Do these things really matter?.....

[Nanuk]

So I’ve seen hundreds of YouTube gun reviews on all different makes/models. Each reviewer always touches on certain things such as:

Take up
Break
Wall
Reset
Etc..

My question is, in a life or death self defense situation, do these things even matter?

That depends..... To a certain degree, maybe. Lets break it down a little. The way the gun fits your hand will determine how, under stress you can effectively point the gun, to a degree.

The trigger characteristics will determine how well you are able to place the shot, to a degree.

Reset, I prefer how Robby Latham shoots, finger all the way off the trigger on every shot. The trick is consistency, same trigger pull every shot.

Mechanical accuracy, to a degree.

You add all these degrees up and you can start to see where every aspect affects you a little bit, each bit is not a big deal but when added together they can make a difference.

My only concern in this situation is... do I have enough firepower to stop the threat and will the gun go bang when I pull the trigger.

How many times are you planning on missing? Why won't your gun go bang? Train so that you can make consistent hits on a playing card (3"x5") target at distances you shoot. There is a time distance equation for you to work out, the closer the target the faster you have to be. Don't take shots that you have a high percentage of missing.

Am I missing something?

Are you?

 

[Metric]

Trigger, sights, and grip. They're how we interface with the gun, when shooting.

Maybe they matter to your shooting, or maybe they don't. But there isn't much else to optimize, assuming the gun works.

 

[Jack19]

They may count, but you, likely, won't remember them. I never have. Front sights maybe, trigger feel and behavior, nope.

Shooting at a leisurely pace lets you notice, and recall, all sorts of things you think could be better, or different.

Shooting to save your life tends to happen a little faster. Usually. That extra 1/10th of an inch of this, or that, gets lost in the noise (which you probably wont remember either) and adrenalin.

 

[stinkeypete]

I have shot at paper targets for more than 50 years,
Stopped counting the deer I’ve shot after 23 or so, it must be in the 30s or so.
I have no idea how many rabbits I’ve shot
All with handguns. My family has owned Hi Points, Pistols with triggers worse than that, and I owned custom pistolsmithed .22 and .45 competition pistols. The best trigger ever was on my Baikal competition air pistol, a clean crisp 2 oz break.
These are my experiences.

All the opinions of what matters in a self defense situation... you fellas have that happen a lot, or is it just speculation and theorizing?

There is still some time left for rabbit and squirrel. Get out and shoot something yummy!

 

[GoBoilers!]

...Do they matter?
For me, the trigger action is the last feature I consider when buying a handgun, but I only use mine for target shooting and personal defense. Not interested in competitive games. IF I were, my opinion might change.
My main advice is to get familiar with the triggers of the guns you shoot. Practice with them. So for me, the trigger's features are not that important.
But I do appreciate the 1911's trigger - that crisp break on single action is an experience like no other.
Be Safe!

 

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Yes they matter to me. I had one very nice gun that shot very well and very reliable. A EDC gun that I loved the size, weight, manufacture etc. I liked everything but the Light Crisp trigger. After shooting it, it became even lighter. It had a trigger span that was light, then the trigger basically had no wall and would break quickly. I finally traded it off for another Kahr CM9 which was similar size and a perfect EDC carry and defensive trigger.
I know some that want the lightest trigger possible. Even some would take the same gun with the light trigger and send it off to make it even lighter.
I remember Hickcock45 reviewing the gun and commented "some of these guns now have triggers that are very light, almost too light, more like target guns". I agree. If a person likes one fine. But just not for me. I see no need for one or any benefit for EDC.
So, again to answer the question, YES it matters.

 

[rickyrick]

I think that yes, triggers can be too light.

 

[Ignition Override]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQOHBSuY7TM"Active Self Protection": some of you have seen a sample of the multiple dozens of true situations presented on this channel from security cameras. Nothing is recreated, or acting.

The narrators briefs us about the general situation, then at the end he critiques which of the defender's decisions seemed proper in a given setting, and what could have been improved.

Sadly, in this large store, the law-abiding citizen didn't know that the woman was actually ready to protect the armed bad guy-- at a distance. Most other videos on this channel are not tragic for the good guys.

The vast variety of scenarios in these actual videos -- in my opinion -- have no equal.

,

Yes.......a good trigger is nice. Whatever triggers were used by the more fortunate good guys in these videos--- those are the triggers for me. Apparently the type won't matter very much if we quickly understand the scenario we are in.
>> Endlich, meine Kameraden....what's more important - having the best trigger, or which decisions to make about how, or Whether to use a gun at all in a specific situation? Krav Maga (Youtube) might sometimes provide a better self-defense.