Chapter 3

TRIGGER CONTROL
THE KEY TO SHOOTING

Don’t cock a double action revolver - for defensive purposes, there’s just no need to do so.

As I’m fond of saying, the revolver is the easiest gun in the world to shoot - but the most difficult gun in the world to shoot well. Mastering that long and heavy trigger is key to putting your shots where you want them to go, and I’ve found by far the biggest determinant to precision revolver shooting isn’t the sight picture - it’s trigger control.

DON’T COCK THAT REVOLVER!

Before getting into the mechanics of the double action trigger, I’d like to suggest that the only way to become good with the double action revolver is to always shoot in double action. This might seem ridiculously self-evident, but I’ve observed that people tend to take the easy way out when it’s available. Shooting in double action is hard, and many people reach a point where they’re not getting the hits they need in double action. They take the easy way out and simply thumb-cock the gun for a nice, light single action release. That, I believe, is counterproductive to mastering the double action.

Forgive me if you’ve heard this story before, but back when I first started shooting the revolver my handgun experience was almost exclusively with single-action autoloaders. I’d picked up a revolver on the cheap and decided to use it in a Bianchi Cup-style NRA Action Pistol Match.

On the first several stages I’d been holding my own; not up to what I could do with my tuned autoloaders, but I wasn’t at the back of the pack either. When I got to the falling plates stage, shooting eight-inch round steel knockdown targets at 10, 15, 20 and 25 yards, I failed miserably even at the closest distance. I resorted to thumb-cocking the gun to single action for the rest of the stage, causing one smart-aleck in the pack to yell “Hey, Grant, I’ve got a gun that cocks itself!”

While this book isn’t about competition shooting, the incident serves to illustrate my point: it was because I’d not done my practice in double action that my performance suffered. Had I practiced, forced myself to practice, in the manner in which I was going to use the gun, I’d have been better prepared. After that embarrassment I resigned myself to never shooting in single action again, and it wasn’t until I made that decision that I finally got reasonably good at handling the double action revolver.

This cocked revolver will require only three pounds of pressure and .020 inch of movement to fire. That’s not a good combination in a stressful situation!

Bobbed hammer of double-action-only revolver can’t be cocked, even if the owner wants it to be.

I contend that you should never thumb-cock a revolver for any defensive shooting purpose, be it practice or an actual incident. Not only is the single action almost universally very light - exactly what you do not want in a trigger when you’re trembling and your dexterity and tactile sensation have been reduced - it also has a very short travel to release. Cocking a revolver to single action during an actual attack is a bad idea simply because of the lack of control you’ll be to apply to a very sensitive trigger.

It’s also very unlikely that a person who is the victim of a surprise criminal attack will even have time to cock the hammer. The duration of these events, measured in a few seconds after the victim recognizes the need to shoot, leaves precious time for a measured, deliberate manipulation. The attacks happen very quickly, and the responsive shots will need to happen quickly as well.

If your revolver isn’t going to be used in single action during a defensive engagement, you shouldn’t be using it that way when you practice. In later chapters we’ll get into the need to practice realistically relative to the expected use, and part of that is using the gun in the same manner you’d expect to when it’s ‘for real.’ That means double action, and it’s that on which this book is exclusively focused.

One of the reasons I’m a fan of double-action-only (DAO) revolvers is that they remove the very temptation to cock the hammer - because there’s no hammer to cock. I understand the frustration of not being able to make a double action shot while knowing that you could easily do it in single action (I’ve experienced that in front of an audience!). The DAO revolver removes that temptation and forces you to get better at shooting double action. It forces you to get better at what you’re likely to need to do when you’re attacked.

If you don’t have a DAO revolver, it’s going to be up to you to discipline yourself. Shoot the gun only in double action; don’t allow yourself the crutch of the single action. This is going to require integrity on your part, but I’ll tell you that the personal satisfaction of being able to deliver any given level of precision needed is worth the effort. It also doesn’t take all that long to develop that skill, as long as you’re not backsliding by allowing yourself the single action crutch.

GRASP: THE FOUNDATION OF TRIGGER CONTROL

Think about this: you’re holding a gun that might weigh as little as 12 ounces. The trigger on that gun, if it’s as the factory shipped it, may take 13 pounds of pressure (208 ounces) to operate. It’s pretty clear that 208 is more than 12, and that extra force needs to be controlled. It’s going to take something to keep that 208-ounce force from moving the 12-ounce object around.

That something is your grasp. A grasp that exceeds the 196-ounce difference between the trigger weight and the gun’s weight is what you need to stop trigger-induced movement in the gun. That’s not going to happen with a weak target-shooting grasp.

Start the grasp with proper hand placement. The web (area between your thumb and forefinger) of the shooting hand should be placed as high as possible on the grip without spilling over the top of the frame shoulder. This brings the bore line relative to your hand as low as possible, reducing the amount of leverage the gun has, which in turn minimizes recoil and muzzle flip to the greatest degree possible. Bringing the hand higher than this on the grip channels recoil through the edge of the shoulder, increasing the pain level; it’s counterproductive.

This revolver weighs only 15 ounces but has a trigger weight of nearly 12 pounds. Keeping the muzzle from wandering under that force differential requires proper technique.

Position the web of the hand as high as possible on the gun without going over the top of the frame shoulder.

Remember the safety rules in the first chapter? Unless you’re actually shooting, place your trigger finger along the frame just above the trigger and underneath the cylinder and keep it there.

Wrap the rest of your fingers around the grip, making sure that the top of your middle finger is in contact with the underside of the grip behind the triggerguard. (If you’re using old-fashioned grips that don’t fill in behind the triggerguard, this probably won’t be possible. Your control will be severely compromised until proper grips are fitted.)

Unless your grips have finger grooves, the rest of your fingers should be in firm contact with each other. If your grips do have finger grooves, you need to make sure that your fingers don’t end up on top of the ridges between the grooves. If they do, your grasp and control over the gun’s recoil will be severely compromised, and if the grips are made of a hard material you could even suffer injury.

The tip of the thumb is curled down, much as it would be if you were making a closed fist. This gives you a strong constriction between the web of the hand and the middle finger, which acts against the gun’s recoil shoulder and keeps the grip from sliding in your hand, both during the trigger stroke and the gun’s recoil.

Guns without adequate filling behind the triggerguard, like this old Colt, are more difficult and painful to shoot.

If finger grooves don’t precisely match your hand size, fingers can land on top of the ridges, lessening control.

Thumb should be curled down; note open area of grip between fingers and palm.

Depending on the size of the grip and your hands, there will probably be a gap that exposes the grip panel between the fingers and heel of your palm. The heel of the support hand is placed in that gap.

The support hand fingers are wrapped around and on top of the shooting hand’s fingers. The top of the support hand forefinger should be in contact with the bottom of the trigger guard.

The heel of the support hand is placed in the gap.

Wrap the support hand fingers around and on top of the shooting hand fingers.

The pad of the support hand thumb should curl down strongly and sit on top of the shooting hand’s thumbnail.

Adjust your grip as necessary to get the specified contact points and make a mental note of how everything feels. It’s that feeling that you’ll want to replicate each time you grasp the gun.

Proper grasp is strong, comfortable and repeatable.

MAXIMUM GRASP PRESSURE IS IMPORTANT

The pressure that you’re able to exert in your grasp is what will hold the gun steady when you shoot.

Extend your arms equally straight out as far as you can, putting the gun at arm’s length. Now squeeze with both hands as hard as you can, until you start to tremble from the effort. Now ever so slightly release the pressure just enough to stop the trembling, but no more. The resulting pressure will become your normal grasp pressure. (I actually do this little routine at the start of each practice shooting session, just to remind myself how much grip pressure I really need.)

You’ll probably find that the resulting pressure is much more than you would otherwise exert without doing this drill. It’s the amount you need to apply every time you achieve your shooting grasp. Remember what that feels like and from now on, anytime you extend the gun to fire a shot, make sure that you are exerting that level of pressure.

You’ll find that with occasional practice your muscles will rapidly develop from this isometric exercise. The strength of your grasp will increase and you’ll have increasing control over your revolver. You’ll never get there, however, if you don’t start now.

Some people’s hands are large enough to encounter interference between trigger finger and thumb. Switching to thumb-on-knuckle grasp solves the issue, but may result in slight loss of control.

GRASP VARIATIONS

Sometimes there is a severe mismatch between the grip size and a shooter’s large hand size. This causes the support hand thumb to be so far forward that it interferes with the trigger finger as it comes back.

In these cases simply moving the support thumb up to the knuckle of the shooting hand thumb is enough to give a clear path for the trigger finger. One caution, however - this can result in a slight loss of control unless the shooter is careful to clamp down with the support thumb.

TRIGGER FINGER PLACEMENT

The trigger finger must apply a great deal of force to move the trigger against the spring pressure of the gun’s lockwork. In a stock revolver this is often as much as 12 or 13 pounds, and certain guns will weigh in at nearly 15 pounds! To make trigger movement smooth, predictable and repeatable against that amount of weight, it’s necessary to take full advantage of finger leverage.

Maximum leverage (and full movement of the trigger finger) is best achieved by putting the first (distal interphalangeal) joint of the trigger finger on the trigger face. This gives maximum mechanical advantage and allows for better control of the trigger, as the finger doesn’t tire as quickly and movement is smoother.

At one time it was commonly taught to place the pad of the finger on the trigger face. This was necessitated by the wide, serrated ‘target’ triggers which were then common. While there are still a few prominent shooters who champion this method, the majority of shooters and trainers have long-since transitioned to using the distal joint position because of its clear advantages for the overwhelming majority of shooters. Gun manufacturers, too, have responded by making their triggers narrower and without any grooves; this makes it easier to use the more efficient distal joint position.

Old technique of finger pad on trigger gives less leverage than modern recommendation of first joint on trigger.

TRIGGER MANIPULATION AND CONTROL

Once the hand has been properly placed, the grasp pressure has been adjusted to its maximum, and the trigger finger is contacting the trigger properly, trigger manipulation becomes much easier.

Manipulating the double action trigger is much like mastering the stroke in golf. In fact, I use the term stroke to describe the action of operating the trigger because I believe it conveys a much better sense of the movements involved.

Like golf, where there is the swing and the follow-through, the double action trigger has two parts: a compression and a release. Compression is the act of bringing the trigger back against the action’s spring pressure, which cocks and then drops the hammer to fire the round. Release is the act of returning the trigger to its forward (rest) position. Both parts are equally important.

COMPRESSION

Trigger compression must be smooth and consistent to avoid steering the gun and throwing the shot off. Once the decision to fire has been made, the trigger is compressed smoothly, evenly and straight back. The compression should be consistent in speed, neither slowing down nor speeding up, and the trigger should be in constant motion until the gun fires. Don’t stop or even slow down once the compression has started; keep the trigger finger moving until the gun fires.

Part of the reason for doing this is to keep constant any forces that might cause deviation. Constant, predictable forces are easier to control than those which continually and/or unpredictably change. I’ve observed that the student who alters the rate of trigger compression will often have a muzzle that wanders excessively. The cause is usually an insufficiently strong grasp, one which doesn’t give a solid feeling of control over the revolver. If you find yourself slowing your trigger compression as ignition nears, try increasing your grasp pressure; I’ve found that it cures the issue most of the time, as it did with me.

RELEASE

The trigger release begins immediately after the hammer falls and the round ignites. The long trigger travel of the revolver delays the firing of the next round unless the trigger is kept in constant motion. This means starting the release without a pause.

The trigger finger simply reduces the amount of pressure it applies to the trigger to the minimum amount necessary to keep in contact as the trigger is allowed to return forward. Your trigger finger should always remain in contact with the trigger as it returns, but only enough so that you can feel the trigger reset; any resistance will simply slow the trigger’s movement and may cause you to start another compression before the lockwork has reset. This can result in a temporary jam. Maintain just enough contact so that you can feel the trigger stop, at which point it is completely reset and you can fire the next shot if necessary.

The release should be done at the same speed as the compression. Like the compression, the speed should not vary during the trigger’s return movement.

It is also vitally important to pay close attention to your grasp pressure during the return. It’s common for the fingers of the hand to relax in sympathy with the relaxing trigger finger, and if that happens the muzzle will surely drift off alignment with the target and likely throw the shot slightly off. On the next shot the grasp needs to be tightened again, which tends to pull the muzzle down and to one side as the trigger is being compressed. The result is a see-sawing of the muzzle, often referred to as “milking” by seasoned instructors. Paying close attention to grasp pressure in practice - first establishing proper pressure as described previously then maintaining that pressure - goes a long way to mastering the long, heavy double action trigger.

FINGER MOVEMENT ON THE TRIGGER

Did I say “on” the trigger? Yes, I did. If you were to diagram the operation of both your trigger and your finger, you’d notice a similarity: both rotate around a pivot point, and both travel in a semicircular path. Neither travels in a straight line.

When operating a trigger, your finger hinges at both the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints, with most of the rotation happening at the latter. The tip of the finger therefore makes an arc (with a slightly decreasing radius, for the geometry purists in the audience) on a horizontal plane. The trigger pivots too, on a pin inside the frame, and the tip of the trigger also travels in an arc (this one is semicircular.)

The arcs of the trigger and your finger are at a right angle to each other. This may not seem like much of a concern, but unless you understand what’s happening, you’ll do the one thing that most people do to mess up their trigger stroke: you’ll ‘hang onto’ the trigger.

That’s because the trigger is traveling up and away from your finger, while your finger is traveling in toward your palm. The result is that the trigger always feels like it’s trying to slip away from the finger, and the finger feels like it’s going to fall off of the trigger.

When this happens, most people strongly curve the tip of their finger inward in at attempt to hang on to the trigger. This action tends to pull the muzzle down and leads to steering the gun to one side - which side depends on how the gun fits the hand.

This is why so many people try to stage the trigger - stopping to regroup near the point of ignition - by using the tip of the trigger finger to contact the frame. The finger has curled itself inward in an attempt to diminish the lack of control feeling, which causes the tip to hit the frame. Most people take that as a sign to pause slightly, re-align their sights and then finish off the shot. In a defensive shooting situation there isn’t time, or fine tactile function, to allow this to happen.

Common issue is trying to hang onto the trigger, curling finger and hitting frame. Letting finger slide on trigger keeps finger from curling, making manipulation easier.

It’s far better to solve the problem rather than apply the band-aid of the staged trigger.

The interaction of the trigger and finger arcs means that the finger feels like it wants to slide downward and across the trigger face. Let it! Don’t try to hang onto the trigger to keep the finger in one place; let the finger slide naturally across and down the trigger face as it strokes the trigger. The result will be far less muzzle deviation, especially at speed.

This isn’t easy to do for some folks. If you’ve been shooting your revolver with that strongly curled finger, or worse yet by staging the trigger, you’re going to have a hard habit to break. Doing so, however, will make you a better double action shooter.

This is one place where dry-fire comes in handy, because it allows you to feel how the finger slides on the face of the trigger. It’s not a lot of movement, mind you, but you should be able to feel that slight sliding effect. If you can, it means that you’re doing it right.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

The trigger stroke, except for the direction reversal, should look like a single continuous movement. The goal is to keep the muzzle aligned on target during the stroke - both in compression and release. Compared to an autoloader, the revolver trigger takes much longer to reset; if you expect to be able to shoot quickly and accurately it’s necessary to start the trigger return as the cartridge ignites, and the only way to do that without moving the muzzle off target is to practice making the return as stable as the compression.

For this reason, I recommend practicing the stroke, focusing on trigger return, until the muzzle alignment (as shown by the sights) does not vary during any phase of the stroke. In days past it was a common technique to balance a coin on the front sight and practice the trigger stroke until the coin did not move regardless of which direction the trigger was going. The drill serves to illustrate both what’s required and that it’s possible to achieve.

A WORD ABOUT TRIGGER FACES

As I mentioned previously, in the ‘good old days’ double action triggers were typically serrated or grooved. This was to allow the pad of the finger to operate the trigger when it was cocked to single action, as double action shooting wasn’t taken all that seriously. It was actually believed by many old-timers that you couldn’t hit anything past ‘belly-to-belly’ distance in double action.

Colt tended to have narrow grooved triggers, while Smith & Wesson had much wider triggers - and had options for extra-wide target triggers. (There were companies which made ‘trigger shoes’ for Colt revolvers to give them the same trigger width as the Smith & Wessons; some of those shoes were so wide that they extended past the coverage of the triggerguard, which in turn required holsters which didn’t cover the trigger.)

Those serrated triggers made double action shooting more difficult because they made it impossible for the finger to slide properly across the trigger face. In recent years revolver manufacturers have figured out that double action shooting technique has changed and now ship revolvers with smooth-faced triggers.

Even if the trigger has a smooth face it may still have very sharp edges that inhibit proper finger movement just as surely as the grooves of yesteryear did. If your revolver has a grooved/serrated trigger, or has sharp edges, a gunsmith can easily round and polish the face of the trigger for you. Your trigger finger will thank you, and your double action shooting will improve.

THOUGHTS ON DRY FIRE PRACTICE

While some may scoff at this, I’m generally not an advocate of extensive dry fire practice for defensive shooting. That isn’t to say that it’s completely useless, though, because some - of the right kind and in the right proportion - can be helpful in developing proper trigger control.

I’ve found that dry firing’s best benefit is in mastering the release portion of the trigger stroke, and secondly to developing the proper compression. Why do I place them in that order? Because practicing a smooth release is quite difficult with live ammunition; the recoil of the gun masks the trigger reset. You’re still resetting the trigger, but the effects of recoil make it impossible to really feel that reset. That recoil also interferes with your ability to judge if you’re correctly maintaining your grasp pressure.

Dry firing allows you to divorce the act from the recoil and lets you feel what a proper release is really like. Dry fire also makes it easy to feel grasp strength and if you’re maintaining it consistently. Doing these things in dry fire - proper smooth release and consistent grasp pressure during release - will make a huge difference in live fire control.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find that when you pay attention to the release in dry fire the compression almost takes care of itself. That’s not strictly true, of course, but I’ve found that mastering the compression portion doesn’t benefit quite as much from dry fire. This is probably due to the fact that the compression happens before the shot breaks and isn’t masked by the recoil, where he release happens as and just after the round is ignited.

HOW MUCH TO DRY FIRE?

I recommend doing just enough dry fire practice at home that you develop the ability to maintain a perfect sight alignment for the full stroke of the trigger - compression and release - 100% of the time. Once you’ve achieved that, I maintain that further dry fire in isolation is of little value. That doesn’t mean dry fire is completely useless, only that it needs to be done at a different time and place.

I’ve found that once you’ve actually fixed in your mind what proper trigger control feels like, any further dry firing is best done at the range just before live fire. In my experience, this immediate transition from the lessons of dry fire to the application of those lessons in live fire provides far more benefit than endlessly dry firing off the range.

I suggest that, when you go to the range, you start by doing a few dry fire repetitions, maybe a cylinder’s worth or so, which will be an immense help in fixing in your mind exactly what your hands should be doing. Immediately switching to live fire allows you to transfer the skills to actual shooting. My students have often found that doing so makes both their dry fire and live fire sessions much more productive.