Camolicous
Inactive
By the way this is the gun I currently have. My goal is to get concealed carry. Does anyone have a favorite for concealed carry?
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Fear of pulling trigger.
- Thread starter Camolicous
- Start date
By the way this is the gun I currently have. My goal is to get concealed carry. Does anyone have a favorite for concealed carry?
I will carry just about anything. Recently I bought S&W SD9 VE. Actually bought 2 of them with 2 more coming up soon. The wifey picked it out with no influence from anyone, she just liked the way it felt in her hand. Now Son & Daughter want one of their own, so I said I would oblige. They both plan on the CCW course soon.
PS: they both grew up shooting, fishing, & camping as well. Now they take their kids camping, fishing, & shooting.
PS: they both grew up shooting, fishing, & camping as well. Now they take their kids camping, fishing, & shooting.
redhologram
New member
I think you've gotten some good suggestions here. Especially on doubling up on hearing protection and also do a lot of dry firing at home. Sit and watch tv and just have your unloaded gun in hand and just sit and pull the trigger. On commercial breaks make a game of making your target something on tv during a commercial. I'll sit and practice malfunction drills, dry fire, mag drops and reloads while watching tv. It's become second nature to sit with a gun in my hand while watching tv. lol
Then when you get to the range, try not to stand there and overthink everything. I am/was SO GUILTY of that I could mind -(insert bad word here lol) myself easily and totally screw myself up. I would even be like (as my husband said lol) a dog digging in his right spot just getting comfortable in my "right" stance. I look back and laugh now but I'm a Type A and OCD so everything had to be just "so".
Now I am the one on the firing line standing there always moving side to side on each foot and getting loose and singing in my head while waiting for the timer or direction to fire.
What helped me was actually a shot timer and drills. As crazy at it sounds because it puts more pressure on you. But I was so wrapped up on getting my shots off when the timer went off that I didn't think about anything else. Believe it or not, that's when I make my best shots.
Try and turn it into more of a game instead of standing in front of a target and standing there knowing you have to shoot.
I went through several guns before finding what worked best for me and my husband was smart enough to let me decide which ones I wanted and liked even if they may not have been something he would have picked.
My EDC depends on what I'm wearing. If I'm wearing a longer shirt, blazer, best, etc, I have a Glock 26 that I carry in a DeSantis OWB holster with a 5.11 trainer belt. That's my favorite carry method. Otherwise I'll have my Sig p238 in a DeSantis pocket holster and in the pocket of my 5.11 Stryke pants.
If I'm out exercising, the Sig and pocket holster or Glock in a pocket holster, conceals nicely in the side of a sports bra.
When I'm on the range teaching, I wear my Glock 17, OWB, in a Comp-Tac holster.
When on duty, Beretta in Blackhawk Serpa Level 3 thigh holster.
Then when you get to the range, try not to stand there and overthink everything. I am/was SO GUILTY of that I could mind -(insert bad word here lol) myself easily and totally screw myself up. I would even be like (as my husband said lol) a dog digging in his right spot just getting comfortable in my "right" stance. I look back and laugh now but I'm a Type A and OCD so everything had to be just "so".
Now I am the one on the firing line standing there always moving side to side on each foot and getting loose and singing in my head while waiting for the timer or direction to fire.
What helped me was actually a shot timer and drills. As crazy at it sounds because it puts more pressure on you. But I was so wrapped up on getting my shots off when the timer went off that I didn't think about anything else. Believe it or not, that's when I make my best shots.
Try and turn it into more of a game instead of standing in front of a target and standing there knowing you have to shoot.
I went through several guns before finding what worked best for me and my husband was smart enough to let me decide which ones I wanted and liked even if they may not have been something he would have picked.
My EDC depends on what I'm wearing. If I'm wearing a longer shirt, blazer, best, etc, I have a Glock 26 that I carry in a DeSantis OWB holster with a 5.11 trainer belt. That's my favorite carry method. Otherwise I'll have my Sig p238 in a DeSantis pocket holster and in the pocket of my 5.11 Stryke pants.
If I'm out exercising, the Sig and pocket holster or Glock in a pocket holster, conceals nicely in the side of a sports bra.
When I'm on the range teaching, I wear my Glock 17, OWB, in a Comp-Tac holster.
When on duty, Beretta in Blackhawk Serpa Level 3 thigh holster.
Independent George
New member
redhologram said:
I've got to disagree with this - the only time you should ever handle a gun is when you've devoted 100% attention to it. Practicing during commercials is just begging for a ND.
Camolicous
Inactive
Thanks redhologram. I may have to try some other guns and switch/trade in my pistol maybe. The trigger is so long and I can see it pulling down which kind of freaks me out because it's like 'when is it going to go off' sort of thing. I like how it fits in my hand though since I have small hands. Will see if I can get a trigger job done on it to shorten the pull.
redhologram
New member
You are welcome to your own opinions. But don't assume your safety habits are the same across the board for everyone. My weapons are unloaded and ammo is in another room before any dry firing is ever done. I don't know how you dry fire but if you have your ammo in the same room then you may need to reevaluate your own habits.Independent George said:
Camolicious, I went through several guns before finding what worked best for me. Even now, my Glocks have the Zev Tech Ultimate Trigger Kits in them. My Sigs all have had the triggers lightened on them as well. I don't care for a heavy trigger pull or a lot of take up in them. I prefer a clean, crisp trigger.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
One other thought: Do you know anyone who reloads>
About three years ago a co-worker and his wife were both pursuing their carry permits. They didn't (at the time) own a firearm, and my coworker said his wife was very recoil sensitive. I lent them my Ruger 22/45 so they (especially the wife) could get in some trigger time on a light-recoiling pistol. She shot that well and enjoyed it, but she was afraid to make the jump to centerfire.
I also had a 9mm 1911, an all steel pistol. To reduce recoil even more than just shooting 9mm through a 1911 (a combination that's a real pussycat to shoot on its own), I got some 90- or 95-grain bullets intended for .380 ACP and loaded up a few boxes of 9mm ammo to the performance level of .380. It was mild enough that I had to put a lighter recoil spring in the pistol so it would cycle, and it shot like a .22.
Once she got used to that, we moved her up to regular 9mm ammo.
About three years ago a co-worker and his wife were both pursuing their carry permits. They didn't (at the time) own a firearm, and my coworker said his wife was very recoil sensitive. I lent them my Ruger 22/45 so they (especially the wife) could get in some trigger time on a light-recoiling pistol. She shot that well and enjoyed it, but she was afraid to make the jump to centerfire.
I also had a 9mm 1911, an all steel pistol. To reduce recoil even more than just shooting 9mm through a 1911 (a combination that's a real pussycat to shoot on its own), I got some 90- or 95-grain bullets intended for .380 ACP and loaded up a few boxes of 9mm ammo to the performance level of .380. It was mild enough that I had to put a lighter recoil spring in the pistol so it would cycle, and it shot like a .22.
Once she got used to that, we moved her up to regular 9mm ammo.
Independent George
New member
Yes, my ammo is locked away when I dry fire.
You're right - I don't know all the precautions you're taking, so let me ask now. Do you regularly carry concealed? Do you ever carry at home? What do you do when you come home with a gun holstered - do you put it away in the safe, or do you sometimes stay holstered for a while? When you dry fire, are you keeping your gun holstered while watching TV? So when you dry fire during commercials, are you doing a magazine/chamber check each time the commercial break starts? Have you ever gotten distracted and dry fired without safety checking first?
That's what I'm getting at - if you get into the habit of thinking your gun is always unloaded when you're watching TV, it's very, very easy to lose track of when you are practicing, and when you just came home and decided to put the game on while still holstered. That's what muscle memory is all - not consciously thinking about what you're doing. Building a routine where you dry practice while doing something else equals building a routine where you pull the trigger at home without thinking about it.
All it takes is just one time where you come home with your EDC on your hip like always, sitting in front of the TV like always, getting engrossed in what you're watching, and then drawing from your holster and pulling the trigger without thinking about it.
If I'm wrong and you've already built safety measures in which moots my point, then I apologize for implying otherwise - but then you also have a responsibility to explain those procedures to the new shooter planning on carrying concealed. You can't just leave it at 'dry practice in front of the TV'.
This is the reason every intructor I've ever had has stressed the importance of blocking time off and building a routine where your safety checks and practice are part of a single process. And if you get interrupted - by a phone call, the doorbell ringing, a fire engine driving past - you start over again from the beginning with a safety check.
Camolicous
Inactive
Quote:
LOL!! That wouldn't go to well with the psychiatrist! I can so picture it, they give you the blank stare and institution blinks in their brain.
Snyper said:
LOL!! That wouldn't go to well with the psychiatrist! I can so picture it, they give you the blank stare and institution blinks in their brain.
One of the most important things is trusting the gun that you are shooting. If you at all feel that the gun will explode, bite or smack your hands in any way, or you have any other reason to not trust the gun, consider getting another one. I've had guns that I don't trust and I don't even bother with them anymore. Also consider everyone elses advice; get good hearing protection, start with a lower caliber, etc. Wearing gloves may help too.
The LC9 is what I carry and what I shoot at self defense courses. But it seems to me to be a pretty challenging firearm for one's introduction to pistols. As you say, it has a very long trigger pull, but if you can dry fire it comfortably, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the long pull just makes anticipating that VERY snappy recoil so much the worse. Many experienced shooters don't find the LC9 comfortable for shooting a lot of rounds, and if you're not used to pistols, it's probably fairly off-putting. Your brain might be saying to itself that it really doesn't want to collect the prize at the end of the trigger pull. Familiarization and working your way up to the LC9 seems like a reasonable approach, especially if you're used to being around guns in general. Good luck!
this is going to sound weird but if there is a rental range close to you see if they have a K frame .38/.357 revolver with a 4 " barrel, get some standard pressure 158 grain .38 spc. ammo and try shooting it some in both single and double action, you will not be dealing with the moving slide and sharp recoil of the light LC9, you may even want to consider a different cc gun like the S&W Shield 9mm, it's a much softer shooting gun than the ruger. I think your biggest problem is just dreading the recoil on that small 9mm.
It is much more fun to shoot a pistol when you are not flinching away from it or even dreading to pull the trigger.
It is much more fun to shoot a pistol when you are not flinching away from it or even dreading to pull the trigger.
FlySubCompact
New member
(Note: I don't even like to say/read/spell the words "-arget -anic")
Had a bout of that scourge during my competitive archery days.
I don't think that is what the OP has though. Sounds more fear related. Like the noise and shock of recoil has scared her for some reason. Kind of like a flinch, but worse. She did mention being a small person.
My wife developed a flinch right after she started shooting her Glock 23. We read up on it online. We read that the shooter needs a helper and some snap caps. The helper stands behind the shooter. The shooter is then handed the weapon by the helper. The shooter has no idea if the pistol has snap caps or real rounds and takes shots alternating with both. Cleared her flinching right up after a while.
SVTCobra306
New member
I carry an LC9, actually an LC9s striker fired version. I had the original LC9, and I can see developing a bad flinch or even fear with its trigger. It is smooth and consistent, but very long and can easily leave you anticipating the shot. It also has a pretty stout recoil for a 9mm, which is expected out of a very small pistol. Both of these combined can tend to make you not want to shoot it much. I shot about a hundred rounds out of my LC9s last night, and I was happy to put it away and start plugging rounds out of my Sig P229 afterward, it's just more enjoyable.
I agree with previous posts that were recommending a .22LR pistol. A great choice is a Ruger Mark II or III, depending on what you can find. I have a Mark III target that I picked up new last year, and it's my go-to for giving myself a mental "reset" away from all of my centerfires. Being a heavy barreled .22LR, it has virtually zero recoil, so any movement of the pistol when you fire it is solely due to your own failure to apply the fundamentals of pistol shooting. It will really tell on you if you pick it up after shooting something like your LC9 and start squeezing off rounds.
Another option if you want to change things altogether, is looking into a Sig Sauer. Many of their handguns have an available .22LR conversion, so you can train and plink for fun with the same trigger and frame as you carry, and switch back to a centerfire for more training or to carry for protection. Just an option that's out there.
I agree with previous posts that were recommending a .22LR pistol. A great choice is a Ruger Mark II or III, depending on what you can find. I have a Mark III target that I picked up new last year, and it's my go-to for giving myself a mental "reset" away from all of my centerfires. Being a heavy barreled .22LR, it has virtually zero recoil, so any movement of the pistol when you fire it is solely due to your own failure to apply the fundamentals of pistol shooting. It will really tell on you if you pick it up after shooting something like your LC9 and start squeezing off rounds.
Another option if you want to change things altogether, is looking into a Sig Sauer. Many of their handguns have an available .22LR conversion, so you can train and plink for fun with the same trigger and frame as you carry, and switch back to a centerfire for more training or to carry for protection. Just an option that's out there.
Your fear is not about pulling the trigger, rather a fear of when the firearm ultimately discharges and recoils. That's why "follow through" is important. Squeeze the trigger until the gun decides to fire...loose the tendency to "pull" the trigger. If it is a double action revolver, pre-cock the hammer for ease of squeezing. Of course, good ear protection prevents the shock wave on your ears.
larryh1108
New member
It sounds, to me, that practicing with a gun with a SA trigger is the way to go until you are comfortable pulling the trigger. It can be a 1911 type gun or a Browning Hi Power or similar. Also, a DA/SA revolver could also do the trick. If you are used to a rifle trigger and moved to a long DA pistol trigger I can see how you would notice a huge difference.