Finger Behind The Trigger?

shafter

Keeping the finger behind the trigger is every bit as safe as putting it outside the trigger guard. I don't care about how safe I look. I want to be safe.
Click to expand...

it this was as safe more people would be trained that way. It is a bad habit which should be avoided in my opinion.
 
My initial comment was for handling the gun in the field. Apparently most of the other comments seem to be aimed at handling the gun at a range and matches.
 
If you put your finger behind the trigger and try to rack the slide you might end up in world of hurt when the trigger would jam your finger to the back of the trigger guard. This has happened to me with the P30 a couple of times... and I wasn't putting my finger behind the trigger on purpose either. I make sure not to do that anymore.
 
I think it's a bad idea.
jamming your finger into such a tight space could get you hurt if you fell, etc.
could be difficult getting your finger back in front of the trigger as quickly as you like.
The rear of the triggerguard doesn't feel much different than the trigger itself, too easy to make a mistake.
 
Crazy88Fingers,

I agree, having your finger behind the trigger while trying to clear a jamb on a hot range may help. I don't think it violates Commandment 3 because, even thought you don't intend to shoot, the gun is in a safe firing situation should it discharge during the clearing process.

When the gun isn't in a safe firing situation, then Commandment 3 dictates keeping your finger outside of the guard. Another reason it isn't a good idea to develop muscle memory with the finger behind the trigger, someday you may shooting a double trigger SxS shotgun.
 
mete said:
My initial comment was for handling the gun in the field. Apparently most of the other comments seem to be aimed at handling the gun at a range and matches.
Click to expand...
The point is to handle the gun the same, safe way all the time. Trigger finger off the trigger, outside the trigger guard and indexed along the frame is safe and always works.
 
The point is to handle the gun the same, safe way all the time. Trigger finger off the trigger, outside the trigger guard and indexed along the frame is safe and always works. ​
+1 Amen.

It's scary to see how many shooters have range rules and field rules.
 
I put my finger behind the trigger sometimes - usually when handling and cleaning, if space permits. Its just fine to do this, I wouldn't think too much of it really. Personally, I think there's way too much emphasis and concern over "muscle memory". Everyone handles their guns differently when cleaning and simply just handling them. I'd have a hard time even believing someone who handles guns frequently if they told me they never put their finger behind the trigger when merely handling a gun.
 
Unless I'm on vacation out of state where they won't let me carry (or if I took a flight to get there), I'm one of the people you just addressed. I do actually handle multiple handguns daily without fail. Every - single - day, and more than one. At the bottom basement bare minimum, I handle two loaded handguns each day, each handgun twice daily. Those are the days when I'm not doing anything gun related. A normal day has me handling at least a couple more beyond those two.

Have a hard time believing if you must-- I don't put my finger behind the trigger.
 
Skans said:
....I think there's way too much emphasis and concern over "muscle memory"....
Click to expand...
Can't imagine what would give you that idea. It's well established that the way to make something a habit is to keep doing it the same way every time.

Skans said:
...Everyone handles their guns differently when cleaning and simply just handling them...
Click to expand...
I'd be curious to know how you know what everyone does. Apparently, you don't know what I do. And no, I never put my finger behind the trigger.
 
It seems like a really bad idea to me. I would not want to instinctively get used to having my finger anywhere inside the trigger guard, even if its behind the trigger.
 
I'm new here but I've been reading gun forums heavily for 10 years, and never heard of this "technique"

It is a very, very, bad idea. It is not hard to put your finger along side and above the trigger guard. It is the safest place for it, and plus, you will not look like a dangerous retard to all the other people at the range who aren't aware of your finger behind the trigger hold.


Lot's of things can be done correctly multiple ways. This isn't one of them.


ETA- Skans: Pretty much everything you said is dead wrong. Haven't you ever learned a task requiring fast and correct manual dexterity?

Muscle memory is real. It's what allows people to play guitar or fly an airplane. When the task is critical, you do the same thing, the same way. Each and every time.
 
Last edited:
ETA- Skans: Pretty much everything you said is dead wrong. Haven't you ever learned a task requiring fast and correct manual dexterity?
Click to expand...

I've been handling and shooting guns for over 25 years. Never had an accidental discharge. Never had any problem following rules at whatever range I've shot at. Never had anyone admonish me about how I handle firearms in front of them.

I am reasonable, but not obsessive in the way I handle a firearm. My brain is connected to my trigger finger - it doesn't act on its own and doesn't have any memory of its own either. If I am checking out a "noise" in my house in the middle of the night, my finger has no problem whatsoever staying outside of the trigger guard along the frame - there's no muscle memory making it creep into the trigger guard or squirm behind the trigger.

When I'm disassembling a gun, my fingers get into all parts of the gun that they wouldn't dare find themselves during live firing. That doesn't mean that when I fire the gun, there is any chance at all that my trigger finger is going to work its way into the chamber either.

Now, some of you might say "well that's different.....when I'm cleaning a gun.....that's not the same thing.....". Bullcrap. If you buy into that muscle memory junk science then your finger muscles don't know the difference between cleaning, fondling, handling, and shooting.

The bottom line is when I am handling an unloaded gun - i.e. one that I personally thoroughly checked, I permit myself to be more relaxed in the way I handle it. (No, that doesn't mean I point point the muzzle at anyone.) So do most people, whether they want to admit it or not. At least, that's what I've observed. I didn't say everyone - you are always going to have some folks who are more obsessive than others about gun handling. In my opinion, that doesn't necessarily make them more or less safe than gun folks who handle guns like I do. Again, my track record is perfect.

I'd be curious to know how you know what everyone does. Apparently, you don't know what I do. And no, I never put my finger behind the trigger.
Click to expand...

When it comes to how someone handles a gun while cleaning it or when handling it casually after checking to make sure its not loaded (which is what I was talking about - go back and read what you responded to) its a fair bet that we all do things a little differently. Certainly you and I do things differently.
 
Last edited:
I use finger behind the trigger if I was fighting to retain my pistol in a close quarter situation. Also use finger behind the trigger if for some reason I have a failure to fire or other weapon failure and have to use it as a club. There has to be room behind the trigger for any of this to work.

I don't use finger behind the trigger as a safety. NEVER!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top