Does a "Good Trigger" Matter?

[GardoneVT]

That's true, but the question, as posted originally, is entirely rhetoric.

My goal was to evaluate whether a "good trigger" made a difference for a trained shooter. A small cottage industry's popped up to provide aftermarket trigger parts for every striker fired duty gun sold today. I have to wonder if maybe $99 spent on an Apex trigger mod is better spent on ammo for practicing with the factory trigger as is.

The inspiration for this thread is after I rented an M&P9 . Even though the trigger was "bleh" personified- decent break, lots of takeup, and no perceptible reset-I still shot it pretty well. In terms of fun factor, i'd rather have my 92FS, but in terms of results the target didn't care.I'm not trying to say that I'm an expert, but I have to wonder-if my noob self can get decent hits with a gun equipped with a blah bangswitch, i'd imagine the pros can take care of business no matter what the nature of their gun's trigger is, be it light, heavy, smooth, not smooth, etc.

[John Hearne]

Don't know if this is the right time but I'll ask any way. The wisdom of the importance of gun weight to trigger weight is widely accepted nowadays.

I remember Todd saying that he never shot the stainless Sig's better than the aluminum frames. If the weight was an advantage, wouldn't you see some improvement? Or because you learned to shoot the lighter in first, did the weight not matter?

[YVK]

My goal was to evaluate whether a "good trigger" made a difference for a trained shooter. A small cottage industry's popped up to provide aftermarket trigger parts for every striker fired duty gun sold today. I have to wonder if maybe $99 spent on an Apex trigger mod is better spent on ammo for practicing with the factory trigger as is.

The answer doesn't change. Better quality trigger, whatever the definitions are, helps getting better hits, so it does "matter". By how much is an entirely different question that depends on what baseline trigger you're comparing to, what specific shooting tasks you're performing, etc. Skilled shooters may have better abilities to overcome gun's intrinsic limitations, but everyone I know wants a good trigger. It mostly comes down to what it costs, and whether expected improvement is worth it.

[fixer]

Nyeti's article on trigger types and their use as in a "street gun" showed me, at least, that the "good trigger" philosophizing is further complicated by the purpose of the weapon.

My definition of a good trigger is:

predictable take up and reset point
not too heavy
my hand can comfortably and easily move the trigger the full range of motion.

[ACP230]

I can use just about any trigger, if I have time to learn it.

If I don't have time, encountering a rough, heavy, or even a very light trigger can make problems for me.

[Hatchetman]

Some of the criteria presented for determining if a trigger is "good" strike me as overly complex. My metric is "can I press it straight back without introducing extraneous motion to the gun?" If so, it's good enough. If not, either it or me needs some work. Often times it's the latter as you gotta get those reps in to make just about any trigger you are not accustomed to work.

An aside: I teach a lot of beginner classes and get a lot of, ah, interesting, firearms showing up in class. Same deal when I RSO. On a very regular basis I get handed a gun that's said to be not hitting accurately, and the proof in the pudding is gonna be that the resident expert, yers truly, can't make the gun hit well. "Oh really?" is my unstated response as I work the front sight and trigger press to put several close together. Mind you, I don't set any speed records, and I have to tell myself not to show off, stay in the moment, stay on that sight, and slowly work the trigger, but good hits ensue. My take away is that there are a lot more bad shooters out there then there are bad triggers.

Indeed, I was in a Tom Givens class a year or so back when he asked "why is it easier to shoot a rifle accurately than it is to do the same with a pistol." In his inimitable fashion Tom cut to the chase after we all had stumbled around the question: "A rifle weighs 8 pounds or more and has a 5 pound or less trigger, while a pistol weighs 2 pounds and has an 8 pound (more or less) trigger." One trigger is a lot easier to press straight back without moving the gun than the other. It was one of those "duh" moments, but there is a lot to chew on within this simple construct.

As that may be, I think with this crowd the question is really "what are the criteria for a trigger that can be run fast and accurately at an expert level?" Think the answer to that question will be significantly different that the answer to "does a 'good trigger' matter?"

[ToddG]

Some of the criteria presented for determining if a trigger is "good" strike me as overly complex. My metric is "can I press it straight back without introducing extraneous motion to the gun?" If so, it's good enough.

As you point out in the last paragraph of your post, however, there are differences that can affect performance.

Your example of shooting crappy customer guns is a good one. Can you fire an accurate shot with a trigger that conventional wisdom would declare "bad?" Absolutely. But by your own description it takes more concentration and more time. Your margin of error in terms of technique is reduced. Small mistakes that might get masked completely by a 3oz trigger on an Olympic free pistol can push shots completely off target when it's a Hi-Point with a gritty heavy stacking trigger with a mile of overtravel.

There are plenty of triggers that I can "press straight back without introducing extraneous motion to the gun" if I have all the time in the world and can put 100% of my concentration into the trigger press every single time. But as soon as I cannot devote myself solely to the press or as soon as I make the slightest mistake, a tough trigger is going to increase my group size faster and more severely than a great trigger.

[Hatchetman]

No debate there at all, Todd, though I note a lot of my trigger issues occur when I transition to other guns. Carry a non-stock G17; should I get my Gold Cup out of the safe the same hardwiring turns my smooth trigger press into a trigger slap. See it all the time with SA/DA shooters who manage to make one hit count, while the other goes wide. Guess in my oblique way I'm saying I see a lot more hardwiring issues out on the range than wretched triggers, and there's no shortage of of people who try to correct training problems with gear. But hey, the aftermarket folks gotta eat, too.

[Casual Friday]

I have to wonder if maybe $99 spent on an Apex trigger mod is better spent on ammo for practicing with the factory trigger as is.

Depends on the shooter and what kind of "practice" it is. Practicing bad habits won't make you a better shot. An atrocious pistol shooter with likely shoot equally horrible with a factory sucky trigger than with a full Apex'd out gun. They'll probably produce the same 12" spread at 7 yards no matter what they're shooting.

[Sunday]

If all other skills are up to par. You can give me the best trigger there is and I due to my limitations only shoot so good. I tried an Eric Clapton replica guitar a few years ago, It must have had a defect because I couldn't play like Eric plays.