Last week I had the good fortune of traveling to the brush country of South Texas to test Mossberg’s new Lightning Bolt Action Trigger System on one of their 4x4 rifles. I was hunting at the Callaghan Ranch north of Laredo, and when all was said and done, my live targets included a wild hog, two javelinas that fell to the same bullet, two whitetail does and one 150-class whitetail buck.

At first glance, the casual observer might deem the LBA trigger merely an imitation of Savage’s 5-year-old AccuTrigger, and indeed, the concept is the same: The trigger blade mechanism blocks the sear from releasing the striker until the blade is fully depressed. However, there are some distinct differences, and they aren’t all cosmetic. (It’s a lightning bolt. Get it?)

The LBA’s trigger blade is not nearly as deep as that of the AccuTrigger. In fact, without using a measuring device, I’d say it’s about two-thirds to half as deep. Considering one of the primary purposes of this type of trigger system is to eliminate trigger creep, I think it makes sense that there isn’t a lot of anticipation as you bring the blade flush with the trigger itself. Bottom line: When I wanted the 4x4 to fire, it broke crisply at that moment, and not a millisecond later.

Also, whereas the pull of the AccuTrigger is adjustable from 2.5 to 6 pounds with a small tool that comes with any rifle equipped with the trigger, the LBA is adjustable from 2 to 7 pounds with any standard screwdriver. This is good peace of mind, as tiny gun tools have the tendency to go missing at all the wrong times.

The hard-coat anodized aluminum LBA trigger system will be available on most of Mossberg’s 4x4 and 100ATR rifle models in 2009. –John Taranto