The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old April 3, 2013, 04:10 PM   #1
chrisintexas
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 11, 2012
Posts: 388
Ideal trigger pull weight

what is an acceptable trigger pull weight on a handgun?
thanks
chrisintexas is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 04:19 PM   #2
bonefamily
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2012
Location: central Ohio
Posts: 304
That would depend on: DA/SA trigger, DAO trigger, SAO trigger, shooters hand strength, etc. Too many variables to have one said acceptable trigger pull weight. IMO, of course
__________________
Bryan
bonefamily is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 04:20 PM   #3
Japle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 12, 2004
Location: Viera, Florida
Posts: 1,340
What handgun?

What's it being used for?

I have a 7 oz trigger on my Wichita silhouette pistol, a 1 1/2 lb pull on my STI SteelMaster, a 5 1/2 lb pull on the XDm that I carry, etc.

It depends on the gun and the purpose of the gun.
Japle is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 04:27 PM   #4
chrisintexas
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 11, 2012
Posts: 388
carry handgun
chrisintexas is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 04:36 PM   #5
Nathan
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 1, 2001
Posts: 6,285
I like about 4lb on my SA 1911 which I carry.

In general, I think 5-8lbs is better and I can shoot well enough with all of them. The only one I don't really like the feel of is my Glock 21 at like 6.5lbs, if I remember right.

I feel that pull feel through the stroke is most important. My XD is about the best. It has a medium length light pull with a relatively short 5.5lb break.

Still, I happily live with a 10 lb DAO revolver, 8 lb Kahr, 1911 @ 4, 5 & 6 lbs, SSK Contender at 2 lbs, 3lb Ruger SA...

You get my point. Over 15 yds, trigger pull weight becomes key. Under, safety should drive the weight higher.
Nathan is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 04:39 PM   #6
RickB
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 1, 2000
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 8,511
For a single action pull, I prefer 3.5#, but a lot of people prefer a heavier pull - 5# - in the interest of safety (believing that when they already have their finger on the trigger, they'll still be trying to decide if a shot is warranted, or not?).
For double action, I'd say 6-8 pounds.
It might be a peculiarity of mine, but I tend to prefer small, light, but powerful carry guns, and I squeeze them harder than full-sized guns. Since you can't operate one finger completely independently from the others, a somewhat heavier pull weight feels about the same to me as a lighter pull weight on a bigger, heavier gun. So, 4# is good for a powerful compact pistol.
RickB is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 04:46 PM   #7
51.50
Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2010
Posts: 66
Trigger pull

If squeezing the trigger pulls you off your target, it's too heavy
51.50 is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 05:13 PM   #8
Wreck-n-Crew
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 8, 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,820
You forgot sdt !
__________________
If you ever have to use a firearm, you don't get to pick the scenario!
Wreck-n-Crew is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 08:56 PM   #9
shouldazagged
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 17, 2013
Location: Louisville, KY, USA
Posts: 273
Down to only two handguns, both Smith revolvers, a 10-5 and my carry gun, a DAO 640. Thanks to a good gunsmith both have smooth double action pulls around 8 pounds. I haven't measured the SA pull on the Model 10, but I'd guess 2.5 to 3 pounds. Doesn't matter--it's a head-of-the-bed HD gun and I'd only shoot it DA in an emergency situation.
__________________
"Don't let macho be your epitaph."
---Ed Lovette
shouldazagged is offline  
Old April 3, 2013, 09:01 PM   #10
Frank Ettin
Staff
 
Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
A fellow I know who is a police officer, police firearms instructor and armorer will not set the trigger of a 1911 intended for service use to less than four pounds. He likes 4.5 pounds, and I have all my 1911s that I might carry set between four and five pounds.
__________________
"It is long been a principle of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully." -- Jeff Cooper
Frank Ettin is offline  
Old April 4, 2013, 03:13 PM   #11
dgludwig
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 12, 2005
Location: North central Ohio
Posts: 7,486
As others have noted, way too many variables in terms of purpose and practicality required in a specific handgun for one answer. There's a world of difference between the trigger pull poundage needed on a pistol to be competitive in, say, a Bullseye match and a pistol intended for use in, say, self-defense.
__________________
ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED
...Aristotle
NRA Benefactor Life Member
dgludwig is offline  
Old April 4, 2013, 07:07 PM   #12
481
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 18, 2011
Posts: 540
The factory 5.5 lb. trigger pull on the Glock 17 and 19 (which after a little use settles in at ~5.0 lbs) is pretty much "ideal" to me since it is neither heavy enough to affect my accuracy to any great extent nor so light that I cannot feel it under my finger without discharging unintentionally it under stress.

Of course, I have also carried the S&W 5906 and SIG P226 during my career with little problem, their double action / single action triggers giving me no problem either. The trick is to "learn" the trigger and how to control its idiosyncracies- training can alleviate a lot of the evils of many such systems.
481 is offline  
Old April 4, 2013, 10:12 PM   #13
Aguila Blanca
Staff
 
Join Date: September 25, 2008
Location: CONUS
Posts: 18,434
For carry purposes, I think about 5 pounds is ideal for single action, and not less than 4-1/2. It's virtually impossible to get a double action trigger that light, so ... whatever you can get.
Aguila Blanca is offline  
Old April 4, 2013, 10:22 PM   #14
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,931
In my experience, the character of the trigger is more important than the weight. I have handguns with relatively light triggers that make accurate shooting difficult due to creep and overtravel and others with heavier trigger pulls that are easier to shoot well because the trigger moves smoothly, breaks cleanly and doesn't have a lot of overtravel after it breaks.

There is a point at which it becomes very difficult to shoot a handgun accurately due to a heavy trigger. What that trigger weight is depends on the hand strength of the shooter in question and his/her willingness the spend time trying to master the trigger.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Old April 5, 2013, 07:18 AM   #15
jad0110
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 30, 2007
Posts: 761
Quote:
In my experience, the character of the trigger is more important than the weight. I have handguns with relatively light triggers that make accurate shooting difficult due to creep and overtravel and others with heavier trigger pulls that are easier to shoot well because the trigger moves smoothly, breaks cleanly and doesn't have a lot of overtravel after it breaks.

There is a point at which it becomes very difficult to shoot a handgun accurately due to a heavy trigger. What that trigger weight is depends on the hand strength of the shooter in question and his/her willingness the spend time trying to master the trigger.
Very well said ... beat me to it.

I guess I must have strong fingers because my double action revolvers (most have pulls between 10 and 14 lbs) all feel great to me. They are consistent, smooth and have a nice clean break. I had a Taurus 94 that must have had a 15+ lb pull, and would have been fine with the weight had it not been for all the lumpy, gritty crap going on in the works.

OTH, I had a 1911 with comparatively lighter SA trigger that although light, was absolutely terrible overall (very rough, lot of initial slop, jerky inconsistent release and too much over travel). I was having trouble maintaining basketball-sized groups at 7 yards with that gun, until I had it cleaned up. Now ragged one hole groups are achievable at the same distance.
jad0110 is offline  
Old April 5, 2013, 12:57 PM   #16
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
Massad Ayoob; 5lbs...

Author, legal use of force expert & sworn LE officer: Massad Ayoob says a single action, 1911a1 type pistol should have a 5lb trigger with no creep. He says it should feel like a glass rod breaking.
For a smooth DA pull I like about 8-10 lbs. some DAO or duty type pistols go from 10-14 lbs. 12-14lbs is a bit much IMO.
New designs like the Beretta C(constant), the HK LEM(law enforcement modification) & SIG Sauer DAK(Double Action Kellerman) are great for duty, armed citizen defense, IMO.

About 2 years ago, I went into a local FFL holder/gun shop and asked a young clerk to see the SIG Sauer DAK pistols. "Only cops & federal agents want to look at those." he said. "exactly", I responded.
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old April 5, 2013, 01:25 PM   #17
Edward429451
Junior member
 
Join Date: November 12, 2000
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 9,494
Quote:
carry handgun
4 to 5 Lbs. No less. Under stress it would be too easy to inadvertently trigger a round. Smooth is better than light.

I have heard it said that 80% of marksmanship is trigger control, and I tend to believe this. When I started paying more attention to my trigger, I became a lot better real quick. (Especially with rifles!)
Edward429451 is offline  
Old April 5, 2013, 01:34 PM   #18
bonefamily
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2012
Location: central Ohio
Posts: 304
Quote:
Smooth is better than light.

I have heard it said that 80% of marksmanship is trigger control, and I tend to believe this. When I started paying more attention to my trigger, I became a lot better real quick.
Completely agree.
__________________
Bryan
bonefamily is offline  
Old April 5, 2013, 06:52 PM   #19
BigJimP
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 23, 2005
Posts: 13,195
Smooth is better than light....

but I want my carry gun, a 5" 1911 in .45 acp, right at 4 lbs....because its what I prefer. My range practice, target 1911's I like at around 3.5 lbs...and I want both of them smooth, no creep, no slack...so they break like glass - and reset just as smoothly.
BigJimP is offline  
Old April 14, 2013, 08:27 PM   #20
WESHOOT2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
not normal

My finest "carry" gun, a (custom) 1911, has a trigger weight of just under 2lb.

I have great mental clarity under stress.
__________________
.
"all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"
WESHOOT2 is offline  
Old April 16, 2013, 01:06 AM   #21
Samopal
Junior Member
 
Join Date: November 24, 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 8
It really depends on the gun in question and the action, as others have said.

My LCP has a pull of about 7lbs. It's exceptionally smooth, and I can shoot quickly and accurately with it. I really like it and wouldn't change it.

On the flip side my brother has a PA-63 with an 18lb DA pull and 10lb SA pull, which is entirely too much. In SA there's virtually no travel, just a stiff, crisp break, but the DA is ridiculous and very hard to shoot accurately with.
__________________
You can never be too rich, too good-looking, or too-well armed.
Samopal is offline  
Old April 17, 2013, 09:00 PM   #22
s4s4u
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 22, 2007
Location: MN
Posts: 365
Target handgun @ .5-1.5#

Hunting handgun SA @ 2-3#

Defense handgun SA @ 3-5#

Defense handgun DA, always too heavy but they do have a hammer I can cock ;-)
s4s4u is offline  
Old April 17, 2013, 10:03 PM   #23
newfrontier45
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 23, 2012
Posts: 921
I agree that smooth and crisp are the more important than letoff.

For a single action pull, be it a DA or SA, I like them around 2lbs.

I'd like to get my 1911's down to around 3lbs.
newfrontier45 is offline  
Old April 17, 2013, 10:13 PM   #24
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
Post #20...

Jokes are one thing but I wouldn't want to be in open court or a wrongful death civil trial trying to explain my actions & reasons to a jury/judge on why I used a 2lb trigger on my sidearm.

Juries DO ask to review firearms & gun related evidence.
Research the case of Ward vs Florida. "Bob" Ward shot his wife with a S&W revolver then claimed the woman(victim) shot herself by accident in a struggle with Ward. The victim had GSR on her face and eyes and the jury didnt buy Ward's story of the light trigger pull & a AD.

CF
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old April 17, 2013, 10:14 PM   #25
jfrey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 16, 2008
Location: Coastal South Texas
Posts: 557
Ayoob can say what he wants, I don't care. He's not the end all authority in my book. My 1911s are set from 2.5 to 3.5 pounds depending on which one it is and all break like a glass rod. My Glock 19 is 4 pounds. Heavy triggers and accurate shooting don't go together. I want light and smooth triggers on any gun I shoot.
jfrey is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:51 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.09416 seconds with 10 queries