Apex Failure Resistant Extractor and Speed Shooter Specialties extra power extractor spring

I haven't seen more than a handful of extraction failures in this gun throughout its 15,000 round lifespan, but figure that was still too many. Picked up the Apex tactical FRE and the speed shooter specialties after marker extractor spring and set to work.

And work it was. The factory extractor pin is without a doubt the toughest fitting sumbitch I have ever laid eyes or hands on. I broke a punch, a screw driver, and bent the hell out of another punch before I relented and pulled up the Apex Youtube page for some instruction. Following their recommendations, I ground a nail punch down to the appropriate size to fit this tiny ass pin, and after a few good wacks it fell free. Installation after that was 1000% simpler, and just as uneventful.

Apex recommends 300-400 rounds to break in the extractor, but frankly I have yet to have any issues. Updates will follow if anything changes, but considering this companies already exemplary record (at least in my experience) I am not too worried about it.

Trigger and Internal work

Because of the limited number of aftermarket trigger modifications for the M&P, the one from Apex Tactical floated right to the top of the list. The only other one I am aware of is from Speed Shooter Specialties and is basically refined Smith and Wesson OEM parts. I don't have an issue going that route, but because Apex provided a full-up kit at a reasonable price (about half of what you would expect to pay for a similar Glock kit) I jumped on it.

As i have posted on my other pages, the reduction in pull weight and the vastly improved smoothness of the trigger pull was immediately apparent. The length of trigger pull is still a bit more than I would prefer, but its certainly manageable with practice. Since installing the competition kit, Apex has also brought another kit to market (the Forward Set Sear) that more closely replicates the trigger pull of a 1911, so if it becomes to much of an issue I may have to upgrade further.

Don't get me wrong, though. The CAEK is not a bad product my any stretch of the imagination; simply a different approach to creating a smooth, crisp competition trigger. I would not hesitate to recommend it.