[BoonDocK]

My 3rd local Match got too excited WHOLLA!!!! DQ! 1st and 2nd stage did alright. Now went to stage 3 mixed of paper and steel targets. Now in the middle of shooting paper targets. I have decided to change mag with full rounds before jumping to texas star. So stupid i am tilt my hand little bit, push mag release with my thumb. For some reason trigger finger twitch! Gun went KABOOM!! I'll try to do better next time I SWEAR!

[NMBOpen]

Nothing to laugh about. Find an index spot on the gun, outside the trigger guard, as a place to plant your trigger finger during movement, reloads, jam clearing - whenever not engaging targets. As a right hander with 1911/2011 style guns, I use the tip of the slide stop pin that sticks out the right side, just ABOVE the trigger guard on the frame as my 'spot'. Then verify to yourself that you are feeling that spot when not actively engaging targets. My $.02.

This post has been edited by NMCOpen: 02 September 2009 - 12:20 PM

[JThompson]

If your finger isn't inside the trigger guard it can't pull the trigger.

It's hard to read intent, but it seems you might be a little cavalier about something that could have been very bad. Don't take this lightly.

This post has been edited by JThompson: 02 September 2009 - 02:29 PM

[yoshidaex]

NMCOpen, on Sep 2 2009, 12:19 PM, said:

Nothing to laugh about. Find an index spot on the gun, outside the trigger guard, as a place to plant your trigger finger during movement, reloads, jam clearing - whenever not engaging targets. As a right hander with 1911/2011 style guns, I use the tip of the slide stop pin that sticks out the right side, just ABOVE the trigger guard on the frame as my 'spot'. Then verify to yourself that you are feeling that spot when not actively engaging targets. My $.02.

Be careful of how much pressure you apply to the slide stop pin nub. I've seen a few jams where that exact same nub was pressed and it resulted in a fairly hard to clear slide jam.

[DUKE]

Welcome to the club and the DQ club is not exclusive! Learn from it and move on.

[BoonDocK]

JThompson, on Sep 2 2009, 02:21 PM, said:

If your finger isn't inside the trigger it can't pull the trigger.

It's hard to read intent, but it seems you might be a little cavalier about something that could have been very bad. Don't take this lightly.

I know my mistake and to be honest i'm not taking it ligthly. I'm just so pissed of myself that i need to vent out. Like what i have said i will do better next time. I'm not sure if Monster drink contributed to my so pump-up

[McGunner]

Although I didn't have an AD, I did get called on the finger once. Now I have a piece of skateboard tape just above the trigger that I use as an index point. Havnt had a problem since.

Matt

[BoonDocK]

Reason i change with full magazine is that i don't want to loose my momentum. I figured that i will be distracted if ran out of ammo while in the middle of shooting the star. I'm so excited that i didn't bother removing trigger finger out.

[danscrapbags]

McGunner, on Sep 2 2009, 02:40 PM, said:

Although I didn't have an AD, I did get called on the finger once. Now I have a piece of skateboard tape just above the trigger that I use as an index point. Havnt had a problem since.

Matt

Skateboard tape is a great reference point unless you are shooting Production. Putting tape there if shooting Production will get you thrown into OPEN!! Been there done that!!

[BoonDocK]

McGunner, on Sep 2 2009, 02:40 PM, said:

Although I didn't have an AD, I did get called on the finger once. Now I have a piece of skateboard tape just above the trigger that I use as an index point. Havnt had a problem since.

Matt

I think i'll try this. THANKS!

[ger]

I did the exact same thing today, when the RO told me I was Dq'd, I understood. Interesting to me was that when it happened I actually thought I hit the magazine base plate to hard and it was a gun issue but the RO saw my finger inside and after trying to recreate it later...he was 100% correct. Nothing was hurt thank goodness but my ego and thats not to big anyways, so it just another learning lesson and reading this thread gives me some things I can now practice to eliminate that habit.

[Graham Smith]

JThompson, on Sep 2 2009, 03:21 PM, said:

If your finger isn't inside the trigger guard it can't pull the trigger

Bingo!

I got a stern lecture by the RO during my first match for not getting my trigger finger clear of the trigger when doing a mag change and while moving. I have learned to do a lot of practice both dryfire and with my "finger pistol" on these two things. You'd be surprised how quickly it becomes reflex to remove your finger and lay it along side the pistol.

[sperman]

FYI - you don't have to have an AD to be DQ'ed.  Having your finger in the trigger guard during movement or a reload is enough to send you home.


10.5 Match Disqualification – Unsafe Gun Handling
Examples of unsafe gun handling include, but are not limited to:

10.5.9 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during loading,
reloading, or unloading. Exception: while complying with the “Make
Ready” command to lower the hammer of a gun without a decocking
lever, or while initially loading a revolver with a spurless hammer.

10.5.10 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during movement in
accordance with Section 8.5.

This post has been edited by sperman: 21 September 2009 - 06:47 AM

[mountaincoulee]

sperman, on Sep 21 2009, 07:46 AM, said:

FYI - you don't have to have an AD to be DQ'ed.  Having your finger in the trigger guard during movement or a reload is enough to send you home.


10.5 Match Disqualification – Unsafe Gun Handling
Examples of unsafe gun handling include, but are not limited to:

10.5.9 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during loading,
reloading, or unloading. Exception: while complying with the “Make
Ready” command to lower the hammer of a gun without a decocking
lever, or while initially loading a revolver with a spurless hammer.

10.5.10 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard during movement in
accordance with Section 8.5.

Absolutely, yet as I understand it, when clearing a malf. the finger can stay in the guard so long as the gun stays pointed toward a target. Not that I do that -it's a ND waiting to happen- but I have not seen an IPSC rule that allows an RO to DQ for that specific reason.

Incidentally, have you guys noticed that most who work with gun-like trigger activated handtools (drills, air-powered nailers) have no trouble at all keeping their finger where it belongs? This is very noticeable amongst carpenters.

[Field]

i got dq'd on my first match for supposedly breaking the 180 it was one of those kinds of stages where you advance downrange and they had targets on either side that were pretty much behing barrels and unshootable until you were almost at the 180 anyways. that and i think the RO snuffed me out because he knew that i was a new shooter and i was being too enthusiastic.

i just practiced some of the saftey stuff on my own time and payed more attention and ive done 5 matches since with no issues.

[BayouSlide]

mountaincoulee, on Sep 21 2009, 08:41 PM, said:

Absolutely, yet as I understand it, when clearing a malf. the finger can stay in the guard so long as the gun stays pointed toward a target.

Looks like you're absolutely right on this. I would have been inclined to think otherwise because the competitor was not in the process of engaging targets, but here it is in black and white. Obviously had not really focused on this rule.

"10.5.8 Failure to keep the finger outside the trigger guard while clearing a malfunction where the competitor clearly moves the handgun away from aiming at targets."

Thanks for bringing it up!

Curtis

[mountaincoulee]

Surprising isn't it.

A guy in our club was clearing a malf with his finger still on the trigger...the rest of us were cringing anticipating he'd get DQd. This happened three times over the day's shooting, so we as his friends cautioned him on it. But the RO never said a word. That night I looked up the rule...turns out our friend's finger had been fine all along.

Regardless that rule 10.5.8 allows it, while clearing malfs I take my finger out.
No sense in tempting the devil should the gun veer off target and/or a round take off for parts unknown.

edit: Philosophically, I guess 10.5.8 is consistent with 8.5.1, which allows movement (taking more than one step) with the finger on the trigger, so long as we are "actually aiming or shooting at targets".

This post has been edited by mountaincoulee: 23 September 2009 - 06:08 PM

[sbo76]

I have been very fortunate in that I shoot with some seasoned RO's. In the begining, they would always tell me to watch the trigger if I was moving\reloading\clearing a jam ect. They really burned in my brain that if you are not shooting your finger is off the trigger before I developed a bad habit!

[CC712400]

If my finger is on the trigger, it's because I'm ready to shoot.
If I'm loading/unloading/moving to new shooting position, then I'm not ready to shoot.
If I'm clearing a malf, my attention is on the gun, not the target, and I'm not ready to shoot.

Even when I'm handling an unloaded gun in a safe area, I still practice the same precautions. At this point, practicing reloads with my finger on the trigger just FEELS awful.

[Sarge]

danscrapbags, on 02 September 2009 - 02:48 PM, said:

McGunner, on Sep 2 2009, 02:40 PM, said:

Although I didn't have an AD, I did get called on the finger once. Now I have a piece of skateboard tape just above the trigger that I use as an index point. Havnt had a problem since.

Matt

Skateboard tape is a great reference point unless you are shooting Production. Putting tape there if shooting Production will get you thrown into OPEN!! Been there done that!!

I would love to see that addressed since it is a great safety tool!

[Steve Moneypenny]

It happens to everyone at some point in one way or another. I'll state this, I have shot a bit with Travis Tomassie and when he mentally is rehearsing the stage he actually straightens his finger wherever he was going to reload . I think this is a great habbit.

[CC712400]

Was just thinking about this, but some guns make it easier to reload without taking such precautions.

I use a USP, and I find that it's nearly impossible to hit the mag release with your finger on the trigger unless you use your middle finger, and sneak it in.
On my friend's Ruger P89, it's still difficult, but much easier to hit the mag release without removing your finger from the trigger.
The mag release on my airsoft Beretta M9 can be actuated without readjusting my grip at all (or finger-trigger marriage).

Granted, other people with bigger hands or longer fingers would have an easier time leaving finger on the trigger and still accessing the release, but I speculate that some guns may actually lend themselves to it somewhat. Ironically, I would bet that the more AD-prone gun for someone would be one where the grip is only barely small enough to retain finger/trigger marriage while reaching the release (for me, the P89)

Not that we need another way to blame our equipment, but maybe something worth considering when buying a new platform, outfitting a new shooter, or just a different way to practice good trigger control.

[Corey]

Steve Moneypenny, on 04 March 2010 - 07:07 PM, said:

It happens to everyone at some point in one way or another. I'll state this, I have shot a bit with Travis Tomassie and when he mentally is rehearsing the stage he actually straightens his finger wherever he was going to reload . I think this is a great habbit.

Im paranoid about safety and my first DQ (hopefully never) so i stick my finger WAY outside the guard when not actually firing. I also extend my finger when running thru stages empty handed before the match

[Bob DuBois]

lesson well learned!