Pull or press the trigger?

[jimlj]

Over the years I've pulled hundreds of different triggers, some of them thousands of times. I can't remember ever pressing or pushing one.
I have used a rope or chain to pull vehicles out of mud, snow or to the shop for repair, but I've never had much success using a chain or rope to push or press one.
I grew up reading about a gentle trigger pull, slow pull, steady pull but until recently none of the gun writers ever talked about pressing them. At 60 "recently" could be 40 years, I may have lost track of when this became vogue.
The talk of "pressing" the trigger got me thinking. In my opinion there are few people who have done it repeatedly who are successful. Exhibition shooters sometimes can do it, but most who press a trigger only do it once with the gun pointed the wrong way.
What do you call it? Enlighten me as to why some refer to it as a trigger press.

[trails4u]

Completely guessing here....but maybe pressing is more subtle and precise than pulling?? Semantics any way you slice or dice it. I have, however, taught my children to think of pressing the trigger, with the pad of your finger, straight back into your shoulder where the gun is mounted. Maybe that's where the pressing thing comes from??

[lefty o]

squeeze the trigger.

[Houndog]

I think my old DI used the term "squeeze" the trigger and he had a way of getting his point across you didn't ignore!

[RED BEAR]

As long as it goes bang whats the difference?

[JBinMN]

"Squeeze" is the way I have said it since I was a young lad, and don't remember using "pull the trigger".

I am certain I have never heard of or used, "Press the trigger".

New one for me, anyway.

:???:

[lightman]

I have used both "squeeze" and "pull". Never have used the word press. On my benchrest trigger I just caress it.

[Texas by God]

Press a button. Press your luck. Press on. Squeeze oranges. Squeeze through the gate. Squeeze your principal squeeze.
Pull the trigger!

[slim1836]

I was always taught to "squeeze" the trigger, so you stayed on the target and did not know when the weapon would go off. If you got "off target", you released the trigger until the target was re-acquired. That worked in hunting and target shooting for me.

Slim

[Wheelguns 1961]

I squeeze the trigger like I am taking a baby’s pulse. I also follow through.

[Gaseous Maximus]

I imagine for the rest of my life, I'll probably either pull or squeeze the dang thing, depending or my mood at the time. Although in some instances, I have been known to jerk it.

[Omega]

Context..When I shoot a single round, I squeeze the trigger, but when in FA, I pull the trigger.

[varmintpopper]

"B A S S"
Breath, Aim, Slack, Squeeze.
That"s the way I was taught in the military.

Good Shooting

Lindy

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

the Tactical boys don't "punch" the trigger or "jack" the trigger,
they Press Press Press the trigger.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUjEhVVmDis

[RU shooter]

the Tactical boys don't "punch" the trigger or "jack" the trigger,
they Press Press Press the trigger.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUjEhVVmDis

Lol guess I'll never be "tacticool" then , heck I don't even own a drop leg holster !

[MrWolf]

Squeeze the trigger and yell pull to release the birds.

[slim1836]

"B R A S S"

Breath, Relax, Aim, Slack, Squeeze.

That's the way I learned.

Slim

[Budzilla 19]

Squeeze it, pull it, the end result should be the same every time. Just my .02
And as for the game of skeet, I was taught this way to call for targets; “ pull” for high house, “ mark” for low house and “birds” for doubles. Guess it depends on training.

[BigMagShooter]

I just yank it.:D

[Lead pot]

:) I used to have a gun (shot gun) you squeezed the trigger then release it to make it go off :)

I know a lot of good off hand shooters that like to slap the trigger......LOL to cold to shoot this morning......

[Wag]

Get a thesaurus and split hairs all you want with different terminology. Sometimes, what you do is defined by what you don't do and in this case, you don't want to just yank on that trigger.

Even in the definition of "squeezing" the trigger, some people will squeeze their whole hand and throw their aim off. Instead, they need to just squeeze the trigger finger. Or, make sure that the finger is just pressing on the trigger to move it straight back rather from one side to the other.

Then again, application has a lot to do with how you train and how you shoot. If you're shooting bench rest, you'll probably use that trigger a lot differently than if you're shooting in combat or competition speed games.

--Wag--

[largom]

When shooting from my bench I place thumb behind trigger guard, finger pad on trigger and then SQUEEZE.

[MT Gianni]

When I pull something my whole body is involved. When I shoot I try to move as few muscles as possible in my trigger finger. Pull the trigger has been a saying for decdes meaning shoot, or get things done. ie: "I saw a truck I liked. I am going to see my banker and then pull the trigger on it." Very few occasions do we really say what we mean to.

[Hogtamer]

I own a HiPoint. It takes a yank and a half to fire that sucker.

[jimlj]

I forgot in my first post to include squeeze the trigger. I have heard that and in my pointed little head that too makes sense. My Dad was a WW2 navy vet that never used anything but "pull the trigger" when teaching me to shoot, so that is what I've been doing for the better part of 60 years. To each his or her own. I read in one of the gun magazines someone trying to explain why "press the trigger" was the correct term, but it didn't make any sense or lasting impression to me.

[ghh3rd]

I ‘pull the trigger’ when I finally decide to plop down $500 for a new firearm... then I squeeze it’s trigger.

[robg]

squeeze

[Hickory]

You squeeze the trigger.

[GregLaROCHE]

"B R A S S"

Breath, Relax, Aim, Slack, Squeeze.

That's the way I learned.

Slim

Me too.

[sparkyv]

Over the years I've pulled hundreds of different triggers, some of them thousands of times. I can't remember ever pressing or pushing one.
I have used a rope or chain to pull vehicles out of mud, snow or to the shop for repair, but I've never had much success using a chain or rope to push or press one.
I grew up reading about a gentle trigger pull, slow pull, steady pull but until recently none of the gun writers ever talked about pressing them. At 60 "recently" could be 40 years, I may have lost track of when this became vogue.
The talk of "pressing" the trigger got me thinking. In my opinion there are few people who have done it repeatedly who are successful. Exhibition shooters sometimes can do it, but most who press a trigger only do it once with the gun pointed the wrong way.
What do you call it? Enlighten me as to why some refer to it as a trigger press.

:goodpost:

Incidentally, I too, was taught to "squeeze" the trigger.

[owejia]

As you press your finger against the trigger, you are pulling the trigger toward you. You press or iron clothes and you squeeze or pull a trigger.

[MrHarmless]

It's literally just depends on the observers perspective. From the perspective of the pad of the finger looking back towards the shooter, it's a press. From the perspective of the finger/hand looking downrange, it's a pull. From the side, the curling action of the finger when it flexes looks like a squeeze. Find a way to exceed the weight required to drop the sear. It's all the **** same.

[wv109323]

Aggressively smooth pressure is what the AMU teaches

[white eagle]

some stores sell them they are gauges that are called trigger pull gauges
they measure the weight it takes to fire a particular rifle
they are not called trigger squeeze gauges,trigger push gauges
just sayin

[mozeppa]

i tie a string to mine a yank it!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

you squeeze a trigger and press a button

[mold maker]

If ya push or press the trigger, your target will be long gone from the cussing that results.

[GregLaROCHE]

Is this debate about two different ways of firing a gun or simply the words we use to explain it?

[JBinMN]

Is this debate about two different ways of firing a gun or simply the words we use to explain it?

The latter, in my opinion. Some would call it, “semantics “.

Then again, some might argue that.

[ghh3rd]

lol :veryconfu

[swheeler]

When shooting from my bench I place thumb behind trigger guard, finger pad on trigger and then SQUEEZE.

Pinching one off

[Hossfly]

Depends on the rifle. If it a 106MM recoiless you pull on the fire control knob to fire the 50 cail. Spotting round, in which is also the fine tune elevation adjustment, and push for the major cail. When spot round hits tank. For small arms you just squeeze slowly then fire for effect.

[EDG]

When shooting skeet targets there is no thought of technique when pulling the trigger.
The trigger pull just becomes an integral part of your hand to eye coordination like hitting a baseball.
Try station 8 high house. The bird starts out 22 yards from you and is thrown about 20 feet over your head. A snap shot is about all you have time for yet a good shooter almost never misses that bird.