Finger Placement

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Rebel Zero

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Hello all,

Where do most of you place your finger on the trigger? I know there are slightly different methods recommended for double action revolvers, single action autos, and double action, but I'm mainly curious about DAO autos.

Most of what I've studied says you should use either the pad, close to the fingertip, or right in between the tip and the first crease. However, recently I've seen a number of references to the "power crease," that is, snugging the curve of the trigger right into the spot where your first knuckle joins the second.

I've got an XD .40, and I've only shot it with the trigger halfway between tip and crease. Since I've read about the other method, I haven't had a chance to go to the range, but in dry fire practice it feels great. I feel like I have a better grip on the gun and better control in general. It's also easier for me to squeeze the trigger without causing the barrel to move slightly with the motion.

Does anyone else use this method? Can anyone vouch for its efficiency? It seems to be the most stable, precise platform for me to shoot from so far. However, I'm a relatively new to shooting practice and I don't want to start any bad habits.

RZ
 
I've found that with the XD series I put my finger in "deeper" than I was used to. (right into the first knuckle crease). Seems to work fine for me.

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It depends on the gun. Either the first joint or the first fingerpad.
 
Rebel Zero said:
Since I've read about the other method, I haven't had a chance to go to the range, but in dry fire practice it feels great. I feel like I have a better grip on the gun and better control in general. It's also easier for me to squeeze the trigger without causing the barrel to move slightly with the motion.
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Sounds to me like you should be teaching rather than asking. What works best for the individual depends on hand size's relation to gun size, but you figured out how to test it. I believe that you are on the right track and need no help.

Keep practicing.
 
Try dry firing with the finger in each position you might use. Pick the one that causes the LEAST movement of the sight picture when the gun fires.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I appreciate you taking time to help me out. I've been continuing the dry-firing practice and the "power crease" method still seems to be tops. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm not going to be able to make it to the range until Monday. I'll let you know how practice with live rounds goes.

RZ
 
Judging by my personal experience, schooling (I'm an Olympic style shooter, handgun), and what I carefully observed looking at IPSC shooters, it's kind of interesting issue. In Olympic they use the softer part of the fingertip on the hair trigger (so called free pistol) and the "power crease" on everything else, the one-pound air pistol trigger included. No diversity there, at least among those who know their business. Note that the Olympic is pretty slow moving business; five shots in five minutes they call brisk and lively. On the other hand, in IPSC they use the "meaty part of the fingertip" on relatively tough SA triggers (4 pounds, if I am not mistaken) to make the spent brass fly in a dense string. Funny, but it's an established fact. It obviously depends on the very different physiology of fast and slow shooting, but I haven't killed enough guinea pigs to explain the mechanics.:)

Best regards, Alexey
 
An afterthought. It's just possible that the creep is more manageable with the "meaty part". "Non-practical" pistols are supposed to have good triggers with no creep.

Best regards, Alexey
 
I've been continuing the dry-firing practice and the "power crease" method still seems to be tops.
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Be very careful with the Power Crease method. I contacted my Gun instructor and had opposing views. He basically replied:

"Hogwash! For a right handed shooter, your shoots will go left. The author has no idea what he is talking about.

A revolver is heavy and will remain straight. Semi's are lighter guns, as you pull the trigger your barrel will drift to the left (righthanded) right for a lefthanded shooter.

Use the pad of your finger on a semi, it allows you to pull straight to the rear without driftting your sights. ...you need to pull the trigger to the rear without moving the sighs. Plain and simple"
 
Hogwash? Ah... No gun is heavy enough to forgive the 'jerk behind the trigger'. Besides, lots of handguns are designed for small palms, which is only natural: you can always manage a petite gun, but there is no way to handle something big enough. The correct placement of the trigger finger may depend just on the relative sizes of the gun and the hand, never mind the finer points.

Best regards, Alexey
 
"It depends on the gun. Either the first joint or the first fingerpad."

I never heard of that before...Where did you get that information?
 
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