The Finger on the Trigger

Time and time again when I see armed police officers, particularly in the UK and here especially those patrolling airports with Heckler & Koch MP 5's, for instance, slung across their chests, and the new G36 Heckler & Koch military assault rifle that, too, is being carried, having their fingers, literally, on the trigger with the weapon's safety, as it would appear in many cases, if not indeed most, in the “off” position, that is to say, ready to fire.

While this is, due to the heightened terrorist threat, understandable so as, as it seems they seem to think, to be able to respond to any perceived threat immediately, it is, nevertheless, an accident waiting to happen.

There is never, and I repeat this, NEVER, and I do speak here from experience, the need to ever have the finger on the trigger of a readied firearm while patrolling – Never! The finger belongs onto the trigger guard in front of the trigger but not, ever, on the trigger in such situations. There is enough time to move from trigger guard to trigger as and when needed.

While I am aware of the fact that this may delay the actual firing of the gun by a jiffy, and I do mean hear jiffy as to actual unit of time, which it is, it prevents the accidental and uncontrolled discharge of a gun due to a jitter from a perceived threat or such.

Even in a raid situation on a property and/or person/persons the finger still belongs onto the trigger guard just in front of the trigger and not actually touching the trigger or hovering about in the trigger guard just in front of the trigger. Only if and when the target has been positively identified and acquired does the trigger finger ever head for the trigger proper. No ifs or buts.

It actually surprise me that nothing has gone wrong so far in this and no serious accidental discharges have actually occurred.

The shooting of the Brazilian electrician incorrectly identified as a terrorist suspect and probable suicide bomber about to detonate and IED is not something that I am aiming at here (pardon the pun about aiming), as it has nothing to do with control of a weapon in the way we are discussing here. That is a different matter and does not stand to discussion here. And I have just added this as a king of a disclaimer.

However, accidental discharges like the one that his the news many years back when a small boy way shot by an officer during a raid on a house. The officer carried a .38 revolver with the hammer cocked and the finger on the then basically hair trigger of said revolver. The child under the blanket stirred, the officer perceived a non-existent threat and whether actually inadvertently, in a shock reaction touched the trigger setting off the round that killed the child simply because his finger as too close to the trigger, or because he thought it was a threat to be eliminated, though he did not actually see a proper target, and therefore fired, we do not know. The result, however, is one dead innocent child; the victim of bad firearms practice.

We all know that cock ups can and will happen; such is Murphy's Law, but good practice can reduce that risk, though it may never be able to totally nullify it.

And, to reiterate yet again, the best practice is: finger resting on the trigger guard not by or on the trigger itself, thus accidents can be avoided.

© M V Smith, 2007