Flat Trigger Vs. Curved Trigger
March 2, 2020
During the Vietnam War, U.S. Marine Corps snipers were known for their lethal accuracy.
One such sniper was Carlos Norman Hathcock II, who had an incredible kill record of 93.
While fighting in Vietnam, Hathcock gained such a level of notoriety that the North Vietnamese put a $30,000 bounty on his head.
This was a surprisingly high number as bounties on U.S. snipers ranged usually from $10 – $2000.
Hathcock loved to accentuate his character and kept a white feather tied to a band in his bush hat.
For this, the Vietnamese called Hathcock, “Du kích Lông Trắng”, which in English means White Feather Sniper.
During his time in Vietnam, Hathcock only once removed the white feather from his hat for a mission.
Hathcock had volunteered for a classified mission of which he was given no details until he agreed to accept it.
For 4 days and 3 nights, without sleep, Hathcock crawled nearly 1,500 yards, inch by inch, in search of a North Vietnamese General.
According to Hathcock, he was almost stepped on as he lay camouflaged with grass and vegetation in a meadow shortly after sunset.
At one point, he was nearly bitten by a bamboo viper, but had the presence of mind to avoid moving and giving up his position.
As the North Vietnamese General exited his encampment one morning, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the General in the chest killing him.
After the incredible mission, Hathcock was sent back to the U.S. as his tour ended.
But, he missed his duty there and joined his fellow soldiers again in 1969. This time, he was given the command of an entire platoon of snipers.
Now, everyone knows that one of the greatest skills an accurate sniper must obtain is their trigger pull. In other words, trigger control is one of the most important aspects of shooting.
The fact is, trigger control sets the stage for everything else and if the trigger isn't being correctly pulled, it throws everything else off. With that being said, have you ever considered the difference in a flat trigger vs. a curved trigger and which may be the best choice for you?
Carlos Hathcock used a curved trigger because that’s what was common back then.
But now, flat triggers are becoming very popular. Here are benefits of the different triggers…
Benefits of a flat trigger. One of the biggest benefits to a flat trigger is that the trigger finger makes uniform contact with a trigger that's completely flat and vertical.
What I mean is, chances are you won't get your finger on the exact same spot on the trigger every single time you shoot, which is less critical when you have a flat trigger.
In addition, the size and shape of your hand also has an impact in this regard.
A person with large hands, shooting a small gun, will often find their hand is pushed a little lower on the grip compared to a larger gun, meaning their trigger finger is sitting lower down the trigger.
But, with a flat trigger, the trigger pull length is the same no matter where the trigger finger makes contact.
Flat triggers are a popular upgrade for a lot of shooters these days and they are widely available for many firearms.
Benefit of a curved trigger. The biggest advantage to a curved trigger is that the trigger reach, the distance from the back of the grip to the trigger face, is shorter in the middle of the trigger blade than at the top or the bottom.
In other words, you don't have to reach as far if your finger naturally finds the center of the trigger blade.
One thing to keep in mind is, the bigger the gun, usually the bigger the trigger is.
Therefore, compact to full-size frame semi-autos will be easier for most people to shoot as the taller trigger will mean there is more room for many different hand sizes.
At the end of the day, the benefits of a flat trigger vs. a curved trigger is simply going to come down to what a specific shooter prefers. You might fall in love with a flat trigger and someone else may prefer a curved one.
So, try each one out and find what works best for you, to give you all the possible advantages when it comes to shooting your gun.
Poster Comment:
I wonder if Hathcock can draw on the drop?