I was shooting my xdm compact the other day and for some reason I wanted to rest my finger on the front of the trigger guard with the compact magazine. I tried it out and I felt much more secure holding the pistol. Is this a bad habit? I'm new to handguns (amateur with guns in general) and I want to know if it is acceptable to shoot like this with the smaller mag and shoot normal with the larger mag/other guns.
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grip question
- Thread starter lordrahl
- Start date
Bad....
Bad habit.
Plain and simple... the trigger guard finger groove is for the movies.
For shooting well... a good 2 handed grip is better.
Look at it this way... that one finger on that trigger guard can influence your shooting without putting anything to improving your shooting accuracy. One flex of that finger puts you off aim either left or right.
You may think it feels good since that is what is on TV and the movies... "movies cool"
As with most things... if it works for you and you shoot well. Well... shooting well is what you want...
But as an instructor... it's a no no...
Bad habit.
Plain and simple... the trigger guard finger groove is for the movies.
For shooting well... a good 2 handed grip is better.
Look at it this way... that one finger on that trigger guard can influence your shooting without putting anything to improving your shooting accuracy. One flex of that finger puts you off aim either left or right.
You may think it feels good since that is what is on TV and the movies... "movies cool"
As with most things... if it works for you and you shoot well. Well... shooting well is what you want...
But as an instructor... it's a no no...
Maybe because the general shooting public get their training from Hollywood. The gun manufactures will give the general public what they want to make the sale. I would not want to have a handgun for personal protection in a bright color, but you can get them in pink. The gun manufactures are doing more marketing to women (nothing wrong with that) and have been creating firearms in pink (some are hot pink) for several years. I like the idea of women learning how to shoot and for them to have handgun options that fit their hands better. I do not like the idea of a lady buying a hot pink gun because of the color and having that color be a possible liability in a personal protection situation.
loose_holster_dan
New member
maybe i'm missing something. i am not visualizing what you guys are talking about. pictures?
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Because that hold happens to work for many shooters. Especially for shooters with large hands, shooting small(ish) pistols.BarryLee said:I too agree that it is not a good habit. However, does anyone know why manufacturers continue to place the finger pad on the front of the trigger guard on a lot of new guns?
Well, a lot of movie actors use bad gun-handling, and a lot of them use that grip or the "cup and saucer" grip. Neither is a great way to grip a handgun, from a human mechanics perspective.
If you have large hands, and a small-frame pistol, it might work. Generally speaking, the more open your hand, the less control you will have over the pistol. A closed grip is much more repeatable and consistency tends to help accuracy.
If you have large hands, and a small-frame pistol, it might work. Generally speaking, the more open your hand, the less control you will have over the pistol. A closed grip is much more repeatable and consistency tends to help accuracy.
I'm new to handguns(amatuer with guns in general)...
Then any bad shooting habits you developed/are developing will be easier to break then someone thats been shooting for years with bad habits.
Learning to shoot correctly is sorta like building a house, the basics of shooting being the houses foundation. A bad grip habit usually affects something else in one way or the other.
As Aquila Blanca referred to, guys with large hands often find they have to modify their grip when shooting a small ccw. Sometimes the way a person chooses to modify the grip when shooting a compact is not the best and can affect overall accuracy and target re-aquisition speed thats so important in SD shooting.
IMO, one of the very reasons a beginning shooter should not start out shooting a gun that doesn't fit them properly.
There are some great training vids. on youtube by some of the best showing grip techniques using some fairly compact pistols. It may be worth your while to watch them.
g.willikers
New member
When there's not enough room on the grip, for all four fingers of the support hand, using the index finger on the front of the trigger guard can help.
It allows raising the support hand fingers fully on the grip.
As long as the index finger is pressing straight back and not causing a weakening of the grip, that is.
Some of the top competitive shooters use this method with smaller guns, so it obviously must work.
Here's one at work, using this method:
http://www.ammoland.com/2009/11/30/cz-shooter-angus-hobdell-wins-shooting-match/
It allows raising the support hand fingers fully on the grip.
As long as the index finger is pressing straight back and not causing a weakening of the grip, that is.
Some of the top competitive shooters use this method with smaller guns, so it obviously must work.
Here's one at work, using this method:
http://www.ammoland.com/2009/11/30/cz-shooter-angus-hobdell-wins-shooting-match/
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Thanks for the tips. I watched some vids and went to the range. The reason my finger wanted to go there is I was not doing a proper combat grip (offhand was vertical instead of angled for support) is the best way I can describe it. I would like to say I shot better but i'd say it was the same.
Interesting to know that on a compact gun competitive shooters will use the trigger guard. Once i get a little better on my basic grip i'll start trying other stuff out.
Interesting to know that on a compact gun competitive shooters will use the trigger guard. Once i get a little better on my basic grip i'll start trying other stuff out.
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
However, does anyone know why manufacturers continue to place the finger pad on the front of the trigger guard on a lot of new guns?
Because it looks tacticool, and whatever looks tacticool sells guns to people who don't (yet) take shooting seriously enough to develop their skills in a systematic way.
Years ago, frustrated with my mediocre shooting, I let a guy talk me into giving bullseye shooting a try. I didn't do very well at all. I started copying what the good shooters did and asking questions. I received an education and a half in very short order at no cost—other than the price of ammunition.
It's worth your while to follow the leaders, which is what they did. Someday, you may find you're one, too.
Best of success to you, eh?
Standing Wolf - Good Move! Having a teachable attitude is necessary to learn, and you were willing to look at other methods.
I hope other shooters will do the same. Bullseye focuses on accuracy while some of the other shooting sports focus more on speed and somewhat on accuracy. Each shooting sport is important for what they emphasize. If you can't be accurate shooting slow, you are not likely to be accurate using some speed.
Not all instructors or range officers charge for their services. Contact the different ranges in your area and see what they offer.
I hope other shooters will do the same. Bullseye focuses on accuracy while some of the other shooting sports focus more on speed and somewhat on accuracy. Each shooting sport is important for what they emphasize. If you can't be accurate shooting slow, you are not likely to be accurate using some speed.
Not all instructors or range officers charge for their services. Contact the different ranges in your area and see what they offer.
I thought that squared and checked trigger guards were brought into vogue in the '60s, on 1911s, by a man named Armand Swenson. He made the Swenson Custom Combat 1911s, used K-frame sights that came to be known as 'Swensights", and dovetailed in front sights on 1911s
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