Some guns check almost every box—good sights, solid reliability, comfortable grip—but then the trigger shows up and ruins the party. A mushy pull, gritty feel, or unpredictable break can make an otherwise solid firearm frustrating to shoot. Whether it’s a carry gun, range toy, or hunting rifle, the trigger plays a huge role in how a gun performs in real-world use. Here are ten firearms that could’ve been great… if only the trigger hadn’t gotten in the way.
Smith & Wesson SD9VE
This one has earned a reputation for a long, heavy pull that feels more like a punishment than a safety feature. It stacks awkwardly and doesn’t break cleanly, which can throw off even experienced shooters.
The rest of the gun is actually pretty decent for the price—reliable, simple, and sized well for carry. But the trigger makes it hard to shoot accurately under stress or at the range.
Ruger LCP
The Ruger LCP was meant to be a super-small .380 for deep concealment—and it does that part just fine. The problem is the trigger feels like you’re pulling it through molasses.
It’s long, it’s heavy, and there’s very little feedback until the break. It makes follow-up shots slower and harder to control, especially with such a small frame.
KelTec Sub2000
The Sub2000 is a fun, foldable 9mm carbine that checks a lot of boxes for truck gun duties. But the trigger? It’s spongy, loud, and kind of unpredictable.
It’s not unsafe—it just feels cheap and disconnected. You never quite know when it’s going to break, and that throws off your rhythm for follow-up shots.
Glock 43X (Stock Trigger)
Yes, Glocks are known for having “okay” triggers, but the 43X’s stock trigger feels especially squishy. The wall isn’t well-defined, and it tends to feel more like a long press than a crisp break.
Many shooters end up swapping it out quickly. The rest of the gun is lightweight, concealable, and easy to carry, but the trigger just doesn’t do it any favors out of the box.
Springfield Hellcat
The Hellcat is a solid micro-compact, but its trigger has a weird, almost springy reset and a gritty pull that can mess with your precision.
Some folks don’t mind it, but if you’re picky about trigger feel, it gets annoying fast. It’s accurate enough for its size, but the trigger keeps it from feeling consistent shot-to-shot.
Mossberg MC1sc
Mossberg tried to make a splash in the concealed carry market, and in many ways, they did okay. The MC1sc is lightweight and packs well. But the trigger feels hollow and vague.
There’s this plastic-y clickiness to it that makes it feel more like a toy than a defensive pistol. It’s not horrible—it just doesn’t inspire much confidence.
IWI Masada
This full-size striker-fired pistol comes with good ergonomics and optics-ready capability, but the trigger feels flat and unrefined. It’s got some grit, and the reset isn’t especially tactile.
For a duty-sized gun that competes with the likes of Glock and Walther, the Masada’s trigger is what holds it back the most. It just doesn’t feel as polished as the rest of the package.
Beretta APX
The APX looks aggressive and feels good in the hand, but the trigger has a stiff, almost plastic-y feel that doesn’t match the rest of the gun’s performance.
It’s not that it won’t go bang—it just doesn’t break smoothly, and the reset isn’t very defined. That makes it harder to get consistent shots off in rapid succession.
SIG Sauer P250
The P250 was SIG’s attempt at a modular hammer-fired pistol, but the DAO trigger is a dealbreaker for most folks. It’s long, heavy, and not very responsive.
You can get used to it with time, but it takes more effort than most shooters are willing to put in. It’s a shame because the modular frame concept had real potential.
Walther CCP
This pistol had a lot going for it—good ergonomics, soft-shooting gas-delayed blowback system—but the trigger is mushy and inconsistent. There’s too much travel and not enough feedback.
It’s the kind of trigger that makes you second-guess your shot timing. And on a gun that’s otherwise easy to handle, it feels like a missed opportunity.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
