Trigger job and a.d. liability

[corneliusiii]

I had been thinking about having my trigger-pull lightened - it seemed to be affecting my accuracy. What concerns me is that, under stress, I might pull the trigger on someone without meaning to. I know - ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FINGER OUTSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE. But, under stress I might not remember this rule.

So I consulted Massad Ayoob in his book "Cocealed Carry". I found an answer; he says keep it four pounds or over. This avoids an actual a.d. and protects you if you are taken to court.

He says it's harder to prove you didn't "accidently" discharge the weapon than it is to prove you were justified in doing so intentionally, and so this may be used against you.

I thought this might be something of interest to the gun totin' folks out there. What do you think?

[Glock Fan]

Originally Posted by corneliusiii

I had been thinking about having my trigger-pull lightened - it seemed to be affecting my accuracy. What concerns me is that, under stress, I might pull the trigger on someone without meaning to. I know - ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FINGER OUTSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE. But, under stress I might not remember this rule.

So I consulted Massad Ayoob in his book "Cocealed Carry". I found an answer; he says keep it four pounds or over. This avoids an actual a.d. and protects you if you are taken to court.

He says it's harder to prove you didn't "accidently" discharge the weapon than it is to prove you were justified in doing so intentionally, and so this may be used against you.

I thought this might be something of interest to the gun totin' folks out there. What do you think?

Train properly with your defensive firearm and in time you should be able to become proficient with the firearm. I would recommend no less than a 5 lb. trigger pull, but that's just me. All of my defensive firearms are 5+ lbs, and my G 23 (the one I carry most often) has the 8.5 lb "New York" trigger.

If your trigger pull is too light, the probability of a ND greatly increases. I've seen a competition shooters ND their 1911 into the ground due to a 3 lb. trigger and lack of practice. They barely cleared the holster, and barely grazed the trigger when the gun went off.

Practice properly under various conditions and you will do well if you ever need to use your defensive firearm for it's intended purpose.



gf

[DebS]

My HK has an 8 lb trigger pull and I'd be hesitant to carry any lighter than that, myself.

I agree, practice is the key. Good mentor in Mas.

[corneliusiii]

Deb and GF,
thanks for the posts. I came to the same conclusion you two did. I posted this same question on rugerforum.net and someone had the idea that the trigger work would be irrelevant in a trial. This worried me a little. The way Ayoob talks, you WILL be charged with SOMETHING if you defend yourself with lethal force. The last thing any of us wants is to be dragged into court and ruined - to say nothing of an actual negligent discharge.

My CCW instructor talked about this, but there is so much material to cover in the space of one day. I think this is something people should think carefully about.

[Gamecockfan1963]

Smoothed the term is smoothed,,not lightened

[corneliusiii]

Lighten up,,dude!

[Price66]

Bryan what gun did you decide on purchasing the Glock 23 or 27. I have the 27 aND 19. I enjoy both of them but the 27 is easier to conceal.

[Wolfling68]

Don't forget there is a difference between target shooting, competition shooting, and self defence shooting. In a self defence weapon, IMO a light trigger is a handicap. As the adrenaline hits, fine motorskills evaporate and gross motor skills become exagerated. Accuracy will go way down.
Practice with the heavy trigger, preferrably while moving and under stress (run 100 yards flat out then fire and see how you do) and at moving tagets. You will then get an idea of why so many people miss in combat :-)

[6shootercarry]

Try practice with a revolver and shoot it double action. It takes some time to keep the pull smooth and the sights in the center. I found it worth the effort. Muscle memory is good. Then try shooting both weapons beginning with the revolver first then your self defense weapon. I have tried this advice and found it worked well for me. Don't go too light with trigger pull. My new M&P is MA compliant and the trigger pull is way too tight. I have plans to have it fixed, but no less than 5.5-6lbs for me. Yikes, the thought of accidental discharge…

[corneliusiii]

Originally Posted by Wolfling68

Don't forget there is a difference between target shooting, competition shooting, and self defence shooting. In a self defence weapon, IMO a light trigger is a handicap. As the adrenaline hits, fine motorskills evaporate and gross motor skills become exagerated. Accuracy will go way down.
Practice with the heavy trigger, preferrably while moving and under stress (run 100 yards flat out then fire and see how you do) and at moving tagets. You will then get an idea of why so many people miss in combat :-)

Thanks, Wolfling,
I think that is good advice. I have been wanting to do some run-and-gun exercises and I will when time and space permit. I haven't practiced under any kind of stress yet and I know this is unwise. I would be interested in any classes anyone might recommend, I live in South Carolina. I've learned a lot from reading, but there is certainly no substitute for real trigger-time.
Thanks again,
C