Double Action Trigger Only: To "Stage" or Not??

Status
Not open for further replies.
Redcoat3340

Redcoat3340

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2015
Messages
382
Location
Western Washington/Seattle area
Just picked up a Sig 250 with both a 9mm and .22LR slide. It's my second time around for one of these. Had one a couple of years ago and was shooting my DA/SA pistols better so it went away. I decided I'd try one again. (Note: I have some DA/SA revolvers as well.)

So I did a bit more "research" on the 250 and found a leading You-Tubber (Nutnfancy?) propounding of the virtues of shooting this pistol by "staging" the trigger -- doing almost all the take up 'till just before it goes BANG, pausing, then doing the half-breath, getting serious about sight picture and squeezing off the rest of the trigger. Says it will dramatically improve accuracy. (I've not been to the range yet to give this a try out.)

I learned many years ago, and have always shot my DA/SA revolvers, with a correct sight picture and then constant squeeze till it goes off. Not "staging." And my revolvers (S&Ws and 2 Colts) are smooth enough for that to work. And on my DA/SA pistols, the first shot is a "regular" DA, no staging.

0515191421 (2).jpg

So here's my question: Wadda ya think about staging? Anyone tried it with a Sig 250 (or anything else)? Pro's and cons? I'll be giving it a try on my next range trip. And the 250's trigger is really smooth and I'd like to shoot it a bunch more to smooth it out some (it was barely shot when I got it).
 
Meh. Whatever works on the range, I say.

So long as you aren't planning on taking that training "to the field", as it were, with respect to a potential self-defense tactic

When you commit yourself to using your firearm in self-defense, I don't think that you'll either have the time or the nerves to put this kind of shooting into reliable practice. If you DO have the time to do so, this indicates to me that you're actually committing to pulling the trigger when you really have no business pulling the trigger...which is a recipe for disaster.

On the range, shooting at paper targets? Sure. Perhaps as a controlled shooting tactic to ensure your firearm is shooting accurately. Kind of like slow-fire.

And I can see where it would give a person a really good idea of when and where the trigger will "break". That's always a good thing to know.

But when carrying the weapon for self-defense? Nope. Not a good idea at all in my opinion.
 
Staging a double action trigger seems to be a trend with some shooters.

The last few my gunsmith has done on S&W revolvers were staged as requested by customers. This gunsmith is a former pistol champion and he sees the benefit for some shooters. I’ve tried several he has done for staging, one being a S&W 329 that was pretty crappy from the factory, but he got it less than 8 pounds with a nice crisp break at the stage point.

He’s doing a S&W model 25 for me now with NO staging, just a nice consistent smooth double action pull less than 8 pounds. It’s probably a preference thing, what you’re used to. In actual field shooting, I believe a smooth pull will yield the most consistent double action results.

For your Sig 250? Depends on your end goal and how the gun shoots. Reducing 10 shot group size in half by staging? Maybe worth it.

But just like a baseball swing will mess up a golf swing and not the other way around, the Sig 250 staged trigger is going to affect your other double action shooting, IMO.
 
Last edited:
RetiredUSNChief has it dead on! I have tried doing the staging thing with pistols with a D/A only trigger. In playing with them I found I could quickly get better accuracy but, I make a point to not practice like that. Reason being if I need one to save my bacon I will not have time to do that. It will almost always be a point and shoot. So I practice point and shoot, fast as I can to get that first shot on paper. I would not want to spend a lot of time practicing something I am not going to use if the need ever comes up since you do not want to teach yourself to do something a different way than you will use if needed. Practice the same way you will shoot if it's not paper you are shooting.
 
Staging is popular with those who don’t manage DA triggers well, but it has been proven the inferior technique time and time again.

It’s not surprising to hear that nutnfancy would be one to extol the virtues of inferior DA trigger technique.
 
I have staged DA triggers before and some guns - particularly those with exceedingly heavy triggers - it helps improve my groups somewhat. I agree with the others that it is a bad practice for anything other than a range gun.

On the P250 there is little need to stage the trigger in any way. Mine at least is one of the finest (smoothest) DA triggers I have ever had the pleasure of pulling.
 
"Back in the day" it was common for competition shooters to stage DA revolver triggers in certain situations. I competed mostly in NRA Action events - Bianchi Cup stuff - and many shooters of my acquaintance staged the trigger for the 50 yard "precision" stage. I did it myself on my DAO race gun, even though it had one of the best triggers I've ever used.
 
Not sure if what I do would be considered staging or not. I shoot a lot of double action revolver in USPSA and as the target range gets further out my trigger sweep slows down and become more deliberate. At 50+ yards I might actually be staging the trigger (ie bring my trigger sweep to a stop momentarily right before the trigger breaks) on small targets, sometimes, if I don't like my sight picture when I know the trigger is about to break, but at closer ranges I am sweeping the trigger and the closer and/or larger that target is the faster that sweep is likely to be.

Try it both ways. Conventional wisdom is to not stage but sometime breaking with conventional thinking does work and it worth trying both way if nothing else to prove to yourself which works better for you.
 
Last edited:
mcb said:
Not sure if what I do would be considered staging or not. I shoot a lot of double action revolver in USPSA and as the target range gets further out my trigger sweep slows down and become more deliberate. At 50+ yards I might actually be staging the trigger (ie bring my trigger sweep to a stop momentarily right before the trigger breaks) on a small target sometime if I don't like my sight picture when I know the trigger is about to break, but at closer ranges I am sweeping the trigger and the closer and/or larger that target is the faster that sweep is likely to be.

Try it both ways. Conventional wisdom is to not stage but sometime breaking with conventional thinking does work and it worth trying both way if nothing else to prove to yourself which works better for you.
Click to expand...
The way I shoot is a lot like you. The "stroke" has a timing, that varies, especially with distance and urgency, but I still dont "stop" or stage, I still stroke on through to firing. I just might be doing it slowly vs quickly.
 
Does the hammer on your "DA/SA" revolver cock itself after the first shot is fired in D/A mode?

Chances are the trigger mechanism is "D/A".

"DA/SA" describes the MODE in which a D/A TRIGGER on a semiautomatic pistol transitions from D/A mode on the first shot to S/A mode after the slide automatically cocks the hammer.
 
Redcoat3340 said:
So here's my question: Wadda ya think about staging? Anyone tried it with a Sig 250 (or anything else)? Pro's and cons?
Click to expand...
I've shot the SIG 250...ass well as the SIG 229 with a DAK trigger... and never felt the need to stage the trigger when shooting for accuracy. I might vary the speed at which I stroke the trigger depending on the distance I'm shooting, but the stroke of the trigger from beginning to end is constant.

The largest "Con" of staging the trigger of a DA pistol is the temptation to slap the trigger as the sights are "perfectly aligned". You are much less inclined to slap the trigger if you stay in the process of seeing the aligned sights and smoothly stroking the trigger through it's complete travel
 
Staging the trigger leaves too much room for error IMO. Maybe you can stage it perfectly 99 times, but then that 1 time you don't. Best just to focus on a smooth, consistent trigger pull. With practice you'll be able to shrink your groups to not much larger than you could do with a single action trigger.
 
What's the whole purpose of even having a two-stage trigger if you're not supposed to stage it if you want? Do what works for you and who gives a rip what YouTube experts say. If you need the gun to go band RIGHT NOW then pull all the way through. If you can wait for the perfect moment, then pull through to the wall and wait for that moment. Option #2 is harder to execute with a single stage trigger, if the trigger is so light the gun goes bang if you inadvertantly twitch, but it all depends on the shooter and what he's used to. Most of my rifles have two-stage triggers so that's what I'm used to, and therefore what I prefer. I'll just try to not twitch if I get one of those single-stage two pound triggers.
 
I do it both ways with my P250. "Staging" it is easier, but the method only translates to the P250 only.

Staging the 250 won't let you shoot your revolver better.

I use the 250 as a training pistol, so again, I use it both ways. The basic fundamentals are still the same as far as sight picture and holding steady and smooth.
 
Practicing for self-defense? It might be a tool to have in the toolbox for rare occasions, but I would want most of my practice done using a technique more conducive to a typical self-defense shooting. I just don't see myself pulling the trigger almost to break, pausing, taking a half breath, and then pulling the rest of the way when faced by an armed opponent who is actively trying to take my life.

Practicing for a gun game? Unless a long DA trigger is mandated, I would think that choosing a gun more tailored for the sport might be a better option.

Just having fun at the range? Knock yourself out. I mean, some people juggle geese. :D
 
Redcoat3340 said:
So here's my question: Wadda ya think about staging? Anyone tried it with a Sig 250 (or anything else)? Pro's and cons? I'll be giving it a try on my next range trip. And the 250's trigger is really smooth and I'd like to shoot it a bunch more to smooth it out some (it was barely shot when I got it).
Click to expand...

I have a H&K P30SK DA/SA that I can stage relatively easy and be fairly accurate with it too.i learned the staging process from carrying a short barrel LCR357 for many years.
 
RevolvingGarbage said:
Getting good at pulling a double action trigger in one continuous press and understanding what’s happening to your point of aim/impact as you do so is the entire trick to good shooting. Training yourself to “stage” the trigger accomplishes very little, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Pretty much all I shoot is DAO. Can't even remember the last time I staged a trigger. Never saw any use to it. Always shooting fast action. However so many times after a training session, I will take the 380 or Snubbie and just sit back, and shoot at Shotgun shards at the 50 yd bern. It is relaxing and fun. But even then do not stage the trigger. Yes, I will take the time to aim, but the trigger pull is the same. Deliberate and smooth all the way through.
 
I had a 250 years ago, and staging the trigger wasn't that helpful. Its pretty light for a DAO and very smooth.

I think it just depends on the gun too. My smoothest DA shooting revolver is my cheap Charter Arms Undercover. While my 686+ has a better trigger (certainly in SA for obvious reasons), the UC just rolls, stacks, and breaks better than one would think for a sub $300 gun.

I've never been a fan of staging triggers.
 
wiscoaster said:
What's the whole purpose of even having a two-stage trigger if you're not supposed to stage it if you want? Do what works for you and who gives a rip what YouTube experts say. If you need the gun to go band RIGHT NOW then pull all the way through. If you can wait for the perfect moment, then pull through to the wall and wait for that moment. Option #2 is harder to execute with a single stage trigger, if the trigger is so light the gun goes bang if you inadvertantly twitch, but it all depends on the shooter and what he's used to. Most of my rifles have two-stage triggers so that's what I'm used to, and therefore what I prefer. I'll just try to not twitch if I get one of those single-stage two pound triggers.
Click to expand...

If you have an actual 2-stage trigger, great. I have one on one of my rifles and it's nice for its purpose.

But we're talking about double action triggers on handguns here. Guns that most certainly do not have a 2-stage trigger, but sometimes you can sort-of kind-of feel a pseudo "wall" as the trigger stacks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
Smooooth Triggers....
Replies
22
Views
1K
searcher451
S
B
  • Locked
Trigger Finger Location
Replies
20
Views
2K
Deus Machina
D
9mmepiphany
  • Locked
Shooting a Handgun with a DA Trigger - a bit long
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
9mmepiphany
9mmepiphany
S
  • Locked
What IS a "good trigger"?
Replies
10
Views
901
larryw
larryw
C
  • Locked
Consistant trigger type.
Replies
6
Views
455
Skribs
Skribs
Back
Top