Sig DAK Trigger: Yay or Nay?

[InkEd]

A few weeks ago, I went shooting with a buddy of mine (who's a cop) and shot his Sig 226. I have shot similar Sig pistols (229s) and they have always shot well and have been very comfortable in my hands. (Don't really love them enough to buy one BUT would recommend it to anyone considering one.)

Back to the story, I stepped up to the line and squeezed the trigger. I noticed something felt "odd" about it. After about 3 rounds. Then I noticed the hammer kept returning to the down position. I turned to my friend and told him I prefer the regular DA/SA trigger. He agreed but said that's what they issue because the department feels "it's safer" than a regular double/single trigger. He says shoot it a little more and you'll get used to it. I fireD it about 5 or 6 more times and handed it back, saying I don't like it and the trigger feels "weird" and that it doesn't feel consistant. My buddy tells me it's because it's the DAK not the regular DAO trigger.

Anyway, I had heard of them before BUT this was my first time to actually try one. Needless to say, I was not a fan of it and was wondering if any of you Sig owners actually PREFER the DAK trigger over the traditional DA/SA or DAO triggers?

 

[Devonai]

I like it just fine, but I prefer DA/SA. I would not hesitate to buy a used Sig with the DAK trigger if the price was right, but I wouldn't buy a new pistol with it installed.

 

[Effigy]

Haven't shot the DAK before, but I'm biased against DOA triggers in general. I don't see the point unless your work requires it. DA/SA still has the safety factor of the long DA pull, but the speed and precision of an SA pull for follow-up shots (and first shot as well if you choose).

 

[JDGray]

The DAK is very smooth, and accurate if shot slowly. Didn't care for rapid firing my 226 DAK, as your finger gets quite a workout

 

[2wheels]

Never shot a DAK Sig, but in general my tastes run towards DA/SA, and preferably SAO guns.

 

[9mmepiphany]

My department issued DA/SA Sigs and I usually carried my personally owned 220 or 226.

I tried the DAK, when they first came out, on a 229 because I'd heard what a great trigger they offered over the other DAO trigger systems available. The one I tried was really nice and reminded me a lot of the trigger pull on a very clean S&W K-frame or L-frame...it was very smooth and much lighter than traditional DAOs semi-autos I had shot (S&W, Beretta, Sig). It was a lot like the H&K LEM trigger. What threw me off was the short reset (the DAK has two different reset points) available, which was both heavier (by 1lb) and closer to the release point.

I've had a chance to shoot the DAK as a couple of classes where students brought them and must say that they allow shooting at speed without any degrading of accuracy. I found that a beginning DAK shooter has less tendency to jerk/flinch/snatch a shot than a comparable DA/SA or SAO shooter

I don't own a DAK,because I've found the DA/SA trigger makes a more versatile teaching tool, but I highly recommend them for HD guns

 

[COLOSHOOTR]

I like the DAK and can shoot it well. I'd prefer my M&P trigger anyday but can't knock the SIG DAK because of how smooth it is. It takes some time to get used to but with practice you can shoot it very well. I actually think it made me a better shooter because it makes you concentrate on the basics. I think some SA guns make for bad technique due to super-light short triggers and everyone should have s DA only gun to practice with.

My 229R DAK is still on of my favorite range guns now that it has been retired from Duty use.

 

[StrikeFire83]

Not a fan myself, but that's only after putting 2 mags thru a stranger's at the range while he put two mags thru my Kahr PM9.

 

[MCMXI]

I own SIGs with DA/SA triggers, one of which has the Short Reset Trigger (SRT) and I've shot a bunch of SIGs with DAK triggers. The DAK is ok but I really don't see the point of it other than offering the same trigger pull for each shot. And how is it "safer" than the DA/SA trigger? For me, the DA/SA trigger is one of the best combat/self defense triggers ever invented. It's simple, no safety required and the DA pull is sufficiently heavy that you're not going to accidentally pull the trigger. Once you do pull the trigger (intentionally) then follow up shots are fast which is exactly what you'd want since that first shot changes everything. So I vote no on the DAK.

 

[Storm]

I like the DAK quite a bit. My 226 DAK in 357 SIG is one of my favorites. For those who would never consider a DAO gun there isn't much to talk about. Other than that, many people don't seem to understand the system. I know of people who have gotten rid of their DAK without even realizing that there are two resets, one of them a very short reset with a heavier pull and the other the full reset with the longer lighter pull.

 

[Trebor]

The fact that the DAK has two different resets is what I don't like about it. I put a hundred or so rounds through a 229 DAK at Sig Arms during a training class a few years ago and extensively tried out both resets and also did some drills from the holster. I just didn't like the fact that the pull weight changed depending on how much I let the trigger go forward.

After trying the DAK I tried my Sig 239 again and shoot more accurately doing the same drills, even in DA/SA mode.

What I would have liked is a Sig set up DAO only, with only one reset, where the trigger weight was the same as the DA pull in my 239. Add in a short reset trigger and it would be great.

 

[Jeb21]

I am a big fan of the DAK. I have one in 220 and the 229 .40 cal. I have used them in competition and for concealed carry. They offer the smooth consistent trigger pull of a well tuned DA revolver with firepower and reloading speed of a pistol.

I have traditional DA/SA sigs and I like them as well, but I believe the DAK is a viable trigger system that anyone can easily learn to shoot effectively.

 

[esheato]

I like them a lot. In fact, I've been on the look out for a P239 SAS in 9mm with the DAK trigger for a few years now.

 

[toocool]

I've been a huge fan of the DAK system since it first came out. I had a P229 DAK that I sold because I "needed" something else, but recently was able to get a P220 carry that I specifically ordered with the DAK trigger. I also have a P239 .40 coming that also has the DAK trigger. The difference in trigger reset is a non-issue in a shooting situation, and in my opinion the slightly heavier, shorter reset point is a safety item, as it requires a deliberate pull.

For me the DAK trigger beats Glock's safe action and H-K's LEM into the ground.

 

[Jeff22]

The Sig DAK system

THE SIG DAK SYSTEM

My PD was issued conventional DA/SA Sig 226s & 228s in 9mm in 1988. In the fall of 2004 we transitioned to the DAK Sigs in .40 in the 226 and 229.

At that time Sig was offering a great trade-in deal. We got the DAK guns with night sights for about $125 plus the trade in of the old guns. (officers had the option to buy their old guns if they wanted and a few guys (including the recently retired) did so)

We weren't sure which trigger mode to get but some email correspondence with my mentor and advisor John Farnam convinced me that the DAK system was the way to go. (www.defense-training.com) (or directly at [email protected].)

The DAK trigger is unusual in that there are TWO sear set points. The closer reset point is about 8 lbs of pull, and the far sear set point is about 6.5 lbs of pull. It's hard to explain, but easier to understand once you have an example to shoot or at least dry fire a little. Apparently, one of the design parameters for SIG was to have a "second strike" capability in case of a misfire. I'm not sure if that's crucial or not, but it was something they considered when Herr Kellerman designed the new trigger system.

After some experimentation, we put factory "short" triggers in all the guns to reduce the length of pull between the backstrap and the face of the trigger, thus giving the user a little more leverage. I have big hands and long fingers and still I shot better with a short trigger. (I read someplace that all the DAK Sigs that DHS ordered had short triggers, but I don't know that for a fact)

When shooting, it works best FOR ME if I contact the face of the trigger with the pad of my finger. Some like contacting the face of the trigger with the crease of the first joint, like on a revolver. What option works best for you depends on the length of your fingers and your grip strength. When I shot the DAK with the crease of the first joint in contact with the trigger, I tended to pull shots high right.

I'd like the DAK better if the trigger stroke was shorter. The trigger stroke is light but L-O-N-G.

If you or your PD adopts the DAK Sig, get the Sig 239-DAK authorized as an option for shooters with smaller hands. The reach to the trigger with the DAK is long for every shot, and if you have females with small hands, their scores will go DOWN with the DAK, unless you get them a gun with a thinner grip.

I've had a number of my officers REALLY mad at me since we made the switch -- they were used to that short/light sear reset in SA mode and haven't practiced enough to get used to the DAK.

I shoot IPSC and IDPA matches at the local level once in a while, and I found that with the DAK Sig I had to downshift about half a gear to manage the long trigger stroke and still get accurate hits. (And I'm not that fast to begin with . . . being smooth & accurate is my game, rather than speed)

All in all, as an instructor I guess I'm SLIGHTLY more comfortable with my PD having self-decocking guns. Once in a while the mildly baffled/inexperienced shooter will reholster or move with the traditional DA/SA gun still cocked, and if they do that in a simple shooting exercise on the square range, they're much more likely to do it under stress. Having a self-decocking gun precludes this as a possibility.