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The Trigger, A Firearm's Nervous System |
The Trigger, A Firearm’s Nervous System By Dr. George E. Dvorchak, Jr.
©Copyright 2009, The Varmint Hunters Association, Inc.
When shopping for a firearm, we all look at the stock, barrel and action type. Then, if desiring optics or electronic sights, a lot of time also is put into that search. This is done to be able to accurately fire whatever firearm appeals to you. Yet, what is a key factor to placing that bullet where desired is the firearm’s trigger. This piece of metal, one that protrudes down from the action or frame, is more than just that since when squeezed or pulled to a certain point, it releases the firing pin to strike the primer. That small piece of metal can be referred to as the firearm’s nervous system because of connecting the shooter to the firearm. To do its job, it is the signal from the brain, yours, that sets the gears in motion of applying pressure to the trigger which initiates a chain reaction causing the firearm to fire. As is obvious, the trigger of your firearm is the most important connection to you, the hunter. However, as with the human nervous system, not all signals travel as they should or when desired. With firearms, that signal can be heavy and jerky which then can contribute to a bad shot being made. Here are some tips on trigger control since many misses, as we all have experienced at times, can be contributed to a trigger out of control.
Grime and old oils within the mechanism have a lot of influence on the mechanics of any firearm. Some oils can gelatinize after time. Once this old Marlin Model 90 action was cleaned up after a soaking in Dunk-Kit, everything worked more smoothly.
Trigger Mechanics
To categorize how the trigger functions, there are three factors that come into play with each shot. The first, referred to as free play, is the backward movement of the trigger until it engages the sear. Although this varies with some makes of firearms, this is easily recognized with some firearms while with others it is hard to discern. The second factor now comes into play, one that we do notice, that being the trigger’s poundage or the weight of the pull. This is the measurement of the pounds and ounces of pressure applied to the trigger that is necessary to move it rearward enough to release the firing pin. This measurement can be set as ounces on target rifles up to around 7 or more pounds on some other firearms. It also seems that, because of lawsuits against firearm manufacturers increasing over the years, such poundage is being set at higher levels at the factories on some models. The third factor, one that also has a place in trigger pull, is referred to as overtravel. This is the distance the trigger moves after the firing pin is released. For a trigger to be considered good, there should be no backward movement of the trigger and the required pressure to fire the cartridge should be anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds. A lot of this depends on the type of firearm, such as for target, varmints, big game, or defense. Low or high poundages have a specific purpose with these.
Check It Out: What Is Best For Hunting Firearms
To determine the poundage measurement on your firearms, use a trigger pull gauge. I have used an RCBS Premium Trigger Pull Scale for years and when I checked it against others, results were the same. My gauge measures trigger pulls from 8 ounces to 8 pounds. From firing many different hunting firearms during testing, I found I generally prefer 2.5- to 3.5-pound pulls on all. You may prefer less or more, but be careful. A few years ago I was at the range where a man was firing his single-action 44 magnum (which was his deer and bear gun ) that had a trigger pull of around 2 ounces. He asked me if I wanted to fire it and then went on to tell me how great a job he did on the trigger so he can now fire this firearm more accurately. Sure, I could see such a setting on a bench rest target rifle, but on that handgun it was downright dangerous. Just putting your finger within the trigger guard when hunting, with the hammer cocked for the shot, that could set off this one prematurely. All it would take would be just a little pressure being applied to the trigger. Hunters, remember that on a cold day and with gloves on, a heavier pull is to your advantage. This individual also said that he asked the company to do this work but they refused, so he did it himself. I could only think that, yes, the engineers and repair department personnel are much smarter than that. Be careful who does what for you!
What I use to get an accurate number on my trigger’s poundage is the RCBS Trigger Pull Scale. It records numbers from 8 ounces to 8 pounds.
The Physiology of Firing
Unfortunately, how we shoot at the range is different from hunting. At the range under controlled conditions, we are using a solid bench with sandbags or other equipment to secure that firearm. Once secured, we then align our sights on target and then slowly squeeze the trigger. On the other hand, when hunting and game is identified, our brain sends signals to shoot. With that, stresses come into play. Also, when firing big bore cartridges that belt and intimidate a shooter, with a really heavy pull added to our thought processes we tend to rush things. What happens is that as we constantly apply pressure to a sloppy and extremely heavy trigger, that extra split second of hesitation from thinking about the trigger pull is just enough time to allow the thought of getting belted by the recoil to start one to flinch. Unfortunately, this happens right before that bang. Ideally, we identify the target, aim, squeeze, and, we hope, score a hit by not allowing mechanical concerns to enter into the equation.
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