IMPORTANCE OF TRIGGER PRESSURE
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:34 am
What is Trigger Pressure / Trigger Pull?
While most air rifle enthusiasts banter about stock finishing, stock engraving, bluing the action, zeroing of the scope etc. it’s rare that any of them speak or even discuss ‘trigger pull’ and its relevance to experiencing smooth shooting & getting better groups.
Basically there are 2 types of ‘triggers:
1. Single stage
2. 2 stage
• The single stage trigger is one smooth & continuous action that ends in the release of the sear locking mechanism causing the gun to fire.
• The 2 stage trigger on the other hand has an initial stop and when followed through enters the second stage which releases the sears for the gun to fire. The advantage being the overall trigger pressure gets divided and can be adjusted to suit the shooter’s feel and convenience. Eg: If the total trigger pressure is 4lbs, then the first stage could be adjusted to 2.5lbs & the second to a lighter / crisper 1.5lbs.
The 2 stage trigger was primarily invented to suit serious match / competition shooters, which was later incorporated into the regular / sport shooting guns.
Trigger-pull
It is the measure of force exerted on the trigger to get the sear to release in a spring piston air rifle or in the case of PCPs to get the valve to open. Popular belief says the lightest trigger-pull possible is the best, but that's not always true.
The bottom line is control of the gun as the more you can determine exactly when a gun will fire, the better your chances of hitting the target. That's not all that's involved, of course, but controlling the moment of firing is very important. Less-experienced shooters are better off being surprised when the gun goes off. That way, they won't flinch involuntarily just before the sear is released. As a shooter gains experience with a certain gun, he will begin to notice when it's ready to fire, and this will turn into a positive knowledge of EXACTLY when the gun is about to fire. When you know this, your accuracy will improve considerably.
A trigger that's too light can be dangerous as the shooter’s fingers inadvertently seek the trigger, and they're used to some resistance before release. Hence a true "hair trigger" that lets go at 10 – 20 grams of resistance is beyond their experience. Some can't feel the trigger blade on their fingertip before the gun fires.
A heavy trigger pull ranging from 3.5lbs to 5lbs can work very well for most shooters. Compared to the triggers found in modern PCP air rifles, that's way too heavy. Yet, this trigger poses no problem for perfect accuracy, because the shooter knows exactly when it's going to release.
Some PCP triggers are light but they don't have a definite release point, so you are always guessing when the gun is going to fire. Others release the same, time after time. They're the ones you can usually shoot the best. In general, triggers need to be crisp and positive.
Trigger Creep
It’s the movement in the hard-to-pull stage of the trigger. This can be the first stage in a single-stage trigger or the second stage in a two-stage trigger. If the creep stage is predictable then the shooter gets a certain amount of familiarity as to the exact moment when the sear will release.
Top-grade target shooting guns always have two-stage triggers with zero creep in the second stage, while the other lower order target shooting guns usually have some creep. The preference entirely depends on the shooter for various reasons - some even get conditioned to a certain pressure with which they feel comfortable.
Amongst sports shooters / Plinkers the preference in trigger pull invariably ranges from 2.5lbs to 3.5lbs. Many even consider this pressure to be rather on the lighter side, but then it’s a matter of choice. Many owners of Indian made air rifles while getting their guns tuned also get their trigger & piston sears smoothened for making the trigger pull lighter.
Here’s a bit of warning to those who attempt this – too smooth a trigger can cause “auto firing” while cocking the gun – this is very dangerous that can result in serious injuries not only to the owner of the gun but also to any innocent bystander close by.
Please do not attempt this on your own unless you have ample knowledge & expertise to do so. Even many a local gunsmith may not be capable of doing this to perfection. The flip side is, once the damage is done the piston that has the sear at the end of it becomes useless and cannot be rectified, hence it may even have to be discarded.
How is trigger-pull measured?
Trigger-pull is measured either by a resistance gauge or by actual weights. While the former gives a proper indication of the weight required to release the sear, the latter could give a + / - 5% error, unless the weights used drop down to as less as 10 grams. It’s one reason why serious match / competition shooters use the resistance gauge.
In the final analysis ‘Trigger Pressure’ / ‘Trigger Pull’ does play an important part in the firing of a gun. The adjustable 2 stage provides the advantage of setting the right pressure both in the 1st & 2nd stages to suit every individual preference. It makes shooting an enjoyable experience and above all contributes to accurate shooting.
Briha
While most air rifle enthusiasts banter about stock finishing, stock engraving, bluing the action, zeroing of the scope etc. it’s rare that any of them speak or even discuss ‘trigger pull’ and its relevance to experiencing smooth shooting & getting better groups.
Basically there are 2 types of ‘triggers:
1. Single stage
2. 2 stage
• The single stage trigger is one smooth & continuous action that ends in the release of the sear locking mechanism causing the gun to fire.
• The 2 stage trigger on the other hand has an initial stop and when followed through enters the second stage which releases the sears for the gun to fire. The advantage being the overall trigger pressure gets divided and can be adjusted to suit the shooter’s feel and convenience. Eg: If the total trigger pressure is 4lbs, then the first stage could be adjusted to 2.5lbs & the second to a lighter / crisper 1.5lbs.
The 2 stage trigger was primarily invented to suit serious match / competition shooters, which was later incorporated into the regular / sport shooting guns.
Trigger-pull
It is the measure of force exerted on the trigger to get the sear to release in a spring piston air rifle or in the case of PCPs to get the valve to open. Popular belief says the lightest trigger-pull possible is the best, but that's not always true.
The bottom line is control of the gun as the more you can determine exactly when a gun will fire, the better your chances of hitting the target. That's not all that's involved, of course, but controlling the moment of firing is very important. Less-experienced shooters are better off being surprised when the gun goes off. That way, they won't flinch involuntarily just before the sear is released. As a shooter gains experience with a certain gun, he will begin to notice when it's ready to fire, and this will turn into a positive knowledge of EXACTLY when the gun is about to fire. When you know this, your accuracy will improve considerably.
A trigger that's too light can be dangerous as the shooter’s fingers inadvertently seek the trigger, and they're used to some resistance before release. Hence a true "hair trigger" that lets go at 10 – 20 grams of resistance is beyond their experience. Some can't feel the trigger blade on their fingertip before the gun fires.
A heavy trigger pull ranging from 3.5lbs to 5lbs can work very well for most shooters. Compared to the triggers found in modern PCP air rifles, that's way too heavy. Yet, this trigger poses no problem for perfect accuracy, because the shooter knows exactly when it's going to release.
Some PCP triggers are light but they don't have a definite release point, so you are always guessing when the gun is going to fire. Others release the same, time after time. They're the ones you can usually shoot the best. In general, triggers need to be crisp and positive.
Trigger Creep
It’s the movement in the hard-to-pull stage of the trigger. This can be the first stage in a single-stage trigger or the second stage in a two-stage trigger. If the creep stage is predictable then the shooter gets a certain amount of familiarity as to the exact moment when the sear will release.
Top-grade target shooting guns always have two-stage triggers with zero creep in the second stage, while the other lower order target shooting guns usually have some creep. The preference entirely depends on the shooter for various reasons - some even get conditioned to a certain pressure with which they feel comfortable.
Amongst sports shooters / Plinkers the preference in trigger pull invariably ranges from 2.5lbs to 3.5lbs. Many even consider this pressure to be rather on the lighter side, but then it’s a matter of choice. Many owners of Indian made air rifles while getting their guns tuned also get their trigger & piston sears smoothened for making the trigger pull lighter.
Here’s a bit of warning to those who attempt this – too smooth a trigger can cause “auto firing” while cocking the gun – this is very dangerous that can result in serious injuries not only to the owner of the gun but also to any innocent bystander close by.
Please do not attempt this on your own unless you have ample knowledge & expertise to do so. Even many a local gunsmith may not be capable of doing this to perfection. The flip side is, once the damage is done the piston that has the sear at the end of it becomes useless and cannot be rectified, hence it may even have to be discarded.
How is trigger-pull measured?
Trigger-pull is measured either by a resistance gauge or by actual weights. While the former gives a proper indication of the weight required to release the sear, the latter could give a + / - 5% error, unless the weights used drop down to as less as 10 grams. It’s one reason why serious match / competition shooters use the resistance gauge.
In the final analysis ‘Trigger Pressure’ / ‘Trigger Pull’ does play an important part in the firing of a gun. The adjustable 2 stage provides the advantage of setting the right pressure both in the 1st & 2nd stages to suit every individual preference. It makes shooting an enjoyable experience and above all contributes to accurate shooting.
Briha
