How do you shoot your double action trigger?

[DMK]

I know I should be placing the pad of my finger on the trigger, but when I do that with a heavy double action trigger like my S&W 642 and Taurus 94, I tend to pull the gun to the right just at the point of break when the tension of the trigger releases (noticed this while dry firing). Maybe I just have long fingers. I noticed that I can keep the gun almost absolutely still when putting the trigger right between the two joints of my finger. I also seem to have a lot better leverage as the trigger seems lighter when I shoot this way and it's a lot easier to perform a squeezing action rather than a pulling action.

I suppose a long, heavy trigger pull amplifies any trigger technique issues.

How do you shoot your double action trigger?

 

[Sheldon]

Relative to Jerry Miculek I'm a snail......but I think I shoot more like the way you do. I don't seem to have the finger strength to shoot the way Jerry has said he does....with the middle of the pad of the tip of his finger. I wonder if hand size has something to do with it as well. I have a trigger kit in my 686, but it is not super light. I shoot fairly accurately, but am pretty slow....but I like it and went through about 400 rounds the other day........any faster and I'de go broke!!!

 

[Standing Wolf]

Don't shoot the trigger. Pull it. Shoot the target.

Ideally, one pulls a trigger with the pad of the last portion of one's index finger. That doesn't always work for everybody. If the gun is too big for a hand, the shooter may have to use the tip of a finger. If the gun is too small for a hand or the trigger has a heavy pull, the shooter may find it more comfortable—and accurate—to use the joint.

The point is accuracy, not correctness.

My best advice? Try as many different trigger approaches as you can come up with. Try them all for a few dozen rounds. See what works best for you.

Best of success, eh?

 

[HSMITH]

Middle of the pad, stroke the trigger through. DON'T try to steer or guide it, just align the sights and stroke the trigger through smartly without disturbing them to the best of your ability.

If you don't have the hand strength to do this you need to dry fire. Start with 20 pulls morning and night, add 5 or 10 pulls per session every day and STAY focused on stroking it through without disturbing the sights. When you can do 100 strokes in one session with reasonable sight alignment your shooting ability will have skyrocketed. The speed that you can place shots accurately will skyrocket also.

A couple minutes a day being honest with yourself about what the sights are doing is all it takes, really, to be a pretty darn fair revolver shooter.

 

[SSN Vet]

My DA technique....

pull the hammer with my thumb and then pull the trigger SA

 

[Deanimator]

Virtually everyone I know who shoots a revolver double action, hooks his or her finger around the trigger at the first joint. I can't imagine anything else preventing your trigger finger from slipping around. You need firm control shooting a revolver double action. That's one way I get it.

Every spring, my club shoots a double action, one handed revolver league using reduced silhouettes at 50'. Very quickly, you learn the importance of trigger control, sight picture and sight alignment.

I started out trying to "stage" the trigger, pulling it back to a stopping point, then squeezing off the shot when the sight picture is what it should be. My hands just aren't big enough for that, especially with an N frame. I've switched to a smooth pull straight through and do much better. The problems that I'm having now are a tendency to relax my grip when the hammer falls, and poor sight alignment. When I'm good, I'm VERY good. When I'm bad, I'm VERY bad. I shot a 96 slowfire in my first relay of the season. It's been up and down ever since.

Got a match tonight. We'll see if I can maintain the fundamentals this time.

 

[TX1911fan]

I've read in several places that DA revolvers should be fired using the joint of the finger, and that semi autos should use the pad. That's how I do it, and things work out just fine. My one concern is in a stress situation I'm afraid I'd use the wrong technique with my semi auto. I guess I'll just have to go to the range more often to practice!

 

[Deanimator]

Shot the DA revolver league with my K-38 again last night.

I had a lot better trigger control and sight picture/alignment than last week.

Shot a 280/300 in the first match and a 279/300 in the second. Shot 97 and 96 in the slowfires.

I have to say I really like the Penn Bullets 148gr. double ended wadcutters. They shoot straight and they don't lead the barrel appreciably at wadcutter velocities. Strangely, I did pretty well (at least in the slowfire) with Winchester "Value Pack" 130gr. fmjs from Walmart before I was able to make room to start handloading.

Shooting a revolver DA one handed isn't easy, but it sure is satisfying when you start improving after a lot of practice.

 

[DMK]

Shooting a revolver DA one handed isn't easy, but it sure is satisfying when you start improving after a lot of practice.

I'll have to try that with my model 28. I've played around with shooting 38 specials from it both left and right handed, but only single action.

 

[JoeHatley]

I use the 1st joint, but as others have said, the way that works best for you is correct for you.

Good Luck...

Joe

 

[Deanimator]

I'll have to try that with my model 28. I've played around with shooting 38 specials from it both left and right handed, but only single action.

Properly fitting grips are essential. I have Hogue fingergrip grips on both of my bullseye revolvers. Depending upon your individual gun, a properly executed trigger job can also be a big help.