I've never had a chance to handle an MRAD but to me it looks like a very durable ergonomic rifle. There are some parts of it that look a bit off to me but I think overall it is the more slick rifle. Regardless I'd be happy to wield either on the battlefield. Don't think they could have gone wrong either way. Barrett has always been an innovative company with an American first mentality. Congrats to them.
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Advanced Sniper Rifle Solicitation
- Thread starter DavidK
- Start date
Does the ASR use the same trigger as the older model that the comp trigger would drop in ?
I know I hear on the internet that the comp trigger is great and never fails but here in south Texas nearly every person I know that had them has had them fail, roughly 9 guys. We had 2 at the Brawl, then a few more at club matches at Rifles Only. Some just from dry firing. I had mine fail after the sear wore in at 200rds.
Sucks AI didn’t get that contract if it was cause of trigger. The stock trigger is the epidemy of triggers, I know several people that have 15-20,000rds on it, Jacob has over 100,000.
I’m trrrible at reading through the requirements. Anyone found the trigger requirements? Or is that a foia request?
The specs needed in the trigger would shed a lot of light on it.
The specs needed in the trigger would shed a lot of light on it.
Mine went down in an RO class a week or so ago. Had about 1,000 dry fires, maybe more, and less than 300 documented live rounds.
Only thing I did to it out of the box was adjust the first stage travel to make it a single stage and lighten the second stage weight to 1lb. Effectively making it a 1lb single stage.
Zero, I repeat zero adjustments were made to the sears.
During a string of fire at RO, the bolt started “skipping” when it would cock, and within a few cycles, stopped cocking all together.
Luckily I keep the factory trigger in my fix it stick bag and was back up and running in 5min.
I have a couple comp triggers being adjusted by the American manufacturer. One is already sold when it gets back. I haven’t made up my mind if I’m going to try the other one yet or just sell it.
They seem to work fine for guys who run them as a 1lb or so 2 stage, but not when other adjustments are brought into the equation.
My factory AI is breaking right around 2lbs. That’s low enough I can deal with while still having full confidence in my system
Adjusting length changes your sear engagement. They have to be adjusted together on the competition trigger FYI. I don't have the instructions in front of me at the moment but I believe this is mentioned on the card the trigger comes with.
Several of us got them how they came from the factory, factory tuned, factory checked, all failed. Some failed in 100rds others failed after 600, but all the ones in South Texas failed eventually.
What were your comp triggers set at out of the box? Mine was like 8oz total for both stages, so I have little faith that the factory tune is what it should have been. Mine is now a 2 stage set to 10oz/10oz and no issues so far.
@Dthomas3523 have you drop tested your AI with the 2# trigger?
Anything less than 3# on mine and the sear would go with a drop test. Down to 2# and it was like a 3” drop onto a shooting mat and it would go off. I’m very skeptical that people running their factory triggers that low are safe in that regard.
Anything less than 3# on mine and the sear would go with a drop test. Down to 2# and it was like a 3” drop onto a shooting mat and it would go off. I’m very skeptical that people running their factory triggers that low are safe in that regard.
Well that's intense if 100% of every ai comp trigger in Sur Tejas failed. Hopefully AI is refunding all of "y'all's" money.
My point was not that the trigger is beyond reproach but merely a comment on what I have learned on adjusting my own competition trigger but we digress in the wrong thread.
I am really interested in knowing if the comp trigger was used in the solicitation though.
I actually got to shoot one in 6.5 Creedmoor a while back.
Actually a very nice shooter.
That said I’d actually if I was in the market for something in that range I’d totally go AI or even a TRG before the MRAD.
Admittedly some of the factors behind my choice are aesthetics.
This is what happens when people dont' understand a true 2 stage trigger like the AI and the competition guys got in their ear so they went to a US trigger maker and reinvented their perfect wheel.
You hear a lot of issues like above with the new trigger it has to be coming from there, this is an easy problem to trace back to the source.
You hear a lot of issues like above with the new trigger it has to be coming from there, this is an easy problem to trace back to the source.
Exactly,
A problem looking for perfection to screw up
A problem looking for perfection to screw up
Yeah that 8-ounce trigger doesn't like having a grain of sand in it - imagine that!
I heard from a very reliable source some details; that it's an absolutely brutal testing procedure. We'll never get to see it in action, but if people knew what they put these submissions through it would make most of us precision rifle guys cringe. They aren't going all safe queen on these.
Take a few hundred G's at just the right angle, a little grit in certain key locations, frozen, stood on in between two ladders - that kinda goodness.
Anyway, my point is that I feel that making it through Phase I is an engineering marvel.
I heard from a very reliable source some details; that it's an absolutely brutal testing procedure. We'll never get to see it in action, but if people knew what they put these submissions through it would make most of us precision rifle guys cringe. They aren't going all safe queen on these.
Take a few hundred G's at just the right angle, a little grit in certain key locations, frozen, stood on in between two ladders - that kinda goodness.
Anyway, my point is that I feel that making it through Phase I is an engineering marvel.
Hi,
Military equipment manufacturers chasing civilian sector "improvements" can turn into an act of Futility real fast.
Civilian sector absolutely pushes innovation but the Military manufacturer just cannot accept that innovation within itself, Military manufacturers are better suited at focusing on the "why" portion of the improvements and blending that into their "how" it should be done.
Famous words of Dave Armstrong (Former Special Weapons Division at Crane)
Yes civilian sector custom rifles shoot great and sometimes better than the rifles chosen by Crane but take those civilian sector customs, soak them in water, grind them into sand, freeze them, toss them over a 10 foot wall onto 1" steel plate on concrete floor with live primer and see which one fires.
Then pick them up off the steel plate and accuracy test them side by side.
Edited To Add:
Just look at how many suppressors were busted during the 2010 PSR testing....dropping full weapon system onto muzzle end of suppressor busted lots of them....
Sincerely,
Theis
Military equipment manufacturers chasing civilian sector "improvements" can turn into an act of Futility real fast.
Civilian sector absolutely pushes innovation but the Military manufacturer just cannot accept that innovation within itself, Military manufacturers are better suited at focusing on the "why" portion of the improvements and blending that into their "how" it should be done.
Famous words of Dave Armstrong (Former Special Weapons Division at Crane)
Yes civilian sector custom rifles shoot great and sometimes better than the rifles chosen by Crane but take those civilian sector customs, soak them in water, grind them into sand, freeze them, toss them over a 10 foot wall onto 1" steel plate on concrete floor with live primer and see which one fires.
Then pick them up off the steel plate and accuracy test them side by side.
Edited To Add:
Just look at how many suppressors were busted during the 2010 PSR testing....dropping full weapon system onto muzzle end of suppressor busted lots of them....
Sincerely,
Theis
Last edited:
I don't think the comp trigger works in the ASR rifle. The safety is different on the ASR and i do not think the comp trigger is backwards compatible with the ASR design.
That being said, i have about 3000 live rounds via prs and practice on my comp trigger with no issues at all. I think a lot of the guys having issues do not understand how to adjust the trigger correctly. Just because you only adjusted 1 setting does not mean that it didn't effect something else. You have to tune the trigger so that everything is correctly adjusted for the system to function properly. I thought my comp trigger was awesome right out of the gate, so i didn't adjust anything and that may be why i have not had any problems.
That being said, i have about 3000 live rounds via prs and practice on my comp trigger with no issues at all. I think a lot of the guys having issues do not understand how to adjust the trigger correctly. Just because you only adjusted 1 setting does not mean that it didn't effect something else. You have to tune the trigger so that everything is correctly adjusted for the system to function properly. I thought my comp trigger was awesome right out of the gate, so i didn't adjust anything and that may be why i have not had any problems.
You better read those instructions again.
There’s a big warning in the instructions that says the sears should only be adjusted when a trigger is out of spec. Says the sears are factory adjusted correctly.
Says absolutely nothing about needing to adjust sears if you adjust the other “user adjustable” settings of the trigger trigger.
If that were the case the factory should be asking you how you want your trigger set before selling it. Sear adjustments are almost never recommended for end users.
Even once mine went down, no amount of sear adjustment would allow it to work perfectly without being able to induce a failure.
Because it’s an AI stamped product, no one wants to bash it online. But there’s definitely some issues with it. It typically seems to be when adjustments are taken down to 1lb or so and definitely in single stage.
Why isn’t this covered in the instructions or mentioned when contacting the manufacturer?
The only thing the manual says is that you need to check the pull weight and such because one adjustment MIGHT effect another.
These are problems with the sear engagements which the manufacturer specifically warns against.
Takes about a 4-5 ft drop on mine. Has to land on a perfect angle on the butt.
FWIW, all the Huber’s I’ve owned were worse than this.
I did read the instructions and for liability no trigger mfg says knock yourself out adj the Sears but it's pretty obvious it must be done when they say one adj moves others also why does the instructions clearly state how to factory restore sear settings in the event you jack up the trigger? I'm not trying to claim the trigger is some magical thing just saying I have completely dissected my trigger and it's pretty straightforward once you understand how everything works together but takes some time playing with it. I get yours and others have failed, mine hasn't you claiming root cause failure is the sear design I think is premature but is plausible and time will tell
Yep, and myself along with some smiths down here have done the instructed factory “resets” on the sears. Still eventually fail again.
Call Jacob at Rifles Only and ask his opinion on the comp trigger. Frank has also give his, as well as Morgan above.
You're saying you lifted the rifle to shoulder level, dropped it onto cement or a steel plate and it doesn't go off??? Seems crazy considering mine would go off at will once it was sub 2.5#.
Is everyone in TX with issues using them as light single stage triggers? 2-stage? Genuinely curious.
I feel no personal need to go sub-1# even on a match trigger. Going from the 3# factory trigger to the comp trigger at 1.25# (10oz/10oz) was an insane improvement IMO. I would certainly change my mind if it went down in a comp and was unable to be adjusted back to function, but for now I'm seeing no issues.
Tile floor.
So, guys can say the comp trigger is fine because theirs acts differently than mine. But my factory trigger has to act the same as yours?
I also beat on it with a dead blow hammer all around, including the firing pin. Won’t fire that way at all.
FWIW, not all the factory triggers are "the same"
ive messed with a bunch of them and some can go lower than others and some even feel slightly different than others...theres a bit of variation in them
I had 2 triggers from the factory that made them, as the company made them and I would assume tune them to be safe and effective. I know of 6 other shooters that 3 of them ran them straight out of the factory packaging from again what I would assume would be ready to install. 2 adjusted theirs and 1 sent it back to have the company set it at a specific weight. The 2 adjusted were done by very competent rifles smiths that fully understand the mechanics of a trigger.
We all shot them in various matches or range days, they weren’t coffee table show pieces. They all failed, I’m almost positive all them got sent back to the company to “readjust” and moved along. Not sure if the sear wore out or adjustment moved but we had issues.
We all went back to our factory triggers and they’ve been banging along just fine. I have mine somewhat tuned, it is drop safe from 16” from the buttstock to the ground. I think I can go more but don’t really want to try. I know it does fine with a toss up at RO from the 2nd position of the mousetrap to the top floor. If yours are working, great, mine failed to cock once and that was 1 time to many for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved that trigger, lighter crisper and 2 stage. I was in love, but once it failed to reset in a match, I was done with it.
If mine came from the factory and I needed to assemble or tune all those screws, then ya I didn’t, I just swapped 2 screws and went to shooting.
If mine came from the factory and I needed to assemble or tune all those screws, then ya I didn’t, I just swapped 2 screws and went to shooting.
I’ve personally owned three triggers. One of them brand new.
All of those have had to be sent to factory as once the sears need adjustments, things start going down hill.
One of the triggers, no matter what, no matter what sear adjustment, if you put enough pressure on bolt to keep the spring completely compressed, whether you ran it slow or fast wouldn’t cock. The other two didn’t exhibit this and my factory won’t either.
As @trophyhunter mentioned, anyone with problems has run the rifle/trigger hard.
Mine gets at least 1k dry fires and the bolt being run a week. And typically average 100rnds a week once a month of matches is done. Others shoot theirs more than that.
I also loved it when it was working properly. I might, might try it again when it comes back from factory with the settings I asked for. Another failure after that, and I’m over it.
Im not saying there is not a problem with any of the triggers, just reporting back on my experience with them. I think that having that many adjustments leads to failure through both variation and/or end user error. That is probably a deciding factor in why the comp trigger is not the standard trigger in things like the ASR rifle.
All i can report back on is that i have run mine for the last 5 PRS matches i have shot (3 2018 prs matches, the 2018 finale, and 1 so far this season). I have had 0 issues and feel like it has been a big part of finishing in the top 10 of every match ive shot with it.
Pretty sure i tuned your (might have been your buddys black AX) stock trigger during some down time at the Lone survivor match a couple years back after you tried mine. Thats a perfect example of the variation. No matter what i did, i couldn't get that trigger to tune out as nice as the one in my AX and pass a drop test.
All i can report back on is that i have run mine for the last 5 PRS matches i have shot (3 2018 prs matches, the 2018 finale, and 1 so far this season). I have had 0 issues and feel like it has been a big part of finishing in the top 10 of every match ive shot with it.
This is very accurate. I've tuned quite a few factory triggers and there is a substantial difference in the results from 1 trigger to the next.
Pretty sure i tuned your (might have been your buddys black AX) stock trigger during some down time at the Lone survivor match a couple years back after you tried mine. Thats a perfect example of the variation. No matter what i did, i couldn't get that trigger to tune out as nice as the one in my AX and pass a drop test.
Didn’t know the screenname, but Yes it was you that tuned ours, thank you, both me (Gilbert) and Larry. Both triggers are going great with no regrets.
After I left that match I started to look at the trigger, I removed the screw facing down and put a really short setscrew to keep the spring from falling out.
I wish we didn’t have the issues with the comp trigger, maybe we needed to locktite the screws. On one from the brawl Victor installed out of the box, it worked for 2-3mths, don’t know round count but not a lot, then at Brawl wouldn’t reset. Removed it, found a spring loose and swapped his Me tuned trigger to finish the match.
I have a feeling but didn’t want to test it that the screws need to be locktited.
@Dthomas3523 what settings were you using for the Comp trigger? Curious if all the issues are triggers adjusted to light single stage? It is advertised as 0.75 lbs (12oz) being the lowest weight, and set to 1.25 lbs from the factory, yet out of the box mine was set to 8oz (6oz/2oz). I was shocked and actually sent out some emails wondering if I had a defective unit.
It's stated that it is user adjustable to single stage, so I understand the frustration if you have it adjusted to the single stage at 12oz or greater and it's breaking on you.
If it's down to 6oz and the screws have one thread engagement or something like that, maybe it's pushing the trigger past its intended design.
It's stated that it is user adjustable to single stage, so I understand the frustration if you have it adjusted to the single stage at 12oz or greater and it's breaking on you.
If it's down to 6oz and the screws have one thread engagement or something like that, maybe it's pushing the trigger past its intended design.
The latest one I took straight out of the package, adjusted to zero 1st stage travel. Then adjust the second stage weight where I like it.
Trigger scale says 1-1.25lb.
It ran perfect right up until it didn’t.
Drop tested, slammed the bolt as hard as I could, etc etc. worked find.
Once it stopped working, I could no longer get it to function 100% in single stage. It would fail in some fashion or form after that. It’s on way back for factory to attempt to adjust in single stage. I didn’t attempt to try that one in double stage as I can use my factory for that.
The other two were run in various configurations, but never under 1lb.
@trophyhunter isn’t exaggerating either. Before I even ran the comp trigger, I’d heard if enough issues that I kept the factory trigger in my pack just in case. I wouldn’t have been able to finish an RO class if I hadn’t have packed it.
Of course the manufacturer is going to tell me the sears are out of adjustment as I messed with them to try get it working.
Trigger scale says 1-1.25lb.
It ran perfect right up until it didn’t.
Drop tested, slammed the bolt as hard as I could, etc etc. worked find.
Once it stopped working, I could no longer get it to function 100% in single stage. It would fail in some fashion or form after that. It’s on way back for factory to attempt to adjust in single stage. I didn’t attempt to try that one in double stage as I can use my factory for that.
The other two were run in various configurations, but never under 1lb.
@trophyhunter isn’t exaggerating either. Before I even ran the comp trigger, I’d heard if enough issues that I kept the factory trigger in my pack just in case. I wouldn’t have been able to finish an RO class if I hadn’t have packed it.
Of course the manufacturer is going to tell me the sears are out of adjustment as I messed with them to try get it working.
I love the factory trigger on my AI just as it arrived. When they released the comp trigger I was wondering why anybody would want a different trigger as the factory one is great and bulletproof. I think the only trigger I've tried that was any better would be the TRG trigger. Of course to each his own...
@Dthomas3523 Huh, that sucks. Maybe I got lucky or maybe they aren't as optimized to run as a single stage compared to the 2-stage (which is what it will always be on my rifle).
I too heard the issues and carry my factory trigger to matches as backup - hopefully I'll never need it.
If every guy in TX (or wherever) that is having issues all have them adjusted to single stage, it’s pretty easy to figure out where the issue lies in the design of the trigger.
I too heard the issues and carry my factory trigger to matches as backup - hopefully I'll never need it.
If every guy in TX (or wherever) that is having issues all have them adjusted to single stage, it’s pretty easy to figure out where the issue lies in the design of the trigger.
Last edited:
Now thats just mean, you're gonna hurt my feelings! The MRAD is an amazing rifle, but aesthetically it looks more like an AR to me so pick your poison... Just looking at the overall shape I prefer the AXMC to the AXSR however both are easy on the eyes. It doesn't hurt my feelings that Barrett won the contract as the MRAD is a great gun and the extra interest can only help the civilian market so its a win-win.
I would never count AI down and out, they have a serious track record of success.
I believe some of them were 2 stage as well.
To clarify, I’m not saying something is inherently wrong with the trigger. I really want it to work out. But, enough reports are coming in to raise some eyebrows.
What is “likely” the issue is it’s just way too many adjustments for the the typical end user. The directions that come with it are not very good, considering all the adjustments.
It may also be an issue with it just being too fine of a line between functioning and not functioning. I’m fine with that if once you get it functioning, it stays functioning. If it takes continuous tuning, I’m not personally interested.
I think xstp likely needs to make a few videos on how to adjust and tune the trigger.
There is always the mathematical possibility we got unlucky in down here. It’s not probable, but it is possible.
It’s also going to be hard for xstp to figure out if there is an issue since once a trigger fails, most people are going to screw with the sears.
So, all xstp sees is a bunch of triggers returned with sears adjusted out of whack.
So, all xstp sees is a bunch of triggers returned with sears adjusted out of whack.
I think the instructions were very carefully worded intentionally for liability reasons and also highly doubt they would ever make a video for the same reason.
I do think it is a more complicated design then most were expecting and def is not just a drop in and turn one screw for X and another for Y kind of trigger.
I am really interested to see how many rounds I get out of my latest adj before or if it fails. One reason mine might not have is that I have put a dab of wax on my adj screws to hold them in place and I could very easily see the sear screws moving under recoil and if your adj was very close to the edge of working, failing to operate normally.
I have run XTSP triggers for a number of years and just switched to TT Diamonds.
The XTSP triggers are great and I think (big think) that one of the versions is in service on the MK13.
They are an amazing trigger but are very finicky and need to be set up just right to make them safe. It is quite easy to get a bit overzealous with the allen keys and adjust things out of whack. In my experience they actually eat dirt pretty well but I think if I still had my AI I would stick with the factory trigger.
The XTSP triggers are great and I think (big think) that one of the versions is in service on the MK13.
They are an amazing trigger but are very finicky and need to be set up just right to make them safe. It is quite easy to get a bit overzealous with the allen keys and adjust things out of whack. In my experience they actually eat dirt pretty well but I think if I still had my AI I would stick with the factory trigger.
All the ones I mentioned were set to 2 stage and not 10oz 2 stage, mine was at 1lb8oz combined 2 stage. Only person I knew that had it set to single stage was Dthomas. Again I’m not tryin to change yours or anyone’s mind. I just am explaining an issue we had with them. Hopefully yours works way better then mine. Like I said mine failed to reset 1 time, but my factory after Backspace tuned it has been 0 over 7000rds. Actually I’m wrong he tuned it when it was in my AXMC, so that’s 10,000rds. He tuned it if I’m not mistaken just over 2yrs ago
Ryan cleckner did little write up on it. Breaks down difference between ASR and MRAD.
gununiversity.com
Barrett MRAD Review [ 2024 ]: Military Grade Sniper Rifle
Most sniper rifles have changeable barrels and detachable magazines and they're just rifles. Read our Barrett MRAD review to see why it's not!
gununiversity.com
a few questions:
what is/was wrong with the MSR? i havnt read much on it being a disappointment
if the MSR shit the bed why didnt they just go to the second place rig that we all think was the sako M10?
what are they fielding instead of the MSR still putting out M24's?
im guessing that this is prob a big army wasting money item but it doesnt even seem similar
what is/was wrong with the MSR? i havnt read much on it being a disappointment
if the MSR shit the bed why didnt they just go to the second place rig that we all think was the sako M10?
what are they fielding instead of the MSR still putting out M24's?
im guessing that this is prob a big army wasting money item but it doesnt even seem similar
M24's have been gone for a long time, they were converted to .300 WM M2010s. I don't know what could have been so bad with Remington's quality control that they would ditch the MSR over it, you'd think special care would be put in to 10k rifles. It must have been a fundamental design flaw.
The action/chassis itself was fantastic. The problem came when Remington told a prominent and very highly regarded barrel maker to F-off after winning the contract; that they (Remington) were going to start making barrels in-house instead. Remington making barrels - well we see where that got them. I also have a Sako M10 sitting next to that (very sweet system they put together there). Feels awesome to get behind.
I have a MSR (MK21) sitting right here waiting for a barrel itself. Not going to even fire a round down that shit Remington sends with it.
CG-X trigger install on it. M24 trigger isn't bad, CG-X MOD 22 equals "more better"
Yes the chassis is very nice. As I said quality control. When you tell bartlein to fuck off you generally pay the price.The action/chassis itself was fantastic. The problem came when Remington told a prominent and very highly regarded barrel maker to F-off after winning the contract; that they (Remington) were going to start making barrels in-house instead. Remington making barrels - well we see where that got them. I also have a Sako M10 sitting next to that (very sweet system they put together there). Feels awesome to get behind.
I have a MSR (MK21) sitting right here waiting for a barrel itself. Not going to even fire a round down that shit Remington sends with it.
CG-X trigger install on it. M24 trigger isn't bad, CG-X MOD 22 equals "more better"
View attachment 7045749
View attachment 7045743
I actually want one, but not at 10k.
Very true. Remington has been famous for that whole "what's QA/QC" thing for a while, sadly.
Similar threads
