Anyone Still Use The Index Finger In Front Of The Trigger Guard

[AzShooter]

I've gone over some old pictures of my shooting and I always had my left hand far enough forward that my index finger wrapped around the front of the trigger guard.  I've been shooting without it that way for the past year and was thinking of going back, retraining myself.

 

Does anyone still shoot this way? If so what are the advantages you see?

 

I'm only shooting rimfire so it's not to help prevent that massive recoil.

[wgj3]

There are some who do, but most who teach would teach you to not. There are some older threads about this if I recall correctly. Maybe Jerry M was mentioned as someone who has had great success with this type of grip...?

 

Oh, and do it too and I like it but I learned it shooting major PF and just use same grip for other games as well. But, I probably ain't the guy you want to learn from either...

Edited November 3, 2020 by wgj3

[NbX]

Eric G do it and obviously it works

[lgh]

I tired "learning" it but couldn't see any difference from my regular grip. It didn't seem productive to go through a long learning curve to re-do my grip when there was no promise it would be an improvement.

Edited November 3, 2020 by lgh

[Blitz29]

I do, my left hand wrist isn't bendy enough to get high enough on the gun without doing it. I will say the gun feels very locked in if my pointer finger is applying backwards pressure without unwanted side to side movement.

[Farmer]

I would do it without even thinking but doing so makes me shoot to the left. It feels solid and comfortable and maybe if I worked on it some I may get it to work. But with thumbs forward and under the trigger guard I shoot straight. 

Edited November 5, 2020 by Farmer
Spelling

[DodgeNerd]

Yong Lee does it.

 

 

[Carbine_Philosophy]

I do it when I shoot left-handed. It helps in that instance, but whenever I shoot with my dominant hand, I just go thumbs forward.

[perttime]

Recoil control would be the main benefit. Right?

With rimfirem that wouldn't be much of a benefit.

 

Pushing the pistol to the side with the finger is the biggest risk. I also shoot revolver, and don't want to learn anything that might trick me into putting my finger out there with a wheelgun.

[AzShooter]

Even after years of training to not do it I found that with my revolver it was just a natural experience.  I haven't done it with the auto yet but I'm thinking of giving it a try. 

 

Recoil is not the reason, just consistency in my grip.  

 

[Chutist]

I'll see your index and raise you a finger! 

 

[IVC]

Interesting grip from Lena, just remember that the more you move your support hand away from the grip, the more you lose the ability to control the torque that pushes the front of the grip forward and up, unless you apply *downward* force somewhere else in front of the grip (the pivot point is the webbing between your thumb and the fingers on the strong hand). 

 

If the top of the gun didn't move, it would be interesting to try to hold it like a PCC, with the support hand forward and thumb over the barrel, but this would be a long and very technical experiment to see whether it works better than the traditional grip. Short of that, any grip or fingers that go forward of the traditional grip have to at least balance the loss of torque control on the grip itself.

 

Seems that it works well for Lena and it's also a great example of how you develop and evaluate new techniques. For most guys it's likely more effective to stick to the traditional grip. 

[IVC]

As for the OP, there are guys who shoot with the finger forward and for various reasons. It is not right or wrong per se, but it is a type of grip that provides a lot of sideways leverage that might not (or might) be desirable. 

 

For me personally, moving fingers forward and off of the grip doesn't work. It's equivalent to two steps: (1) shoot with your index finger on the support hand straightened, and (2) use your support index finger for additional control. 

 

The straightened finger doesn't buy me anything. I don't want to lose support on the front of the grip. The extra control from the index finger is primarily lateral, which is something I would actually like to avoid. Different people have different reasons for using it (or not) and it's clearly something that is personal to every shooter. 

[TheChewycookie]

The reason I use a finger over trigger guard is because of stress within my forearm. I have tried in the past to use the typical grip most people are taught and I just can't get past 75 rounds comfortably and local matches are typically double that or slightly more. I have also tried the Vogel style grip and couldn't nail the grip consistently, much less comfortably. I have been able to get a consistent grip and comfortably shoot for an entire day using finger over trigger guard.

[Malarky112]

I'd say if it works for you, keep doing it.  If you're not currently doing it, there are more cons than pros to switching to it. 

 

[MHicks]

I understand that some top shooters use this technique.  Do any of them actually teach shooters to use the finger on trigger guard in classes?

 

 

[shred]

Last I checked, none of the top shooters that did that (Eric Grauffel, TGO) taught it.  That was a while back.

 

[Boats]

Main sport is silhouette rifle did spend half a dozen years local IDPA matches, mostly revolvers & a little SSP. This forum & Brians book helped me a lot. Always sight in Rifles offhand at match distance on paper painted critters. Box in majority of shots with a framing square draw X through the corners and figure point of impact for sight adjustment from the center of group.

 

Anyhow switching my carry and fun shooting gun from revolver to Beretta 92FS compact. It has the finger grip front of the trigger guard. Have some right hand issues, couple operations, it’s not as strong as it should be . Gripping the gun high right hand heels of hands together, left over, both thumbs forward left index finger grabbing front of the guard pulling back.  Running all the switches , slide release decocker even the mag release left thumb. Not moving the right hand grip it’s anchored.
 

About 750 rounds through the 92 now running groups on the IDPA cardboard target 15 yards. 3 shot Mozambique’s first shot double action next 2 single action. There is a decided left bias to point of impact. 2-3 inches. Ran some more groups left index finger beside the trigger guard no tension at all. Left POI bias goes away. However it’s not as comfortable recoil wise as the left finger pulling the pistol in tighter. Seems to me the heavy double action first shot needs a strong grip.

 

I can live with couple inches left & don’t plan to adjust sights to compensate. I do wonder how  others with the 92 Pistols grip the gun. They are not like anything I have experence with. 
 

Boats 

[Nick_shoots_fast]

I’ve shot a hand gun this way for years even before USPSA. Made GM in limited shooting this way and don’t plan on changing. For me it’s just a comfort thing. 
 

every once and a while I grip the gun how most folks do and it’s really uncomfortable to me. 
 

when I teach people, I show them both ways and have them make up their own mind. If someone tells you 1 is better than the other, kick them as hard as you can in the shin. 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Atlasguy321

[Degnan]

1 hour ago, Atlasguy321 said:

I’ve shot a hand gun this way for years even before USPSA. Made GM in limited shooting this way and don’t plan on changing. For me it’s just a comfort thing. 
 

every once and a while I grip the gun how most folks do and it’s really uncomfortable to me. 
 

when I teach people, I show them both ways and have them make up their own mind. If someone tells you 1 is better than the other, kick them as hard as you can in the shin. 

What if they are an NRA certified instructor?  LOL!

[Steve RA]

Kick higher !!!   

[floater]

Platform dependent, I do with a sig p320, but done with a glock, 1911 or most others. Not 100% sure why , but it feels right on the p320, and I shoot it better that way.

[mikeg1005]

Literally don't waste your time.. shoot the way you do now.

 

I do it because that's how I started shooting pistols, it works equally good as not...  Don't waste your time changing the end result will be the same, work on something else. 

[GunBugBit]

Have to disagree.  I think it's fine to try different things in search of what works best.  I've changed a couple of grip related things in the last five years and am convinced they helped me score better.

[Silver_Surfer]

I shot that way for years but since changed back awhile ago.