Finger Technique - Shooting a SxS Double Trigger Shotgun

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CZ453

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What technique do you use with 12, 20 ga shotguns that are side by side with double triggers? Ran across an interesting thread and would like to pursue it. I had a DT many years ago and just thought the way it was done was to use two fingers and it was comfortable in the field. No issues and no "doubles". It was with 12 ga that had ample space in the trigger guard. I have a Bobwhite 20 ga now and there really isn't much room within the trigger guard. Some use the index finger for #1 and then slide it to #2. Maybe I will have to adapt this one. It seems it may be safer to actually fire #2 first and then slide up to #1.
 
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I thought if you fire the #2 trigger you end up with a double fire?

I would just pull #1 then reload cause I never miss!!!!! LOL Just messing with you I can't hit anything flying any more.

I think pull the first trigger then the second. That is how I have always thought it to be done.
 
Originally Posted By: Jeepdude1987....I think pull the first trigger then the second. That is how I have always thought it to be done.

No... that's completely wrong! I'm positive that you are supposed to pull them both at the same time.
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Kevin
 
I shot a double 20 for years, and if I didn't intend on shooting both barrels at the same time, I never put two fingers in there, and never did for hunting either.

The shotgun I had was modified on the right & full on the left. So, I judged the distance of the game to select the choke & trigger used. It was such a simple sytem & never failed, that after I graduated to an over/under with screw in chokes & single trigger, it was hard to get used to. I missed the old way...
 
I've never hunted with double triggers or known the correct way, but it seems most SxS doubles I've seen have the more open choked barrel being fired by the front trigger and the tighter choked barrel by the rear trigger - which all makes sense to me.

The triggers have also been staggered with the forward one sitting to the right of the rear trigger. This has always seemed bass-ackwards in my little pea brain! For a right handed shooter, it always seemed to me that the front trigger should be staggered to the left side. After firing the first barrel, your finger could then just slide back to the second trigger.

I'm with the OP... I'd be curious to know the correct way of operating them!
 
SxS's are all I shoot. I shoot skeet, 5 stand and sporting clays. All 4 have double triggers, the way it's ment to be. Sidelock shotguns will not double fire since you have a complete trigger group mounted to each sidelock.

Only one finger needed. Front trigger always fires the more open chocked barrel first, and that is the right barrel. Rear trigger fires the left barrel, usually a tighter choke. But two triggers give you the choice of which barrel to fire first.

All my guns are English stocked, no pistol grip. I have heard people say the English stock is so you can slide your hand to the rear to fire the second barrel. Not true, your hand stays put and your index finger moves just fine without sliding your hand.

12ga Grulla 28" w/Briley tubes
20ga Kimber Valier Gr.II 26" w/Briley tubes
20ga AyA #2 Round Body 29 1/8" w/Briley tubes (favorite gun)
28ga AyA 453 29 1/8" factory skeet/skeet

A double trigger shotgun IS the fastest shooting 2 shots possible with a shotgun. Because you CAN pull both triggers at the same time.
 
I like my DT doubles - can pick my choke w/ a quick movement of the trigger finger only if the game is at a distance, and then I should have the time to think about it a second or so. For fast, close and furious, the front trigger is right there w/o thinking, and is usually the more open bbl. for that reason. This has worked well for me, esp. on late season grouse where I'm using my scatterguns the most. Admittedly, I have little experience with a single trigger double bbl., and can see where target shooters may prefer this method. The thumb movement for single trigger guns seems awkward to me with the gun mounted.

On topic, I'd never be sticking 2 fingers in there at one time, it will cause safety issues at some point, and I can't see it producing anything good. One finger can do it just as quick, and much safer. You can fire them in reverse order if you wish,but it does seem smoother to me to go from front to back, not the other way. Always wondered why Remington put the shotgun safeties BEHIND the trigger and not in front where the natural movement was to comeback from the trigger guard in a safe finger position, to flicking off the safety, to the trigger in a uni-directional movement, rather than back front and back again?? Winchester patent infringement??

Sorry to rant on your thread, hope I was of SOME help! JMHO.
 
I know this is an old post, but interesting reading. I've been shooting a Parker SXS 12 GA with a single Miller trigger for years and love the big battle axe of a gun. Needing a 20GA for bird shooting, I found an unfired Parker Reproduction with dual triggers (the single trigger Parker Repros tend to have trigger issues I'm told) and have been taking it to the trap range to get familiar with it. I've run into a problem and need some advice.
This is my first experience with a dual trigger gun and when I fire the front trigger, my middle finger is up against the outside back of the trigger guard and the trigger guard rams into my finger painfully. I shot 100 rounds last weekend and my middle finger was swollen and so tender I could barely function. This doesn't happen with the rear trigger because my hand is further back on the English stock and there's room for the gun to move when it fires and not hit the finger. For the last trap round I only used the rear trigger because of the pain (I'd been alternating barrels up till them).
Any suggestions on finger technique to stop this? I thought of putting the index finger and middle finger both on the two triggers, but I agree with Mike that this has safety implications.
 
Hmmm, interesting issue! I have pretty big hands, and maybe that's why I've never had that problem? I'd maybe suggest lighter loads or shooting gloves or padding/taping your finger that makes contact. Or padding the rear of the trigger guard?? A smaller framed gun may work better for you too.
 
This is a small gun and I'm a small guy. I'm 5'7" and weigh 164#, so my hands aren't big -- that may be a problem. The 12GA Parker is really too big for me. The 20 seems to fit perfectly. I tried wearing gloves and that made only a marginal difference.
 
Interesting subject, I'm a big SxS fan.

This little item might help with your problem.

http://www.csmcspecials.com/Trigger_Guard_Rubber_Corners_p/corner.htm

http://www.kebcollc.com/cart/store.php?crn=208&rn=588&action=show_detail

I have two SxS's than are choked opposite of most.

One is a LeFever 20ga that was set up as a skeet gun(choked SK-I/SK-II) for a small person with small hands and the open barrel is on the left. In skeet 17 birds are singles and only four stations are doubles so with this gun you shoot all the singles and first bird with the rear trigger and just reach forward for the doubles, the front trigger is articulated and it isn't really a reach as just opening your finger and the front trigger moves out of the way and pops back under it for the second shot. I shot it in a match and it is very nice. This is my wifes shotgun.

The second is a Darne that I believe was set up just for shooting driven birds where the where the tight barrel is fired first most of the time.

The Darne



 
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All but one of my SxS's have had double triggers. I have tried it both ways - 2 triggers/2 fingers vs. slipping index back from the front to the rear.

The difference between the two became painfully apparent while Cowboy Action Shooting. Two triggering wasn't any faster and was less accurate than single fingering.

So unless I'm loosing both barrels, just one digit does the work.

For what it's worth, I switched the triggers from one side to the other once, thinking along the lines of KDF a few years ago. No go, it was awkward as heck, so I swapped them back. The positioning was exatly what I wanted, but it felt WAY more weird than I ever estimated it would.
 
ADade I know what your talking about. When I was a kid I used to shoot my fathers SxS win model 24(their cheap SxS) and I ended up developing a knot on my middle finger. After awhile you won't notice it. About the position of the triggers ie. rear offset to the left I believe it is to prevent accidental double firing. The majority of people are right handed, being left handed I was always was conscience to make sure not to trip the rear trigger by accident with my index finger while on the front.
 
Well I sure hope I get used to it, atd. I love the gun and it's pretty as [beeep]. I'd hate to have to put it aside. I've bought a thing or two from Galazan, Varminterror, so I may try that trigger guard pad you showed me.

Thanks for the suggestions, everybody.
 
"Only one finger needed. Front trigger always fires the more open chocked barrel first, and that is the right barrel. Rear trigger fires the left barrel, usually a tighter choke."

Nope, not exactly true...if it is a "driven pheasant" gun then the front trigger will fire the tightest choked barrel first, because the bird is getting closer all the time.
Michael MacIntosh explained it best is his book "Shotguns and Shooting." Use one finger for sure and the straight grip or English stock was supposed to help getting back to the rear trigger easier. Around the turn of the century with the advent of the single trigger on double guns we started to see pistol grips.
 
msinc is correct. In double guns the barrels are choked largely by geography, Europe and their driven birds one way and Americans and our flushed birds another. Brits call our style of hunting "rough shooting". I may be wrong, but I understood that the front trigger fired the left or lower barrel on most doubles in order to create less felt recoil. The left/lower barrels being closer to the center of mass of the body.
 
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