Comments on: Dispassionate Trigger Pulling

By: Jeff Gonzales

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 16:30:53 +0000

In reply to Edwin. Thanks, I believe this is something that continues to perpetuate a bad outcome.

By: Jeff Gonzales

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 16:29:47 +0000

In reply to Joe. Hi Joe, thank you for your honesty and sharing. I am grateful you could share your story and I'm sure you are not the only one. In my last class, this past week I polled the students to learn how many had negligent discharges. I was somewhat surprised by the number, but more their honesty. Thanks again.

By: Jeff Gonzales

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 16:26:37 +0000

In reply to Oscar Lee James III. I observed several individuals lower the muzzle below 45 degrees and with one hand press the trigger. The problem with your comment is the fact it might be done carefully, but it promotes the continued disassociation of pulling the trigger.

By: Oscar Lee James III

Oscar Lee James III — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 23:00:31 +0000

I prefer to have only one method of gun handling that I use in all occasions. This works well except for the artificiality of competition, field stripping, and, sometimes, training. I agree with the importance of not ingraining unsafe habits. Each time I press the trigger, regardless of reason I do so deliberately. Mirriam-Webster defines ‘delibarte’ as:
1 : characterized by or resulting from careful and thorough consideration
a deliberate decision
Ms. Barker herself has said that the decision to write about the war was a deliberate response to patronizing reviews of her working-class settings …
— Claudia Roth Pierpont
2 : characterized by awareness of the consequences
a deliberate exaggeration
a deliberate act of protest
3 : slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved
The jeweler worked at a deliberate pace.

I shoot USPSA matches. Y’all probably know that at the end of each string, the RO will give a series of commands:
“Unload and show clear”, verified by inspection by the RO
“If clear, hammer down, holster.” While continuing to point the firearm safely downrange, the competitor must perform a final safety check of the firearm that involves releasing the hammer or striker before holstering.

In the matches I have attended, this process has always been done safely and carefully. This is but a point that one must be able to follow as part of competition but separate from all other gun handling.

By: Jim Duffy

Jim Duffy — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 20:09:26 +0000

In reply to Jeff Gonzales. Feel free to quote me! (:-)

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 19:53:44 +0000

In over 35 years of being armed and having handguns around I have had exactly two AD’s (no one hurt) and in both cases I deliberately pulled the trigger after failing to clear the chamber. Dumb, stupid, dangerous. In both cases I think it was because of increasing excessive administrative gun handling, including pulling the trigger on what I believed to be an empty chamber. One thing I have done to try to prevent this is to keep my “close by” gun, when not on my body in a holster, in a holster all the time. So when I come home, and get undressed, and take the gun off my body it goes directly into a soft holster, then into the drawer or on the night table. So when I pick it up again the holster reminds me to be careful, and treat the gun as loaded, which of course it is. I think this is similar to the rule for dry fire in which there is a specific activity or clue to delineate the end of dry fire.

By: Edwin

Edwin — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 19:51:34 +0000

IPSC, IDPA, etc. all require at the end of a stage AND at the direction of the RO running the stage, “unload and show clear.” Pointing the gun in a safe direction and pressing the trigger is required to demonstrate with a *click* that the gun is unloaded.

Other than myself, I have never seen a shooter at a match NOT adopt a regular firing grip and press the trigger with the index finger – the exact procedure used each time the shooter deliberately wants to make the gun go bang.

I’ve complained about the procedure but “that’s what the rules require” is always the answer. Not true – I can provide the same *click* holding the gun upside down in the off hand and pressing the trigger with the strong handy pinky finger, or a pen from my pocket. That is a sufficiently unnatural act that the probability of repeating it unconsciously is zero.

By: Jeff Gonzales

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 13:16:07 +0000

In reply to Dave. One could argue the mentality you witnessed is part of the problem.

By: Jeff Gonzales

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 13:15:20 +0000

In reply to Jim Duffy. Thanks, I like that...actions without thought

By: Jeff Gonzales

Jeff Gonzales — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 13:14:46 +0000

In reply to John W. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the blog.