Who shoots all different trigger types?

[Jim PHL]

I recently acquired a 3913. I love this new (to me) gun but...

My experience with autos started with a "wondernine" (Taurus PT99) in the early 80's. I went through a few DAO pocket autos and a Kahr before "settling-in" with 1911's about 6 years ago. (I've got a gov't model for the range and carry a Springfield "Micro".)
I was really surprised by HOW different the TDA's long, heavy DA and "creep" before SA ignition threw me off. It just seemed more pronounced than I expected. I had handled and shot 908's and 3913's years ago and always knew I wanted one, but have really shot nothing but single action since "discovering" the 1911.

I have only shot the 3913 once and really enjoyed the feel of the pistol and the 9mm round, but I am concerned that shooting a lot with one format may affect my shooting on the other. (Not that I am "surgical" with either!)

Has anyone come up with any tips or tricks to help master both formats? Has anyone decided to just stick with one or the other? (Ie: ONLY TDA's or ONLY SA or ONLY ...(I don't know...what are we calling the Glock/M+P/XD trigger systems?) ?

For those who use other forums besides this one, pardon my redundancy(sp?) but I've posted this elsewhere to get the most responses.

 

[JDGray]

I own and shoot them all Nothing wrong with mixing it up. Just be sure if you carry one, get really good with that platform. It takes me less then a mag full of ammo, to adjust to another trigger type.

 

[yhtomit]

I have no DAO pistols. I would not turn one down as a gift, by any means, but when I've rented them, I find DAO ("true" DAO, vs. ones more like the Glock / XD trigger) triggers just give more strain / less pleasure. On DA/SA, I don't really mind that the first shot in a mag can (optionally) be fired DA, but I find that my wobble increases with each round shot down the mag.

Is that because the noise of gunfire, even muffled, is disorienting? Because there's less lead in the butt of the gun to counterbalance the muzzle? Because my finger feels instantly worn out? I dunno. I suspect that last factor cominates, though, because I perceive this to be far more of a problem with DAO pistols than with DA/SA.

Don't get me wrong -- I've fired DAO guns and some of them are very nice, and not *that* much different, but that's why I am not esp. enamored of them, given that there are many other options. The world is full of exceptions, though -- when I finally get a good gun for CCW carry, it might well be DAO, because 1) some of the smallest good-reputation guns are DAO and 2) justified or not, there is some argument at least that DAO may be more jury friendly in the event that a CCW is ever actually used. I am NOT putting a lot of credence in that argument, though, only the slightest touch of influence.

Cheers,

timothy

 

[Moonclip]

Own and shoot them all, sa in a 1911 pattern can be wonderful, dao in like a Ruger or an AMT is terrible. I like the dao pattern only really in small pocket pistols. I do think da/sa is the hardest to master.

I think many casual shooters don't even realize this as when they go to the range all shots are fired sa. All my DAO shooting though has been with guns with horrible triggers, maybe if I try a Sig Sauer DAK trigger or a Para Ordnance LDA my pinion might change.

 

[Mad Magyar]

Has anyone come up with any tips or tricks to help master both formats?

I try to condition my mind about the "smoothe trigger pull" from 1st to subsequent shots. The variance in DA pulls sometimes reverts me back to the jerky trigger syndrome on some pistols. Not good...
I found "fast-action" to be almost too good. For now, I have a preference for decocker autos.

 

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's All

I show a variety of trigger styles; from the DA/SA SIG P220A, striker fired
Springfield XD, DA and SA revolvers, too the SA 1911's. I find that there
is not a huge problem, when adjusting from one to the other~!

 

[XDKingslayer]

Has anyone come up with any tips or tricks to help master both formats?

Honestly, stop caring about it. I have everything from a Rossi 2" .357 revolver with the sweetest trigger in the world, down to a Taurus Mil-Pro .380 that has hands down the worst trigger I've ever felt. I simply don't care. I don't let it effect me. Seperate it from your mind. Concentrate on sight alignment and placement. Make that the forefront of your mind and you'll never notice the trigger.

 

[JohnBT]

"Has anyone come up with any tips or tricks to help master both formats?"

Practice.

I always compare it to growing up driving different cars. Some were auto, some had 3 speeds on the column, some had 4 on the floor, some had 5. One had pushbuttons, but that was really just an auto trans. Then there were the tractors, trucks and other equipment. How did I learn to drive them all? Practice until it became second nature.

John

 

[jfh]

JohnBT has it right: PRACTICE.

I've been primarily a 1911 shooter for many years. However, when I got my carry permit last year, I elected to go with a DAO j-frame (M&P 340).

In the past nine-ten months I've shot about 7500 rounds DAO--and I find I am completely comfortable with that trigger control now, in any one of four j-frames.

However, I can pick up one of my 1911s and, with about one magazine (8 rounds) go into the mindset--and muscle memory--that goes with that firearm.

Practice a lot; you can learn both and gain the long term benefits for the fine motor skills for shooting both.

Jim H.

 

[Rexster]

I think it can be a really good idea for your "go to" weapons to work in a similar manner. Another thought is that, if your weapons work in different ways, make sure they are different enough that the difference is obvious at first touch. For example, the big fat rounded grip of a sixgun paired with the much differently-shaped and checkered grip of a 1911. That was my operative strategy from 1997 to 2002, when I carried a 1911 all the time, duty and CCW, and revolvers some of the time as back-ups. OTOH, I seem to be doing OK lately carrying SIG P229s with both the DAK and TDA trigger systems. The much heavier first pull of the TDA tells me the next shot will be SA, and the DA pull of both systems is close enough not to throw me off on the first pull. And, the 1911 feels so different from the SIGs that there is no confusing them, though presently my last remaining 1911 is an item of recreational equipment, not for fighting.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I own and shoot single-actions, DA/SA and various forms of DAO. Some better than others, of course.

With DA/SA, if you learn to shoot with the first DA pull, the subsequent SA pulls, learn to transition between the two, and master it, all other action types become easier if you switch to them. A negative is that it is possible to forget what type of action and control locations you are shooting.

How the gun fits your hand is very important, too. If it is too large or small for your hand and/or the trigger pulls are too long and heavy, the gun will shift around in your hands under recoil and you have to reindex your grip and reacquire your sight picture with every shot.

 

[kennedy]

I shoot a DAO smith and a SAO witness target pistol, both in .40. I learned to shoot both thru a lot of practice. The DAO taught me the importance of trigger control, and concentration. lots of concentration. It carried over will in learning how to shot the SAO for accuracy

 

[SAWBONES]

The more "trigger types" and examples you shoot, the more you'll appreciate any good, short "always the same for every shot" trigger like that of the 1911, with the HK P7M8 and Glock-style triggers next.

 

[10-Ring]

I've striker fired w/ my P7M8 & Glock 19, I have DA/SA w/ my 92fs', my USP 45, I have DAO w/ a DAO USPc 9, I have SA w/ my 1911s & BHP -- and somehow, all my guns are faves

 

[MachIVshooter]

I always compare it to growing up driving different cars. Some were auto, some had 3 speeds on the column, some had 4 on the floor, some had 5. One had pushbuttons, but that was really just an auto trans. Then there were the tractors, trucks and other equipment. How did I learn to drive them all? Practice until it became second nature.

Exactly.

 

[JERRY]

3953 long DAO

Glock 17 short DAO

642-1 traditional DAO

RIA S/A

just know what you have in your hand...