[marklbucla]

What makes a trigger "good" or "bad"? Are people referring to the way it feels and handles, or is there more than that?

[Delmar]

Triggers are rated by a couple of items in the mechanics of how they perform.

Pull weight-You are looking for a reasonable setting, generally that which does not cause you to move the sights off the target, but depends on the action type and the shooting discipline (target shooters may have the pull weight in ounces, but a hunting rifle will be a couple of pounds, a pistol carried for self defense will be around 4 pounds or more).

Creep-a good trigger has none.

Drag-a good trigger has none.

Overtravel-a good trigger has no perceptible overtravel.

Generally, a good trigger allows the shooter to concentrate on the target without having to focus on the trigger pull.

Having said all of this, my first 22 was a second hand Savage autoloader with a gritty, creepy, overly heavy pull, and with practice, I learned how to make it work for me and made some pretty good long range shots in spite of the handicaps.

[Ryder]

If you get all that Delmar stated right a quality trigger should allow you to maintain sight alignment while putting pressure on the trigger and during the hammer drop.

[New_comer]

Good trigger - one that results in a bang! ;)

[10-Ring]

For me a bad trigger is not only heavy & gritty but also mushy and vague. A good trigger is constantly smooth w/ a trigger break that is crisp. Oh, & results in a nice bang! (I liked that one New-comer ;) )

[E357]

Most people will be better shots with a smooth trigger. Long, short, mushy no matter just as long as it's smooth and you can't tell when the gun will go bang.

With experienced shooters, style of shooting and how the gun is held makes a great deal of difference in what people want out of a trigger.

Elliot

[Bren]

A "good" trigger is crisp, clean, consistant, and predictable at the break.

Most newer designs are creepy, mushy, swoopy. :uhoh:

[TheMariner]

A good trigger is the one you forget you're squeezing

[Shmackey]

A good double-action revolver trigger (like the one on my departed N-frame) is very different from a good single-action trigger (revolver, 1911, etc.). Both good, but very different.