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Stan,

Thanks, the more I think about it the more I think LOP my be an issue. Some of that will go away with coats (I shot in a T-shirt today), I have mostly shot single triggers at the range but have owned, and hunted with, a couple of double triggers too. I want to get to the point where I can switch between them without pulling the front one twice or bashing my index finger. I suppose it all boils down to practice.

Dave (sorry about the dumb screen name I can't change it)

Parker, Save this post. It may end up being the first one in your new post "Why do I have a flinch."
You might want to let the sore finger get a bit less tender.
Jake

Hi Dave:

My feeble mind has never been able to reliably switch back-and-forth between double triggers and single triggers. But I started hunting with a single trigger gun, and only at middle age started to shoot fine guns with paired triggers.

Finally I gave up on shooting single trigger guns alltogether, and couldn't be happier, particularly now that I've even found an Italian O/U with double triggers.

IMO, Randall gave you the right answer. I shoot mainly double trigger guns. I also shoot relatively short LOP guns(14") If you place your trigger hand as far back on the grip as you can, so you can just reach the front trigger with the tip of the index finger and keep it there, you will eliminate this problem. You will also eliminate the middle finger getting whacked by the rear of the trigger guard. I respectfully disagree with the idea that a longer LOP will fix it. No matter how long the pull is, you still have a big bend in your arm at the elbow, and your trigger hand can still be in the wrong OR the right place. A longer LOP is the usual answer that pops up for this question but I believe it has nothing to do with it. Where you place your hand is the key. If you also put a little tension on it, pulling the butt against your shoulder, that will help keep your hand back. I still get careless, sometimes, and let my hand get whacked by the trigger guard. However, if LOP was the problem, I'd get whacked every time.

Is your finger getting whacked only when you pull the rear trigger? There isn't a lot of space between the triggers on DT Repros, and if you have a very thick finger, that might be part of the problem. Anyone have any experience having trigger blades bent a bit, on DT guns with tight spacing between the triggers? That might be helpful.

Once again thanks for the great feedback. I went and looked at an original Parker in my safe and there is a bit more space between the triggers. Also, the ding on my finger is almost at my first knuckle so I think Jim's comment about sliding my hand farther down the grip should help. I'm sticking my finger too far over the second trigger. The challenge will be to engrain that as a habit. Bending the triggers a bit could be helpful too, I be interested to know if anyone's tried that.

Jim Legg is very perceptive about length of pull. It has nothing to do with finger damage. You will find that the shortest length of pull without your thumb and nose colliding will give you a very comfortable and controlled look at the bird. Some prefer a longer pull, but an inch between the thumb and nose is more than enough. Some very talented competition shooters prefer the nose and thumb to be very close. My Army pistol coach taught me a basic that kept me on my team when others were being bumped. I guess it is something that rifle and pistol shooters are taught from birth, but I didn't know it, being a shotgun shooter. It works in shotgun shooting too, but is not as important except in your case. "The grip of the hand and the trigger finger are two different situations. The trigger finger is independent of the grip of the rest of the hand on the gun." In other words, don't grip the gun loose and let the gun recoil into your trigger finger. A death grip isn't neccesary, but control the gun with the right hand and let the trigger finger just pull the trigger, not assist in the grip. The "loose grip" is the forward hand which guides the gun to the target. I agree with the other posters who recommend just the first pad of the trigger finger should be on the trigger blade.

I'm with Grouse Guy and Jim. As I've gotten more squishy brained at age 55, the KISS principle becomes increasingly important. No more trying to pump the forend of a SxS, or wondering why the gun doesn't go 'boom' again while jerking the front trigger over and over. All of my 'using' guns now are SxSs, have the same diminsions (with a significantly shorter LOP than what I used with single trigger target OUs), and two triggers.

Ken Davies, in "The Better Shot", recommends gripping the wrist with the shooting hand using all four fingers - the index (trigger) finger included of course...

Then, extend the trigger finger along the trigger guard. According to Ken, the trigger finger will meet the front trigger just 'at the base of the pad in front of the first joint'. The spacing at the rear of the guard thus obtained keeps the middle finger from being bruised by the trigger guard.

Now, take this just a bit further... at the shot... when the trigger is crushed and the trigger moves - it ends up in the first finger joint.

It follows that to pull the second trigger, one must insert more of the finger into the guard (unless the grip is shifted). Articulated triggers were made for just this problem.

The gun and hands should move and recoil as a unit. The hips guide the gun, not the hands.