middle finger

[cracker]

Not talking flipping people off, but using the middle finger for the trigger. I have a friend who tried this when shooting the other day. He shakes and has a hard time holding the gun steading. It improved his shooting a lot , he can hold his gun steadier. He is shooting a sig 226 with decocker and is a new shooter. he has some hand problems and says he dont have the strength to pull the trigger with his index finger.
Thoughts?

[JCN]

Get a different gun.
Do hand exercises.

Some people don’t do well with 8-13 pound triggers.

[snow white]

I think in extenuating circumstances like your friends its completely acceptable. Some people need to modify the way they do things due to physical limitations. As long as he is safe and capable then rock on. Outside of that, if you were doing it just because you thought it made you better some way.....I'd totally make fun of you.

Edit. Or depending on the physical limitations of the hands...get another gun

[Clusterfrack]

At one of the USPSA clubs I shoot at, there is a Super Senior guy with very arthritic hands. I guess some days are worse for him than others. Sometimes he will shoot his Glock freestyle while actuating the trigger with the middle finger of his strong hand, and other times he uses the index finger. He is quite accurate with both methods. I notice that he is very deliberate during reloads and other gun manipulations --possibly because his fingers cannot be straightened fully.

[cracker]

I have new springs for his gun and will be dropping the trigger pull down, not sure he will want to use his index finger after that or not, with his index finger on the frame away from the slide he has is much steadier.
He is not doing this for a wow factor or because he thinks its tact-a-cool he is limited to how straight his finger will go, his little finger is a "C" all the time but it fits his grip fine.

[Caballoflaco]

Especially since he’s a new shooter make sure he has a safe index to keep his middle finger off the trigger when he’s holding the gun and not shooting. For whatever reason this can be a big problem (keeping your damn finger off the trigger) for people who take up shooting later in life, especially males.

Since he is a new shooter learning to shoot left handed may present less problems if he has better strength or dexterity with his fingers on that hand.

[Clusterfrack]

I have new springs for his gun and will be dropping the trigger pull down, not sure he will want to use his index finger after that or not, with his index finger on the frame away from the slide he has is much steadier.
He is not doing this for a wow factor or because he thinks its tact-a-cool he is limited to how straight his finger will go, his little finger is a "C" all the time but it fits his grip fine.

Does reducing the DA pull also reduce the SA pull? That could be a concern if it becomes too light for this guy to use safely.

[cracker]

Does reducing the DA pull also reduce the SA pull? That could be a concern if it becomes too light for this guy to use safely.

it will reduce the DA and the SA but the SA not by as much. It will stay in the "safe zone".
He is pretty good about his finger off the trigger, I explain to new shooters that the trigger finger also has another name "the booger picker" and since you don't walk around with your finger up your nose waiting for a booger, you shouldn't keep your finger on the trigger waiting for a shot. This seems to stick with them.

[Clusterfrack]

it will reduce the DA and the SA but the SA not by as much. It will stay in the "safe zone".


When I use light hammer and trigger return springs in my CZ p-07s, I add a heavy sear spring to keep the SA pull above 3#.

[SecondsCount]

It doesn't really matter what finger you use as long as the sights don't move when you squeeze the trigger.

[Leroy]

I know a USPSA Master class shooter that shot with his middle finger cause his index finger got chopped off in accident. I didn't notice this until roughly 4 years of intermittently running into him at matches.

It's definitely doable.

[jnc36rcpd]

it will reduce the DA and the SA but the SA not by as much. It will stay in the "safe zone".
He is pretty good about his finger off the trigger, I explain to new shooters that the trigger finger also has another name "the booger picker" and since you don't walk around with your finger up your nose waiting for a booger, you shouldn't keep your finger on the trigger waiting for a shot. This seems to stick with them.

cracker, that's a somewhat gross analogy and I doubt it would meet Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission guidelines, but I suspect it's very effective. Rock on.

[DpdG]

Agree with all the above- it's a technique, but at least for pistols its only applicable for adapting to physical limitations/injuries. Rifles are another story- fast bolt action shooting often involves the middle finger, plus its a technique for left handed operation of a non-ambi safety selector on ARs (maybe others?).

I've had to shoot pistol with my middle finger before due to a crushing injury to my index the day before annual qualifications. I was slower and I had to put a great deal more conscious thought into my manipulations, but it was very much doable. I knew another gent who shot bullseye rather seriously who lost his index finger to bone cancer. He adapted and continued shooting well after the amputation.

[JCL]

...He is pretty good about his finger off the trigger...

I'm not convinced that "pretty good" is the level of trigger finger discipline at which a new shooter should consider reducing the safety margin designed into the trigger to be a good idea. This sounds like the wrong gun becoming the really wrong gun to me.

[JRV]

One of the guys in my LE academy class was missing his dominant index finger at the second knuckle. He shot with his middle finger.

I cannot imagine doing it outside of a medical reason. My ring and pinky fingers on my strong hand have maybe half the available grip strength of my middle finger (not that I'm squeezing with my strong hand much beyond a "firm handshake," but I'm not exactly tickled pink by a loss of grip strength or leverage).

[Archer1440]

Not to take things off-topic concerning new shooters but:

This caught my attention because, recently I’ve been trying harder to improve/maintain my support-hand-only game with various drills, and this thread reminds me that it’s also a really good idea to at least learn what happens when you shoot/reload/go for a BUG without the full use of your hand/fingers (on either side). I’ve done a fair bit of training for that and it’s a good tool to have in the toolbox.

As we know, it’s reasonably common for people in pistol fights to be shot in or around the hands- I’ve experienced this myself (in both directions) in numerous Simunitions runs over the years. (Took one right to the support hand middle finger at Gunsite last October from the muzzle of a certain “faster than I was” Bob Shimizu, and still have a very slight scar to prove it.).

I’m sure many of you have seen numerous LEO UOF videos where the officers took rounds or splinters to the hand- last year’s incident involving a female officer in a traffic stop comes to mind.

I have a retired LE friend completely missing his index finger who lost it that way- but he is still quite a competent shooter with a Beretta 92, using his middle finger. Out of curiosity, I’ve tried it a few times myself, and found that it was no worse than the usual finger in terms of trigger control. (Recoil control dominant-handed only, not so much, as I’m missing part of that hand’s pinky- which is why I can’t wear my engineer’s ring).

[Cheap Shot]

I'll defer to my betters here but f my memory serves (never reliable) doesn't Eric-Grauffel (the best competition shooter in the world) use his middle finger for the trigger pull?

[JRV]

I'll defer to my betters here but f my memory serves (never reliable) doesn't Eric-Grauffel (the best competition shooter in the world) use his middle finger for the trigger pull?

No. He does hook his trigger guard with his support hand, but that’s the extent of the weirdness.

[Cheap Shot]

No. He does hook his trigger guard with his support hand, but that’s the extent of the weirdness.

You're right and thank you!

Any idea where I left my keys?:confused:

[BillSWPA]

Not talking flipping people off, but using the middle finger for the trigger. I have a friend who tried this when shooting the other day. He shakes and has a hard time holding the gun steading. It improved his shooting a lot , he can hold his gun steadier. He is shooting a sig 226 with decocker and is a new shooter. he has some hand problems and says he dont have the strength to pull the trigger with his index finger.
Thoughts?

Is he shooting 1 handed or 2 handed? I can see this working reasonably well 2-handed, but it does not leave many fingers around the grip 1-handed.

My first suggestion would be lighter springs and/or a professional trigger job. If that does not work, I would suggest another gun.

I also suggest getting GripMasters in various spring strengths and using them frequently.

[Jim Watson]

Not a middle finger, but another example of digital problem solving.
I know a couple of women who find the DA of a DA/SA auto hard to manage. But they figured it out for themselves.
They get both forefingers on the trigger and pull it right on through.

[cracker]

Does reducing the DA pull also reduce the SA pull? That could be a concern if it becomes too light for this guy to use safely.
After changing the main hammer spring it brought the DA pull to 10.5lbs and the SA to 4.5 I returned the gun to him yesterday and he will be dry firing to see if he can use the index finger. He also has a Doctor appointment to see what they can do with his Dupuytren's Contracture.