When some shooters are asked about revolvers, theyll reply, Wheelguns?
Whatareyou, a cave person?
And its still as true as the first time I said it.
Even non-gun people use the termpullthe trigger.
Hey, boss, lets pull the trigger on the new business project!
So, by at least the 19thcentury, marksmen advised those they taught to shoot tosqueezethe trigger.
Back in the day when the double-action revolver dominated, the debate was between one-stage and two-stage pulls.
One stage meant a single sustained rearward pressure until the shot broke.
Then, they would ease the trigger the rest of the way as with a cocked single-action.
Some revolver shooters installed little rubber trigger stops that looked like tiny pencil erasers to achieve a two-stage feel.
The two-stage pull has pretty much gone the way of the Dodo bird with serious double-action revolver shooters.
Even at long range, double-action was found to be superior to single.
On most double-action revolvers, the hammer fall was shorter in double-action than from the single-action cocking notch.
The shorthand explanation: The double-action forces you todistributetrigger pressure.
Which is a cure for jerking the trigger.
Which improves shooting performance.
So, heres the deal.
The trick is indistributing that trigger pressureto prevent the jerk, the mash, the got it NOW!
That rearward pressure must be even.
It must be consistent.
In fact, for many shooters, it will help us learn that better than anything else.
It is essentially a revolver pull, in microcosm, over a shorter length of travel.
The double-action revolver shooter quickly learns to allow the trigger to return all the way forward between shots.
The more pressure the shooter is under, the more likely this is to happen.
If youve ever seen a frightened person turn deathly pale, youve seen vasoconstriction in action.
Vasoconstriction is part of fight or flight response: the body redirects blood flow away from the extremities.
Its as if the fingers go to sleep.
We very likely wont be able to feel that tiny tick of the trigger resetting.
Their trigger finger keeping pace with the wheelgunners helps them develop trigger pressure distribution.
Watch Out For … A thumb in contact with the rotating cylinder can cause a revolvers barrel to deviate from point of aim.
Also, with a heavy (up to 14 or so lbs.)
double-action trigger pull, a hard hold on the gun is essential to keeping it on target.
That transfers in a positive way to the auto shooter as well.
Curling thumbs down, popular with revolver shooters, maximizes grip strength and helps stabilize the gun.
Bottom Line
Do you feel that your shooting with your autopistol needs improvement?
Spend a month shooting your double-action revolver.
Expense doesnt need to be great.
A .22 rimfire such as the old High Standard Sentinel in my photos illustrating this article will do.
Were not working on recoil control, remember, but trigger control.
Give it a try.
