TargetTalk

I thought it would be interesting to see what trigger weight most people are using in their free pistols. I'm currently at about 120 grams and working my way down (started at 160gms). Please feel free to post your trigger weights and reasons for using it. Don't forget to mention what pistol and grip (Factory/Rink) you are using as it probably plays a part in your selection of trigger weight. I propose the following format:

Pistol: CM84E
Trigger weight: 80gms
Grip: Morini
Reasons for trigger weight: Currently, I feel more comfortable if I can rest my finger on the trigger slightly before it goes off.

I don't know is the very simple answer. It's less than my air pistol but I couldn't really tell you by how much. Mine is a pardini K22 and the trigger weight is pretty much as heavy as I can get it. Mainly because I shoot the gun quite infrequently so it's trigger control / safety thing for me.

Rob.

TOZ 35M
19.7gm.
German grips, possibly Karl Nill, installed by vendor (Kettner's)
Reason for trigger weight: Used to ultra light triggers on my schuetzen rifles. At this weight, I'm still able rest my finger on the trigger.
Paul

Somewhere around 120 grams. I like some triggerpull for safety reasons, and not too big a contrast with my other pistols (air and smallbore). Dont want the gun to fire due to shocks etc. Electronic triggers show hardly any movement. Use a Morini CM84, standard factory grip

Greetings Hans.

pgfaini wrote:TOZ 35M
19.7gm.
German grips, possibly Karl Nill, installed by vendor (Kettner's)
Reason for trigger weight: Used to ultra light triggers on my schuetzen rifles. At this weight, I'm still able rest my finger on the trigger.
Paul

Its interesting that you have trained yourself to be able to rest your finger on such a light trigger. I'm trying to reduce my trigger weight as much as possible but at light trigger weights (below 80 grams on my CM84E) it seems that the pistol is prone to firing even on slight jerks whilst bringing it up to target even if my finger is not on the trigger but only bisecting the sensor? Due to this I have to wait until I'm in the aiming area before I bring my trigger finger into the trigger guard and onto the trigger. As you may imagine, this

a) Takes longer
b) causes unnecessary movement in the hand

How do you deal with this on your Toz?

@ everyone else--- Any advice on how to cope with/ resolve this issue?

Pistol: Hammerli 160 special
Trigger weight: around 50g
Grip: Rink

P.S. Paul, you wrote 19.7g, how do you measure it with such an accuracy ?

No Fear wrote:

pgfaini wrote:TOZ 35M
19.7gm.
German grips, possibly Karl Nill, installed by vendor (Kettner's)
Reason for trigger weight: Used to ultra light triggers on my schuetzen rifles. At this weight, I'm still able rest my finger on the trigger.
Paul

Its interesting that you have trained yourself to be able to rest your finger on such a light trigger. I'm trying to reduce my trigger weight as much as possible but at light trigger weights (below 80 grams on my CM84E) it seems that the pistol is prone to firing even on slight jerks whilst bringing it up to target even if my finger is not on the trigger but only bisecting the sensor? Due to this I have to wait until I'm in the aiming area before I bring my trigger finger into the trigger guard and onto the trigger. As you may imagine, this

a) Takes longer
b) causes unnecessary movement in the hand

How do you deal with this on your Toz?

@ everyone else--- Any advice on how to cope with/ resolve this issue?

I raise the pistol with my finger up against the front of the trigger guard bow, and only touch the trigger after bringing the gun down to a sub six position. I've NEVER had the gun discharge prematurely, although it occasionally discharges "subconsciously" when the sight picture is on, before I can consciously press it. This is usually a nine or ten. This is exactly what I want, and also happens, less often, with my Morini 162E, which of course has a much heavier trigger pull.
Paul

jipe wrote:Pistol: Hammerli 160 special
Trigger weight: around 50g
Grip: Rink

P.S. Paul, you wrote 19.7g, how do you measure it with such an accuracy ?

I use a piece of music wire shaped like the rods used on regular trigger weight devices, slipping light 2.25gr.(1.46g.)#4 washers over the end.

I originally used a light aluminum cup suspended from the end(cut down cigar tube), and added #8 bird shot until the trigger released, then took one out. Weighed the device with bird shot on my Ohous triple beam powder scale, and convert grains to grams.

Both ways work, the bird shot method is quicker to add weight, just dribbling it between the fingers, but the washer method allows re checking, by counting the washers, and keeping the whole kit in an envelope in the gun case. The washers can then be used as an improvised scale.
Paul

pgfaini wrote:

jipe wrote:Pistol: Hammerli 160 special
Trigger weight: around 50g
Grip: Rink

P.S. Paul, you wrote 19.7g, how do you measure it with such an accuracy ?

I use a piece of music wire shaped like the rods used on regular trigger weight devices, slipping light 2.25gr.(1.46g.)#4 washers over the end.

I originally used a light aluminum cup suspended from the end(cut down cigar tube), and added #8 bird shot until the trigger released, then took one out. Weighed the device with bird shot on my Ohous triple beam powder scale, and convert grains to grams.

Both ways work, the bird shot method is quicker to add weight, just dribbling it between the fingers, but the washer method allows re checking, by counting the washers, and keeping the whole kit in an envelope in the gun case. The washers can then be used as an improvised scale.
Paul

Both methods have provided ample food for thought. Thanks for sharing them!

I bought my Morini 84E used. When it arrived I tried the heavy spring 1st. I could not believe how heavy the trigger was. I put the medium spring in the pistol and shot it at 1lb for about 6 months. It is around 3/4 pound right now.

Hmmm. Good topic. To be honest the number associated with trigger weight is not relavant . Each day we have much different sensitivity to the trigger. The lighter trigger you are accustom to the greater the variable in sensitivity.

For example: On day in which the air temp. is 80 you will have a greater feel for a light trigger, much greater than that on a day with temps in the 50's (F). Some days even in warm weather the trigger may release prematurely and require a heavier weight to allow for greater control.

If you cannot place you finger on the trigger and remove your finger with a shot release- you have too light a trigger. You would be surprised to know how heavy some world class shooters set their triggers at. It really is not so important as long as you maintain control.

570 hit the nail on the head... In this part of the world, more often than not, it's bloody cold when you're out shooting FP in the great out-of-doors. That requires a much heavier trigger, simply because you can't feel a light one. We often shoot in ambient temps below 50F, and often well below that. I've shot quite a bit with the trigger set below 50grams, and sometimes as low as 20 grams, but the lessons learned in doing so have taught me that heavier is more predictable across a wide temperature range. It's not that the gun is unpredictable, but rather that my finger sensitivity is unpredictable. I've been finding that something in the 80-100gram range works well, but have just measured two of my fp's and found they're actually above 100grams, maybe 105 or so (I only have about 6gram resolution in my test device).

I was initially thinking of further reducing my trigger weight but with cold weather approaching I think that I shall stick to my current trigger weight and see how it goes. I guess its all a matter of mindset. If a person can train themselves to use a 1360 grams trigger in Standard Pistol and a 2 and a half pound pull in big bore pistol I guess that he should not have a lot of trouble adjusting to 50 grams or even a 150 grams trigger weight if he wanted to. Actually the only problem is that in Free Pistol since there are no limiting parameters I guess we just experiment a lot more in our quest for a 'magic trigger'. :D