Where Do You Put Your Trigger Finger?

[Paul Gomez]

Where do you put your trigger finger when you are not shooting the pistol?

Trigger Finger Placement

This is the most recent video that I posted on YouTube.

 

[Sam1911]

Straight forward, against the frame, directly above the trigger guard - always.

 

[Al Thompson]

Good stuff as usual.

 

[xXxplosive]

What He Said................

 

[sugarmaker]

Same as Sam, extended (not just limp but extended with some tension) and against something outside of the guard. It's my standard "not firing" finger position on Pistols, rifles, shotguns - becomes habit.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I found myself carrying a cordless drill the other day - with my trigger finger in high index .

 

[AOK]

I found myself carrying a cordless drill the other day - with my trigger finger in high index .

Lol, I catch myself sticking my trigger finger straight out when shaking peoples hands half the time!

 

[Owen Sparks]

If I am handling a large double action revolver I put the tip of my finger behind the trigger to block it. I have small hands and this works well with anything K frame size or larger.

 

[Rail Driver]

I keep my trigger finger on the end of the slide stop (right handed, carry a 1911)

 

[Shawn Dodson]

When my finger isn't working the trigger (i.e., I'm shooting) I place it on the "trigger finger rest" position. My trigger finger rest position varies with the firearm.

I tend to press my finger into the slide, frame, receiver, depending on the firearm, when I'm stressed. When I keep my finger straight I have to first unlock my finger joints before I move it. When it's bent slightly the joints are already "unlocked" and I'm able to move it smoothly and quickly to the trigger.

 

[barnetmill]

My take is a lot different on this.
On the range around other people, I kept it out of the trigger guard. If I am climbing or in danger of falling down and can not holster it, if possible I wrap the trigger finger around the grip with other fingers or with a DA revolver behind the trigger gripping the rear of the trigger guard so that finger cannot inadvertently pull the trigger if I fall. If the gun is out because I perceive a threat the finger is inside the guard in front of the trigger and manual safeties disengaged. This practice will not work safety with target wt triggers. Never had a ND yet and got my first handgun in 1963 and have had rifles longer.
People here will say that this practice is unsafe and the NRA does not like it either. I prefer to train by myself anyway. By the way the most important thing is where you point the gun and just because your finger is off the trigger does not make it ok to point at anyone.

 

[PlateStacker]

Some people are looking way too much into this. I see some people make it a "job" to extend that finger out completely and focus on it being straight along the pistol like Mr. Johnny Safety...

It's so simply people.. if you lack the basic control of not being able to keep from pressing the trigger when your not supposed to, just don't have the firing finger all the way on the trigger. Period. It's not rocket science. Some people keep there finger on or near the trigger all the time. No problem with that. As long as you don't pull it.. it will never go off.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Some people keep there finger on or near the trigger, as long as you don't pull it.. it will never go off.

True enough.

Problem is, under some circumstances your fingers will flex BY REFLEX and if one of those fingers is on a trigger, guess what? I know of one fatality from such an instance, I'd not be surprised to learn there were more.

http://tactrain.net/SRSR.shtml

It's known as the "grasp reflex" and is present from birth...

 

[NOLAEMT]

I keep it on the protruding end of the slide stop on auto's and right below the cylinder on revolvers.

In essence, where its not going to touch the trigger unless I want it to.

 

[Al Thompson]

end of the slide stop

Be careful with that! If you have pressure on that pin when running the slide, you can lock the pistol up. Lots of custom 1911 makers are cutting the protruding end flush with the frame to prevent this. Cousins P95 Ruger has the same issue.

 

[Sam1911]

if you lack the basic control of not being able to keep from pressing the trigger when your not supposed to,

I freely admit to to trusting myself to have that control at all times under all conditions (even on the range) so I keep it a millisecond away, up on the frame where it can't inadvertently press anything important.

I freely admit to my shooters not having that perfect discipline, either.

And I'll freely admit to sending someone home from practice or a match if they don't keep it out of the trigger guard any time they're not deliberately pressing the trigger to make a shot.

 

[Strykervet]

Straight forward, against the frame, directly above the trigger guard - always.

This.

It is just basic. That is how you do it in the military too. Perhaps it should be added to the basic gun rules safety, mainly because movies and television always show the hero with his finger on the trigger.

Doing it any other way is asking for an AD, which becomes a real big deal if holding someone at gunpoint.

 

[Strykervet]

I found myself carrying a cordless drill the other day - with my trigger finger in high index .

I do this too out of habit, funny huh?

 

[twofifty]

re: cordless drill

Carpenters with safe tool handling habits instinctively know where to keep their trigger finger...up on the gun's frame - whether a nailgun or firearm. They'll both put a hurt on.

 

[HDCamel]

Depends on the gun really...

In public (stores, ranges, shows, etc.) I always rest on the frame or trigger guard.
However, if I'm at home and the gun is single-action (and the hammer is down) I tend not to care.

 

[GLOOB]

Yeah, depends on the gun. But it's usually up and alongside the frame. With a long gun, sometimes it's easier to grip the handle/stock with all four fingers when just carrying it.

Some people keep there finger on or near the trigger, as long as you don't pull it.. it will never go off.

Aside from tripping and falling or otherwise losing your grip on the gun, this is also a good way to have a reholstering ND when your mind wanders.

Heck, with a six inch revolver with wood target grips, it's sometimes hard enough just to keep the gun from slipping around in your hand. Would definitely not want my finger in there while it's cocked unless I was ready to shoot.

Having the finger on the trigger when you aren't actively aiming at a target is also likely to get anyone around you riled up for no good reason, not to mention it's a violation of one of the fundamental firearm safety rules.

 

[Al Thompson]

no good reason

It's a great reason to get riled up. If the shooter is slack on trigger discipline, the other three rules are probably being ignored as well.

Almost every ND I'm aware of started with a finger on the trigger.

 

[bratch]

High on the slide usually with the tip of my finger in the ejection port.

 

[Steve in PA]

Indexed along the frame.

I'm a LEO Firearms Instructor and every year I compile a list of negligent discharges for use in my classroom training and the common denominator? Finger on the trigger instead of being indexed!!!

LEO's stumbling and falling, bumping into objects, getting pushed/shoved, etc.

If you are not in the process of pressing the trigger, that booger picker gets indexed! And on the frame, not the trigger guard! That is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Cosmoline]

I've tried the alternative with DA revolvers of pressing the tip of the finger against the frame, with the finger bent slightly. This was suggested in Stressfire. It works for revolvers in particular, where the design doesn't include long straight sections over the trigger guard area.

How much of an actual risk there is with a heavy DA is an open question, but it's done in part to reassure others and to build the habit in case you are using something in SA mode.