DAO trigger pull speed technique

[Gary H.]

Hi guys, I'm a newbie to larger caliber pistol shooting. Have shot a Mark I Ruger since my youth and am familiar with competetion shotgun shooting. My problem comes when I try to shoot the DAO revolvers or even my new M & P Pro 9 while shooting steel plates. For a newbie, I can post some impressive times with a new Mark III and decent times with my STI Sentry in 9mm. When I pick up the M & P though it takes like what seems forever for that 5/8" or 3/4" length of pull for the DAO trigger. Trigger weight is acceptable on it with a clean break when it gets to that point, but getting it to that point is where I have problems. Do the competetion trigger jobs help with this amount of take-up (sorry for the terminology but thats the best I can do). Is there a technique that I just am not getting? With the length of movement in the trigger, when I try to speed up, I'm pulling the POA/POI off. I've been dryfiring for a couple weeks now and it doesn't seem to be helping. I can control it then but when I get on a run of multiple shots in a row is where I have the problems. Any ideas or do I give up on the DAOs?

[twodownzero]

The M&P is not DAO, it's striker fired. The Pro trigger is already pretty light and short. A trigger job can make it better. I suspect if you're having problems shooting the Pro fast, you need to work on your grip and dry fire a lot, because it's among the best stock production triggers available.

[G-ManBart]

Hi guys, I'm a newbie to larger caliber pistol shooting. Have shot a Mark I Ruger since my youth and am familiar with competetion shotgun shooting. My problem comes when I try to shoot the DAO revolvers or even my new M & P Pro 9 while shooting steel plates. For a newbie, I can post some impressive times with a new Mark III and decent times with my STI Sentry in 9mm. When I pick up the M & P though it takes like what seems forever for that 5/8" or 3/4" length of pull for the DAO trigger. Trigger weight is acceptable on it with a clean break when it gets to that point, but getting it to that point is where I have problems. Do the competetion trigger jobs help with this amount of take-up (sorry for the terminology but thats the best I can do). Is there a technique that I just am not getting? With the length of movement in the trigger, when I try to speed up, I'm pulling the POA/POI off. I've been dryfiring for a couple weeks now and it doesn't seem to be helping. I can control it then but when I get on a run of multiple shots in a row is where I have the problems. Any ideas or do I give up on the DAOs?

Yes, a trigger job will help a little...not a huge amount, but enough that I think they're worth it. I've had good luck with the Apex Tactical parts. They didn't have a complete kit when I did mine, but I'm going to add the striker spring and trigger return spring soon...tried a friend's gun with them and it's definitely better. For $95 it's a bargain and the best place to get them is at Speed Shooter's Specialties, a sponsor here.

Aside from equipment tweaks, I get to see a lot of people shoot similar style (Glock) triggers and struggle with making multiple, fast shots. Often these folks seem to have been trained in what we call "the old way"...lol. They fire a shot and try to slowly let the trigger out to exactly the reset point so that they hear the "click" of the sear. That works wonderfully for bullseye, but poorly when shooting at speed. Take a set example of someone shooting .25 splits. If you have a quarter of a second, do you want to spend most or much of that time resetting the trigger, or properly pressing it for the next shot? Putting the best shooters in the world on a machine that measures and graphs this, they all get off the trigger FAST. Some have their finger leave the surface of the trigger, some don't, but they all let it reset very quickly and get back to pressing for the next shot. Curiously, nobody....I mean nobody, after literally thousands of people trying, can go from shot break, to exactly at or near the reset point with any sort of consistency if they're shooting at anything like a fast pace (half second split or faster say). Somebody will swear they can do it, they try, and the machine shows they're off by a huge amount each time.

When the shot breaks, get the trigger reset as quickly as possible, start your next press, never stop the movement to the rear and ease off the pressure to let the sights settle as much as necessary. Treat the trigger like a car's accelerator. The harder the shot, the more you want to be easing off the throttle....it will allow the sights to settle more precisely.

Dry fire on small targets a couple of times a week for 15min a time and the problem will go away. I went so far as to make small round circles, colored them black and hung them on the wall like a little plate rack....sure, you only get one real trigger press, but it's still good practice. R,

[G-ManBart]

The M&P is not DAO, it's striker fired. The Pro trigger is already pretty light and short. A trigger job can make it better. I suspect if you're having problems shooting the Pro fast, you need to work on your grip and dry fire a lot, because it's among the best stock production triggers available.

You'd better send a note to Smith & Wesson. They call it DAO....well, mostly because it IS DAO. Pressing the trigger pulls the striker back a bit, then releases it...hence the "double" in double action. R,

[Gary H.]

twodownzero, I know the trigger is good for a DAO gun but compare it to a good shotgun, 1911, even a Ruger Mark series 22 cal. that has a little attention, and that is what I'm talking about. If I had a trigger on a shotgun or rifle like that, LOL, life would be different!

Thanks G-man, there has to be something. Guys like Jerry Miculek that shoot with 10+ trigger pulls and still operate with speed on those type triggers have to have something going on. I just have never tried to figure it out before. I wouldn't worry about it now, but dad gum it, I like this little M & P a lot!