A student and I have been discussing the merits of various trigger systems both in a thread at pistol-forum.com and via private message. He’s a talented shooter with a lot of experience shooting numerous different pistol types.
The gist of the discussion came down to a simple fact: he likes something different than what I like.
That doesn’t make either of us wrong. It just means we have different preferences and different rough edges to our personal skill sets. He’s not saying that my preference is bad… after all, quite a few very accomplished shooters choose that same system. And I’m not saying his preference is bad… because quite a few very accomplished shooters choose that system.
There is no trigger/action on the market today that is perfect (sorry Glock!). Each one has to balance accuracy, speed, reliability, and safety. Each one makes various compromises (sorry HK!). Even among action types there is tremendous variability from brand to brand. A Springfield XD’s striker fired action is much different than a M&P’s. The double action only of a Beretta 96D is very little like a HK LEM. Heck, if you’ve been following the Glock 17 endurance test you’ve seen that there are countless different “feels” to be had just from the Glock trigger by juggling different springs & small parts.
It doesn’t end at trigger mechanisms, either. Just look at all the discussion about pistol sights… and all the options on the market from the strictly traditional to the out-and-out wild. There are people who think the Milt Sparks Versa-Max 2 is the greatest holster ever invented; I cannot stand it. The Custom Carry Concepts Shaggy works great for me and countless others every single day; two shooters I respect highly both hate it.
Of course, there are some options that are demonstrably worse overall than others. “There is no best” is not the same as “there is no bad.” Believe me, I’ve shot guns with very bad triggers and very bad sights. All too often, proponents of those poorer choices will shout about personal preference to hide their lack of understanding and experience. On a certain level, our collective experience can show us when something is a bad option.
But when shooters make that perilous jump from best for me to just plain best, it’s time to step back and reestablish a grip on reality. You can have your favorite. Just don’t insist it should be mine. And at the same time, don’t assume that my favorite will be the best for you.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
Darn it…
So which is the best (for you)? Or if that is too controversial, what is your favorite trigger system?
Good stuff Todd. I get into fights with myself constantly over my four favorite carry guns, and all are very different, so I don’t get too wrapped around the axle with other folks choices…….IF they can articulate why its best for them. Unfortunately, being in this industry for a long time we often see people making choices for entire agencies or groups based on somebody else’s needs or likes with no independent testing.
John — The one I like best is HK’s LEM. I shoot it most consistently. There are things I’ve pulled off with the Glock that I never did with the LEM guns, but my overall performance with the Glock is more random. I’m hoping the changes I recently made to the trigger mechanism of my test gun will help alleviate that.
Just out of curiosity, what did you run when you were still carrying traditional IWB?
Nice. I’m a Glock koolaid guzzler but you’re spot on about the random comment. After more than a dozen years of Glock centric shooting, it can still get a little random. But, for me, it’s been a solid and economical choice to dedicate to over time to acquire a desired level of skill. But I know I could do it on other platforms too.
So does this mean I can go back to the 1911 now? 😉
You live in UTAH. I’m pretty sure you have to carry a 1911, by state law, as well as all that is holy.
What is funny, is the guy running the G17 endurance test this year, is lusting after his P30, and talking about taking it to RSS. The guy, I know well, saying the LEM doesn’t work as well for him, owns a number of them, carries them often, and is bugging you for a Gadget — all while shooting an M&P. Goes to show, these are slight distinctions, and one could do a lot worse than to be “stuck” with a Glock, M&P or HK.
GJM — That’s a very important and insightful point. “Favorite” doesn’t necessarily mean “the only one I can shoot well.” What we need is a billion dollar grant from the government to perform a long-term experiment to see what happens when we get ten people shooting 100,000 rounds through each of the major gun types over the course of five years. Then we’ll know!
“But when shooters make that perilous jump from best for me to just plain best, it’s time to step back and reestablish a grip on reality.”
My grip on reality is the best one.
It even has an interchangeable back-strap.