Preferred 'feel' of trigger?

[CmdrSlander]

I ask this out of interest and a desire for conversation. What 'feel' do you prefer on your rifle and pistol triggers. I know in the M1911 community many strive to make the trigger pull very crisp ("like a glass rod breaking" I once heard it described) but what about other weapons?

Thanks all.

 

[dagerv]

In a pistol a short reset and crisp break... so a 1911 would fit the bill

 

[il_10]

1911 style crispness is about right for me. I don't need or particularly care for a super-light trigger, I just can't stand a lot of take-up and overtravel, grit, or sponginess in my trigger. I have an old long-action s&w hand-ejector that has what I consider to be the perfect single action trigger, as well as a nice double action trigger.

 

[Davek1977]

I can tell you what i DON'T like....heavy "spongy" triggers with no discernible break, often accompanied by lots of take up and overtravel. Ultimately, a rifle with a crisp pull at about 4 lbs is what I'm most comfortable with, maybe a tad less for a target gun rather than one that spends much time afield

 

[firemanstrickland]

i like short, crisp trigger with a short "quiet" reset.

 

[1911Tuner]

I guess I'm the odd man out on the question of trigger action on a 1911. Of course, I don't shoot Bullseye competition. If I did, I might opt for the "Glass Rod" break on a target pistol. I like a clean rollout break at 5.5-6 pounds. I want to feel a little movement before the hammer falls. It might be better called, short, smooth creep and some make an issue of it when they experience it...but that's my preference on a weapon rather than a range toy.

I like a 2.5-3-pound glass rod break on bolt-action rifles, and will thoroughly test a rifle by snapping the bolt hard to insure that it won't jiggle off should I get in a hurry with it...but if I were a benchrest or thousand yard high power competitor, I'd feel differently about it.

I once owned a 45-110 Sharps that was equipped with double set triggers, and enjoyed it a lot...but I rarely used the 3-ounce option until the ranges went beyond 200 yards.

 

[Snowdog]

The lighter the trigger, the better I shoot. The heavier the trigger, I always shoot to the left.
I prefer the trigger on the 1911. My Kimber has one seriously nice trigger and does very much feel like a thin glass rod snapping with no overtravel. My other 1911 (RIA) is fairly nice, though not as polished as the Kimber.

However, I can get used to just about anything that's not atrocious.
Lately, I've been putting in some range time with my M&P40c and I'm warming up to it.

So, I prefer a nice SA, but can work with most others without complaint.

 

[230RN]

Short takeup before the mechanism actually engages, then a crisp break about three pounds. However I can get used to almost any trigger if I shoot it, say a dozen times. Overtravel doesn't bother me much.

Davek1977 said,

I can tell you what i DON'T like....heavy "spongy" triggers with no discernible break, often accompanied by lots of take up and overtravel.

You'd love the SKS with its sliding block sear, which has two long sliding bearing surfaces under pressure from the hammer, as well as pushing against the magazine release spring, which is usually bent and dirty.

Oh, and with a long lever from the trigger to the sear, to boot.

Terry 230RN

 

[gordy]

S&W DA revolvers

I grew up shooting my grandfathers S&W m10, so for me I like the pull of a custom DA trigger on a S&W revolver.
I have a few S&W that have a trigger job and I love them.
My S&W m586 has a DA that is right at 10 to 11 lbs, It has a SA that brakes at 5 lbs. Very smooth. This is my steel plate gun.
My S&W m65 is not as light, but is as smooth and is nice.
My S&W m642 I have never scaled, I would say it is the smoothest DAO I have fired. I would like to have it scaled to see were it comes in at. Both these guns are carry guns and work well in that area.
I have a sig p6 that I put a 12 lb wolf spring in and it is a lot better then the factory trigger spring that it came with. I shoot it well and it is a carry gun also.
I have a few colt 1911's, I have left there triggers as they are.

 

[hermannr]

My Rem 700 is very light, has no creep and a very sharp break as does my Colt when in SA, and very smooth DA with the Colt. My wifes High Standard trophy also has a very light crisp trigger.

My CZ's all have movement (though not excessive) before the break. I shoot them fine too as the movement is slick, no gritty or sticky spots. One is SA only, and one is DA/SA, but in both, you can feel the trigger definately move in SA before the hammer drops.

In some ways, I like the CZ trigger better for SD, I am always a little afraid the Colt will go off before I want it to in a high stress situation.

The shorter travel and crisper the trigger, the better for target practice. Under stress I like a little more warning, like I get from the CZ's.

 

[mortablunt]

I prefer one which will let me know with a little give when it is about to fire.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I'm an odd one. I like a 3.5 - 4.5 lb trigger on a 1911 with a crisp break.

I also like the factory glock (I change them all to a g17 smooth faced trigger, just a preference) trigger once broken in with about 2000 rounds.

I hated my xdm trigger...smooth, but just never felt "right" to me and the reset was awkward.

I love the LCR's trigger, but on a DA revolver I prefer a medium to long pull with a clear, crisp "breaking point". The odd thing is the LCR doesn't have that, but I still love the trigger.

On a rifle, I like a really light and crisp two stage trigger. On an ar that I use for plinking or a defense type role, the standard trigger smoothed up a bit suits me fine.

My buckmark trigger seems pretty awesome to me, too. I like a ruger with a complete vq setup, but when it comes to actually shooting it and plinking...the standard buckmark trigger is just fine (for me).

 

[Rail Driver]

I love the fast, short, crisp break on my 1911, but there's something to be said for the trigger reset on my Glock even with the slightly mushy takeup.

 

[ball3006]

The more you shoot, the more you educate your finger to the proper trigger manipulation with respect to different guns. If you anticipate when your trigger is going to go off, you will most likely blow the shot. I am a military surplus gun shooter and each gun is different as far as the trigger pull goes. It is called practice......chris3

 

[ForumSurfer]

but there's something to be said for the trigger reset on my Glock even with the slightly mushy takeup.

Yes, I forgot to mention that. Say what you will about a glock trigger, but the rest is excellent IMO. Even better after 2500 rounds or so. I initially thought I'd hate the glock trigger after running a mag or two through one or fondling them at the store. But after a few hundred rounds, I found that I actually liked it but didn't want to admit it out loud in front of my friends.

 

[Sean Smith]

A properly set up 1911 trigger IMO is close to the ideal in a handgun. It doesn't even have to be super light, anything from 5 pounds on down is good as long as it's a clean break without any creep. It's one of the reasons 1911s so often dominate the competitions they're allowed in. A Swiss SIG P210 is in the same class.

I find the "glass rod break" is great for teaching beginners too because the trigger itself doesn't give them any feedback to cause them to anticipate the shot and flinch. Of course they can still flinch for other reasons, but it's one less thing to worry about if that makes any sense.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

On a pistol, I do like my 1911's trigger the best. I am fine with takeup and pretravel as long as it is smooth like my PF9, not mushy like a Glock. Do not like overtravel. The best pistol trigger I have felt was a S&W 500. Well defined end to the DA pull right before it broke and the SA pull was light short and crisp.

On a rifle, I preferr a two stage trigger. Again, take up and pretravel are fine as long as they are smooth. I like the second stage to be very short and crisp with little overtravel. If a rifle is single stage, it just needs a reasonably short pull that is smooth and isn't too heavy. I'm not participating in any formal target competition, so a single stage hair trigger isn't needed.

 

[Furncliff]

I like the triggers on the High Standard pistols I have. Just the right resistance...Short-crisp-bang. But I wouldn't want that trigger on a duty pistol. The problem comes with owning most other guns that don't have that kind of trigger. I got spoiled. I own a couple of Brno target rifles (.22LR) that have excellent triggers. But I wouldn't want those triggers on a field gun. Problem comes when I switch to something like a Hi Point carbine, oh man.
You're going to want a different trigger set up, depending on what the weapons' mission is. But I think most would want any trigger to be clean and free from a lot of drag or roughness. It can even be a somewhat heavy, and long revolver trigger, as long as it's smooth, and.consistent

 

[Ignition Override]

A trigger seems to require a jeweler's touch, or else it seems to be equivalent to rocket science.

Although military guns built during WW2 (many copied from WW1 era) might have been designed for quick manufacturing, and knowing that the late 1930s M-1 Garand has a nice trigger, why didn't the other countries' armament factories have the same skill?

Maybe they did not care?

 

[Shienhausser]

Hang on, I will go ask my friends Smith and Wesson.

 

[Remo223]

For double action mode on a double action revolver, I prefer the trigger to be as close to INVISIBLE as you can get.

 

[9-ball]

I prefer a two stage trigger with a long but very light first stage, then a very short but relatively heavy second stage.

 

[Daemon688]

My favorite rifle trigger is on the k31, absolutely no resistance once so ever until you reach that wall and enough pressure to break that wall, it snaps instantly and the gun fires. On pistols, I like a smooth consistent pressure until I feel that wall before it breaks like glass.