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View Full Version : I think I had a light bulb moment today



Jared
06-04-2012, 05:27 PM
I was working on my Wall Drill today, and I'd been at it a while. Long enough that my shoulders were getting a bit fatigued, so were my fingers, I was starting to get erratic, and getting ready to put the pistol up to keep from building bad habits. (my dry sessions are usually much shorter, today was a rare exception to that)

Anyway, before I put the gun up, I decided to do a few more DA pulls (Beretta 92). This time, instead of the slow, deliberate DA pulls I'd been doing, I pulled faster. Not yanking it back as fast as I could, just with more of a sense of, "I need to get this thing pulled." The sights, which I'd been struggling with keeping aligned on the last few pulls, seemed to WANT to stay in perfect alignment. Honestly, it took more effort to keep the sights straight at the beginning of my session when I was fresh and strong than it did those last 10 pulls, when I was pulling faster.

I guess I'm asking, have I stumbled on what everyone else already knew, especially the really good DA/SA shooters, or is this quirk somewhat unique? Like I said I wasn't yanking the trigger as fast as I could, just a smooth, quick, focused roll.

Wayne Dobbs
06-04-2012, 05:41 PM
I was working on my Wall Drill today, and I'd been at it a while. Long enough that my shoulders were getting a bit fatigued, so were my fingers, I was starting to get erratic, and getting ready to put the pistol up to keep from building bad habits. (my dry sessions are usually much shorter, today was a rare exception to that)

Anyway, before I put the gun up, I decided to do a few more DA pulls (Beretta 92). This time, instead of the slow, deliberate DA pulls I'd been doing, I pulled faster. Not yanking it back as fast as I could, just with more of a sense of, "I need to get this thing pulled." The sights, which I'd been struggling with keeping aligned on the last few pulls, seemed to WANT to stay in perfect alignment. Honestly, it took more effort to keep the sights straight at the beginning of my session when I was fresh and strong than it did those last 10 pulls, when I was pulling faster.

I guess I'm asking, have I stumbled on what everyone else already knew, especially the really good DA/SA shooters, or is this quirk somewhat unique? Like I said I wasn't yanking the trigger as fast as I could, just a smooth, quick, focused roll.


Jared,

That's good stuff and something I learned long ago (late 80s) with the DA/SA pistols. Since the trigger is nowhere near the refinement of a nice DA revolver trigger, it is better to roll it fairly quickly. You've probably noted that your grip needs to be very stable and strong while doing this, but your discovery is solidly based.

Jared
06-04-2012, 05:51 PM
Jared,

That's good stuff and something I learned long ago (late 80s) with the DA/SA pistols. Since the trigger is nowhere near the refinement of a nice DA revolver trigger, it is better to roll it fairly quickly. You've probably noted that your grip needs to be very stable and strong while doing this, but your discovery is solidly based.

Yes, good strong grip, and roll through that sucker quickly. I've always made a conscious effort not to pause or stage, this was the first time I tried to add speed. Glad for your input, thank you.

Lomshek
06-04-2012, 06:10 PM
I guess I'm asking, have I stumbled on what everyone else already knew, especially the really good DA/SA shooters, or is this quirk somewhat unique? Like I said I wasn't yanking the trigger as fast as I could, just a smooth, quick, focused roll.
You are exactly right (as Wayne points out) that this is the realization that all good da/sa shooters go through. Keep up the good training and you'll see your first round accuracy improve greatly!

Sig Willy
06-04-2012, 06:20 PM
I think a deliberate slow pull on the trigger is what builds fatigue. I used to do that, even staging the trigger, trying to get the bull's eye every time. Then I realized that I bought my Sig P250c 40sw for SD/HD, not marksman competitions. When the SHTF you have to squeeze the trigger quick so I practiced dry firing (at the range) at the target then shoot 10 rounds. Dry fire again then 10 rounds til the box was used up. That was 5 sessions and my group was getting tighter. I noticed I was shooting higher as a result.

This is at 25 feet and I circled each 10 shot groups. I was wild at the beginning and started going higher and tighter. Like you I learned something too. :)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1597/s5030429.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/s5030429.jpg/)

TCinVA
06-05-2012, 08:01 AM
A rolling break means consistent movement from the beginning of the pull through the end. You may have stumbled across the specific mental/mechanical event that helps you understand what a rolling break is. Don't think of it as pulling the trigger fast, think of it as pulling the trigger in one smooth, consistent motion. This can be accomplished quite quickly once you get the hang of it.

Jared
06-05-2012, 02:47 PM
I'm gonna practice it some more tonight, dry fire, until I can get the cadence and feel "memorized" so to speak. Better to work it out dry then take it to the range than try to go live with it too soon, at least that's what I'm thinking.

shootist26
06-05-2012, 06:20 PM
I was working on my Wall Drill today, and I'd been at it a while. Long enough that my shoulders were getting a bit fatigued, so were my fingers, I was starting to get erratic, and getting ready to put the pistol up to keep from building bad habits. (my dry sessions are usually much shorter, today was a rare exception to that)

Anyway, before I put the gun up, I decided to do a few more DA pulls (Beretta 92). This time, instead of the slow, deliberate DA pulls I'd been doing, I pulled faster. Not yanking it back as fast as I could, just with more of a sense of, "I need to get this thing pulled." The sights, which I'd been struggling with keeping aligned on the last few pulls, seemed to WANT to stay in perfect alignment. Honestly, it took more effort to keep the sights straight at the beginning of my session when I was fresh and strong than it did those last 10 pulls, when I was pulling faster.

I guess I'm asking, have I stumbled on what everyone else already knew, especially the really good DA/SA shooters, or is this quirk somewhat unique? Like I said I wasn't yanking the trigger as fast as I could, just a smooth, quick, focused roll.

I also discovered this a while back. The trick to shooting DA is to pull it back straight in one smooth continuous motion, think of it as a rolling trigger. Just roll that baby back straight.

When I try to pull slow and stage the trigger, my finger gets fatigued and my sight picture deteriorates.

Wayne Dobbs
06-05-2012, 06:40 PM
Another way I've taught the DA trigger press on a service auto is to think of the proper use of a canoe paddle or a boat oar: each is used in a long, smooth, constant speed STROKE from the moment you dip the blade of the paddle/oar until it finishes its stroke at the end. We don't chop in little steps through the water and we don't change speeds of the paddle blade. Sometimes we may use the paddle slowly, sometimes quickly, but it's always a smooth and steady stroke from beginning to end. Just another way to explain things...

CCT125US
06-05-2012, 08:51 PM
Another way I've taught the DA trigger press on a service auto is to think of the proper use of a canoe paddle or a boat oar: each is used in a long, smooth, constant speed STROKE from the moment you dip the blade of the paddle/oar until it finishes its stroke at the end. We don't chop in little steps through the water and we don't change speeds of the paddle blade. Sometimes we may use the paddle slowly, sometimes quickly, but it's always a smooth and steady stroke from beginning to end. Just another way to explain things...

That is a great analogy. Beautiful in it's simplicty.

ToddG
06-06-2012, 07:55 AM
Another way I've taught the DA trigger press on a service auto is to think of the proper use of a canoe paddle or a boat oar: each is used in a long, smooth, constant speed STROKE from the moment you dip the blade of the paddle/oar until it finishes its stroke at the end.

That's excellent. Consider it stolen.

Sheep Have Wool
06-06-2012, 11:49 AM
From a student perspective, Wayne explained the concept to me this way, and it clicked in a very intuitive way. I've actually been thinking about "rowing" the trigger during dry fire.

Wayne Dobbs
06-06-2012, 11:58 AM
That's excellent. Consider it stolen.


I should think that a case of 9mm ball training ammo would be an even trade...