Do you like or don't like grooved triggers?

[Vern Humphrey]

Grooved triggers hark back to the days of classic revolver competition, when shooters shot timed and rapid fire single action. Grooved triggers gave better control in a rapid cock-and-fire event.

When revolver shooters turned to double-action, grooved triggers went out of style. The grooved trigger tends to abrade the finger when doing a lot of double-action shooting.

 

[Malamute]

Smooth generally.

But most particularly if the grooved ones are those horrendous skin-sample drawing torture devices.

I've felt some grooved triggers that did feel like skin removal tools, but don't automatically feel all grooved triggers fall under that heading, as seems to be the case with some comments. Most of the grooved triggers I've used didn't feel sharp, a few have. A few minutes work with a small ceramic triangular stone makes the sharp parts and edges go away, with the nice feel or positive part of unsharp grooves left. It seems to be individual to the particular trigger, though may be more common on later guns. I guess its individual preference, to entirely remove the grooves when a little cleaning up would take care of the issue seems a bit overkill, but that's my bias speaking.

Why some would get blisters and some not may be partly because of this matter of some individual triggers having rough edges or burred grooves. As I mentioned, I've had many days shooting 500 or 1000 rds in an afternoon without any discomfort. I don't think I had particularly tough hands as a kid when I started that.

 

[hemiram]

I've only had one gun with a grooved trigger, an older S&W 28. As soon as I could, I had the gunsmith I used back then put a target trigger on it. At that point, it was about perfect, and I've always regretted selling it.

 

[I6turbo]

Wish granted!

Smith & Wesson Frame Guide

Picture Version of S&W Frames

Colt Model Guide

Sa-tevr, those are some great links. Thanks for posting.

 

[ATLDave]

I honestly cannot figure out what benefit a grooved trigger offers. If the finger on the trigger pulls straight back, it doesn't need serrations, any more than a perfectly smooth object (like a CD) needs grooves to stay on a perfectly smooth table.

It's only when the force gets at an angle that you need more friction to keep things from sliding around. And if you're putting angled force into a trigger, do you WANT that transmitted to the gun? Seems like all grooved triggers could really do is make it easier to pull or push the gun with unwanted input from the trigger finger.

 

[greenmtnguy]

Smooth - always

 

[BCRider]

After shooting the two of mine that have serrations I found that I didn't like them that much. A light run over the sharp edges with a rubberized abrasive wheel in a rotary tool dulled them just enough to make me like them.

I shoot all my revolvers primarily in DA. I can't say that I notice much difference between smooth or my lightly dubbed off serrated triggers. Even with the wide to narrow triggers I find I don't notice any significant difference.

 

[mrdeltoid]

I don't really have a preference. But I do find the triggers on my Colts pretty groovy.

 

[Hookeye]

I shoot my DA revolvers single action, and hate grooved triggers.
Also dislike grooved triggers on SA rigs.
Had a Ruger SBH that really chewed. I beveled the edges and made it better.
On my 629's (smooth trigger) I round the edges. Think it makes them feel a little nicer.

 

[Jim NE]

I prefer grooved triggers, but don't hate smooth triggers. I suspect that reflects the nature of the opinion (though I can't prove it): guys who love smooth triggers tend to hate grooved triggers, but not the other way around. It may be their finger pads are more sensitive.