Editor’s Note: In this article, Michael Mills reviews the Tyrant CNC trigger for the Springfield Echelon pistol. The part requires a reasonable degree of proficiency in working with firearms to install. If you want to try out this accessory for your pistol and are unsure of your personal skill level regarding installing a part such as this, please utilize the services of a skilled gunsmith. The part was provided by Tyrant CNC for review.
My mom always told me you should never start off an introduction with an immediate question, but on the topic of customizing pistols I think there is one that is relevant to ask. Basically, is there ever too much customization of your handgun? Those who are familiar with my pieces here on The Armory Life probably know my answer to this question — no, because there’s always something else to try.
One of my current Springfield Echelon pistols has quite a few custom additions to it. (Be sure to read about Springfield Echelon upgrades.) I started with Floyd’s Custom Shop magwell and baseplates. The baseplates I tried were the standard, +2 and +6. Besides the obvious benefit of more rounds, there is also the added bonus of more surface area to grab and added weight to drop free. I then added the Floyd’s magwell to give a little more surface area for a solid grip. To me, magwells are a must on a pistol because they help facilitate magazine exchanges under stress and speed. Finally, I got the full custom porting that Floyds offers to give just a bit more performance.
[Be sure to read Massad Ayoob’s Springfield Armory Echelon review.]
Just When I Thought I Was Done Modifying My Echelon
A few months after I had added all these enhancements to my Echelon and had some rounds and range trips under my gun belt, I saw that Tyrant CNC had a new trigger option for the pistol available. I immediately noticed the lines of the new Tyrant trigger seemed to match the slide serrations and style of the pistol. Obviously, you need to be very careful and cautious about a trigger change. For me, as long as it maintains all safeties and performs well, I am fine with giving it a try.
I did some research on it to determine if the Tyrant trigger ensured it maintained all of the factory safeties, which it is designed to do. Reading the Tyrant website, the trigger was described as being “performance-oriented” with a 4-lb. break weight and a 20% reduced pre-travel.
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The trigger shoe is made of 6000 series aluminum, while the trigger safety blade is made of stainless steel. Instead of a pin design, the new Tyrant trigger is attached to the factory trigger bar by a stainless steel screw for ease of installation and maintenance. After my research, I decided it was definitely worth trying out.
[Don’t miss Justin Opinion’s look at Tyrant parts for the Hellcat Pro.]
Tyrant CNC Echelon Trigger Installation
Once the Tyrant trigger arrived, I gave it a once over and opened up my tool kit. The installation process was very straightforward, with the Echelon’s innovative Central Operating Group making the trigger bar removal simple. The factory trigger pin then needs to be pushed out with a pin punch and armorer hammer.
Once the trigger bar is prepped, the Tyrant CNC trigger can be placed over the bar and you simply line up the trigger pin hole with the Tyrant screw and lightly tighten it in place. While you are tightening the trigger set screw, you must ensure the trigger is still freely moving on the trigger bar at all times during the installation process. If you need help, there is an installation video up on the Tyrant website.
Now all you need to do is re-install the trigger bar into the Central Operating Group and place it back into the grip module. You should then ensure all safeties are still operational. Once you are sure the trigger is installed and operating properly in the grip module, you can now put the slide back on and function-check the pistol (with no ammo yet).
I noticed immediately after re-installing the slide that the interface with the trigger safety and trigger shoe was very smooth. There was very positive engagement when the trigger shoe safety was depressed. When I first attempted to pull the trigger to the wall just prior to the breaking point, I was very impressed. The reduced pre-travel was very notable, and it felt like the trigger was almost at the wall.
Testing the New Echelon Trigger on the Shooting Range
After doing plenty of dry-fire practice, I got my Echelon with the newly installed Tyrant trigger to the range. I took the first few shots a bit slow to get used to the feel under recoil, and then I opened up the speed.
My immediate thoughts were that the weight was right at the 4-lb. breaking weight, but the pre-travel reduction was even more notable than I expected. To be honest, the trigger pre-travel felt more like that of a 1911 than a striker-fired pistol.
There are some small details we need to go over when it comes to the Tyrant trigger for the Echelon. The biggest positive here is the performance, obviously. The interface feels great. The performance is to me more than stated on the website from Tyrant.
Is the Tyrant CNC Trigger for You?
When it comes to accessories or performance parts for your Springfield Echelon, to be frank none of this is mandatory or needed as you already have a great performance-based pistol. But if you are like me and appreciate customizing your guns, the price of the Tyrant CNC Echelon trigger at $79 makes it a great option. For that price, you can get either the basic black that I tested or a choice of four other colors including red, grey, blue or gold.
If you are going to add the Tyrant trigger to your Echelon, you definitely are going to want to do not only dry-fire, but also take it slow on the first few mags of live fire. This trigger is a very aggressive design with a lighter pull and shorter pre-travel, so make sure you get the “feel” for it at the range. But, I really appreciated what it brought to the table.
If it seems like a good fit for you, definitely take a look.
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