Mechanically, the Feather Trigger is very similar to the new M.O.A. trigger also announced this year for the re-introduced Winchester Model 70 (more about that below). Both Browning and Winchester are owned by the same parent company (FNH), and the same engineers worked on the development of both new trigger systems. Make no mistake, the Feather Trigger and the M.O.A. trigger are not interchangeable; all the components are different, although the concept behind their operation--a three-lever system--is the same.

The Feather Trigger is an impressive bit of engineering, markedly superior in feel to the previous trigger on the predecessor A-Bolt rifles, which is one of the better factory triggers on the market, anyway. Browning has stated, "Unlike competitors' triggers with secondary finger-piece levers, the Feather Trigger is designed right, feels right, and stays right, year after year." That should give you some indication of how large a role the success of the Savage AccuTrigger has played in other manufacturers' thinking about trigger development.

Marlin XL7 Pro-Fire Trigger System
Marlin's brand-new Model XL7 bolt-action rifle features the innovative Pro-Fire trigger system, which is virtually creep-free and can be user-adjusted as low as a crisp 2.5 pounds. The trigger design features what Marlin calls a Pro-Fire Trigger Release incorporated into the trigger itself. The release prevents movement of the trigger until it is depressed and serves as a safety against the trigger being accidentally jarred off.

Anyone looking at the Pro-Fire system will be immediately struck by the visual similarity of the trigger release to the Savage AccuTrigger system, but the two-lever--trigger and sear--Pro-Fire mechanism is an independent Marlin in-house development, and its internal mechanics are completely different from the AccuTrigger design.

In operation, when the shooter's trigger finger naturally depresses the very slight movement of the trigger release, it moves free of a blocking pin inside the trigger housing, freeing the upper portion of the trigger itself to rotate forward on its pivot and release the sear. It's crisp, clean, light, and very safe. I particularly like the fact that the trigger-pull adjustment screw--which requires removal of the action from the stock for access--features a lock nut to eliminate any shift of the screw once set.

Remington X-Mark Pro
Remington's totally new X-Mark Pro Model 700 and Model Seven trigger system with integrated safety mechanism was introduced in 2007 after years of intense R&D by Remington's engineers. And if you're an old hand with Remington rifles, you probably won't believe this until you actually pull one: It breaks like glass and has virtually zero creep. Remington has stated that while other new trigger systems use "gadgets and add-ons to hide inconsistencies," its approach was to re-engineer its conventional trigger design by applying state-of-the-art modern manufacturing techniques, with the tightest possible production tolerances.