Slow trigger finger solutions

[Sarge]

For whatever reason I can not get my trigger finger up to speed. I'm wondering if a longer trigger would help. I am going to by a new SV trigger and am thinking of jumping up to a long flat from a medium flat.

Thoughts?

[sfinney]

How fast are your transitions?

[Sarge]

6 minutes ago, sfinney said:

How fast are your transitions?

I'm talking stand and shoot speed on classifiers etc. 2011 open gun. 2 shot Splits etc are fine but I am drastically slower than the competiton on 5 shot strings etc.

[zzt]

Build up the front of your existing trigger and try it.  FWIW, longer is slower for me, because I don't always let it reset.

[sfinney]

Trying to wrap my mind around how your 2 shot splits are fine but 5 shot splits are slow....  mindset? Are your 2 shot splits "doubles" instead of aimed shots? Maybe shooting 5 aimed shots makes you see your sights and "see", but on 2 shots your blasting? 

 

Having said that, the correct trigger length can help with trigger control.... my hand size always settled on medium stock length triggers in S_Is. I did like flat or BE top curve ones though.

 

I think maybe heading to a dirt berm, not aiming at anything specific other than dirt and just practicing how fast you can cycle the gun for several shots at a time may be a good exercise to try. After you get the trigger finger speed up, start adding in a target and keep that feeling going.

[CHA-LEE]

Try increasing the trigger return spring tension. I have found that I need some positive trigger return spring tension to push my finger back to the reset point in order to shoot fast while minimizing trigger freeze.

[Sarge]

7 minutes ago, CHA-LEE said:

Try increasing the trigger return spring tension. I have found that I need some positive trigger return spring tension to push my finger back to the reset point in order to shoot fast while minimizing trigger freeze.

Possibly. While I have you what are your thoughts on trigger length as a possible cure. I understand the potential pitfalls of the wrong length but wonder now if a shorter trigger would be better than long for sheer speed of finger movement

[CHA-LEE]

The depth of the trigger should be set to eliminate Left/Right movement of the front sight/dot when you intentionally mash the trigger hard. If the depth of the trigger is set properly the front sight/dot should move straight down when you mash the trigger hard.

 

For a right handed shooter, if the trigger is too long then the front sight/dot will move right when you mash. If it’s too short then it will move Left when you mash. The sight/dot movement is opposite for left handed shooters.

 

The dept of the trigger also changes how much leverage/strength your finger has while pulling it rearward. The more your finger is curled inward, the more leverage and strength it has. This needs to be accounted for when setting the proper trigger return spring tension. 

 

Too many people get hung up on having a really light trigger pull. There are a lot of 1911/2011 guns out there with sub 2lb triggers simply because that feels nice verses it actually being better. I will take a clean breaking 4lb trigger pull over a sub 2lb trigger any day if I have to pick up a random gun and run it like a rental. 

 

Not too many people put in the effort to tune the trigger depth and return spring tension that matches what THEY need to optimize the biomechanics of how their finger touches and pulls the trigger. 

 

For me a 2011 with a PT Standard Grip, medium flat SV trigger insert, and a 2lb 4oz pull with most of that weight on the trigger return spring is the optimal setup. What works for me may or may not work for you. The major take away from this is that I did a crap ton of trigger depth and weight testing before I settled on that setup. 

 

I also do my own trigger jobs from the ground up because I know exactly what I need and can replicate the setup whenever needed (rebuilds, repairs, new guns, etc). The trigger function is far too important to let a gunsmith randomly set it up however they feel like that day. I also don’t want to be held hostage to some gunsmiths “magical trigger job”. Setting up reliable, and safe trigger jobs isn’t rocket science. Sure you need to invest in some tools and training to do it properly but it’s well worth the investment. 

[CHA-LEE]

A good test that I like to do when setting up the trigger return spring tension is this. Pull the trigger back and hold it back with moderate pressure. Rack the slide so the hammer is cocked and the trigger is in a Disconnected state. Then simply relax your trigger finger. There should be enough trigger return spring tension to push your finger back so the trigger moves forward to the Reset position. This test also assumes that the trigger depth is correct as the depth changes how much leverage your finger has against the trigger.

 

If my finger doesn’t get pushed back to the reset point when I simply relax it during this test, I add more trigger return spring tension until it does. For whatever reason when this test is optimized for ME it results in a 2lb 4oz trigger pull. What overall trigger pull weight you end up with could be totally different. The total trigger pull weight really doesn’t matter if it can pass this test. At least not to me.

[IHAVEGAS]

Besides Cha-lee's expert advice, fatigue can be an issue. If you are pleasuring yourself the morning before a big match then backing off on that might be worth a try. 

[Hi-Power Jack]

52 minutes ago, IHAVEGAS said:

  If you are pleasuring yourself  before a big match, backing off is worth a try. 

 

 

[Sarge]

3 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

 

Some things I’m just not willing to give up, no matter what!?