Hair Trigger

[dabluesguy]

I was watching "Have Gun Will Travel" on Encore Westerns the other day. Paladin mentions to someone that his gun has a 2-ounce trigger pull. He said it was a hair trigger and you breathe on it and it goes off. Now I had a pro trigger job on my Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag a few years ago. I used it in metallic silhouette shoots. It was measured at around 2 1/2 lbs. if I remember correctly. I thought it was a hair trigger. I had premature firing a few times. I can't even imagine a trigger pull that sensitive, especially when you quick draw. Am I wrong to think it's crazy?

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I'm sure the script writer didn't know whether 2 pounds or two ounces was light for a trigger, so he went with ounces.

 

[Win73]

Hollywood is famous for inaccuracies concerning guns and not only in westerns.

I remember an episode of McCloud starring Dennis Weaver where the police lieutenant holds up his S & W J frame and says that his safety is broken.

In Red River with John Wayne the time setting is immediately after the Civil War is over, but everyone is using 1873 Colts and 1892 Winchesters.

And of course who can count how many times a six shooter gets fired without being reloaded.

 

[flightline]

My favorite example, from Die Hard 2:

"That punk pulled a Glock 7 on me, you know what that is? It's a porcelain gun made in Germany. It doesn't show up on your airport metal detectors and probably costs more than what you make in a month."

 

[jfrey]

Years ago I had a friend who had a Browning target pistol and he claimed it had a 8 oz. trigger. I never measured it in those days but I can guarantee you if you put your finger on the trigger you better be pointing it at what you wanted to shoot at. A 2 oz. trigger would probably have problems even reliably holding the sear engagement. I have a 3# trigger on one of my target 1911's and I assure you it is light. 2 oz - no way.

 

[darkgael]

oz.

This gun has a two ounce trigger (a set trigger):

It is a Free Pistol, an older gun, a Pardini 75. It is a far cry from a carry gun.
Pete

 

[Hal]

I was watching "Have Gun Will Travel" on Encore Westerns the other day. Paladin mentions to someone that his gun has a 2-ounce trigger pull. He said it was a hair trigger and you breathe on it and it goes off.

IIRC, Paladin carries a Colt SAA, right?
I don't believe it's possible to get a SAA trigger down to that pull weight - but - I'm far from an expert on doing so...

All in all - it's probably "literary licence" - a polite was of saying Hollywood BS.

However - there are some guns that do have an extremely light, crisp and safe trigger w/out any creep.
My High Standard Sport King is one.
I've never actually measured the trigger - but - it's got to be under 1 pound -possibly as little a 8 oz (half a pound).

There's quite a few High Standards out there that have trigger weights that are measured in grams, not pounds.

 

[kraigwy]

oz.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This gun has a two ounce trigger (a set trigger):

It is a Free Pistol, an older gun, a Pardini 75. It is a far cry from a carry gun.

Always loved those guns. Never had one. I shot a few ISU (International) pistol matches.

Free pistol shooting is a whole new ball game, its a mental game. Something like 60 shots in 2.5 hours. A guy told me, you don't squeeze or press the trigger, you shoot it mentally, you "think" it off.

I attended the NGB Coaches clinic where I met one of the coaches for the All Guard International Team. He told me if done properly, shooting a Free Pistol Match was as physical and mentally demanding as running a marathon.

I did get a Feinwerkbau Model 65 Air Pistol to shoot ISU, but those college kids would show up to matches and made my targets look like I was trowing rocks.

 

[dajowi]

A friend of mine had a .44 with what he claimed was a 1.5 lb trigger pull. I shot the gun several times over the years. Every time at least once, the first aimed round would be followed by an accidental second shot. It almost seemed like the recoil set the trigger off.

 

[Willie Lowman]

I had a 1911 like that. Couldn't say what the pull weight was on that trigger but "don't put your finger on the trigger till you are ready to shoot" took on a new meaning. I had more than a few bump fire experiences while shooting that thing. Dangerous I call it.


My step father used to have a Remington 700 .22 Swift that had a trigger that could be measured in ounces. He was of the practice to not close the bolt till he was ready to fire because the safety could cause the rifle to fire, as could a strong wind. Dangerous I called that too.

 

[drail]

Getting a pull that low is not really difficult but it really serves no purpose. Handling a gun with a 1 lb. trigger is more than light enough and most people would have accidents with it. I have shot IPSC with 1911s set at 1.5 to 2 lbs. and never had a problem. That said I would never let anyone else touch it with a round in the chamber. It requires an incredible amount of discipline to handle and fire a gun set like that safely. As far as quick draw, forget about it.

 

[jhenry]

The flintlock I made to shoot matches with (and hunt), has Davis double set triggers. I have it set at about 1 pound but it can go lower safely. Very crisp, very nice. Just caress that trigger and it breaks.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've shot a couple free pistols over the years. They take a little getting used to; once you're used to ultra-light triggers, however, you suddenly understand what people mean by "thinking the shot."

I have a hunch trigger pull weight is a little like driving speed: everybody going faster than me is a !@#$%^&*!, and everybody going slower is a *&^%$#@!@#$!

 

[Kreyzhorse]

All in all - it's probably "literary licence" - a polite was of saying Hollywood BS.

+1. Well stated.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I've fired a couple of target pistols with triggers in the 2 to 4 ounce range. Often you don't even feel the trigger move when you touch it.

Finn Aagaard (I think) wrote in American Rifleman years ago of a hunting partner in Africa who had a plains rifle with a very light double set trigger. It also had a spring-loaded cheek piece that would go up and down to allow it to be used with either iron sights for a high-mount scope.

The guy set the trigger, went to use the scope, and found he had forgotten to raise the cheek piece. He hit the release button and the shock from it going up was enough to fire the gun without the trigger being touched.

The lightest SA trigger I have on any of my guns is probably in the 4 pound range, and even that is darned light.

 

[mo84]

I have a couple old black powder guns that have set trigers to make the triger extreamly light, i couldnt imagine a pistol with that light of a triger especially without a set triger

 

[4runnerman]

2 OZ's ??? Don't breath on it. Don't load it till it's pointing at target. That's a accident waiting to happen for sure. I have my Accutrigger set as light as it will go on my 308 and it's a lot more than 2 oz's.

 

[brickeyee]

I have my Accutrigger set as light as it will go on my 308 and it's a lot more than 2 oz's.

Jewel makes plenty of triggers that can easily be set down to 2 ounces or less.

They are useful for benchrest and long range shooting.

 

[Clifford L. Hughes]

Dabluesguy:

When I was selling guns for B&B sales in Westminster, Califorina we bought two Masuer rifles with light trigger pulls. After cocking, a blow with the hand on the rifle butt would release the striker; also, closing the bolt shaprply would disengage the sear and the striker: not very safe. When working on triggers the sear must engage the trigger enough so that a bump won't disengage them. That is why there are set triggers, the sear and the striker are fully engagement at all times.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired

 

[Sheikyourbootie]

The single set trigger on my CZ527 rifle is just a few ounces. When you engage the single set, you HAD better be pointing at what you are going to shoot. If you pass on the shot, don't just set the safety and move on because when you disengage the safety without removing the trigger from the single set position it will fire if you disengage the safety hard.

The regular setting on that trigger is about 4# I would not want a handgun with a trigger that is measured in ounces.