superior trigger pull dynamics for many shooters.

It allows your finger to come to rest naturally and offers a similar pull to the one before it. We like the bow-shaped build that makes us feel an unsurpassed linear.

Throughout the use time, CMC’s AR-15/10 brings sear engagement overlap. It is up to 6-8 times compared to other competitors, making it a safe trigger with outstanding reliability.

CMC Triggers AR15/AR10 Curved

This curved model has solid build along with an affordable price. We are also impressed with its trigger pull dynamics, which provides an ultra-clean break and brings a smooth feel.

The CMC Curved Trigger features fast positive reset and excellent lock time. So, fire control is better than any group from CMC.

Plus, the proprietary machining process contributes to rendering dimensional control and excellent 1-2 RMS surface finish.

Your Final Choice

Now, after reading our article, are you going to pick a flat or curved trigger?

We have given information in detailed to help you get an objective view, but in the end, we recommend you experience real products before deciding.

If you still have any questions about them, please leave a comment below.

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