An alternative to changing the factory trigger is simply to learn to use a double stage trigger. For those of us who learned to shoot with the service rifle (first an M1 and then an M14), shooting with a double stage trigger is as natural and easy as falling off a log. Even shooting rapid fire was never a problem. Admittedly, it is not always easy to switch back and forth between a double stage trigger and a single stage, but it can be done.

It should be remembered that the double stage trigger was developed as a safety feature, and that removing it creates a potential safety problem. The first stage of a double stage trigger allows the rifle to be carried with a much greater sear engagement than is conducive to good trigger control, but which protects the mechanism against accidental discharges caused by rough handling.

Actuating the first stage reduces the sear engagement to a minimum just before it is withdrawn entirely by the second stage, not unlike the action of a set trigger in reducing the additional force required to release the sear. Many target rifles are equipped with two stage triggers in which the majority of the weight of the trigger pull is taken up by the first stage, allowing a very light, clean pull for the second stage.

By the same token, removing the first stage reduces the sear engagement and the degree of protection it affords. This is different from the override trigger mechanism employed on most modern sporting rifles, starting with the Model 70 Winchester, where the sear engagement remains the same until the instant it is released.