The RMT Nomad — A New Kind of AR 15 Trigger

Another day, another AR-15 drop-in trigger. Gosh, everyone and their mom makes a super light trigger for the AR-15. A little company called RMT has released a trigger called the Nomad. The RMT Nomad promises to be something a little different than most AR-15 drop-in triggers. I mean, it is a self-contained drop-in trigger with a light pull, but it’s still different. You see, the Nomad doesn’t sit still.

The RMT Nomad allows for six degrees of pivot and not only moves backward and forwards but left to right. The trigger promises to allow you to maintain a natural shooting profile and lets your trigger finger find a place to sit naturally. It’s weird and admittedly threw me off the first time I used my firearm in post-installation.

Besides the pivoting design of the Nomad, the RMT is a very nice trigger. The metal trigger is flat and textured, promising a light, short pull with a positive reset. The RMT Nomad isn’t just a pivoting trigger but promises to be a nice trigger that just happens to pivot. Is it? Does the pivoting design matter? Well, let’s find out.

Installing the RMT Nomad

I was eager to install the Nomad, and upon receipt, I raced to do so. My platform of choice was my Colt/BCM rifle. I will say the hardest part was taking out the old trigger. BCM’s famed tight tolerances are very present in my lower. Once I wrestled out the stock trigger and safety, I dropped in the RMT Nomad.

The trigger pins are an anti-walk design that comes with a small Allen key to secure these anti-walk pins. Install takes really no time at all and can be done in just a few minutes. Once installed, the trigger looks and feels great.

Dry Fire Training

I received it late in the evening, so I couldn’t race out to try the trigger out at the range. However, I have been working with the Mantis Blackbeard, and that allows me to work some very interactive dry fire. The RMT Nomad interacted without issue with the Blackbeard.

I practiced manipulating the trigger left and right along with its pivot. It moves without resistance but doesn’t just flip around. It glides from side to side ever so slightly.

When pushed to the max pivot, the trigger could still break, and the weapon could fire. I pushed it quite hard and couldn’t induce a failure based on pressing the trigger to the left or right.

Once the trigger reaches its max pivot, I believe I’d need to bend the trigger to cause an issue. The RMT Nomad provided me with an interesting trigger experience, and I got excited to go live with the gun.

Hitting the Range

Finally, the sun has risen, I had a day off work, the RMT Nomad, and a few mags worth of ammunition. I was ready to hit the range. First and foremost, the RMT Nomad offers an outstanding trigger experience. The trigger pull is incredibly smooth and very short.

There seems to be the slightest bit of takeup, and I’m talking a barely perceptible amount before you reach the wall. The trigger pull is very smooth, and the wall breaks at three pounds total. That’s a very light trigger.

At the wall, the trigger breaks and—bang! The reset clicks and pops back into place. The reset provides that nice audible and tactile feedback you can’t help but love. The reset is less like a giraffe and more like a turtle with its short reset.

As a flat-faced trigger, the reach from the pistol grip to the trigger is quite short and accommodating to those with small hands. Also, as a flat trigger, it’s just overall more comfortable. The trigger pull length is uniform regardless of where my finger lands. Also, there is more room in the trigger guard, so gloved shooters or sausage fingers are taken care of.

The RMT Nomad most certainly helps you be a more accurate shooter. A better trigger results in less human error on the trigger pull. It’s most certainly an exceptionally well-made trigger that falls into that premium category.

Going Fast

A short trigger with a light pull and a short reset is great at long range, but it’s also awesome up close, where speed matters a little more. You can jam the pedal to the metal and make accurate and fast shots with the RMT Nomad. It’s easy to dish out double and triple taps without a serious reduction in accuracy.

My double taps, in particular, have gotten closer using the Nomad. The rounds aren’t quite on top of each other but are dang close. Plus, making precise shots, like headshots on target behind cover, is easier with a good trigger. The RMT Nomad provides a very capable trigger for close-range defensive use.

Does The Pivoting Matter?

I didn’t think I pushed a trigger so far to the far when I shot. Yet as soon as I came off the trigger, it was constantly pivoted all the way to the left. At first, I found it interesting, but then I found it helpful. It’s not necessary to make accurate shots, but it’s much more comfortable for my big hands.

As mentioned, a good trigger helps eliminate human error, and the pivoting does the same thing. It allows for a comfortable trigger pull that’s straight back, even with some sideways pressure applied. For accurate shots, it’s great, and for fast shots, it’s also nice. Running against a timer is a great way to induce error, and the RMT Nomad helps reduce that error in both its rearward and forward movement as well as its left to right movement.

Is it necessary? No, but it is helpful and comfortable, and it makes reaching the trigger easier for shooters of all sizes.

Moving On

The RMT Nomad might not be the solution for everyone, but I would encourage you to check it out if you have rather large hands or exceptionally small hands. The AR-15 is the closest we get to a one-size-fits-all rifle, and with the RMT Nomad trigger, it becomes even more accommodating.