[briney11]

Out of the 5 handguns that I have owned (no longer have Ruger P9, and Taurus Pt111) (still have Bersa Thunder .380, Ruger 94 22lr, and S&W SW40GVE) I have only been inaccuate with two. And it seems that the 2 that I have the most problems with hitting the target are the 2 with the worst triggers. (the Pt111 and the S&W) Is the trigger the source of my problems or is it just a bad gun??? If it is the trigger is there nything i can do about it?

[fletcher]

If it's stiff enough that you have to squeeze very hard (causing your hand to shake), then yes. Try holding with more force from your support hand and give them another try - watch for shaking.

[RobMoore]

When you say stiff, do you mean a heavy pull (12 lbs?), or do you mean old and rusty?

[TimboKhan]

In general terms a stiff trigger can effect your accuracy as it can cause tremors in the hand from the effort of having to squeeze the trigger. That being said, it depends on how stiff it actually is. I find that I actually shoot better with a heavier trigger as long as it breaks cleanly.

[spankaveli]

Most definitely

[parisite]

Absolutely! That's why competition target pistols have light, almost hairlike triggers. The triggerfinger is all that needs to move. Not tensing up the whole hand to pull the trigger.

[elkhuntingfool]

My dad has a S&W Airweight .38 and the trigger is stiff. I watched him squeeze pretty hard and flinch when it didn't fire off when he tought it would and he missed the target. He doesn't have any problems with his other handguns. Not sure if it's a long trigger pull or just a very stiff trigger. I didn't have problems shooting it - but I did see what he did before I shot it.

[Anna's Dad]

I tend to shoot low with a heavy trigger as the muzzle tips forward.

I've read posts where people actually complained of shaking due to the amount of force necessary to pull the trigger--I've never experienced a trigger quite that bad!

[10X]

A stiff, creepy, jerky or gritty trigger can make the shooter be inconsistent and therefore cause inaccuracy on a target. A light (target) to moderate (combat) weight, clean breaking trigger is one of the most important features on a handgun.

[Geno]

Courseness, creep, and over-travel are all detrimental.

[Wedge]

Yes.

[Double Naught Spy]

No, a stiff trigger does not cause inaccuracy. The gun has the same level of accuracy regardless of the trigger when fired from a properly supported position.

HOWEVER, the stiff trigger can result in inexact handling that results in poor marksmanship.

Accuracy is what the gun can do. Marksmanship is what the shooter can do. An unskilled shooter can shoot a heavy trigger accurate gun very poorly compared to a skilled shooter who is familiar with such heavy triggers, using the very same gun.

Similarly, short sight radius does not cause inaccuracy in a gun. The accuracy is the same regardless of the sight radius length. People typically do not shoot short sight radius guns as accurately as long sight radius guns, but that is a problem of the shooter not being able to deal with the sight radius, not the gun's accuracy.

A stiff trigger may make it hard to shoot well, no doubt.

[Clipper]

Agree. Shooting poorly with a heavy trigger is the shooter, not the gun. But if you concentrate on your grip, a comfortable stance and work on maintaining a steady aim in spite of this trigger adversity, you will see your abilities improve all acoss the board. The first time I shot my DAO PT-145, I was doing 6" groups at 60 yards. I have never replaced a trigger, and have been working with whatever I'm provided with for 40 years, so when a guy handed me a S&W .41 mag with a hair trigger he didn't tell me about, I may have fired just laying my finger on the trigger, but the 1/2 gallon milk jug I was shooting at @ 60 yards still jumped, because the stance & sight picture were the important part, not the trigger. The more you work with the heavy triggers, the better your shooting in general will get.

[wolfgangsp]

The PT-111 has a loooong trigger, too much take up, which can cause you to pull a bit and you end up low and left of your target. I still like mine, so I adjust my aim a bit high and right to compensate. I have tried more finger, less finger, different gripping, nothing worked for me but adjusting aim. I point shoot with it now and at 7-10 yds it's more accurate for me than using the sites.