New to the forum and I have a trigger pull question

[Paul053]

Hi folks I'm new to the forum and trying to learn as much as possible. My primary pistol is a glock 17 but I also own a hk45 and a Springfield trp. I'm having a real difficult time mastering the glock trigger. I consistently shoot left with my glock but if I were to switch to my 1911 or hk. I'm hitting dead on.

Many have corrected me about proper trigger finger placement and I just may not be getting it. So I'm including two picture. Please forgive me for the blurriness. The first picture is what I would say is my natural finger position if I move it from the trigger guard to the trigger. You will notice that my first knuckle is slightly bent but the trigger sits on the pad of my finger.

The second photo takes a little more effort to do but my first knuckle is completely flat and at a 90 degree from the pistol. Which is better? Thank you for your time.

[OnionsAndDragons]

I know that I get better mileage out of #2 on my Glocks. It feels super awkward for me, though. I have biggish hands, but they are long-fingered not meaty, so I feel for the person that has finger placement issues on some of these guns.

I would suggest trying out your backstraps if it is a Gen4.


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[TCinVA]

My 2 cents:

There's no single "right" answer that is applicable to every human hand interacting with every handgun on the market. Some individual experimentation and innovation may be necessary. Based on what I've experienced myself and I've seen in others, I would urge a trigger finger position that keeps everything but the bit of your trigger finger that is in contact with the trigger away from the gun. As in no part of your trigger finger should be in contact with the frame if at all possible. On a Glock if I have the trigger finger position shown in your pictures, I push the gun left. To avoid this I need to have the very tip of my trigger finger positioned directly on the safety button of the Glock trigger. The result is that the tip of my trigger finger would be completely obscured from view by the trigger guard of the pistol if it was pictured like the photos you've shown.

My trigger finger has a bend in it as seen in the top picture rather than the flat knuckle position shown in the second...I cannot effectively work a trigger with the arrangement shown in the second picture. Some people might be able to make that work for them on some guns, but I absolutely cannot on anything other than perhaps some 1911 pistols.

[Paul053]

Hmmm maybe that's it... When i shoot, my trigger finger is in contact with the frame at the top of the trigger area. Also should add that my support index finger doesnt naturally wrap over the fingers of the firing hand but makes contact with the frame just underneath my trigger finger and behind the trigger. Wish i could take a picture but i dont have a third had available.

I also have XL sized hands.

[Jay Cunningham]

I yanked this out of a dry practice thread that I wrote: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....Misconceptions

If you persist in using "just the tip" of your trigger finger because you were trained that way, you're screwing yourself. If you're reading this you've likely taken formal training and you've likely been told to use just the tip of your finger on the trigger. I'm telling you to use how much ever finger you need to minimize movement of the gun. This requires experimentation. You may only need just the tip of your finger. You may need to jam your whole finger in up to the second knuckle. You need to figure it out, and now is the time. You'll know when it's right, because the sights won't move.

[CCT125US]

What Jay said above. Another way to think of it is whatever allows you to finish flat at the break point. Does the curl finish flat, or does the flat finish curled?

[45dotACP]

No easy answer other than "try a bunch, and see what works best". I found that for me, putting a rubber band in the ejection port allowed me to work the trigger a bit...I'd watch the sights or a laser. If they're all over the place, tweak the trigger control and try again. Rinse, lather repeat. YMMV

[taadski]

There's a bunch of good info coming your way already. And, Jay, that dry-fire write up is great. I'd only seen it in passing before.

Couple of thoughts for the OP:

Regardless of where or how you place your finger, it's going to be moving in an arc. With a trigger (like the Glocks) that has more distance from prep to the sear releasing (than say a 1911), the angle your finger is hitting the trigger is going to change significantly from where it starts to where the shot breaks, so CCT125US's recommendation has particular bearing here; finish flat. Also, what "feels flat" subjectively often isn't and, as others mentioned already, the only way to determine that for your hands on this particular trigger is self diagnostics. Exercises like the wall drill, laser evaluation, balancing the casing on the front sight type stuff until you can press the trigger without ANY sight movement.

I shoot predominantly DA/SA guns so take that into account, but I have large hands also and in order for me to press the trigger cleanly I typically have considerably more finger on the face of the trigger than either of your photos show. And I find that with Glocks, for me, it's the same; I shoot them best getting closer to the crease than your photos show and I don't tend to see a push left with them. [shrug] But of course, YMMV. Regardless, it's about finding YOUR balance.

Also, In my experience, trigger control issues are often masked in a lot of shooters, by a really good strong two handed grip. Practicing some of the above drills one handed will really quickly show you any inefficiencies in your trigger control technique that you might be partially getting away with shooting freestyle. I spend a lot of time in my dry fire regiment focusing on one handed shooting it pays great dividends in my two handed shooting.



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[OnionsAndDragons]

Taadski,

That is such a good point on practicing dry fire one-handed!
I had a small dry practice epiphany regarding that last night. I have been struggling with finding the best technique for shooting my P320.

I was shooting captain Janeway repeatedly but not perfectly. I lounged back and just took a couple instinctive pulls at her SHO, and naturally wrapped my whole finger in like I do on my TDA Sigs : Bam, no sight movement at all.

I wasn't expecting that to work, so I didn't think to try it. Lesson learned, try it all. I'm looking forward to testing this live later in the week.


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