Yeah, out of the trigger guard! We all know
An instructor recently called my attention to something I'd never considered before. I was first taught to keep my finger along the frame, just over the trigger guard. That way I can't pull the trigger, right? Well, he had me hold my (UNLOADED) gun near my side, with my finger in its usual place. Without warning he got in my face and grabbed my shirt collar, pushing me backwards a bit. Instinctively I stepped back to brace myself and gripped his hand with my free hand (left) hard. And wouldn't you know it, my right hand clenched too...and my finger slipped right down and pulled the trigger.
Well, dang.
I recently found this article describing the same problem, and the experience of a seasoned instructor who'd actually shot himself this way!
http://www.saddleriverrange.com/trigger-finger-positioning-hand-clenches-accidental-discharges/
This instructor's advice, like the article's, was to keep the finger very high and if possible by the ejection port, at least on the draw. That way, a clenched finger won't slip down. I think they're correct.
Where do you keep your fingers?
Practice and training are the antidote for everything I guess, but for now I have two problems:
1. My fingers aren't that long to begin with, and reaching the port without shifting my grip is difficult.
2. Quickly dropping my finger to take the first shot tends to badly yank the gun off target--far worse than a heavy trigger pull might do.
Thoughts? Experience?
An instructor recently called my attention to something I'd never considered before. I was first taught to keep my finger along the frame, just over the trigger guard. That way I can't pull the trigger, right? Well, he had me hold my (UNLOADED) gun near my side, with my finger in its usual place. Without warning he got in my face and grabbed my shirt collar, pushing me backwards a bit. Instinctively I stepped back to brace myself and gripped his hand with my free hand (left) hard. And wouldn't you know it, my right hand clenched too...and my finger slipped right down and pulled the trigger.
Well, dang.
I recently found this article describing the same problem, and the experience of a seasoned instructor who'd actually shot himself this way!
http://www.saddleriverrange.com/trigger-finger-positioning-hand-clenches-accidental-discharges/
This instructor's advice, like the article's, was to keep the finger very high and if possible by the ejection port, at least on the draw. That way, a clenched finger won't slip down. I think they're correct.
Where do you keep your fingers?
Practice and training are the antidote for everything I guess, but for now I have two problems:
1. My fingers aren't that long to begin with, and reaching the port without shifting my grip is difficult.
2. Quickly dropping my finger to take the first shot tends to badly yank the gun off target--far worse than a heavy trigger pull might do.
Thoughts? Experience?