Trigger Pull

The amount of "pull", or pounds of pressure it takes to release the firing mechanism, is called Trigger pull. It doesn't mean that the best way to shoot is a pulling action.
Proper trigger manipulation is key to accurate pistol shooting. Some like me argue it is the most important factor when learning to shoot a handgun. For this reason alone trigger characteristics and pull weight deserve careful consideration when selecting a weapon to bet your life on.
As a general rule a serious use pistol should have a trigger no lighter than 4 pounds and ideally no more than 8 pounds. Average shooters will generally shoot a pistol with the same trigger pull weight from shot to shot better than a double action/single action pistol that has a long and relatively heavy first trigger pull followed by lighter and shorter trigger pull for each following shot. A perfect example would be a Glock 17 with a factory stock trigger that pulls at approx 5 pounds and is the same for each shot vs a Beretta M9 with a double action first trigger pull of approx 13 lbs and a 5 lb single action trigger for each shot after. Although double action/single action guns can be mastered, the average shooter will definitely shoot a pistol like a Glock better than a Beretta.
In addition, a trigger below 4 lbs can easily lead to accidental discharges under conditions of stress. Remember fine motor skills degrade rapidly under stress. Not only does the shooters ability to shoot accurately suffer, but because of this, a 4 lb trigger will feel like a 2 lb trigger when you are truly in fear for your life. Add to this sweaty hands, rain and/or cold, and possibly gloves and you begin to see why finely tuned match triggers of 3 lbs or less have no place on a serious fighting tool.
Another horrible trend is for Law Enforcement (LE) agencies to put a very heavy trigger on their issue service pistol for liability reasons. The most famous example is the Glock New York trigger that weighs approx 8 lbs and even worse is the New York plus that has a trigger pull weight of 12 lbs. Remember if your pistol weighs 2 lbs loaded and you have an 8 pound trigger pull, it will take 4 times the loaded weight of the the handgun to make it fire. This means for the typical shooter it is virtually impossible to shoot the weapon accurately under stress. This leads to misses and an unintentional spray and pray approach when in a gunfight. The danger to innocent bystanders is increased dramatically and the very thing that was meant to make the pistol safer (heavy trigger pull ) actually increases the danger to the public that LE officers are sworn to protect. This sad situation started as a byproduct of LE agencies that issued revolvers and relied on the long heavy double action trigger pull as a safety device. This lead to the unsafe habit of allowing officers to have their finger on the trigger when they should not. Enter a stock Glock 17 with a 5 lb trigger and no manual safeties of any kind and you have a recipe for disaster. A much better approach is to train and if need be re-train officers to keep their finger
off the trigger at all times except when presenting the weapon toward the target. Always keep in mind that a mechanical device is a poor substitute for safe gun handling.
Trigger pull, or as I like to call it, trigger press is such an important part of shooting that playing with the weight and letting students (LE no less!) keep their finger on the trigger is asking for trouble. Trouble with safety, trouble with officers and others being shot because a heavy trigger slows them down and ruins their accuracy. That says nothing of innocent bystanders and the danger of making a gun impossible to shoot well. I would hope that LE agencies do some research before picking a weapon as a service weapon.
As a civilian when choosing a gun do your homework. Know what you’re getting. I personally like a carry gun that has no safety and a heavier trigger. If you shoot a lot you will get used to it and shoot accurately with it. I would be sure it’s not ridicules. As I said before, 5 to 8 pounds is reasonable. What I like is 5 and 6 pounds but I can shoot well with a 10 pound trigger. If you are new to shooting, 5 to 8 should work for you.
I have a Smith and Wesson Sigma 9. I love this gun! It’s so much fun to shoot and it was not expensive. At first the trigger pull about 8.5 pounds. Too much for me. I did a modification and now it is a comfortable 4.5 to 5 pounds. Love it!
Trigger pull is always an issue with your accuracy. Be sure of what you can handle and what your gun is capable of.

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