Both fingers on the trigger= tighter pattern... good or bad?

I believe the Saint was responding to Wildalaska's post about a 40-year habit of placing his offhand index finger over the front of the trigger guard. The OP was, indeed, speaking of squeezing the trigger with both index fingers.
 
Sure enough, it gave me a bit more weapon control allowing quicker follow-up shots. That's the only benefit and the only downside.
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AcridSaint,

Good post, but I'll add one more thing: there is a significant downside to placing one's non-dom finger in front of the trigger guard. It's a safety issue. When you have built the habit of placing your finger there every time you shoot, and then pick up a small, short-barrel firearm, that non-dom finger can't safely go where you habitually place it. All it takes then is just a brief moment of inattention for you to blow your own non-dom finger off.

See, for example, this pistol -- and picture what would happen if the finger-on-front-of-trigger-guard shooter reverted to habit even once while firing it.

This didn't so much matter years ago, when tiny pistols were a bit less common and didn't have those oversized trigger guards. But it matters a bit more now, with modern designs.

pax
 
This didn't so much matter years ago, when tiny pistols were a bit less common and didn't have those oversized trigger guards. But it matters a bit more now, with modern designs.
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Thats why this dedicated finger in front of trigger guard shooter doesnt shoot modern designs:D

Wildsometimesishoot*gasp*onehandedAlaska ™©2002-2010
 
BAD, for Safety, if for nothing else

both fingers fit in with a little room to spare.
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Sticking that second finger in there when the first is already on the trigger, especially in a stressfull situation, could fire the gun before you are ready....

... Nothing goes inside the trigger guard except you trigger finger, and then only when the sights are on the target.
 
Acrid Saint

Ah I'm sorry I didn't pick up on that for some reason. As time has gone on I've conditioned myself out of placing my off finger on the trigger guard, I don't really know why just have.
 
I say this, If his groups are better with two fingers then he should go for it! Not that I would go around recommending it.
 
October 9, 2010, 07:54 PM #2
mete
Senior Member


Join Date: June 14, 2004
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,238 When you use two fingers that means you have two sets of muscles to control ! That's why putting your finger in front of the trigger guard is not a good idea.
__________________
And Watson , bring your revolver !
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I use a modified Weaver stance and have always kept the index finger of my left hand on the front outside of the trigger guard. It feels rock-stable and I've been shooting that way for as long as I remember.

I tried holding my pistols in a more conventional way with that finger wrapped around my hand instead & it felt like much less stable to me.

Funny how all of us have developed habits that somehow work for us but maybe not as well for another person. I think some of them are just ingrained now. :)

More on subject, I have never shot with both fingers on the trigger.
 
I would think that placing a finger in front of the trigger guard would result in a two handed grip that is less than optimal. It seems as if your offhand would be exerting pressure further forward rather than back on the grip. Most people who have accuracy problems are having poor trigger control. I would think that a finger in front of the guard could exacerbate this, especially at longer distances.
 
in my honest opinion. For target shooting two fingers on the trigger is good. But not something that I would practice in self defense.
 
I would think that placing a finger in front of the trigger guard would result in a two handed grip that is less than optimal. It seems as if your offhand would be exerting pressure further forward rather than back on the grip.
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How would exerting pressure further forward be detrimental to accuracy? Pressure further forward on long guns does not negative affect accuracy. In fact, it has a positive affect.
 
Well, this question is a first! Never heard of anyone using two fingers on the trigger; as many have said, two sets of muscles to control makes accurate placement of your shots iffy .. and what if you have fat fingers?
 
That was a technique used by some years ago to identify jerking, flinching or some other trigger pull problem. You would (if shooting right handed) put your left index finger over the trigger and keep it limp. You would then put your right trigger finger over the left index finger and then use the right finger to fire the gun. The left finger would be able to feel if you were jerking, etc. Simply used to identify a problem. It's an interesting idea and may have some merit but certainly not to be used in everyday shooting.
 
Can it work? Sure-you're proof that it can even offer benefits at a certain level.

But there will come a time when you want to improve your overall gun-handling skills, and find that other things---like mag changes and hand transitions---are much, much more difficult.

I encountered this when I was taking guitar lessons. My teacher kept insisting that I had to do a first position A chord with a one finger barre, and I had a terrible time with it. I eventually asked why I couldn't just keep using three fingers, one per string, like I had been. His response was, "Well, if you can ever make that chord with just one finger, I'll show you cool things you can do with your two extra fingers...."

There's usually a reason for the 'accepted technique', but that reason may not be apparent at your current skill level. IMHO, there are people shooting thousands of rounds a week who have generally found what works consistently, and there is a general (very general, actually) consensus among those folks on how to shoot.

I have no desire to reinvent the wheel, and lack the dedication, funds and native talent to improve on what Burkett, Leatham and Koenig have developed, so I use the techniques they have proven can be successful.


Larry
 
Another problem you may experience with two fingers in the trigger guard is the trigger may not have room to reset between shots.
 
Thanks for all the input. My primary, a Sig P229, has ample room for both of my fingers for firing and trigger reset. In fact it's a bit of a stretch to put one on the front of the trigger guard, and it often comes off the front of the guard with the recoil. It's a tighter fit with the S&W M&P 9mm, but I can, without trigger reset problems. That weapon has a totally different feel.

Patterns with 1 or 2 fingers on the trigger are pretty close vertically, both less than an inch at 25 feet. The '2 finger' pattern is about 1 inch wide, or half the width of the 1 figure pattern.

Any explanations on why that might be? Both patterns are slightly down and to the right of the bullseye. (I'm a lefty).

I'm going to to keep experimenting, but any other insight would be appreciated.
 
Are you shooting isoceles? If so, you are maybe putting uneven pressure on the pistol with your non-dom hand. Having both hands do the "same thing" might help a "grip" issue Just a guess. I'd have to watch you shoot to be sure.
If you're shooting weaver, I don't have a clue. It is by definition an uneven pressure stance (the "push-pull") so I can't see any reason why a "two fingered trigger" would help.

That said, personally, I would train the "one-finger" to do the job.

Oh, as a side note, when I shoot rifles, I use my middle finger on the trigger. Since the trigger works at much less force, I need to use it. Frostbite (Norway 1999) took some of the feeling in my index finger. Our issue gloves had a finger for the trigger finger, but a mitten set up for the others. They "shared heat" and were undamaged, while the trigger finger "froze alone." Go figure.
 
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