OK, what's this about square triggger guards

rwsmith

rwsmith

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Most pistol trigger guards are round. Some are square. Is it a matter of style or is there an underlying purpose? If I'd have to guess I'd say it has something to do with holsterability or drawing the gun. If I used holsters maybe I would know this.

If it's a matter of style, I like the round trigger guards. The square ones look kinda clunky.
 
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As Comrad said, many custom 1911 smiths back a few years ago liked the squared front on a trigger guard as many competitors back then used to put the index finger of the off hand on the front of the trigger guard as part of their two handed hold. That has gone by the wayside as different techniques in gun handling have developed over the years since. S&W has a hook or bump on the bottom front of the trigger guard on several models in the 82's and 90's. My 469 originally had one, but now has been eliminated.
 
And then someone discovered round ones not only looked better. But you could rest your finger on it just as well as a square one. As Gomer Pyle might say, surprise, surprise, surprise!
 
Every time I see one of those squared-off guards I'm tempted to fire up the old Dremel tool and fix it. Only did it once but it sure felt good.
 
I don't care for the square trigger guards myself, & especially in regards to 3rd Gens. I will pass on ones with the square guard.:eek::D
 
For some of us with large hands the square trigger guard makes firing pistols like the Ruger Super Blackhawk much more comfortable than the early Ruger Blackhawk grip frame. I am getting rid of a Ruger Old Army because I do not like the way the small early Blackhawk style grip frame fits. The ROA is a heavy pistol and I would like to be able to get my entire hand on the grip and fire it without the trigger guard biting my hand. The early Ruger Super Blackhawk grip frame can be adapted to fit the ROA but Ruger is not selling them anymore due to probable issues with liability, that holds true for any parts for the ROA fro Ruger itself. There used to be an aftermarket brass "Dragoon" grip frame available and Brownells continues to list them but they are not available. I apologize if this discertion lends itself toward "thread drift."
It just so happens to be something I am currently dealing with and am not very happy about...I'm just glad I have my health.
 
My CZ75BD and my FEG P9R both have them. Actually, the one on the FEG is smooth and concave while the CZ's is serrated. Somewhere in the CZ lore, I read what the square guard was for, tried it, and by jingo, it works, for me. My groups got noticeably better with both guns when I adapted my grip to put the left forefinger on the front of the guard.

My hands are not particularly big, and it feels awkward, but I think it helps steady the gun against my various tics.
 
I think square trigger guards are great on autos. But people who tend to flinch or pull with their weak hand never seem to like them. They cause the flinch to exaggerate. They pull the gun down and left (right handed shooters) with that weak hand. But it's great for Weaver/Chapman shooters who tend to "lay" the gun in their cradled left hand.

I wouldn't want one in a revolver. Puts my weak hand up there too close to the cylinder gap.


Sgt Lumpy
 
It was very "in" for IPSC in the 70s and 80s when we all devoured what the gun gurus wrote and IPSC was very chic. IPSC seems to have faded and I recall shooters with somewhat short index fingers found they got no use from them.
 
Yes, it was a flawed technique for a while. More people pull their shots off line by putting their finger on the trigger guard than not. None actually see the recoil control benefit it was touted as giving.

However, there is value for the squared off trigger guard. It is an effective way to use a barricade for support. Put the trigger guard against a support (i.e. a branch, the top of a fence, window sill) and it helps steady the gun for a better shot. Any trigger guard can do this, but the squared off ones are better at it.
 
Well, it's nice to know...

Well, it's nice to know that others feel the same way I do and I felt that there weren't as many guns with squared off guards as there used to be. It's interesting to know WHY these were popular as my guesses were wrong. There are always people that will like something a little different, and I appreciate that. I'll be sticking with the round ones.
 
Worked for Jerry...
v2jerry3a1-300x297.png


No longer thought of as good technique, but a lot of guys were doing it in the late 80's and 90's.

ETA- better look here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N9RGxL9KC8

I need to get some tracer ammo for my handguns...;)
 
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I hated the first one I ever saw.
They have not grown on me.
I gained no real benefit from the technique.
Maybe I'm just not smart enough to think with two fingers at once. :D
 
I have a square trigger guard on my 6906 and I too noticed that my groups immediately tightened up when I started putting my off finger on the front of the trigger guard. I’m not sure why the technique has fallen out of favor but it certainly works for me.

ETA It does make it kinda hard to find a holster for the gun though, one of the supervisors at work had to quit carrying his square trigger guard 5906 because he couldn't find a level 2 retention holster for it.
 
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This CZ83 kind of addresses both styles. The older CZ82 had a oval trigger guard with no hook and looked better to me.

 
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