Got the Tier 2 treatment with Tier 1 fire control group (I have the same FCG on my FS 9MM) along with a match fit barrel. The wait was longer than expected (about 6 months) due to SAI moving facilities in the middle of working on my gun. I was less than impressed with their responsiveness to my queries about the status of my gun over the last couple of months of the wait.

I'll give my honest impressions below the pics.



Yes, it was expensive. Yes, it also made the gun better. Worth the price? To me yes, but you be the judge for yourself.
The trigger is fantastic as it is on my FS. I love the frame work, as I also do on my FS. The slide work is new to me though, as I didn't have them do it to my full size and wasn't planning on getting it done to this. They just so happened to be having a sale shortly after I sent mine in for the frame work and trigger and I said "oh what the hell."
I also added a match fit barrel, which I believe they source from KKM.

As far as my impressions, as I said I love the trigger and frame cuts/stippling. I also like the slide work as felt recoil is lower and the slide cycles faster. It's a subtle, but I can definitely tell it is there with both 115gr UMC or 147gr +P HST. Both cycled reliably.

As far as things I don't like, the rear sight has two screws, with one of them being directly over the plunger spring cover. This cover is plastic, I believe, and from what I understand Salient secures this screw  directly over it with red loctite so that it doesn't actually function as a set screw, while the one on the other side does. Some find this a big deal, I think it's a somewhat stupid design choice but not really detrimental as the screw isn't going anywhere.

Also, the gun groups nicely but is hitting a little high based on the same sight picture as my FS 9mm with 10-8s, which is dead nuts on. I only shot with the match fit barrel so no idea if this is an issue of early unlocking of the barrel or simply the sights not being to my liking. I'm going to compare with the factory barrel later this week and if it is still hitting high I'll swap out the sights with a set of 10-8s. If it hits dead on with the factory barrel I'll be giving Salient a call to get the barrel fitment squared away.

Do you know the weight of the trigger pull?  Can you comment on the pre, break, and over travel?  Thank you for the review. Would you do it again if you had to do over?

Hopefully yours covers it unlike this one?

They will set the trigger pull to whatever weight you want. My FS 9mm is a hair under 4 lbs, and my 9c is 4.5 lbs. There is very little takeup beyond simply depressing the trigger safety which is now block-style down the center of the trigger. The break is icicle-crisp, and there is little overtravel. It is better than the SRT single action pull I had on my p229 before I sold it, and better feeling to me than even a good many 1911s. It is absolutely the best part of the package and makes it extremely easy to really feel what you are doing instead of slapping the trigger even during rapid fire.

As for whether I would do it over again, at this point I would say yes. I will likely send them my full size for Tier 1 treatment (actually has slots cut into the slide to further reduce weight) with an RMR in the future at some point. Ask me again, though, after Agency Arms starts working on M&Ps

Yeah I saw that one on Ben's Facebook. Neither of my Salient guns have had those kinds of problems, outside of the aforementioned screw over the plunger cap which really isn't as big of an issue as Ben makes it out to be. My guess is they put a shield rear sight on that particular gun or something as mine fully covers the plunger cap. See below for a quick shot I just grabbed.

So can you get it without the advertisement on the side? I like how it looks, looks great, but not necessarily a fan of logos.

Not that I am aware of but give them a call.  IMO it really isn't all that obtrusive.

I'm glad you like it.  Personally, I would have taken the slide to ATEi for serrations, stippled the frame myself, and dropped an Apex kit in there.

Those are all good upgrades, but not exactly equivalent. The slide has actually been lightened, not just had additional/redone serrations. It's less significant with a Tier 2 than with a Tier 1 where they actually cut windows in the slide. The tradeoff is stuff can get in the windows, and I didn't want that tradeoff on a carry gun. Still, the result is less felt recoil and faster cycling. Subtle, but definitely there and will benefit you if you have shot enough to be able to feel that kind of thing. While Doug's work is great, his serrations just don't do that.

Additionally, with the frame mods, you could stipple it yourself, but can you replicate this rather fine texture, perform their frame mods (mag release scallop, trigger guard undercuts) and have it looking as clean with well-defined lines?

And regarding the trigger, Apex puts out a great kit, but Salient's is better. Less takeup, crisper break, less overtravel, and whatever weight you specify.

Not trying to say one approach is better than the other, simply saying there is value there and while you pay a premium for Salient, you do get more than you get with less expensive approaches. Whether that is worth it or not is up to each individual.

All of the internal surfaces are polished and radiused where needed. They will set the pull weight to whatever you want, and they get rid of the factory plastic hinged trigger designed which I absolutely hate in favor of an aluminum trigger with the trigger safety running down the center.

I like it better than the SRT single action pull on the P229 I sold a couple months back.