Hello
What is the difference between pulling the trigger and squeezing?
Sorry to ask you guys so many newbie questions.

Plunky you are asking great questions.....please don't hesitate to ask anything.

Squeezing the trigger allows you to aim the pistol and apply pressure to the trigger until it goes off allowing you to hit where you are aiming.

Pulling the trigger is a deliberate act to make the gun go bang.....it generally will also not allow you to be as accurate with your weapon for a couple of reasons:
1. Pulling the trigger actually can pull the weapon off sight and your accuracy will suffer
2. It is an anticipated act and you expect the weapon to fire (flinching)....when you squeeze the trigger, it should be a surprise when it fires.

Many people don't advocate dry firing but I can't stress it enough....dry fire your weapon and learn to feel the difference between squeezing the trigger and pulling the trigger.

Hope this helps.....

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Bob

Any weapon can be dry fired, some just require the use of a spent cartridge or snap cap to do so. As said above, I too feel that dry firing is vital. By selecting a small aiming point your concentrating on maintaining your sight picture during your trigger press/squeeze, you begin sensing just how easily and quickly your sights can be driven out of alignment during the act of the squeezing. A really high tech tool used anymore, is a laser. It gives the shooter instant feedback to just how easily the sights can be affected by the squeeze. But for 5 generations before their invention, dry firing worked when practiced often.

+1 for both of the above posts.

A nice steady paced squeeze will do you better than a quick sudden pull.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Actually, in the current terminology, the act of making the gun go off is referred to as "the trigger press". What makes a quality trigger press or stroke is that the finger action should be smooth, straight to the rear and not disturb the sight picture. "Yanking" is the usual term for a trigger press/stroke that disturbs the sight picture and bullet placement.

Proper practice-not just making noise or doing dry fire reps-will allow you to spend less time performing a quality trigger press and hitting where you're aiming.

Plunky, you may want to check and see if anyone in your area is offering NRA Basic Pistol classes. This will let you get some guidance in the basics. If anyone shows you a card that claims to tell you what your problem is by where the bullet ends up, please be advised that card was developed for one handed bullseye shooting. Doesn't work well for anything else.

here is what helped me, I shot and dry fired my pistol with firing pin protection until I found the exact spot where the trigger broke and started pulling intantly to that point then squeezing the last bit, I have found it accurate and quick, and it takes a bit and you will fire a few rounds before you find that sweet spot but when you find it it's gold it makes firing in DA alot like single action

The previous posts have described the differences between pulling and squeezing quite nicely.I suggest snap caps and practice dry firing whenever possible.When you start the trigger squeeze it should be uniformed and constant from front to back,and the bullet firing should come as a suprise.When you get it right your sights will stay alligned and the hit will go where it was planned to.BTW here the definition of a truly dumb question is the one you never ask so by all means ask whatever you like and we will be happy to either answer it or find the answer for you.May God Bless........Mike

Squeeze the trigger and good things will happen. HMB1004

You squeeze the trigger on a M6 Scout. You pull the trigger on a S&W.

The above posts are great, and describe very well the difference.

When I'm at the range working in a new (to me) gun, after I've done the dry-fire drills described above at home in the garage, I do a drill that helps me feel the difference between a trigger squeeze and a trigger pull on each particular firearm.

Load the weapon, acquire your target. Have a partner stand behind you. Close your eyes, and fire, focusing on the feel of the trigger squeeze. Squeeze, be surprised by the firing, and as the gun drops back down from the recoil, lightly release the trigger until you feel the trigger click into its reset position. Keep your eyes closed for an entire magazine. Have your partner make sure you are still aligned on the target after each shot - if you point anywhere but the target, your partner should put a hand on your shoulder - open your eyes and reacquire the target.

You'll be surprised how quickly you pick up on the proper trigger pressure with this "eyes-closed" drill...but it's absolutely necessary that you have a partner spot you so that you remain safe at the range.

Red

Goes hand in hand with the basics:

Sight Alignment, Breath Control, Trigger Squeeze.

I was always taught to use the pad of my index finger on the trigger, NOT the joint, as using the joint will tend to "pull" the weapon vs. center of the pad.

Coupling that with what the others have said about squeeze vs. pull and you should be fine. Another drill we were taught is the penny on the end of the barrel trick. Of course, this requires a firearm that has a flat spot somewhere on it to begin with. You should be able to squeeze the trigger and the hammer/striker releasing while the penny stays on the gun.

Takes some practice but once you figure it out it's relatively easy and keeps the other basics going; sight alignment throughout the squeeze, and I start my squeeze as I exhale for each shot.

As to shooting a gun with your eyes closed, no, never, not happening with or without a partner, EVER. We can agree to disagree on this but I would never ever EVER recommend that to anyone for any reason.

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Live For Today Not Tomorrow

Being a point shooter at least 65% of the time,and drilling while moving and shooting,I prefer the term "stroking" the trigger.

Squeezing = letting the gun fire

Pulling = making the gun fire

From dictionary.com

squeeze
   [skweez] Show IPA ,verb, squeezed, squeez·ing, noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to press forcibly together; compress.
2.
to apply pressure to in order to extract juice, sap, or the like: to squeeze an orange.
3.
to force out, extract, or procure by pressure: to squeeze juice from an orange.
4.
to thrust forcibly; force by pressure; cram: to squeeze three suits into a small suitcase.
5.
to fit into a small or crowded space or timespan: The doctor will try to squeeze you in between appointments.

pull
   [pool] Show IPA
verb (used with object)
1.
to draw or haul toward oneself or itself, in a particular direction, or into a particular position: to pull a sled up a hill.
2.
to draw or tug at with force.
3.
to rend or tear: to pull a cloth to pieces.
4.
to draw or pluck away from a place of growth, attachment, etc.: to pull a tooth; to pull weeds.
5.
to strip of feathers, hair, etc., as a bird or hide.


I stand by my previous post.

Yes: for a double action or 'safe action' trigger, stroking describes it best. A firm, but smooth, straight pull. On a gun with a crisp single action, like a Colt Gold Cup, squeezing the trigger is more like it. Same goes for a typical centerfire bolt action rifle trigger: squeeze it until it 'breaks'.

There is a good chart somewhere, I may be able to find a copy later, that looks like a target, and has different grids off of each side.

It will show you some of the common problems with improper trigger pull, grip, etc.,

For example, if all of your shots are at 7 o'clock, (low and to the left); for a right hand shooter, you may be "squeezing finger tips while applying trigger pull"

I just found it:

handgun shooting symptom chart

If you study this chart, or print off and take a copy to the range next time you shoot, you may be able to self-correct any common errors (if you are having any).

A good coach/instructor is always great, but not always available or for some, affordable. This chart can be handy.

But for the question at hand, it may also help to visually emphasize that errors can occur by pulling the trigger incorrectly, rather than squeezing it correctly.

I prefer to say "Now press the trigger straight back moving only your trigger finger."

Why? "Squeeze" to a beginner may translate to squeezing with the whole hand, "milking" the grip and moving the gun, resulting in "something is wrong with my gun, it shoots low."

The object is of course to move the trigger smoothly straight back without moving the gun, so however that can be visualized is all to the good.

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Science plus Art

Recently joined the forum and haven't handled a weapon for about 40 yrs but recently picked up a M&P 40. Been spending time getting acquainted with it and been practising grip, aim and trigger pull. amazing how memories come back after all that time. I tend to balance a dime on the front sight while squeezing the trigger during dry firing. All I'm looking to do at this point is to develop correct habits.

I prefer to "press" as well. with just the pad of the finger.

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God Bless Our Troops.

What Stu said. Stroking the trigger is what you do for DA shooting.
Squeeze is for SA.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Envision the motion of milking a cow or goat...pulling the trigger evokes that motion of the hand...it is sometimes refered to as "milking" a trigger
Squeezing or pressing the trigger is only done with the trigger finger in an isolated motion....I agree with others here in that dry firing with a laser is great practice...

Here is a simple hint I use when training/re-training/re-re-re-training shooters. Pull the trigger back to its most rearward position, like you are pulling back the string on a tiny, tiny, tiny bow. You cannot shoot a bow and arrow by yanking quickly, you use a uniform and deliberate pull.

I think the proper movement of the finger on the trigger can only happen if the gun is held properly...Bottom 3 fingers and heel of the hand need to be very firm with no side squeezing of the fingers on the grip...elbow locked and wrist straight...The trigger finger needs to work independently of the rest of the hand by moving straight back in one smooth motion until after the bullet has fired and through the forward release of the trigger...My thoughts are everything is interrelated with the rest of your body ie. how you stand how your head is positioned and your posture but that is getting a little to deep and a bit away from the OP`s question...Jim

I started out on semi-auto pistols, lots of SA. Pressing straight back on the trigger with the pad of the finger, using the trigger finger only, gives best results. You can actually see this if you dry fire your gun and look down on the gun. If I have the proper grip I'm pressing my finger pad straight back as if I were going to touch the web at the base of my thumb. If the joint at the base of the trigger finger is moving, so is the end of the barrel.

At the range I like to shoot .22 along with my center fire. It's easy to hold steady through the shot to recoil, and see the front sight at ignition. When I'm shooting well I almost always see a bit of spark from the muzzle flash on all my hand guns. If I'm not seeing a spark, I'm probably anticipating the recoil. Most call that a flinch, I call that an early follow though, it makes me feel better about myself.

Dry firing gives me good muscle memory. Shooting the .22 gives me good muscle memory with recoil. My golf teacher told me he could not teach me to not slice. He told me he could teach me how to hit a draw, and develop the muscle memory for that shot. I can't learn to not flinch, I can learn to have a good sight picture at ignition.

A firm stroke usually does it for me.

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Forum consigliere

Squeezing the trigger does cause new shooters to squeeze the whole grip which certainly isn't what you want to do. The words used to describe the action of the trigger finger are varied so forget which word is right or wrong. Rather, know this....

The trigger must move perfectly inline with the point of aim towards the rear of the gun. You cannot allow the trigger finger to alter your point of aim during this process.

Two handed shooters (action pistol) can get away with a LOT of bad trigger control, however, conventional pistol shooters can only use one hand to hold the gun. With the one hand hold, developing proper trigger control is mandatory to shooting high scores. You may want to drop by this website which has a lot of information on precision pistol shooting..

BullseyeShooting

Chris D

I shoot my target pistol with one hand bullseye style which gives a great indication of bad trigger control. For me, assuming good sight adjustments, if I jerk the trigger my rounds go left. Yogo

Make sure you can dry fire your weapon. Some you can and others you cant. should say on manual. and you want to sqeeze that trigger. always think sqeeze. One way of telling if your pulling the trigger is that most people that do they shots fall to the right of target area. Something that can be fixed with practice

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Aim small miss small

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something odd about using the word "press" to describe the action of activating the trigger on a firearm. It's just one of those loaded terms that trainers who charge too much use to make you think they're smart.

This thread really helped me at the range today. I did a little dry firing last night to get a feel for moving ONLY my trigger finger. My aim was so much better today because I stayed aware of keeping my hand grip steady and still, while moving only my trigger finger. I didn't squeeze or jerk my hand (mostly), so......THANKS AGAIN FOR A GREAT FORUM!!

Besides dry firing (which I strongly recommend), one thing that has *really* helped me is getting a laser training aid that pinpoints where the bullet would have gone when the trigger was pressed. I got the LaserLyte LT-9 for my various 9mm's and really like it.

Some time ago I got a "carryable" 9mm (not S&W), and could not hit anything with it. Safest place for any observer was behind the target!

I started practicing dry firing - over and over - using snap caps, and my technique improved a fair amount.

Then I got the LaserLyte LT-9 (also available in other calibers besides 9mm), and I could immediately see where I was pointing, and other problems. For example, I could see that I was "jerking" under some circumstances. It gave me a lot of good feedback, and I practice with it almost daily.

There are several models, including the LT-Pro which fits several calibers thus seems attractive. However, it is sound activated and requires you to remove the tiny batteries after every use. The LT-9 (and similar) that I have is like a snap cap and is activated by the firing pin, which I like better.