Pulling the trigger straight back . . .

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Yup, not sure how I missed that, you said it plain as day.
Why wait until you hit that point? Get every fraction of a second you can at every level, even the non-competing level. Especially if it isn't going to cost you anything and I don't see how switching to that method will cost anywhere else.
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If it costs nothing, that would make perfect sense. I'm still sort of wrestling with conflicting information and experience and trying to make sense of the apparent contradictions.

So on the one hand I see people like Rob Leatham shooting light & short trigger guns using a trigger slap approach and getting very good results. But then just yesterday I watched footage of Rob shooting in a revolver match and he was clearly keeping his finger in contact with the trigger the whole time--as were the other top competitors.

I watch Jerry Miculek talking about how he tries to never lose contact with the trigger and watch his videos which show that is how he actually shoots. Another guy who seems to know a thing or two about DA style (longer, heavier pull) triggers.

So I try to put that together and what I get is that the trigger slap technique seems to work well with light and short triggers, but that even the guys who do seem to use it for light and short triggers go back to some sort of a trigger reset technique when shooting DA style triggers.

So input from someone who claims to be able to shoot a trigger slap technique on a DA style trigger is interesting. The first thing to figure out is what kind of speed is possible with a DA style trigger using this technique without sacrificing accuracy.
 
True, a short light reset trigger on a 1911 has an advantage for static shooting, like Bullseye, but action pistol is quite different, as are revolvers. When I used to shoot ICORE with S&W 625", not the JM model, you never do really let off the trigger. But for DA semi autos that's how we run. Bob Vogel has been kicking everyone's ass running Glocks, and he started with an STI. It's all about a flash sight picture and trigger prep. However, for pure speed, the wheel gun is faster because you control the speed, not the gun.

The Vogel sayeth

For me the trigger on a Glock is actually a plus. With the double action type trigger it allows for more of a “surprise break” type shot. This has allowed me to shoot more aggressively and has made trigger freeze less of an issue. I will admit that before switching to Glocks I had to set aside a number of preconceived notions that I had about them. This was easily done by concentrating on the only thing that really mattered to me: The results.
 
JohnKSa said:
So on the one hand I see people like Rob Leatham shooting light & short trigger guns using a trigger slap approach and getting very good results. But then just yesterday I watched footage of Rob shooting in a revolver match and he was clearly keeping his finger in contact with the trigger the whole time--as were the other top competitors.

I watch Jerry Miculek talking about how he tries to never lose contact with the trigger and watch his videos which show that is how he actually shoots. Another guy who seems to know a thing or two about DA style (longer, heavier pull) triggers.
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AFAIK, "slapping" doesn't necessarily mean the finger physically comes off the trigger - just that the trigger's allowed to come fully forward on the return.

DA revos are a bit different. The DA sear doesn't re-engage until the trigger's 99% forward. DA shooters technically "slap" by allowing the trigger on it's own to fully re-set (even when their finger's still in contact with the trigger), as opposed to letting the trigger push your finger forward. The latter's a bad habit and will bite you eventually with a short-stroke (the cylinder turns, but the hammer doesn't lift) or a binding of the action (the hand pushes the cylinder, but the trigger hasn't even come forward far enough to re-engage the stop bolt).

JM's a special case - he's been credited with claiming he runs a stronger rebound spring because he otherwise outruns a stock spring. This, IMO, is likely a little brand marketing nonsense, though. Ed McGivern, using a pretty stock revolver, has the record for 5 shots, and JM's never beaten that record, which means a stock trigger returns faster than JM's finger. I strongly suspect the reason JM uses a strong rebound spring is he does let the trigger push his finger fully forward, and a stronger rebound spring gets around the short-stroke. He's got power a'plenty in that trigger finger of his, so he gets away with it, and it obviously works for him. He does a number of things differently than many other really excellent revo shooters.
 
AFAIK, "slapping" doesn't necessarily mean the finger physically comes off the trigger - just that the trigger's allowed to come fully forward on the return.
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Leatham does actually advocate bringing the finger all the way off the trigger, at least on guns with light, short triggers. The video 9x45 linked to earlier shows him using that technique.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/tactics-training/a-sweeping-trigger-technique/

Jarrett and Leatham use a “sweeping” trigger finger motion—literally lifting their finger fully off the trigger between shots. As Leatham explained to me after quickly downing five steel plates, “Everyone slaps the trigger at close range, but it’s the best way to do the long range shooting, too.”​


The DA <revolver> sear doesn't re-engage until the trigger's 99% forward.
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I understand that. A finger off the trigger approach would certainly work with that kind of trigger--but you don't see it being done by people who know what they're doing.

I'm not arguing against the slap technique in the context I see the experts advocate it--experts shooting guns with light, short triggers.
 
John, what gun do you run in USPSA? There is a slight difference in technique between a Glock, CZ, M&P, Xd's and 1911's.
 
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