Proper trigger technique?

M

Mokumbear

New member
I was watching a video on properly using the trigger on an
AK variant. The point was to pull the trigger all the way back and
not let it move forward until you were ready for the next shot.
They claimed that after firing, most people let their finger fly off the
trigger, reducing accuracy.

This makes sense for me with a rifle, but should you do the same
thing with a semi-automatic pistol?

Would this help accuracy with a pistol?
Any problem with this with a striker fired or other type of handgun?
 
I assume he was talking about folks slapping the trigger and was trying to get across the idea of shooting from the reset. No doubt shooting from the reset is a good way to increase your speed and by reducing the length of your next trigger travel it could potentially help with accuracy. My only caution with shooting from the reset is that be aware that not all firearms have the same reset point. If you own firearms with notably different resets just make sure you practice with all of them, at least the ones you might use for self defense. Also, don't ride the reset so strictly that you end up slowing down because you're releasing the trigger in slow motion so you don't overshoot the reset. Personally I overshoot the reset just a tad and that point becomes muscle memory so that I can maintain speed. If you get to obsessed with the reset point you can run the risk of short stroking the reset because you didn't let the trigger out far enough to reset. But each shooter is different, so I make no claims of being all-knowing.
 
It's called follow through . Shooting and other sports require follow through for best accuracy.
 
It kind of depends, though.
So called slapping the trigger can really speed up the shooting rate.
If great accuracy isn't required and everything else is done as it should, going faster with a handgun trigger can have benefits.
An example might be multiple hits on multiple targets at close range, as fast a possible.
Close range being relative to the skill of the shooter.
But, like every thing else, it requires know how to be effective.
 
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It's usually referred to as trigger follow through. You can lose accuracy by jumping off the trigger too fast just like you can lose accuracy by jerking the trigger too hard and fast.
Jerry M. is one of the fastest guys out there and he's plenty accurate. I've never seen him 'slap the trigger' he maintains control even at extreme speeds, which is one of the reasons why he's such a good shooter.
 
BTW, when shooting a pellet gun ,the dwell time ,time the pellet is in the barrel , is much longer than a rifle so follow through is more importment !
 
Keeping pressure on the trigger from shot to shot can prevent it from reaching the reset point.
Follow through and a good grip is probably more important for consistent shooting than whether or not the trigger finger completely stays in contact with the trigger.
It very much depends on how familiar one is with their gun.
Most folks just don't use or practice with the same gun enough to have the reset spot down pat, especially when trying to shoot fast.
Slightly releasing the trigger between shots, can work.
And it wouldn't be surprising if that happens anyway during a long course of fire or session, due to fatigue.
 
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Guns with a very light trigger are a bit more likely to "double" or go full-auto if you "slap" the trigger ... the trigger can release the hammer just from the trigger's own inertia, when the slide slams home. Pulling the trigger all the way aft will prevent hammer-follow when the slide slams home, because the trigger won't have reset by then. With heavier triggers, a full-back trigger pull isn't required.
 
Guns with a very light trigger are a bit more likely to "double" or go full-auto if you "slap" the trigger
Click to expand...
Not even just slapping, but if you happen to release the trigger to early, like right as the sear breaks or as the gun is firing, the recoil can cause the trigger to be pulled a second time, essentially causing an unintentional 'Bump fire'

Seems to happen a lot with M1 Garands with lighter 'worked' triggers. Often hear about 'double fires' and brief 'full auto.' Likely due to the combination of the 06's fairly high recoil, and a light trigger with improper control.
 
I've seen shooters accuracy improve greatly once they are shown how to properly follow through, and only manipulate the trigger as much as necessary for the next shot. Learning that reset can make a huge difference.
 
Competant competitive shooters in the National Infantry Trophy Match (nicknamed the "Rattle Battle" match) shooting M1's rapid fire from prone putting 24 shots down range into a 500- or 600-yard silhouette target in a 50-second time period with two reloads could shoot 12 inch or smaller groups with good trigger follow through. They would do the same thing sitting at 300 yards on a smaller target. Here's the rule:

"Keep the trigger back against its stop until all movement caused by recoil has stopped."

When you're shooting well aimed shots less than 2 seconds apart, it takes some skills to do that. Watching it happen makes believers out of the naysayers.

Same thing's done in international rapid fire pistol matches putting 5 shots in each of the 8, 6, and 4 second time limits into the 25 meter targets hand-size 10-ring. Pistols shooting .22 shorts have barrel vents on their top to minimize recoil pulling the sights off target between shots.
 
"I was watching a video on properly using the trigger on an
AK variant. The point was to pull the trigger all the way back and
not let it move forward until you were ready for the next shot.
They claimed that after firing, most people let their finger fly off the
trigger, reducing accuracy."



Is this safe to do with any semi-auto, striker fired or one with a hammer?
(Safe for the gun. I imagine there is no personal risk".)
 
Is this safe to do with any semi-auto, striker fired or one with a hammer?
(Safe for the gun. I imagine there is no personal risk".)
Click to expand...

Why wouldn't it be safe for the gun? You're essentially just compressing a spring with your finger for slightly longer than if you let off earlier. You'd have to assume all semi auto firearms would be designed to cycle with the trigger depressed so there shouldn't be any damage unless there's some sort of malfunction or inherent design flaw.
 
Mokumbear said:
[...]
Is this safe to do with any semi-auto, striker fired or one with a hammer?
[...]
Click to expand...

For 1911's (and I suspect, for all semiautos), it's the safest method: when the trigger is all the way back, it can't reset, and so any small inertial motions of the trigger caused by the slide slamming forward can't release the sear. If you "slap" the trigger, it's possible that the trigger might already be reset when the slide slams forward. For guns with very light trigger-pulls, that slamming can cause the trigger to be pulled just by it's own inertia. The same thing can also happen when the first round is "slingshotted" into the chamber ... that's why I always stay off the grip lever of my 1911 when I slingshot the first round, in order to block the trigger (because I have a very light trigger-pull on that gun). And for the same reason, whenever I shoot, I'm very careful to pull the trigger all the way aft, and hold it there. Most guns have trigger-pulls that are heavy enough to keep either of these problems from happening, though.
 
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