# Trigger Finger Placement



## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

I'm old, retired and don't sleep much so I spend a lot of time looking things up on the internet. Trigger finger placement is something I've recently looked into.
What are your thoughts on finger tip, finger pad or first crease of the finger? Of course, single action and double action have to be considered. 
Is there a right way and a wrong way or is it just what works best for you?


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

I'm a finger pad user, some prefer the finger joint. Pretty much what works best for you, especially for a practiced shooter. That being said, I would never recommend the fingertip, but to each their own.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

I settled on using the pad, because I thought I was pulling the muzzle to the right during the trigger pull. However, I never practice speed draw and fire, because my coordination sucks. If I did, maybe the joint would be easier to get to consistently.


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

I have long fingers and when I pick up a handgun my finger almost always lands on the crease. I have to consciously move my finger to the pad which is how I usually shoot. 
However you do it the point is to get a 'straight back' pull so that the front sight doesn't move to the left or right before the gun goes bang. Most of the time I use both hands so that helps keep the barrel straight.
In my search a few people suggested doing dry fire drills to work on your trigger pull. That seems like a good idea to me.
One more thing I read was to use the pad for single action and the crease for double action. 
What do you guys think about that?


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)




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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

PhuBai70 said:


> One more thing I read was to use the pad for single action and the crease for double action.
> What do you guys think about that?


Not me, I'd go one way or the other and stay that way.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Our 1911 .45 pistols have long triggers, which purposely forces me to use the first (tip) pad of my trigger finger.
The very few revolvers we have are set up for a full wrap, and are always fired DA.


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## PhuBai70 (Sep 26, 2019)

1911s have narrower triggers but I use the pad of my trigger finger even though the crease feels more comfortable.
Most of my S&W N frames have the wide serrated target triggers. The finger pad feels very comfortable on those triggers while the crease feels very awkward.
I always use circular bulls eye targets and I try to get a least some hits in the small black circle in the middle. For that reason I generally shoot revolvers in the single action mode. 
The only exception is when I take my home defense gun to the range. It's a Ruger SP101 with the 2 1/4" barrel. It is factory magna ported and I've had the action worked on so it has a smooth 3 to 3 1/2 lb. trigger pull. I always shoot this one in double action mode.


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## pblanc (Mar 3, 2015)

It really depends. I try to position my finger on the trigger in such a way that it sits flat on the face of the trigger so that the pull is straight back rather than angled toward one side. Where that places my finger will depend on factors that affect the trigger reach, like frame size, grip circumference, etc. I have to install at least medium length tiggers on my model 1911s. If I try to shoot one with the short GI model 1911 A1 trigger, I would either be pulling the trigger to my shooting hand side, or applying my trigger finger beyond the first crease.

Other considerations can come into play. On double action revolvers and the DA trigger pull on traditional double action pistols, the trigger pull weight might be heavy enough that I need to place the finger deeper on the trigger to increase leverage. With TDA pistols that have a DA and SA trigger pulls that start at a very different location, have very different pull weights, and sometimes release the hammer at slightly different locations in the excursion of the trigger pull, I try to find a compromise position that works best for both the DA and SA trigger pulls. 

With a pistol grip carbine, like an AR or AK, I concentrate on getting a good, high, firm grip on the pistol grip and allow my finger to fall where it may on the trigger. Incidentally, this is now what is taught by both the US Army and the USMC in their training circulars for the M16 rifle, M4 carbine. They used to teach the use of the pad of the distal phalanx of the finger, but not anymore.


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## chip2 (Apr 8, 2015)

I'm certainly no expert, but the pad seems to work best for me.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

For me, it can depend on the gun. Sometimes I will have a gun that makes me do it a little different to hit the center


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

My priority is getting a grip that allows me to make quick and accurate follow up shots. The trigger finger placement is subordinate to that.
On a rifle on the other hand, I prefer to use the middle of the first pad.

GW


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## Donel (Aug 17, 2019)

Interesting comments. I never even noticed where my finger contacts the trigger. I did some experimenting today and noticed that with my two handed grip my finger wraps around the trigger just on the pad side of the crease.


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