"The gun should surprise you when it goes off"

[Blaster229]

I am sure MANY of you have said this when "teaching".
So, just putting my thoughts out here. Not any shooting "rocket science", but something that I do think about and "experiment" with while I am dry firing or just handling my pistols to be more "snug" with them.

I HATE when people say this. When you are firing a weapon, you have to have absolute control of every facet of that weapon firing. It going off unexpectedly is not having control and can have dire consequences.
This old tale probably started in order to alleviate the shooter from being afraid of recoil so they don't anticipate the shot.
Enough shooting and getting used to recoil will take care of the anticipation part. But what else might?

When we say trigger control, people always think " Smooth trigger and front sight". That's fine, because we need that. I like to add another part of trigger control, which is actually controlling the trigger and knowing WHEN it is being manipulated. Not just that your finger is placed there or you're pressing it "smoothly".

Learn the trigger and how it acts. Play with the "play", the reset, the pull.
Pull that trigger and feel the hammer go back, but not break. The amount of trigger press is directly related to how far the hammer draws back until it breaks. We all know this of course. Learn that distance, don't let it break. Let it go forward by using your finger and the trigger to "set it back down".
Call it what you want "muscle memory" etc... but getting to know this allows you to learn more when the trigger will drop (or not), and that is control.

Not as deliberate as DAO, SA triggers can be learned as well. So, a single action trigger has it's amount of play before breaking. Well, that amount of "play", "slack", "take up distance" before firing is added to by your mushy fingertip.
Learn that as well. How far does it sink in when the trigger begins to resist?
Not to actually worry about the micro distance, but to just acknowledge that it is there. Because when the fingertip mush stops resisting, that's when "bone is pressing the trigger" and your result will occur. Something rarely if ever thought of. Or does it even need to be? I dunno.

So I was bored sitting here and all this may just be some dribble or maybe not. Just kind of what I was thinking of today when I was watching something and someone said " The gun should surprise you when it goes off ".

Not so much for target shooting, but when you are about to take someone's life in self defense, you best be in control and know everything about how, why and when that gun is going to fire.

My .02

 

[jimbobborg]

Just pointing this out, your whole shooting experience is about pistols, isn't it.

 

[DC-W]

"The gun should surprise you when it goes off"

Who the hell says this? That's literally so dumb I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the post!

 

[iH8DemLibz]

When I'm shooting, I want every shot to be a surprise.

If it's not a surprise, I am anticipating.

When I am anticipating, I am waiting for flinch to occur, big loud noises, big bright flashes, cheek and teeth getting smacked by the stock, shoulder getting pounded by the stock, etc.

I like shooting with tunnel vision. Getting in the zone. Both target shooting and hunting.

.02

 

[AntiGun]

Who the hell says this? That's literally so dumb I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the post!

I've heard it said mostly by older hunters as a technique for not flinching when making that kill shot through a scope.

 

[DC-W]

You likely know where your trigger breaks, so how is that a surprise?

 

[Silverlode]

Who the hell says this? That's literally so dumb I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the post!

I have heard it more than once.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

You likely know where your trigger breaks, so how is that a surprise?

That's just it.

You're on that trigger so delicately that you shouldn't know when that sear is going to get tripped.

Maintaining your hold on the target and following through are the only two things that should be on your mind.

And follow through becomes muscle memory after a while. So even that won't cross your mind.

 

[jimbobborg]

That's how I was taught to shoot rifles when I was in a Junior NRA Marksmanship group. We were taught that while trying to get tight groups with .22 LR rifles and open sights. It was to promote holding steady versus anticipating.

 

[AntiGun]

"The gun should surprise you when it goes off"

I think about baseball to avoid anticipation...

 

[K31]

All ADs are perfect shots then.

 

[lx1x]

Who the hell says this? That's literally so dumb I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the post!

I say it.

Have you watch new shooters shoot.. I mean watch the gun and hands..

Too many times they anticipate the recoil and either push the gun down to compensate.

New shooters also doesn't know the concept of trigger control. They tend to jerk the trigger as fast as they can.

 

[OrbitalEllipses]

Who the hell says this? That's literally so dumb I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the post!

I've heard this from more than one experienced shooter. As someone else pointed out, it's generally taught in regards to flinch. The relationship of flinch to the trigger press is Pavlovian; enough exposures to "BANG!" when you press the trigger and you've conditioned yourself to flinch when you press the trigger. If the gun going off is a surprise, meaning you don't expect it, then you shouldn't flinch...because as I said, the flinch is learned with the trigger press.

 

[Blaster229]

I say it.

Have you watch new shooters shoot.. I mean watch the gun and hands..

Too many times they anticipate the recoil and either push the gun down to compensate.

New shooters also doesn't know the concept of trigger control. They tend to jerk the trigger as fast as they can.

New shooters should just be able to shoot for awhile, without worry about aiming in order to help them realize the recoil and know what to expect.

 

[lx1x]

New shooters should just be able to shoot for awhile, without worry about aiming in order to help them realize the recoil and know what to expect.

Not how we teach it.

Your way is different. You expect everyone to be able to pick up a gun and be on offensive mode already.

We teach the basic skills... And let them get comfortable and used to the basic..Then they can move to other mentality portion later.

 

[trickg]

Who the hell says this? That's literally so dumb I don't know where to start.

Thanks for the post!

Well, when I developed a flinch as a young shooter, my father - who was pretty much the opposite of dumb - was the one who said something along those lines. I believe he said something to the effect of "Keep the sights lined up, and continue to slowly press the trigger - let it surprise you when it goes off." This was done for the sole purpose of learning to overcome a flinch - nothing more.

But heck, what would he know about it, it's not like he was a competition marksman with stacks of trophies or....oh wait. Yes he was, and he did have the trophies to show for it. (He was also an NRA firearms instructor at one point in his life.)

 

[DC-W]

That's just such a bizarre way of saying how to negate anticipation. Nothing your firearm should be a "surprise" except for a failure of some kind.

I practice dry-fire with snap caps at home. It's not hard to figure out when that trigger is going to break.

 

[lx1x]

My club instructor team just taught this Sunday. Bunch of people from different background from never shot before to a casual shooter.

Live fire time.. With 22lr semi hg. I was coaching one of the 80 year old lady. She hasn't handle any firearm at all. She was scared at first. I reenforce the basic skills. Grip.. Sight alignment and picture... Trigger control. First shot without looking at the target. I can tell that she miss the target. So I corrected her. By the last plate (20th shot).. She was hitting bullseye or near it.

When she was done.. She moved to another stage we had set up to try different gun using centerfire rounds. She was nearly as good. The recoil that she was afraid of is practically gone.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Well, when I developed a flinch as a young shooter, my father - who was pretty much the opposite of dumb - was the one who said something along those lines. I believe he said something to the effect of "Keep the sights lined up, and continue to slowly press the trigger - let it surprise you when it goes off." This was done for the sole purpose of learning to overcome a flinch - nothing more.

But heck, what would he know about it, it's not like he was a competition marksman with stacks of trophies or....oh wait. Yes he was, and he did have the trophies to show for it. (He was also an NRA firearms instructor at one point in his life.)

Dat dud'in mean nuff'in.

J/K.

Where be E.Shell when you really need him?

 

[campns]

My club instructor team just taught this Sunday. Bunch of people from different background from never shot before to a casual shooter.

Live fire time.. With 22lr semi hg. I was coaching one of the 80 year old lady. She hasn't handle any firearm at all. She was scared at first. I reenforce the basic skills. Grip.. Sight alignment and picture... Trigger control. First shot without looking at the target. I can tell that she miss the target. So I corrected her. By the last plate (20th shot).. She was hitting bullseye or near it.

When she was done.. She moved to another stage we had set up to try different gun using centerfire rounds. She was nearly as good. The recoil that she was afraid of is practically gone.

+1 on this, the first shot I just make sure that they are safe. I only load one round to start with. then I work on their fear of recoil, I use three types of handguns, beginning (38 revolver), Intermediate (9mm striker fire), Advanced (45acp 1911). Many women comment that the 1911 recoils less and have better control of it. I always talk about how different the triggers feel is SA & DA and how different pistols have different qualities.

I am always routinely thanked months later as they are not just buying what someone else has and is able to make an educated choice.