What IS a "good trigger"?

[seeker_two]

I've heard a lot of people disregarding a certain type of gun (Glock, SIG, Steyr, etc.) because it didn't have a "good trigger". Traditional DA/SA guns also seem to get this rap too. But, when I try examples of these guns, I don't see the triggers to be a problem. Of course, I do shoot a lot of DA revolvers; and I tend to like heavier triggers than most.

In your personal opinion, what makes a "good trigger" on an auto & on a revolver?

Thanks in advance...

 

[AK103K]

I personally like them heavier myself, especially on a carry gun, as long as they break "clean". A heavier trigger isnt a hardship or liabilty to good shooting. I agree with you on shooting revolvers in DA, its the only way to go as far as they are concerned, and again, as long as the are smooth and break clean, theres no problem. I'm not a fan of DA autos and dont like the transition between the two, DA/SA, I prefer SA in an auto.

 

[Sean Smith]

The short answer is, it depends on the user and the application.

A double-action trigger (auto or revolver) should be smooth and consistent. You shouldn't feel grittiness, stacking (increasing resistance as you pull), or unevenness in the pull weight. A good Python may be the ultimate DA revolver trigger, but bad Python trigger feels totally wierd because of the unique trigger system. Double-action revovler triggers can be quite nice to shoot and for some reason are sort of "relaxing" for me to use.

The ideal single-action trigger is a little different. Aside from being a shorter and lighter pull, once you get past a small amount of takeup the trigger shouldn't feel like it is moving at all until the weight threshold is crossed, at which point it should let off with a minimum of overtravel. Naturally, it shouldn't feel gritty. But you also don't want "creep," the sensation that the trigger is moving (usually unevenly) before its weight threashold is crossed. The best single-action trigger I've felt is in a SIG P210, with a good 1911 a close second. The usual analogy is "breaking a glass rod," i.e.: you don't really feel a glass rod bending as you increase pressure on it... it just suddenly breaks past a certain level of applied force.

 

[22luvr]

Firstly and most importantly.......

A good trigger is one that results in that reassuring "BANG" sound and the speedy exit of the projectile forthwith.

But seriously, I shoot a lot of double action and I can deal with a fairly stiff DA pull. What I cannot deal with is a LLLOOONG pull!
Nothing seems to throw my accuracy off quicker than trying to keep a gun on-target while I pull a mile-long trigger.

Single action? Again I prefer a short pull, either light or heavy. I also like a pistol where overtravel can be adjusted and one that returns quickly and easily to battery again for follow-up shots.

 

[Kor]

What I look for most in a trigger is moderate weight combined with a lack of backlash or overtravel - with triggers like that, I can break the shot off without having the sights disturbed in the final moments before the bullet leaves the barrel.

A trigger that is too heavy(12lbs+), or that has hitches/rough spots in its travel, or that allows very much trigger movement after the sear/striker releases, is what I consider to be a BAD trigger.

 

[9mmepiphany]

i really liked sean smith's description...very clear amd understandable.

my favorite trigger to roll back is that on my tuned python and i rate all DA triggers by that standard. some find it a bit long (longer than a comparable smith) but it is very smooth. "roll" is the operative word. it glides back without any gritiness or changing pressure, at the end of it's travel the hammer is released to fall and the trigger's rearward movemnet stops at the same time.

i have a tuned sig 220 whose DA trigger pull almost comes to this level and it supasses any "street" smith's (as opposed to competition) trigger i have tried.

SA has a whole different meaning.

in a wheelgun, i would expect almost no movement prior to and no movement after release...the movement should feel, to the educated trigger finger, like a razor sliding over glass.

in an auto, i expect a a bit more takeup prior to the break and no movement after (but how would you tell during recoil). autos have a true "snapping of a glass rod" feel at release...my sig 220 also feels like this

 

[Standing Wolf]

I like a glass-smooth double action trigger with very little stacking and a total weight of about five pounds.

In single action, I like zero creep, zero over-travel, and a total weight of about eight ounces.

Needless to say, that's not for a carry gun. My carry gun's single action pull is over two pounds.

 

[Hal]

Rather than try to describe it I'd say your best bet would be to experience it.

If you can get your hands on an old High Standard .22, you can experience first hand what a "great trigger" is. (S/A semi auto)
That will let you determine how others stack up (pun fully intended )

 

[mete]

Hal, I fixed up lots of HS triggers which included fitting a new sear pin , then they were nice. For a DA smoothness is more important than light. A 9 lb smooth trigger is fine. For SA defense gun it shouldn't be too l;ight and for SA or DA no overtravel.

 

[MoNsTeR]

Some definitions will help.
Take-up aka "slack", the low-resistance movement of the trigger before it engages any mechanisms (note: revolvers don't have take-up)
Creep any perceived movement of the trigger between the end of take-up and the break, generally caused by the sear moving across the hammer hooks rather than snapping off of them instantly (note: creep is only relevant to SA pulls)
Crisp used to describe an SA trigger with no creep
Overtravel rearward movement of the trigger after the break
Break the instant the hammer or striker is released

A perfect SA trigger has little take-up, no creep (ie: crisp), and no overtravel. Such a trigger is easy to accomplish on 1911's and S&W revolvers (indeed, most revolvers). The closer a trigger comes to "perfection", the easier it is to use, which helps you shoot better.

(BTW, it really bugs me when people refer to an SA pull as "smooth" . DA pulls are "smooth", SA pulls are "crisp".)

 

[larryw]

What Sean said, and for an auto, adding a crisp reset.

Crisp reset means after the shot, you release pressure on your finger until you feel the trigger reset. At that point, all take-up should still be gone and the glass rod is ready to break again.

Test this by unloading your gun and dry firing the (unloaded) gun. Keep your finger depressed and rack the slide. Release pressure on the trigger until you feel it reset and dry fire the (unloaded) gun again. Was the reset a crisp snick and the trigger was ready to go with virtually no take-up, or was reset a series of weak clicks with a good amount of travel and take-up afterwards?

Some guns have a nice break, but reset is long and gritty.