Bell Curve for Trigger Techniques

Most shooters and firearms instructors agree that for good shooting, trigger control is the heart of the beast — the most important factor. There are several elements to this. Finger placement on the face of the trigger has been discussed here before; now we’ll talk about how to bring that trigger straight back to the rear without disturbing aim to break a perfect shot.

A shooter works on trigger control during live-fire practice at an outdoor range. Practicing different trigger manipulation methods, a shooter can find the best technique for speed and accuracy.

I respectfully submit that there is a bell curve of trigger manipulation methods, from coarse to precise and from fast to slow. Some instructors will tell you that only one spot on that bell curve is the secret, but the fact is that different circumstances — the size and distance of the target, the speed demanded in the moment — may make one or another point on that bell curve optimal.

Picturing the Bell Curve

First, in case anyone reading this is new to the semi-automatic pistol, let’s establish a baseline. The trigger at rest is in its most forward position when the gun is loaded, chambered, and ready to be fired. Obviously, all the way to the rear is the point at which the pistol fires. The finger holding the trigger back is still there as the slide cycles, ejecting the spent casing from the last shot and chambering a fresh cartridge to the next. It happens so fast the finger hasn’t had time to come off the trigger yet, and the trigger still being all the way back has activated the internal disconnector to keep the pistol from going full automatic.

The photo shows a close-up view of a shooter’s hand holding a semi-automatic pistol, with the index finger fully extended outside the trigger guard and away from the trigger. The trigger itself is all the way forward, indicating the “at rest” position discussed in Massad Ayoob’s article on trigger control techniques. No contact is made with the trigger, making it clear that the pistol is ready to start the shooting sequence. The safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses, or the range environment might also be visible in the background. This visual highlights the most basic trigger position, critical for understanding the mechanics before learning more advanced techniques. Emphasizing safety, the finger-off-the-trigger stance is often stressed in all firearms training. This photo supports Ayoob’s points about different positions along the bell curve of trigger techniques. — The shooter’s finger is fully off the trigger, showing the trigger in its at-rest position. This demonstrates the starting point before any trigger manipulation.

Now the trigger has to come forward to reset. On most semi-auto pistols, the trigger does not have to come all the way forward to the “at rest” position to be ready for the next shot: partway through that forward trigger return, the shooter will feel (and may even hear) a “click.” That’s as far forward as the trigger has to move: the gun is already ready to fire again at that point. This gives the shooter three points on the bell curve from which to break the next shot.

The Three Points on the Bell Curve

If the trigger is allowed to come all the way forward to the point where the trigger not only comes all the way back forward but the trigger finger comes completely off the face of the trigger, we can have trigger slap, the coarsest point of the bell curve.

If the trigger finger comes forward just enough to feel that “tick” of the reset, we have what is known variously as riding the sear, catching the sear, riding the link, or catching the link, the most precise form of the bell curve.

The image shows a shooter on the range, focused intently on the process of training trigger control. The shooter’s finger is positioned properly on the trigger, with attention paid to smooth, deliberate movement. The gun is held in a textbook grip, and the shooter’s stance is balanced and ready. Protective gear like safety glasses and earmuffs are visible, indicating a safe, controlled environment. The background includes range elements, but the main subject is clearly the shooter’s hands and trigger finger. This photo reflects the importance of consistent, mindful trigger training as discussed by Massad Ayoob. The image can be used to illustrate various stages of the trigger press, from initial contact to the break. The setting and posture reinforce the article’s focus on foundational shooting skills. — Concentrating on trigger discipline, the shooter takes careful aim and works through the fundamentals. Regular practice is essential for mastering any trigger control method. Image: Gail Pepin

The center of the bell curve is when the finger allows the trigger to come all the way back forward until it stops, but maintains finger contact with the trigger, most commonly known as trigger weld.

Each method can have a place, depending on what shooter and pistol are called upon to do by the circumstances that have warranted firing the gun in the first place. Let’s start with riding the link.

Riding the Sear

Serious shooters figured out this technique in the second decade of the 2th century, when semi-automatic pistols such as the 1911 began to replace revolvers for both target shooting and “serious business.” In the beginning, it was restricted to target competition, which at the time was done one-handed on significantly distant targets in very forgiving time frames.

The photo shows a close-up of a shooter holding a pistol with their trigger finger straight and clearly positioned outside the trigger guard. This demonstrates proper safety protocol and trigger discipline, as the finger does not touch the trigger until the shooter is ready to fire. The rest of the hand maintains a firm grip on the firearm, and safety equipment such as eye protection is visible. The range or training area in the background reinforces the structured environment. This image directly supports the article’s emphasis on good habits for trigger control, as discussed by Massad Ayoob. The clear, visible finger-off-the-trigger stance highlights the importance of not placing the finger inside the guard until aiming and prepared to shoot. The visual is suitable for educational use, illustrating a key aspect of firearms safety and technique. — The bell curve at the coarse end: the shooter’s finger is completely off of the trigger while holding a Springfield Armory XD-M.

In the 1970s when Colonel Jeff Cooper and shortly thereafter his contemporary Ray Chapman opened defensive shooting schools for ordinary law-abiding citizens for the first time in modern history, most “how to shoot” lore had come from target shooting. There were still even police departments qualifying in one-handed bullseye shooting. Riding the link started to find its way into police training as well, since this was the decade when the sea change from traditional police service revolvers to semi-automatic duty pistols was beginning to take place. Some instructors, unaware of how long this trigger-pulling technique existed, taught it for defensive shooting so emphatically one would have thought that it was the secret weapon that would win World War III.

However, like anything else, it had its drawbacks. I was shooting action pistol, IPSC and the Bianchi Cup format, during the latter ‘70s and I saw even supremely skilled champions shooting under pressure in major matches “stutter” in strings of extremely rapid fire. That is, what should have been “bangbanbangbangbang” turned into “bangbang (pause) bangbang.” What had happened was, attempting to ride the link had not allowed it the trigger to return all the way forward to firing position.

This close-up photo highlights a shooter’s trigger finger remaining in contact with the trigger as it moves just enough forward to reach the reset point. The finger does not leave the trigger face, demonstrating the riding the sear technique discussed by Massad Ayoob. The handgun is shown from the side, and you can see the subtle trigger movement required for a proper reset without letting the trigger go fully forward. The focus is on the finger position at the instant the internal reset click is felt. The background may include range details but remains uncluttered, keeping attention on the shooter’s hand and the gun’s controls. This method, as explained in the article, is used for precise control and fast follow-up shots, especially in competition or slow-fire scenarios. The image helps illustrate one of the most advanced trigger control methods along Ayoob’s bell curve of techniques. — Instead of letting the trigger go all the way forward, the author’s finger maintains contact with the trigger right at the reset point.

There are a couple of physiological reasons to explain why. First, under stress, we become stronger due to adrenaline dump, and the finger’s flexor muscles that pull back are stronger than its extensor muscles that allow the trigger to return. Second, we may no longer be able to feel (and with the gunfire, probably won’t be able to hear) that tiny “tick” of the reset.

One thing that stress triggers is vasoconstriction, in which the body redirects blood flow away from extremities such as the fingers to the internal organs to “fuel the furnace” for extreme exertion. It’s the reason you see people turn deathly pale, and why after a particularly challenging moment with a gun in your hand, whether on the range or on the street, you may feel your heart pounding and realize you’re breathing hard.

The photo shows the author at a shooting range demonstrating the trigger slap technique with a single action Prodigy pistol. The author’s trigger finger is caught in motion, springing off the trigger right after firing, while the pistol is held firmly with both hands. Personal protective equipment, such as ear and eye protection, is visible. The background includes range markers and a standard target setup, but the focus stays on the author’s hand, grip, and the fast, aggressive finger movement that defines trigger slap. This image emphasizes the use of trigger slap for rapid fire, especially at close distances, as described in the article. The author’s posture and grip show control despite the lack of finesse in finger movement. The visual supports the point that trigger slap is a valid tool when speed is more important than precision. — The author demonstrates how controlled trigger slap with a Springfield 1911 DS Prodigy emphasizes speed over finesse. In certain close-range shooting situations, this may be an important skill. Image: Gail Pepin

There have been documented cases where Good Guys in shootouts have pulled their trigger again, not realized they hadn’t reset, assumed they had jammed, and stopped returning fire to rack their slide. Not good. This is why many police academies and some private schools including my own stopped recommending riding the link for defensive shooting.

Controlled Trigger Slap

On the coarse end of the bell curve, there is what world champions Rob Leatham (who shoots for Springfield Armory) and Todd Jarrett called controlled trigger slap. We need to understand that “trigger slap” by itself is not a good thing, but an error generally associated with amateur shooters who don’t perform very well. The amateur fires the gun. There’s a loud bang and some recoil. The shooter silently goes “Eek” and their finger jumps off the trigger, occasionally bouncing off the inside front of the trigger guard or out of the guard entirely. Now, when it’s time for the next shot the finger comes back with impact and jerks the shot off target.

The controlled trigger slap of Leatham, Jarrett, and others is done only in close at large targets, usually with target pistols with super-light triggers and in company with a very hard grip on the pistol. However, it can also be done with service pistols successfully when the need is “close and fast.”

Simon Golub, a champion shooter recently retired from FBI and now teaching in private sector, calls it “crashing the trigger” and explained it this way to me: “I consider crashing the trigger to mean pulling it (hitting it even) as fast as possible. Other terms I have used over the years are smashing the trigger, slapping the trigger (more for single actions), jerking the trigger.

“The main idea is that there is no consideration given to finesse, as pure speed is what is needed for the given problem. My grip is what allows me to do this and get the hits I need. I only use this technique for close-range targets that I don’t believe I can possibly miss on. I am not generally willing to sacrifice accuracy for speed, and I think that extreme accuracy can be even more important up close when the threat is more likely to damage you if not stopped immediately.”

And, At the Center of the Bell Curve…

Trigger Weld

Trigger weld, I respectfully submit, is the ideal middle ground for defensive shooting. The trigger is allowed to come all the way forward until it stops, but the trigger finger maintains contact. The impact of trigger slap is eliminated, so you’re no longer limited to close, big targets and no longer jerking the muzzle off target. Yet you have guaranteed full trigger reset, guaranteed you’ll have the next shot, and the next. The best of both worlds.

The close-up photo shows a shooter’s hand gripping a semi-automatic pistol, with the index finger in constant contact with the trigger as it is allowed to return fully forward to the reset position. The finger remains gently pressed against the trigger face, never breaking contact, illustrating the trigger weld technique explained in the article. The details of the grip, trigger, and finger position are sharp and clear, highlighting the mechanics of this method. The gun’s frame and trigger guard are visible, with the background blurred to emphasize the hands and trigger area. This visual directly supports Massad Ayoob’s discussion of the “middle ground” between trigger slap and riding the sear, balancing reset with control. The photo helps readers understand what continuous trigger contact should look like during practical or defensive shooting. The image is suitable for demonstrating proper trigger technique in instructional material. — Trigger weld is demonstrated with the finger resting on the trigger as it reaches the forward stop. Consistent finger contact supports accuracy without sacrificing reset.

It is what I practice and teach primarily for self-defense shooting. In a match, with only a trophy or a title on the line, things are different. When I won trophies in bullseye, where slow fire was 10 shots in 10 minutes and rapid fire was five shots in 10 seconds, I “rode the link.” If tomorrow I’m attacked by someone with a machete at close range, I expect I’ll be using controlled trigger slap because the job is now five shots in one second, and different tasks require different techniques.

Conclusion

For me, each of these techniques has a place, but if I could have only one it would be in that sweet spot, the middle of the bell curve: trigger weld.

Your comments and shared experiences are of course, as always, invited in the forum comment section, linked below.

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