Timney Triggers—Sweet!

by
posted on November 20, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
maddie-ruby.jpg

The world is full of creepy, gritty, no good, shifty and conniving….triggers (I bet you thought I was going somewhere else, didn’t you?). It’s nothing new though. In fact Timney Triggers has been putting smiles on shooters’ faces since 1946 with a wide array of drop-in versions to replace that factory-installed poser—but that’s not the only way the company makes people happy.

Sandwiched between all the frightening news the past few days, a good friend of mine shared a photo of his daughter—3-year-old Madeline “Maddie” Ruby—holding Tootsie Pops and beaming the kind of contagious grin you can’t help but catch. Her father, Josh Ruby, owns North Texas Rifle Precision and in his efforts to dial shooters into long-distance connections, he often “preps” a client’s rifle before range time. Part of that tweaking can include the installation of a Timney Trigger.

Maddie oversees some of his work—she’s more qualified than I am, that’s for sure—and the evening of the photograph, Josh had a brand new trigger come in. Her first assignment was to open the box and inventory the contents. He knew what was inside.

She received two treats, and a personal letter. In case you can’t read the note she’s holding in the photo, it says, “Hi Madeline, We want to thank you for being one of our best and favorite Timney Trigger fans. Here is another sucker for you because you are such a great helper for your daddy…”

Tootsie Rolls? Thank you notes? My grin was too big not to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Timney Triggers owner John Vehr explained the thank you notes started a year ago, and “…everybody at the shop signs them.” The inclusion of Tootsie Pops began nearly 15 years ago. “We buy them by the pallet several times a year.”

Why? “I thought it would be a fun surprise for our customers to get a Tootsie Pop along with an awesome trigger,” he explained.

The brevity of his e-mailed comments make it obvious he doesn’t consider it a big deal. Maddie’s smile says the opposite, and is yet another one of those simple and heartwarming stories so typical in the firearm industry. 

Of course, you can’t please everyone. Nikki Nix, who handles customer service, explained, “One guy called in all upset because we put a Tootsie Pop in his box. He said it was like we’re calling him a sucker. I explained to him that’s not our intention….I told him the rule behind the Tootsie is it takes less time to install our triggers than it does to finish a Tootsie.” It turned out his wife called him a sucker, and he called to complain and recommend the company stop including the candy.

Timney didn’t heed the Grinch’s advice, the smiles continue to glow and, more than likely, Maddie is watching diligently for the next UPS truck to arrive.      

 

 

Latest

FN 15 Guardian
FN 15 Guardian

Review: FN 15 Guardian

FN America has sought to bring its legendary quality and reliability to an AR-15 that lists for just $999, and we believe that it has done this well with its 15 Guardian carbine.

Springfield Armory Hellcat Now Available In .380 ACP

Despite the extensive number of Hellcat models in its lineup, Springfield Armory has only offered the pistol in one chambering, 9 mm Luger, until now. The .380 ACP model offers similar capabilities with softer recoil.

Arms Of The Mail Guard Marines

While difficult to imagine today, brazen armed thefts of the U.S. Mail in the 1920s became all too common and beyond the abilities of mail personnel to handle. Enter the U.S. Marines—armed to the teeth.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 13, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Editor’s Choice: Trijicon MRO SD

As can be sussed out from its name, the Miniature Rifle Optic (MRO) is a sealed reflex sight developed by Trijicon for use aboard carbines and rifles to facilitate lightning-quick target acquisition and smooth transitions between multiple targets.

Preview: MAC 9 DS Duty

Military Armament Corp. (MAC) introduced an affordable 2011-style pistol in 2024 with its MAC 9 DS.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.