Want better performance out of your CZ P10 series pistol? The Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger is an easy-to-install upgrade. Combined with the Overwatch Precision striker, it’s a lot of performance for $99. Unlike old-school trigger jobs on hammer-fired pistols, the FALX allows you to achieve a lighter, crisper pull in as little as 20-30 minutes. And all it takes is a mallet and a punch set. I recently installed one in my CZ P10 F, where the difference was dramatic, even compared to the already solid factory trigger.
Here’s what makes the FALX Trigger stand out:
- Easy Installation: Save money and time on gunsmith visits with this simple DIY upgrade.
- CZ P10 Compatibility: Perfect for the CZ P10 F, C, and S pistol variants. (9mm only, and not compatible with the M)
- Performance Boost: Experience a lighter, crisper trigger pull for improved accuracy and control. No loss of reliability either.
- Affordable Upgrade: Enjoy significant performance gains at a budget-friendly price point.
Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger features:
The FALX starts with a 7075 aluminum shoe with three color options – black, gun metal gray, or FDE. Choose from black, red, gold or blue for the safety, which is also machined from 7075 aluminum. They’re anodized to Mil-A-8625 Standard Type III. This is a thicker coating, making it more durable and abrasion-resistant. Don’t confuse it with Type II, which is more of a coloring, where Type III is a hardcoat finish.
With the Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger, the OEM safety remains intact and functional. The safety itself rides on a 316 stainless steel pin. High in chromium and nickel, it’s a hard steel with excellent wear and corrosion resistance. Materials choices and finishing processes contribute to Overwatch Precision being able to offer a lifetime guarantee.
Overwatch Precision Striker features:
Swiss machined from 416 stainless steel, then heat treated to 45 Rockwell and given an NP3 coating, this striker has all the features you could ask for. The 416 stainless offers very high strength, but also low friction. NP3 extends that further, as it’s also got a low friction coefficient, with high lubricity. For those that into metallurgy, it’s slick, and cleans very easily. This sort of surface treatment is self-lubricating. That allows it to run smoother, without attracting grime and residue inside your pistol. And in this application, it cuts the weight of the trigger break by half a pound. Attempting that with a lighter striker spring could affect reliability, resulting in light strikes. This is the tech you want in your pistol.
Installation of the Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger:
I watched a ten-minute video I found on YouTube that covered both the trigger and striker installation. My actual time was about 25 minutes for both, and that included taking photos and texting a friend. Watch a good video a couple of times, and you’ll see that it’s pretty straightforward, and as mentioned, requires only the most basic tools. After verifying my CZ P10 F was unloaded, I removed the slide. From there, I pushed down the t-block and slid the takedown plate (or bar) out. Then I knocked out the three hollow pins, plus the trigger pin. The entire FCG (fire control group) comes out in two sections, with the trigger in the rear section. Push out the pin in the center of the trigger, and remove the trigger.
With the Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger installed, it was just a matter of reversing everything I just did. Working back to front, I replaced the two sections, and pushed the pins back in, starting with the trigger pin. That one will take a bit of work to get lined up, then the rest sort of fall into place. After the takedown plate is reinstalled, this part of the process is done. As much as I would love to provide a bunch of photos, or even a video, I know it’s been covered plenty. YouTubers do that better than I can. Other than a little wresting with the trigger pin, and making sure the t-block and takedown plate are installed correctly, this is one of the easiest triggers I have done.
Installation of the Overwatch Precision Striker:
Overwatch Precision will sell you the FALX trigger without the striker, but that’s like ordering a burger without meat. You’re not likely to be very satisfied, as the striker completes the trigger nicely. Since the slide should already be off, pop out the recoil assembly and barrel. Then use a hook or the tip of a punch to move the striker forward a bit, so the back plate can be removed. This allows the striker assembly to be slid out. Pulling down on the spring will allow you to release the split cups, and then remove the spring from the striker. Carefully slide the striker out of the striker assembly, and replace with the new Overwatch Precision Striker.
Assembly from here is not difficult if you have sufficient hand strength. Standing the assembly up, I wedge the back plate under the striker to keep it from dropping when I pull down on the spring. There are plenty of other ways to do this, but this way requires no extra tools. With the spring pulled down a bit, the new cups can be installed. They hold the spring in place, and keep the whole thing together. After verifying that they are installed correctly, slip the striker assembly back into place in the slide. Push it forward to install the back place, and then replace the barrel and recoil assembly. Reinstall the slide, and check to make sure it runs smoothly back and forth, then check the trigger function as well.
Initial impressions:
With the CZ P10 OEM trigger, there is a fair amount of pre-travel. Overwatch Precision claims that the FALX cuts that by 32%, and I have no reason to doubt that. But the actual reduction feels as though it’s even more. From there, the takeup is smoother, a little lighter, and with a nice crisp break. Reset is short and positive. Although I think it’s important to dry fire a bit to get a feel for a new trigger, the only real way to judge one is with live fire. So it was off to the range.
Range time with the Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger and Striker
My first range trip, I set up targets at 15 and 25 yards, and went back and forth between the two. In practice, the slightly lighter trigger pull, coupled with the short reset allowed me to shoot a little faster and smoother. Physically, I don’t think the FALX is much wider than the OEM trigger, but it’s flatter, rather than having curved edges. This provided a better feel for me, and that alone would have been worth the upgrade. And the safety somehow feels less obtrusive. Overall, it’s a nicer shooting experience, and the ergonomic improvements are tangible. I don’t have data to compare with the factory trigger, but I bet my split times would show a marginal decrease as well.
On a later range trip, I let a friend of mine give my upgraded pistol a try. He had set up the “Rockin’ Boar” for his son’s .22 LR out at about 150 yards. This steel pig is 12″ high and less than 20″ across. I’m barely able to see it without my prescription glasses. My friend was able to ring it several times with the FALX Trigger-equipped CZ P10 F. He then handed it back and said “I don’t hate it”. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not just the trigger, but it did give him the confidence to take a shot that he probably wouldn’t normally.
Conclusion:
The CZ P10 series pistols are a great value. They’re relatively inexpensive, and offer a lot more performance than you would expect at the price. Accurate and reliable, any upgrades are likely to be incremental improvements, rather than game-changing. Yet the Overwatch Precision FALX Trigger somehow manages to be a bit more of the latter than the former. Gone is the ever-so-slightly mushy feel of the polymer trigger. Pre-travel is shorter. The break is lighter and crisper. Reset feels a little sharper. It looks at least 1000% better as well. All this, without affecting reliability. That’s a win.
As always, I’d like to thank Overwatch Precision for providing their FALX Trigger and Striker for the CZ P10 series pistols for my testing and evaluation. It’s an affordable, easily-installed upgrade that’s made my already enjoyable pistol even nicer to shoot. The trigger itself is $64.95, the Striker 44.95, and the combo saves you a few bucks, at $99. Check it out on the overwatchprecision website.
Any questions or comments? Who else has this trigger, or at least tried one?