TRAINING TIP TUESDAY: ESOTERIC INFORMATION REGARDING PISTOL GRIP, TRIGGER WEIGHT, ZERO, AND HOLSTERS

If you involve yourself in the firearms training world long enough (particularly with pistols), you’re likely to run into information that is treated as though it were something to be stored in an ark and hummed over by a dedicated priesthood. Some of the great mysteries might include “pistol zero distance” and “grip fundamentals.” Let’s slay a few sacred cows, shall we?

Grip

Generally, I like to teach from the perspective that if it works for you and I can’t define any sincere failure points in what you are doing then, it’s right. So, what that means as it relates to grip is that it should really be defined as a set of outcomes rather than a way to hold the gun. The same holds true of the way that we mount a rifle.

We’re all shaped a little differently and have divergent conditions that require us to make compromises in the way we interface with the world. To tell a student with smaller hands that their grip must look like mine is doing them a great disservice. It’s better to help them develop something that works with their body type to achieve their goal.

(I’ve found on many occasions that I learn most from these students. They force me to look at the process from an entirely different perspective.)

Trigger Weight

If I had a nickel for every time I was involved in a discussion about the specifics of trigger weight… I’d go buy a Rigby, Highland Stalker. If I had a dime for every one of those conversations that I thought meant anything… I’d borrow a few dollars and buy a cheap lunch. That’s my wry way of saying that I think we put way too much consideration into small things related to the trigger.

For me, the range of trigger weights that work is pretty broad. I’ve definitely felt those that are too heavy and a few that are way too light to feel comfortable carrying. Being objective though, these are a rarity.

I prefer a trigger that I don’t have to think about. One that just fades into the process when I decide to press it. In fact, the more I think about the trigger, the more it’s likely to induce an error. Go with what you have unless it’s overtly bad. You’ll know when a new trigger will (may) actually improve your shooting.

Zero

Pistol zero is a fairly new topic considering the revolution of optics that is sweeping the field. Almost every class that I teach has someone pose a new zeroing distance. These always include serious minded reasons and advantages. What they so seldom consider is the shooter.

The majority of shooters, even in the professional market… don’t shoot well enough to exploit the slight differences in zero in their pistols.

I zero at varying ranges (from 10 yards back to 25 yards) to show this to shooters. Certainly put some thought into where you zero your pistol but understand what you’re really getting out of that. Was that a rant? (I feel like it may have been.)

The Perfect Holster

There is no perfect holster. Think about the war that exists between our purposes with them. On one hand, we want them to keep our pistols securely attached to our body. On the other, we want them to facilitate a fast and efficient delivery of the gun to our hand. There is a constant tension between these two that is shaped by all sorts of things. Body type, type of wear, need for retention, operating environment, etc.

All of these will require some form of compromise, somewhere. What we have to do to define one as “perfect” (for us) is to choose the compromise. What do I need to give up in order to achieve the more important advantage?

Interestingly, I find that true of most things.

Until next time, train smart.

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Author Bio

Duane “Buck” Buckner

After spending 25 years in the USCG, Duane “Buck” Buckner is now the U.S. Director of Training for Aimpoint. The Aimpoint Training Division conducts training courses for military and law enforcement agencies up to the Federal level as well as for the prepared civilian. Buck is widely known for his emphasis on brain psychology as it relates to combat and survival.

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