In the past, did everyone finger triggers and sweep?

[Frankly]

I always cringe when watching Westerns and older cop shows at how they handle their guns... they'll pick up a gun and automatically put their finger on the trigger. Sweeping people is commonplace, especially with shoulder holsters. And when John Wayne twirls his Winchester....

 

I notice my 80-year old veteran Dad tends to do this to... and while he was never a master he grew up with guns on the farm. Yet I pretty much remind him every time to stick his finger out and keep it downrange. He's better but I think he was trained or grew up with his finger ready to go. 

 

Was this taught? After all I've never seen a War movie or documentary where the guys have their trigger finger extended... to me that didn't seem to come on until the 90s. 

 

Granted my Dad complains about "hair triggers" and I bet he finds anything under 6 lbs to be too light. For now I keep a careful eye on him, he still practices good common sense and won't grasp the gun until he's in position and ready to go but I suspect that if I didn't harp on him he'd still pick up a revolver and keep his finger on the trigger out of habit. 

 

What do you think? When did the extended digit become taught? Do other older Boomers/Greatest Generation shooters tend to do this or is the old man an outlier? 

[Hi-Power Jack]

I've been shooting for 65 years, and never thought of it as an "issue" 

until about ten years ago, or so.    

[TonytheTiger]

I'm sure things I did 5 years ago would scare the hell out of me now. Now everyone I see thats not a competitive shooter gives me a heart attack when they handle guns.

[Frankly]

Ha yeah I'm fairly new and would love to erase the first couple years.... now I know what I don't know. 

Edited November 30, 2017 by Frankly

[perttime]

Maybe it was Jeff Cooper and that bunch that started thinking about the four rules?

 

It seems that it is  the action shooting sports people and the law enforcement who mainly follow the four rules.

[RangerTrace]

As a 25+ year cop, I can tell you that USPSA/IDPA shooters are safer than 99% of the cops out there.  Not that cops are bad, but all of our rules make us be safer.

[EEH]

1 hour ago, RangerTrace said:

As a 25+ year cop, I can tell you that USPSA/IDPA shooters are safer than 99% of the cops out there.  Not that cops are bad, but all of our rules make us be safer.

Well with that many years,,you should be about ready to hang up your spurs!

[RileyLV]

In the early days of Steel Challenge many wore cross draw holsters so there was some sweeping going on.

[RangerTrace]

43 minutes ago, EEH said:

Well with that many years,,you should be about ready to hang up your spurs!

Yes, I'm ready.  But with a 4 year old to raise and put through college, I've got a bunch to go!!

[HRider]

I don't think people were taught to have their finger on the trigger all of the time. My dad taught me from childhood to keep my finger out of the trigger guard until I was lined up on a target and ready to shoot. He taught me about muzzle control also. He grew up hunting and enlisted in the Army  in 1953, he rolled over into the National Guard and stayed there until he retired. I always thought his teaching came from his military service.  

When I started shooting competition, I received many complements on my gun handling. I did not realize at the time that so many people were not raised like I was and had habits of putting their finger on the trigger the instant they picked up a gun.

 

When I was in elementary school in the early '70s, I can remember our county extension agent coming to my school with his shotgun and having a gun safety class for our 4H club. He also showed us how to clean a shotgun. My, how times have changed, he would probably be arrested for doing that now.

Hurley