Don’t Jerk It: Pistol Trigger Control Tips With Brian Zins

by
posted on January 16, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Last week for Part 1 of our “Precision Pistol Tips with Brian Zins” video series, we covered pistol grip improvement. Now for Part 2, Brian, a 12-time NRA National Pistol Champion, reviews his pistol trigger control tips (watch the video above).

Part 2: Trigger control
What is trigger control? Brian Zins believes that trigger control is the ability to manipulate the trigger without disturbing the sights. Trigger control, simply put, is “getting the gun to shoot, once you get the sights where you want them.” Brian tweaks this advice to, “Align the sights as you pull the trigger.” More on this later.

Brian Zins on pistol trigger control
Stance, grip and aiming are important, but you can have a perfect grip, and hold perfect sight alignment all day long―but it only counts when the gun goes bang and only one action causes the gun to do that―pulling the trigger.


According to Brian, there are two fundamentals in shooting, aiming and trigger control. Trigger control is the more important of the two, because it’s the only part of the gun that’s actually moving before the shot breaks. There’s no sense in aiming if you can’t pull the trigger without disturbing the sights. This is not limited to precision pistol―trigger control is key for all pistol shooting disciplines.

Trigger finger placement in bullseye
Now for bullseye, where should the trigger make contact on the finger? We touched on this a bit in Part 1, so if you have not watched it yet, be sure to review it. The trigger should be centered in the first crease of the trigger finger. Why you ask? We have always been taught to place the pad on the trigger. Brian would rather have the hard surfaces of the creases on the trigger, because when pressure is applied, we know the trigger is actually moving to the rear, and we are not just feeling the fat and skin of the finger being pushed out of the way.

Brian Zins shares his tips for pistol trigger control in bullseye
In Part 3, which is upcoming, Brian will marry up his concepts of sight alignment and trigger control.


Trigger control, you should make yours nice and smooth. Learn it, live it, love it!

In Part 3 of our video series, Brian will cover the relationship between sight alignment and trigger control. The tips in these videos are taken from Brian’s instructional clinics. Learn more about Brian Zins pistol training at www.pointblankrange.com/training-instructor-bios/brian-zins

Latest

SILENTSTEELUSA Video 2
SILENTSTEELUSA Video 2

Silent Steel USA Streamer Suppressors: Flow-IQ Tech Explained

Silent Steel USA’s Streamer suppressor family throws out the baffle stack in favor of a patented Flow-IQ gas-rotation system.

New: Zeiss Conquest Apia 20-50x 65 mm Compact Angled Spotting Scope

Zeiss unveils the Conquest Apia 65, a compact angled spotting scope weighing 47.6 ounces with 20-50x zoom.

New: Springfield Armory SAINT Gear Pac Bundles

Springfield Armory’s SAINT Gear Pac bundles a factory-installed Viridian green dot, four Magpul PMAGs and a rifle bag for $1,368 MSRP.

Mowrer, Tobar Finish Fourth in ISSF World Cup Granada Air Pistol Mixed Team Final

Nick Mowrer and Nathalia Tobar place fourth in Granada as Team USA falls short in air pistol mixed team final dominated by record-setting India.

Swarovski Announces Next Generation CL Companion Binoculars

Swarovski Optik launches a new generation of its CL Companion travel binoculars with a wider field of view, longer eye relief and redesigned housing, available in 8x30 and 10x30 magnifications from $1,499.

MidwayUSA Announced as Official Sponsor for 2026 NRA Annual Meetings

MidwayUSA is the official sponsor of the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, Texas, set for April 16-19.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.