Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G.

I have chased the ultimate trigger, hunted for that thing for decades. Then one day I comprehended that a really good trigger for shooting was not the best trigger for managing problems in a normal society, and that several triggers could live in harmony with each other. Jeff Cooper prescribed a “trigger you can manage” as one of the four requirements for a defensive sidearm. Some of us take that a little too far (me having been one). Over the years I have handled literally hundreds of models, and thousands of guns as part of inspecting or evaluating them. You can take a hundred of the same model, and get close to a hundred different trigger feels. Some slightly different, some a lot different, and most not different enough to matter. There are specific reasons for that, but too much detail for this article. Though one example is just last night, I tried three sets of new factory part combinations in a Gen5 G19, and got multiple different feels on them until I got the right combo. That was variance between parts in a single gun. It is a thing.

Several weekends ago, I decided at the last minute to shoot a match in the area I was in that morning. I did not have a bunch of different equipment with me, and shot the match with an optic equipped Sig P320 with a PEEL trigger, out of a Bladetech concealment holster. All but three other competitors had guns with trigger work done to them. (One had a stock Sig Mk25, one had a heavily used Glock 34 – which has a “-“ connector, and another had a heavily used Springfield XD-which has a pretty light, short trigger out of the box.) After the match I was comparing triggers with two competitors that had modified Glocks, with very short and light triggers. They took my gun, and did what all gun people do; proceed to slowly press the trigger trying to feel any and all glitches or grit or little annoyances in it. Both didn’t like the PEEL and thought it was too heavy or too spongy. I asked them to bring the gun on target and press the trigger as fast as they would, and in the manner they would, if someone were trying to kill them. After they did that, I asked if the trigger would have hindered them using the gun in that situation; and the answer was a confident “no.” 

This led to a conversation with someone else about trigger actions. The person I was talking to was saying they didn’t mind their Sig P226 double action first shot, and after a few iterations of double to single action in a practice session, that transition didn’t bother them much. I asked if they noticed it in a match, and they said no. I asked if they noticed during qualifications, and they said yes. Here is the key: if you are paying attention to the problem, you don’t have time to think about the nuances of your trigger (with some caveats). 

For hammer fired guns you have single action or double action. Single action is where the trigger is the same for every shot (like a 1911). Generally, it is a light trigger (under 5 lbs). However, it can be heavier, and require more pressure (above 5, up to 12 lbs per press). Double action is where you are cocking the hammer with the first shot (which requires upwards of 10-12 lbs initially), and follow up shots only require 4-5 lbs on the trigger to drop the one cocked hammer. With the exception of the HK LEM, Para LDA, or Sig DAK (maybe a few other obscure or out of production guns); those are the only trigger actions on a hammer fired gun, full stop. There is no such thing as Double Action Only – how can you have two different actions and say it is only one? We say it, and I have in the past, because it is colloquial and easy. However, that was an oversight on my part. I always thought there are only two genders as well, but what do I know? 

Most striker fired guns have a single action to the trigger, or the same weight required each time to release the firing pin. They require only a single action to accomplish this (gasp!) The firing pin may reset to fully cocked, or it may return to a half cock, either way, there is one weight and action required. Some weird ones like the SW99 (a Walther clone), some Taurus and other oddball hammerless designed guns can fire from full cock, or trigger cocking – what in the world? Once you chamber a round, there is a de-cocker on the slide. Leave it alone, and you get a short, easy, light trigger. De-cock it, and you have a heavier, longer trigger because the trigger is pulling the firing pin further back to fire the gun; but once that first shot is fired, subsequent ones are lighter; until you de-cock it again. There are some other variants, but they are not so common anymore, so not complimentary to what has turned into a deep dive on obscure triggers. 

By far the most common trigger in law enforcement is the striker fired, single action (Glock, Sig P320/365, Smith & Wesson M&P, HK VP9) . The hammer fired double action (ex: HK45/P30, SIG P226), and the hammer fired single action (ex: 1911 – may it never die) are still the predominate choices of law enforcement. Savvy lawmen, and a lot of legally armed citizens sometimes choose the hammer fired revolver as a primary, backup, or discreet carry option. Which gets us back on track for the article. 

Just because the 6’ 2” SWAT stud with large hands can run the double action HK45 doesn’t mean the close to retirement 5’ 9” 54 year old shift Sergeant with arthritis can. The old (54 is old, and that hurts….) shift Sergeant may not have the grip strength or hand size to run the gun well, and performs substantially better with a 1911. (So, what? He should just retire, right? What about his service and life he has dedicated? Or, what about the fact that he has been in three in policy gunfights, and saved countless lives? I think rational and even, individual assessments should determine gun type based on actual merit instead of assimilation with the current administration’s whims – but then again, I am a radical apparently.)

What about the petite female nurse, that has a call for protecting herself? She cannot physically handle a G43’s recoil, a P320’s size, or the trigger on a Smith &Wesson 642. Someone else’s personal preference should not be forced onto her, or our fellow officer’s – that is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. (I swear I am getting to where I am headed, but laying ground work with examples for reference.)

Police Officers manage problems with a gun out far more than we shoot people. A trigger that is made for shooting with critical levels of accuracy under duress (1911) is less forgiving of mishandling than a double action trigger (P226). However, one that is excessively heavy for each shot, becomes cumbersome, and more time consuming to shoot well under the same situations. And let us not forget the fact that you can put a 20 lb. Trigger on a gun, and someone with poor trigger finger discipline and poor decision making will still crank a shot off when it isn’t needed. Safety lies between the ears.

The middle ground is a Glock/P320/M&P or a P226/P30, with factory standard triggers. Assuming proper hand size and grip strength, most everyone can manage those triggers – as long as the trigger is smooth and consistent. It is when they are out of spec with glitches and roughness that we see problems. If you have to fight the gun, and a murderer, you had better have a steel mindset and God on your side. 

For most people with decent training, the double action is best for managing an unknown problem. For serious people with good training and good decision making skills, the 1911 (light single action) is best for shooting for high stakes under duress; and those kind can easily manage problems with no extra risk. For the common man, the striker fired gun with a medium trigger weight (around 5-8 lbs.) is the balance of the two extremes. However, any of this can change based off the individual. I am quite happy with a 1911, and have used it successfully for most of my career; yet am smart enough to know it is sadly not for everyone. I can manage and use a P226, and have – though it is not my preference. I can and do manage Glock and P320’s – and the vast majority of officers can as well. But….. We get always go back to – training (proper, credible, well thought out). Just teaching to shoot is not enough. Learn to live with guns (John Farnam). Learn decision making under stress (Scott Reitz). Learn to integrate bridge weapons and fight from any position (Kelly McCann). Mindset is king (Jeff Cooper). Google those men, and learn. 

Once the gun fits the hand, once a proper training program is applied, then trigger feel is not as important as it once was (meaning you stopped buying skill, and earned it, and now can benefit from the skill you tried to buy in the first place) – as long as it is reasonable and can be measured in a rationale way. It is a balance, because you can have too heavy or too light.