By biofire
I recently installed the new Ghost, Inc. Evo Elite trigger connector in my GLOCK 17 I was so impressed, that I immediately emailed Robert and urged him to review it. And then he immediately delegated the job to me. So here I am. I’ve never written a review before, but I guess we all have to lose our virginity some time. Unlike losing my virginity, installing the new Evo Elite trigger connector in your GLOCK will take longer than one minute. But I’ll get back to that . . .
Evo stands for evolution. The photo above shows the stock GLOCK, Ghost Rocket and Ghost Evo Elite connectors from left to right. The big news is that the Evo Elite has been completely redesigned to eliminate that not-so-slight lurch, glitch or bump (your choice) that you feel as the draw bar and connector meet just before the firing pin is released. This gives the trigger a constant pull weight across the entire stroke of the trigger, and it does this without reducing the trigger pull weight. Hence the name Evo, as in the evolution of, well, perfection.
In this photo, you can see how the draw bar engages the Evo Elite connector (bottom) differently than the GLOCK stock connector when the trigger is pulled back. I’m no engineer, but if I use my imagination, I can see how the bump is eliminated. If you want the full physics lecture, call Ghost and ask. Quite a bit of research went into this little piece of steel and they will happily explain it to you.
This connector also has an over-travel stop (a.k.a., trigger control tab) to give the trigger a nice crisp break. After installing the entire trigger kit, with the 6.0 lb. firing pin spring, 6.0 lb. trigger spring and the reduced power safety plunger spring, the pull weight was 5.25 lbs. from the center of the trigger. Right where it should be. If you prefer, a 4.0 lb. firing pin spring for competition shooting is included in the kit.
Why is this good news? Have you ever fired a GLOCK and thought, “thank God Gaston made the trigger pull extra-heavy just as the firing pin was about to release.” No? No you haven’t. Every GLOCK shooter wants a better trigger, but no matter how many times we ask Santa, he just doesn’t seem to deliver.
But Ghost has. Like many GLOCK shooters, I have made every conceivable modification to my trigger assemblies to eliminate this bump, and spent many hours learning to adapt to it. But now the bump is gone. And don’t say, “why didn’t you just buy a different gun?”, or I will turn this car around right now and no one gets any ice cream.
How did it perform at the range? Its hard to evaluate how a trigger feels, but the main improvement is that the Evo Elite gives you a true surprise break. Without the bump, I found myself unable to anticipate my shots and I was better able to get into a rhythm. So out of 100 rounds of Winchester white box ammo (115 grains) at 15 yards, I didn’t have a single flyer outside a 6-inch circle.
But I still wasn’t convinced, so I installed another Evo Elite with the same springs in my G21 (.45 ACP). That gun has had the old Ghost Rocket connector in it for over 10,000 rounds. Many rounds of WWB ammo (230 grain) later, I was sold. The Evo Elite just made me shoot smoother and faster.
Speaking of faster, not only did Ghost eliminate the bump, but they also improved the trigger reset. It’s much more distinct and crisp. You will definitely hear and feel it, which is a good thing because a more positive reset point lets you fire faster. If you shoot GLOCKs in competition, you’re gonna want this. So to sum up: no bump, clean break, better reset. Who doesn’t want that?
A note about installation: If you’ve done a lot of work on your GLOCKs, then fitting the trigger control tab, which requires a lot of grinding and polishing, is a piece of cake, maybe an hour of your time. If you aren’t comfortable grinding down parts of your trigger, I would encourage you to take it to a gunsmith. If you’re undecided, not to worry. Ghost has detailed installation instructions with clear pictures on their website. If you get in a jam, just call them. They’re always happy to preach to the (soon-to-be) converted.
The Final Word
Okay, so I’m in love, but will it really last? Yes, I really think that this is a game changer for GLOCK shooters. For experienced shooters, you know you want it. You want the trigger to break like Seabiscuit in the back stretch—quick and without warning. This is the best modification I’ve ever made to a GLOCK and, unlike losing my virginity, it was good for both of us.
Alas, no love is perfect. After installation, you will find that it’s noticeably harder to remove the slide. I called Ghost and they assured me that it has no effect on the function or reliability of the gun. They also assured me that it will get easier as the connector breaks in. If you’re in a rush, there is a simple way to fix this, but I suggest that you call Ghost and ask, as it needs to be done carefully to avoid changing the temper of the steel alloy. Maybe I’m still in the honeymoon phase, but for less than $50 and an hour of your time, can you really go wrong?
Specifications:
Price: $36.95 (connector alone), $44.95 (complete trigger kit)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Overall * * * *1/2
Bottom line: this new connector makes me shoot better, and results don’t lie. I suggest you buy the kit because without the springs. The trigger weight will be heavier. Smooth, but heavier. I deducted half a point because a new product shouldn’t make field stripping your gun harder.
Interesting. The trigger was one of the reasons I haven’t bought a glock.
If you install the ZEV spring kit with a ‘regular’ Ghost connector, you’ll have a very light and crisp trigger pull each time for a total of about $25. I won’t say it feels like a 1911 trigger, because it doesn’t, but it’s the next best thing for the money in a polymer pistol. However, I don’t recommend this setup for CCW, as the trigger will be very light. Use at the range only.
http://www.glockworx.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=156033
I can tell you exactly why RF passed the buck back to you… it wasn’t that long ago he did a trigger comparison (crouched in his hallway at home?) between the Ruger SR45 and his daily carry gun (guess which one he picks) the Glock 30SF. In it he criticizes the Ruger for not having that “bump” just before the trigger releases. So what you were asking him to do is review your $45.00 upgrade to make his Glock feel more like a Ruger. O.o
That’s one theory.
And here I was thinking that he was just a nice guy.
Not impressed with customer service when called.
Zev.
thank God Gaston
Really? It’s just a Glock, every videogame fanboy (or cop) may need one but God?
I don’t think you read that right.
So will this fit an early Gen 1 Glock 17?
Yes it will.
Thank you sir. I’m gonna have to ponder this a while, as I’m fairly happy with the trigger as is, but I haven’t used this gun in any rapid fire competitions. Seems that is where the improvement will really matter.
“weapons grade springs!” (on the packaging)
Well… I would hope so.
Why didn’t you just buy a different gun?
You just had to say it, didn’t you. Now we’re not going to get any ice cream, and it’s YOUR FAULT.
A $50 fix to a gun YOU already love and YOU can shoot well sounds like a good investment . . . No matter what name is stamped on the side.
Exactly!
I have a Gen4 23 and I’ve tried a few 3.5 lb connectors (ghost and lone wolf) and while it reduced the trigger weight a bit, it made it unbelievably mushy. I took them out. I’m reluctant to try another. Does anyone have a tip for me and my Gen4 23?
-D
This connector and spring combination will not lighten the trigger. This connector is a completely new design so you really cannot compare it to the older connector designs. The trigger weight will still be 5.5 lbs., and the break is crisp, not mushy.
sweet!
Zev Tech V4 race connector is pretty crisp.
But like losing your virginity, there’s going to be some crying. 🙂
Sounds good on a competition gun, but the reason I got rid of my Glocks was that their triggers suck, and I didn’t want to explain trigger modifications to a jury.
I replaced my Glock’s trigger group. It is still a Glock. It is what it is. Want a trigger thats breaks like glass? Get a 1911.
I wonder how this compares to the skimmer trigger? I’ve been looking at a 19 or 30 for ccw but don’t like the idea of trigger mods coming back to bite me in a court.
That said, a couple of glock guy friends polished their trigger bars and put the ghost connector in and that slap back on the little trigger detent puts a blister on my finger in less then 2 mags.
I prefer the “Vigilante Death Dealer Elite Operational Tactical Killer” trigger kits…
It ensures that after a defensive shooting any inspection of my gun will clearly reveal me to be one of the good guys.
It pairs well with my R.I.P. ammo
The “over-travel stop (a.k.a., trigger control tab)” has nothing to do with break. It does just what its name implies—it eliminates excessive travel of the trigger after the gun fires, thus reducing the distance the trigger has to travel for reset.
True. I was trying to say the both the new design and the TCT together give the trigger a crisp feel. No mush after the gun fires.
Sounds cool. I like it so far. A Glock is one of my two EDC’s, so I’m reluctant to modify it. Partly it’s because I don’t ever want some prosecutor hammering me over modifications, especially anything that lends itself to remarks about itchy trigger finger or being able to fire more easily or more shots than “necessary”, whatever that means.
In competition or if I wielded this weapon for a profession, I’d probably try this out. Great write-up, whether first time or 100th time! Keep shooting and please keep writing.
Thanks for the kind words.
A better label for CCW trigger work would be “Improving accuracy with an aim to ONLY hitting what I want to hit, reducing the risk to bystanders.” Can anyone find a better phrasing that emphasizes improved accuracy over mag dump?
No amount of logic or facts will change a person who is 100% certain that they will be in deep doo doo for having a modified trigger or gun in a “good, clean” defensive shooting.
The facts are that this simply does not happen. It can and probably will be an issue for an ACCIDENTAL shooting. What ever happened to, “I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6? Even if a modded Glock trigger ever ever was an issue, I would rather have a defensive weapon that gave me any edge possible for the highest probability of surviving. How can any one possibly prosecute that? You cant.
These facts and logic will NEVER convince a stubborn pessimist in a million years. So I am writing this for the guys on the fence about modding your gun. As long as it is safe and you are not more likely to do an accidental discharge, lots of people carry hand guns with 4-5lb smooth triggers with little take up and no over travel.
Don’t draw if you are not going to shoot. Need a deterrent other than a gun for some situation? Then use your LE grade pepper spray on your key chain. Otherwise you draw clean and shoot immediately with your trigger with the Ghost Evo connector and springs of your choice. Most people CCW all their lives and NEVER need to discharge their weapon. If you do, why wouldn’t you want every advantage possible in order to save your life? Ancient Japanese proverb: TSOSUMI!
This sounds a lot like the performance of an Apex trigger upgrade on a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 or 40.
However, I believe an Apex trigger upgrade is quite a bit more costly … roughly $100??????
RE: harder slide disassembly: I saw a video where a guy installed a 3.5 lb ghost connecter and the angle on it was causing it to rub against part of the slide. I bet that’s what’s happening to you. He just bent his until the angle matched up better with the stock connector.
Wonder if that’d fix it for you? (or help maybe?)
Thanks for the advice, but that’s not the problem. I called Ghost and the issue is the tab at the very top that bends out a 90 degree angle. If its ground down a bit, slide removal is easier. But I figured out a simpler solution. When the slide release is engaged, just back the slide rearward about a quarter of an inch, then slide it forward. No problem. If you push the slide rearward more than that, the tab puts too much pressure on the slide. I hope that made sense.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XJxltxvAo4&w=560&h=315%5D
Thanks, this is helpful. I have done this work on all of my Glocks. In this review, I was trying to say that the EVO connector is a completely new design, and that it makes for a much better shooting experience even after the polishing job.
Quit modding your glocks!
or else what?
Sounds to me like a perfect cure for a non-problem. There must be something wrong with me; I like the Glock trigger right out of the box.
The Evo Elite wasn’t for me. It made the trigger feel spongy, with a VERY long take-up/pretravel. Most strangely, the break felt really inconsistent from pull to pull of the trigger. I put a Glock “-” connector in, and like the feel much better.
Since it’s a nondestructive and inexpensive mod, it’s definitely worth trying–just keep in mind that different folks like different strokes, especially when it comes to triggers.
My friend and my own Glock had Ghost Evo connectors installed. I can confirm that it causes inconsistent trigger breaks.
In a 250 round steel 6 stage match, my trigger was suddenly heavy. It caused my POI to move erraticaly. So ich so that I suspected my red dot had broekn. Took mine off and staying with the minus connector as well.
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Think I may pick up the new Edge. It’s the fitless version of this bad boy, and I wouldn’t mind having a smoother trigger. 🙂
As “surprise break” trigger would scare the Hell out of me!
I want to know precisely when that trigger is going to break.
Only then can I have a chance of hitting a target when shooting off hand.
I added one and the problem I have is that half the time the gun shoots ‘full auto’. Is like it shoots a round when I pull the trigger and if I release it too slow, another round goes off. I shoot fast, but too fast and that is dangerous. I have about 2/8 more to trim and then the trigger is useless. Any idea what may be the problem?
Good Review.
I have used Ghost products ‘almost’ entirely in any aftermarket effort on my various .40S&W Glocks.
I have never experienced any issues with reliability after installing the Ghost item.
Those ‘trigger’ upgrades that require mild filing/milling of the connector must be done carefully in order to reduce ‘post-travel’ but still make the gun safe… the orange armorer’s plate is necessary.
I have bought one ‘expensive’ drop in replacement trigger kit (about $180) in a comparison test against my Ghost trigger kits (usually about $40) and frankly the Ghost more (!) than holds its own.
The EVO Elite (which I have in two of my Glocks) is exceptional in that the ‘pull’ is very smooth with no ‘felt’ variations in resistance, the ‘release’ (firing) is instant and crisp and “I” feel (after use) a very small pause ‘just’ before the striker releases which is helpful, reset is superb and very audible/felt. I have literally ‘no’ over-travel with the pull ‘stopping’ right after firing. An excellent product for a reasonable price. Thanks Ghost.
I just installed the EVO in my Glock 30S. On my particular 30s I had to remove almost half the stop tab in order for trigger to reset. After accomplishing this I really liked the trigger feel, particularly the nice break, which was not “glass” but Glock glass, if you know what I mean. It was smooth, had enough travel to not be unpredictable and broke with out front sight jump very nicely, which I contribute to the stop bar doing it’s job. It was not a far stretch from then block trigger tab but enough to be worth the money spent. i made the mistake of filing to much from the tiny 90 degree tab on the top which made the trigger not reset properly. I then slightly bent the tab towards the outer edge of the frame and it worked with reseting the trigger but I didn’t trust it so I will buy a new one and start over as I think it is worth it as this is not my EDC right now. Boy, one becomes proficient at full break downs after this trigger work. Thought I’d share my experience.
Hi Kevin,
Please return your EVO for a free replacement we will replace it regardless of what happened.
Everything we manufacture comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
Regards,
Arthur Viani
Owner Ghost Inc.
Is there any reason why Ghost doesn’t just make the connector for caliber or model specific without having end user’s finagle with it? I have your other connectors in my other models and installed with no issues, but the thought of having to buy dremel/jewelry filer and other tools that I know I would only use 1 times just for this connector is really my other obstacle. The 2nd obstacle is simply shaving/filing putting on slide, test for feel function, repeat steps till it one gets it right.
TIA.
Hello Arthur, I bought the Ghost EVO 3.5 Connector and filed it down as per instructions by hand (as to not remove too not remove too much material and have a true no over-travel) and installed it in a Glock 19 Gen4, the end results were ok, the issue that the EVO connector created was that when pulling the trigger and racking the slide (by hand) and riding the slide forward, the slide stayed out of battery almost every time about 1/8 “ and then it would go into battery with any slight movement of the gun or when releasing the trigger to reset, so I ended up removing it and will replace it with the Ghost Rocket 3.5 which I also have in a Glock 21 and it works well in that G21 Gen3 as well as it funciones well in the G19 Gen4 mentioned earlier. Looking at the EVO connector closely, the 90 degree tab that rubs against the inner part of the slide has been redesigned drastically, now in my opinion it sits too far to the back and sits very high, two things which I believe are the reasons why the slide in the Glock 19 Gen4 was not going fully into battery.
My Glock and I have a bad relationship. I love its unquestionable ruggedness but I truly hate the way it shoots. I’ve spent a lot of time looking for trigger fixes for my Glock 22.
This brief and entertaining review was of great assistance in cutting thru the verbose forest of Glock fixes.
I think the EVO will be just what the doctor ordered.
My Glock may well end up being both indestructable AND pleasantly shootable too !!!!
thanx again, R.J.B.
Bad grip angle, bad trigger, bad sights, non-ambi mag and slide releases… what’s not to like about glocks? (I just bought another one!)
I just bought one and installed it last night and I am very impressed. It is everything described in the review though I don’t have any trouble with the slide. If you can drop and give 50 (hell, even 20) without needing a nap to function the rest of the day, I don’t think this will be an issue for you either. It took what seemed forever file down the tab and try it but that is the game with the Ghost connectors. I don’t know yet whether I want to get an SSVI Tyr Trigger to go with this or Zev Tech. Any thoughts?
I’m curious if the EVO makes it have a Kahr like trigger, though long they are smooth all the way through with a hard to predict break. I loved that trigger was very accurate, I hope so just ordered one, well see
So did you ever purchase it and does it feel like a Kahr trigger? I have Kahrs and also a fan of their stock trigger.
Thanks.
A lot of the Evo Elite reviews I have been reading end up with a 3.1-3.5 lb trigger pull. How did you end up with the 5.25 lb trigger pull? Based on your review and other reviews, I would like to install this upgrade but don’t want to end up with a ~3 lb trigger pull if I am going to carry
I think I answered my own question. I didn’t realize the kit came with the option of a 6.0 or 4.0 pound spring.