15 Nov 21
“Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.”
Elbert Hubbard
What should go inside trigger guards, and what task(s) should be assigned to the trigger?
My opinion:
In order to prevent unintentional discharges, there should be only one control inside the trigger-guard of any serious firearm, and that is the trigger itself, and the trigger’s only function should be firing the weapon.
Putting
(1) Other controls (in addition to the trigger itself) inside the trigger-guard, or
(2) Having the trigger itself performing functions other than firing the weapon are both obvious invitations to disaster!
For example, one must put a finger inside the Garand’s trigger-guard in order to push the manual safety into the “off” position. Same with the SKS. The French FAMAS also has a safety lever inside the trigger-guard. All, in my opinion, represent an inherent design error!
After-market bolt-release levers (“BAD Lever,” designed to fit on an M4) that protrude into the trigger-guard, and that are designed and intended to be operated with the trigger-finger, are also highly not recommended, and for the same reason.
The 1886 Belgium-made Abadie Revolver (Portugal) featured a trigger that could also be used to index the cylinder during reloading. UDs abounded, as anyone could have predicted! This ill-fated revolver was eventually replaced with the Luger Pistol and is today little more than an obscure footnote in handgun history!
/John
