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6/30/2013

Trigger pull and weight, affects and accuracy

By C-Mag

weight of NYPD trigger is heavier than normal Glocks, analysisAs an RSO, I introduce first time shooters to pistols during my quick breakdown of how a gun works when I go over the concepts of single-action and double-action triggers. I usually demonstrate with a .22 revolver and a .22 ruger MKIII and people grasp the concept fairly quickly. What I don't bother getting into with the new shooters is feel and weight of trigger pull, yet this is something that can make or a break a gun which will be used for social work or in competitions. I regularly carry a 1911 with a fairly light 3.5-4 lb. trigger or a Beretta PX4 with a double/single action trigger. While these guns have very different triggers, I practice with them both regularly and am comfortable with each. The focus of this post though is something that I read a few weeks back that blew my mind. Police forces in New York, specifically New York City are issued guns with extra heavy trigger pulls and I want to know why.

I did a little research and it turns out that this is true and that the level of trigger pull that appears in standard issue sidearms in New York range from 6 to 11+ pounds. The higher end of this scale seems outrageous and I can only begin to guess that it is a throwback to when police were all issued double-action revolvers and they wielded the guns with their fingers on the triggers (something which is never a good idea with a single action gun). Upon further research I learned that Glock offers two optional trigger springs in addition to their standard, a NY1 and a NY2. This confirmed my earlier reading but still fails to answer the question of why this is so.

I believe, as do most other shooters, that a lighter trigger pull will lead to a more accurate and more consistent shot. If this is a correct statement, then the inverse must also hold true; a heavy trigger pull will lead to more inconsistent and less accurate shooting. I would like to think that this is an easily understood concept, but the decision makers in New York don't seem to get it, or maybe they have other reasons for making it
harder for their police force to shoot accurately. I would LOVE to hear some other possible suggestions on why a heavy trigger pull would be a good thing.

©2013 ArmedCandy,LLC

7 comments:

Lauren said...

So I just asked a few sources, and the general answer is to decrease the chance of them accidentally pulling the trigger. This changes my whole view on the way they are trained at their academy. Coming from someone who went through processing for NYPD and actually contemplating switching from FDNY to NYPD. I've also given a few lessons to some cops. Mainly when it comes time for their annual range qualification and they're worried about failing because they only go to the range about 4 times a year. Which they're required to take a day off for. I'm not too sure they're encouraged to go to ranges privately. But I can tell you most don't.

YouHanoiMe said...

This incident would have never happened if everyone in times square had been armed. One person could have popped off a round, and the rest of everyone could have just killed each other, ending it.

Lauren said...

I do think that everyone being armed would have helped this situation. The perp wasn't armed. He had no gun. No weapon at all. He was emotionally disturbed.

Matt Schlueter said...

The original NY trigger was requested by the Powers to be is my understanding, as they wanted a trigger pull similar to the revolvers they were replacing.

In law enforcement circles there has been some debate over the standard issue Glock triggers vs weighted triggers like the NY style where the weight is the same start to finish (discharge). When I was a Deputy Sheriff (now Ret.) as the Firearms Instructor, our department used the standard 5# trigger the gun came with. I personally believed then and do now the trigger weight by it self does not make the gun more prone to Negligent discharges, long as the shooter does their part. Keeping their trigger finger off the trigger till they are ready to shoot. That said the extra heavy triggers can cause some shooters problems when it comes to accuracy up to and including their ability to qualify.

Clod said...

Given the history of NYPD shootings, I think they are less concerned about accuracy than they are about negligent discharges.

Lauren said...

After speaking to a few cops, it's sad how they train them in firearms. I was told they're allowed to go to the range once a month, and none do. And they only qualify twice a year. As one of the largest police departments in the country you would think they would take a little bit more pride. But then again, that's NYC in general. ESU is about the only division that strictly enforces firearms training constantly. Agh! This city frustrates me so much. As an employee of NYC it really is disheartening to go through this nonsense. City is definitely not what it used to be.

Lauren said...

After speaking to a few cops, it's sad how they train them in firearms. I was told they're allowed to go to the range once a month, and none do. And they only qualify twice a year. As one of the largest police departments in the country you would think they would take a little bit more pride. But then again, that's NYC in general. ESU is about the only division that strictly enforces firearms training constantly. Agh! This city frustrates me so much. As an employee of NYC it really is disheartening to go through this nonsense. City is definitely not what it used to be.

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