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Keeping your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On Target


Steve J

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I voted for when my sights are on the target because that was the closest selection to what I do. In reality I move my finger to the trigger once the gun is parallel to the ground and pointed at the target and then as my arms move toward the target and I acquire the sights I add pressure to the trigger until it goes off just as my arms reach full extension and the sights are on the target. That's the plan anyway but since I have only shot 5 matches in 2.5 years not sure what would happen now.

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I voted for when my sights are on the target because that was the closest selection to what I do. In reality I move my finger to the trigger once the gun is parallel to the ground and pointed at the target and then as my arms move toward the target and I acquire the sights I add pressure to the trigger until it goes off just as my arms reach full extension and the sights are on the target. That's the plan anyway but since I have only shot 5 matches in 2.5 years not sure what would happen now.

thats pretty much it, maybe you need a " as soon as gun is indexed on target." choice. I trained to get muzzle pointed at target as soon as it clears leather, well nowadays kydex, my weak hand is in near my chest (ever seen a self inflicted weak hand gunshot wound ?) Short range targets are engaged at retention, less than say 7-10 yards I am still only at 3/4 extension, I may shoot hole stages and not actually line up the sights.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have noticed that I have a tendency to vary this bad habit, depending on the type of holster...the "serpa" style or any holster with a trigger guard lock, somehow seems to make me get my finger in the danger zone faster....it's a bad habit and I am aware that I am doing it....when I catch myself doing it.....I punish myself by stopping what I am doing and taking a moment to think about what could have happened....when I do squeeze one off before my arms are fully locked in firing position.....I punish myself by packing up and leaving the range....it's a terrible habit and I am trying to break it....I am also doing the same when i am doing reloads....if I catch my finger in the trigger guard....I punish myself....it's just not safe.....what if you were to stumble or trip and apply pressure on the trigger.....no such thing as an AD, only ND.....

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When I shot Glocks I would prep the trigger as soon as I started pointing in on target. I had a couple of AD's when I went to a light trigger, but they both hit targets (one was a no-shoot). When I switched to Open (and a 12 oz trigger), I started keeping my finger off the trigger until the dot was where I needed it to be. That change happened during the dryfire drills before any live firing with the gun. The first couple of sessions had a lot of unintentional "clicks", that would have been AD's had I been loaded.

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I have noticed that I have a tendency to vary this bad habit, depending on the type of holster...the "serpa" style or any holster with a trigger guard lock, somehow seems to make me get my finger in the danger zone faster....it's a bad habit and I am aware that I am doing it....when I catch myself doing it.....I punish myself by stopping what I am doing and taking a moment to think about what could have happened....when I do squeeze one off before my arms are fully locked in firing position.....I punish myself by packing up and leaving the range....it's a terrible habit and I am trying to break it....I am also doing the same when i am doing reloads....if I catch my finger in the trigger guard....I punish myself....it's just not safe.....what if you were to stumble or trip and apply pressure on the trigger.....no such thing as an AD, only ND.....

I know people who have had an AD in the holster and leg with both serpa and non-serpa style holsters due to poor finger discipline and trying to draw and get on target faster than they have the discipline or fine motor skills for.

Yeah, I think your poll choices are a bit off.
I voted for when my sights are on the target because that was the closest selection to what I do. In reality I move my finger to the trigger once the gun is parallel to the ground and pointed at the target and then as my arms move toward the target and I acquire the sights I add pressure to the trigger until it goes off just as my arms reach full extension and the sights are on the target. That's the plan anyway but since I have only shot 5 matches in 2.5 years not sure what would happen now.

thats pretty much it, maybe you need a " as soon as gun is indexed on target." choice. I trained to get muzzle pointed at target as soon as it clears leather, well nowadays kydex, my weak hand is in near my chest (ever seen a self inflicted weak hand gunshot wound ?) Short range targets are engaged at retention, less than say 7-10 yards I am still only at 3/4 extension, I may shoot hole stages and not actually line up the sights.

To me "as soon as the gun is indexed on the target" means the gun is between my eyes and the target. It's indexed, but not aimed. That's pretty close to sights on target. To AD into the target you're about to shoot miliseconds later is quite different than the AD in the ground half way to the target or worse.

I see no need to split hair and argue semantics over the poll choices. The traditional rule of gun safety is finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. Anything less increases risk.

Edited by Steve J
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How bout another poll for the single action guys. I have been practicing with my 1911 (just dryfire) and have noticed that I want to take the safety off on the draw even though I don't have my finger in the triggerguard.

Is this proper technique or should I wait until the gun is pointed at the target to disengage the safety?

I'm used to shooting a DAO in limited and haven't tried singlestack yet but would like to.

Brad

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I know people who have had an AD in the holster and leg with both serpa and non-serpa style holsters due to poor finger discipline and trying to draw and get on target faster than they have the discipline or fine motor skills for.

never even been close to getting my finger in the trigger guard while on leg or holster, but I have noticed that the pressure exerted on the button for the lock, tends to get my finger a bit lower on the trigger guard and not on the sides of the frame (where it should be)....my non-locking holster doesn't lead to this problem, at all....never had an AD/ND (thank god)....I did have a borrowed kimber double feed and fire out of battery during a reload (while qualifying, talk about embarrassed).....i never out pace my skills, but I have caught myself firing before i am in my ideal arm extension....and have def. caught myself with my finger in the trigger guard before full extension....it's a horrible habit, it's why I don't dare reduce my current trigger weight.....not until I can go 10,000 w/o catching myself out of time....thankfully I haven't been thumbing off my safety until i have both hands on the frame and am in the process of extending to my ideal arm position....I shoot with thumb high on a VERY large TS, and I have it set-up so that it is quite stiff (easy-on, hard-off)

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For me, this depends on the pistol/division. Shooting a Beretta in production I prep the trigger ASAP after clearing danger zones. You get real good at just knowing where the break point is. Shooting my Open gun...that's a last (fractional) second press or I'd end up shooting something I wouldn't want to.

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How bout another poll for the single action guys. I have been practicing with my 1911 (just dryfire) and have noticed that I want to take the safety off on the draw even though I don't have my finger in the triggerguard.

Is this proper technique or should I wait until the gun is pointed at the target to disengage the safety?

I'm used to shooting a DAO in limited and haven't tried singlestack yet but would like to.

Brad

I disengage the safety as soon as the gun is horizontal with the muzzle pointed down range, but I don't start to prep the trigger until the sights are on the target. Once they're aligned I can break the shot.

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alright-who's the one??

Someone very honest and just a little scary. I personally know of three ADs in a kydex belt holster and one shortly out of a speed rig just this year. All four resulted in GSWs to the leg.

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Until the gun has cleared the holster, my finger is off of the trigger (longer if it is a turn and draw or other than hands relaxed). As I am coming up on the target, my finger is on the trigger and I remove the take up.

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If I'm shooting double action, I'm already pulling the trigger when the gun is only up 45 degrees / about halfway through the draw.

Single action, safety is off just after the gun clears the holster, finger is inside the trigger guard halfway into the draw, and trigger is prepped (on a hard shot, otherwise I slap) on the press out to the target.

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How bout another poll for the single action guys. I have been practicing with my 1911 (just dryfire) and have noticed that I want to take the safety off on the draw even though I don't have my finger in the triggerguard.

Is this proper technique or should I wait until the gun is pointed at the target to disengage the safety?

I'm used to shooting a DAO in limited and haven't tried singlestack yet but would like to.

Brad

When I first started shooting USPSA several years ago, I would disengage the safety as I was drawing the gun from the holster. I never had an AD, but I thought about what could happen and retrained myself to disengage the safety as my support hand came into contact with my firing hand (my draw sequence is that I put my left hand on my stomach while I draw the gun with my right hand, then my hands meet as the gun is at about a 60 degree angle( 90 degrees being on target), then the safety is disengaged, and the gun is raised and pushed to the target. My finger goes into the triggerguard as the gun is being pushed and gets on the trigger as the gun gets on target). It didn't take me long to break the safety habit. I was also fortunate that my Father (a career Army NCO) instilled (beat) in me early that I could not put my finger on the trigger (or in the triggerguard) until I was ready to take a shot. I did not even realize that this was ingrained in me until I started shooting USPSA and started noticing how so many people have problems keeping their finger out of the triggerguard when they are moving, reloading, etc. Thanks Dad!! :cheers:

Hurley

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If I'm shooting double action, I'm already pulling the trigger when the gun is only up 45 degrees / about halfway through the draw.

Single action, safety is off just after the gun clears the holster, finger is inside the trigger guard halfway into the draw, and trigger is prepped (on a hard shot, otherwise I slap) on the press out to the target.

I hate +1s, but that's it - I couldn't have typed it better. I definitely treat the trigger differently on my 1911 than I do my Glock. I've got myself trained that trigger prep starts on press out and I don't press out until I'm coming on target. Technically, the sights are ON target - they're just not in front of my eyes.

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my draw stinks very much bad as is, butthen again ive not(bangin on wood) launched a round anywhere near any of my body parts, for me, its finger on the trigger AFTER ive rolled my thumb onto and taken off the safety, by thattime the sights are somewhere on or near the target(depending on if i get my index right, dontcha hate that draw to first miss on steel???)

as for that one guy who is runningthe ragged edge??? well, ive seen people taking safeties off while in the holster before the actual draw, and as an RO, im just taking a bigger step back....

I know of a guy who was chasing the IPSC 'holy grail' of the time, the 1 second draw to first shot....he was practicing one day, andgot sloppy, an managed to shoot himself, not once, but twice in the support hand, put a .45 LSW right thru his middle finger and scalloped his ring finger, where do you think he put his finger on the trigger???? hmmmmm???

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After reading the poll choices and the responses, I don't understand the requests for a single action poll. If you are not doing the first or second, I hope you don't even show up around me. I was just watching a tape when Max Michael Jr and Angus Hobdell were talking about preping the trigger after the gun reached a position where the muzzle was level but not yet on target. In Max's case he has lots of take up and in Angus' case it is a real double action.

I don't know the gun type of all the posters but video clips of revo shooters almost look like they are staging the trigger because the hammer is moving during the draw and during transitions.

When I started Production it was with a Beretta and I pushed the envelope trying to get as fast as Glock shooters and yes there were some AD's but they were all in the direction of the target and some were even hits. As bad as those shots were none were close to answer 3.

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  • 1 month later...

If I'm shooting double action, I'm already pulling the trigger when the gun is only up 45 degrees / about halfway through the draw.

Single action, safety is off just after the gun clears the holster, finger is inside the trigger guard halfway into the draw, and trigger is prepped (on a hard shot, otherwise I slap) on the press out to the target.

Same here.

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I literally do not touch the trigger until my sights are on target (unless I am practicing defensive speedrock/retention shooting).

Maybe that's one of the reasons I am slower than other people. Hell, somebody has to bravely represent unsung heroes in the middle of the pack... why not me? :roflol:

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