Trigger Prepping

[Jackson]

From a recent John Farnam email article:

Trigger “prepping,” if you like penitentiaries (on the inside)!

I’ve seen and personally witnessed several professing self-defense instructors recently who are promoting the misguided procedure of “trigger prepping,” and teaching it to naïve students.

With “trigger prepping,” one places his finger in contact with the trigger of his pistol at the point in the draw where hands come together, long before sights are at eye-level.

The shooter is at this point pretty much committed to a shot!

Trigger pressure is then steadily increased as the pistol is brought to eye level, so that it ideally discharges the instant sights come on target.

So, for “trigger-preppers” the pistol is always and automatically fired every time it is drawn. One cannot draw his pistol without shooting it. Between hands coming together and sights coming on target, there is no opportunity to abort the shot!

This all comes from quaint pistol competitions, where targets and distances are always known in advance, and the contestant knows in advance he will always draw and fire.

Conversely, in legitimate domestic self-defense, none of that is known, and the pistol is actually fired on only a small percentage of the occasions where it is actually drawn. On the vast majority of those occasions, the suspect voluntarily disengages, turns, and withdraws upon seeing the pistol in the hands of his intended victim, and shooting is thus unnecessary.

Accordingly, being able to draw and not fire is just as important as being able to draw and fire immediately!

Safely holding suspects at gunpoint, issuing verbal challenges while holding suspect(s) at gunpoint, and moving with pistol in hand are all critical skills, just as important as a fast draw!

Remember, “self-defense” may be claimed only in an intentional shooting. The jury will not be allowed to even consider self-defense when you shoot absent deliberate intent that the gun discharge at that instant, regardless of other circumstances!

With few exceptions, the trigger-finger needs to remain in the register position until/unless sights are visually on-target, and the Operator has consciously, simultaneously made the decision to shoot immediately.

Thus, when unexpectedly confronting genuine violent criminals in places other than pistol matches, “trigger preppers” have an excellent chance of becoming residents of penitentiaries!

Throwing it up for discussion.

 

[hammerd13]

I practice both types of draws...

1. Quick-draw and shoot immediately, which includes prepping trigger so that it breaks upon reaching near full extension. This method takes considerable time off my draw-to-first-shot and would be absolutely necessary under certain dire circumstances.
2. Quick-draw with trigger finger positioned in registered position the entire time...waiting for further information on whether or not I need to shoot. I practice this draw several times each morning to prepare for the day and acclimate myself to any garment defeats I would need to potentially perform.

Generally speaking, if the gun comes out of the holster...there is a really good reason and somebody's life/well-being is in danger. I would tend to believe that I could decide which of the two aforementioned draws I could execute at the moment I elect to draw my firearm. In fact, I make this decision often during training sessions...and I've never really gotten the two confused. Admittedly, a REAL scenario would involve much more adrenaline and muscle memory.

The article does specifically call out "naïve" students. I agree, that if the student is beginning to learn and hasn't fully grasped all the other aspects of self-defense (legal and otherwise), trigger prepping probably isn't a wise investment of time (yet).

Great question, Jackson.

 

[JCSR]

I agree with the article. Even in competition I don't prep.

 

[Trapper Jim]

This subject always gives me a laugh. Too discuss trigger prepping is like studying how to open a door to go into the next room. Or to inhale before you exhale. If you stay and study on the process of trigger prep you certainly will be neglecting something far more important within the streamlined fundamentals of shooting.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I keep my finger off the trigger until I am ready to fire.

"Ready to fire" might mean different things, from contact shots to full extension aimed fire, but it always means that if the gun goes bang, I can accept the consequences.

 

[Dean C.]

My real question is what trigger slack?

 

[JCSR]

I keep my finger off the trigger until I am ready to fire.

"Ready to fire" might mean different things, from contact shots to full extension aimed fire, but it always means that if the gun goes bang, I can accept the consequences.

Yes and at that point I'm slapping that sumbitch as fast as possible.

 

[churchmouse]

My real question is what trigger slack?

"WINNING"

I was trying to find a way to get this in the thread and not be a douche.

 

[Dean C.]

"WINNING"

I was trying to find a way to get this in the thread and not be a douche.

I mean I was kinda being serious the only two guns I own where you can even "prep" the trigger is my Walther and P365 lol. All the others just a very crisp break with maybe a mm or two of take up at most.

 

[ECS686]

I was issued a revolver when I started my LE/Military career in 1986. Back in those DA Revolver days it was called 'Staging the trigger " and was one thing taught with DA Revolvers.

Here the issue A DA revolver is more forgiving as it has a 12 to 13 pound trigger and a lot of travel. A Striker has maybe a 5lb (If they don't throw an apex or some other 3 pound trigger in it) with not a whole lot of travel so just not a good way to do it. Especially under stress.
One of the training scars why departments keep DA only revolvers or Hammer fored DAO Autos forever and alsi why when same departments went to Glocks etc they had increases in ADs aka Glock or COP leg!

The practice/theory was you pull the trigger 3/4th thw way theough stoping ("staging" then reacquire your sights and you have maybe 1/8-1/4th inch of travel later BANG. If the shot wasnt there simply let off the trigger no harm no foul.

No way most people should (or really can) Stage or prep with a striker fired or especially a 1911 style.

 

[dudley0]

I was issued a revolver when I started my LE/Military career in 1986. Back in those DA Revolver days it was called 'Staging the trigger " and was one thing taught with DA Revolvers.

Here the issue A DA revolver is more forgiving as it has a 12 to 13 pound trigger and a lot of travel. A Striker has maybe a 5lb (If they don't throw an apex or some other 3 pound trigger in it) with not a whole lot of travel so just not a good way to do it. Especially under stress.
One of the training scars why departments keep DA only revolvers or Hammer fored DAO Autos forever and alsi why when same departments went to Glocks etc they had increases in ADs aka Glock or COP leg!

The practice/theory was you pull the trigger 3/4th thw way theough stoping ("staging" then reacquire your sights and you have maybe 1/8-1/4th inch of travel later BANG. If the shot wasnt there simply let off the trigger no harm no foul.

No way most people should (or really can) Stage or prep with a striker fired or especially a 1911 style.

Buddy of mine back in the day swore by this technique with revolvers. Said he did this when hunting as well. With dryfire practice I could get it to work nearly every time. No way I would try it with a live firearm in a defensive setting.

He swore by it. I preferred to pull the hammer back and leave it for single action when waiting.

When I carried DA/SA semi-autos I would index my finger on the trigger upon unholstering. When I made the switch to striker fired I stopped all that. No trigger jobs on any of my carry guns, but still too easy for me to have an ND if I tried that.

Obviously I am a noob who has been shooting for some time now.

 

[obijohn]

"WINNING"

I was trying to find a way to get this in the thread and not be a douche.

I like a fairly light trigger. On my 1911/2011 pistols that are meant for social use, I purposely build in some take up. The mouse has felt some of my triggers.

 

[Tactically Fat]

My brother in law is a retired Federal Air Marshal. They were issued DA/SA Sig 229 or 239 (in .357 Sig, of course. 124gr Speer Gold Dots)

Anyhow - those men and women probably had / have some of the most robust handgun training programs in all of the Federal LEO agencies.

He told me that they were taught and trained to prep their triggers on their initial DA shots.

There is a retired FLETC instructor here on INGO - perhaps he can chime in. If I could remember his screen name, I'd page him.

But in anything other than certain DA / DAO guns, I'm apt to lean on the side of "prepping is bad juju".

 

[churchmouse]

My brother in law is a retired Federal Air Marshal. They were issued DA/SA Sig 229 or 239 (in .357 Sig, of course. 124gr Speer Gold Dots)

Anyhow - those men and women probably had / have some of the most robust handgun training programs in all of the Federal LEO agencies.

He told me that they were taught and trained to prep their triggers on their initial DA shots.

There is a retired FLETC instructor here on INGO - perhaps he can chime in. If I could remember his screen name, I'd page him.

But in anything other than certain DA / DAO guns, I'm apt to lean on the side of "prepping is bad juju".

It is without training and practice.

 

[churchmouse]

I like a fairly light trigger. On my 1911/2011 pistols that are meant for social use, I purposely build in some take up. The mouse has felt some of my triggers.

I have.
I stopped handing my personal spec set ups to those with to Little time behind a 1911 with a sub 3lb pull and a a cracking crystal break. If you have not experienced this it can get people hurt and in the least scare the crap out of you.
Comparing o a striker fired set up is just.....well.....no comparison.

 

[Tactically Fat]

I have.
I stopped handing my personal spec set ups to those with to Little time behind a 1911 with a sub 3lb pull and a a cracking crystal break. If you have not experienced this it can get people hurt and in the least scare the crap out of you.
Comparing o a striker fired set up is just.....well.....no comparison.

My former Springfield EMP had the "best" trigger on any gun that I've ever owned prior or since (with the exception of the triple modes of "trigger" that the Walther P99 had, I suppose).

Back then, I had a terrible training scar / neural pathway of pinning the trigger to the rear upon firing. There was more than one inadvertent double tap from me out of that EMP.

I'm sure I'd do better with it now, but that hold habit I have is a hard one to kick. Especially these days when ammo availability is scarce and prices are high.

 

[foszoe]

I may remember it wrong, but I practice how Coach taught me. Know your trigger well enough that with the gun up at eye level close to the body with eyes on target finger touches the trigger transition to front sight on target as I press out begin my trigger pull and gun should go off just as arms reach full extension

 

[sixGuns]

Total agreement with the article. Trigger prepping, IMO, is a very bad idea and I will say why very simply. Everyone thinks they are a super tacticool operator, but when a real situation arises and the adrenaline starts flowing all bets are off, even for the highly trained.

 

[2A-Hoosier23]

Idk about the idea that prepping the trigger = committing to shooting. Especially with a double action trigger pull.

 

[Randy Harris]

Drawing to challenge someone is not the same as drawing to shoot someone RIGHT NOW. If we are drawing and confronting a "Don't shoot yet " target then muzzle is OFF the target and finger is OFF the trigger.

If we are drawing to a "shoot right NOW " target , the finger goes on trigger while gun is extending between the #3 and #4 count of the draw and slack is taken out as any final tiny corrections on where the gun is pointing are made so that gun fires at #4. This happens in about a .25 of a second time span. And there are several HIGHLY respected defensive shooting instructors who teach this. Tom Givens is one. He has had 60 plus students involved in shootings and none of them have accidentally shot anyone by getting on the trigger before the gun gets to full extension. Claude Werner is another and so is Craig Douglas. Bill Rogers and Gabe White teach the same thing as did Aron Bright and me and Cedartop.

You ABSOLUTELY CAN stop this motion on the trigger if the info changes within that time frame....just like a baseball batter checking his swing when he sees the 90mph pitch coming at him is going to be a ball instead of a strike. I know for a FACT from personal experience that you can take up the slack on an auto pistol and then back off if the info changes when the situation is REAL and the target suddenly goes from a SHOOT HIM RIGHT NOW!!!!! target to a "Don't need to shoot now " target because he sees the gun and drops the knife and puts his hands up....

Now if you only handle a gun about as often as you handle a set of post hole diggers while living in a loft apartment in New York City then no, you probably do not need to be touching the trigger. If you only practice with your pistol as often as you change the oil in your car then no, you probably do not need to be touching the trigger before the gun is at full extension. Or if you are the guy who cannot remember exactly which sock drawer your pistol is in you probably don't need to be prepping the trigger. If you are that guy then you also probably don't need to be carrying IWB (or especially AIWB) either. Or if you never practice , yet you carry a 1911 with a 3lb trigger with no take up then you don't need to be touching the trigger before full extension. ( In fact if you carry a 1911 with a 3lb trigger and no take up you might want to rethink that. ) In that case I'd NOT touch the trigger before full extension....In fact I just wouldn't CARRY that gun. But if you actually practice and do dry work regularly you are going to have a different feel for the take up on the trigger on your pistol than the guy who uses his gun about as often as I use a circular saw. Not all advice applies to all people.