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

Winch250 Available Jun2026 3
Winch250 Available Jun2026 3

Winchester USA 250th Anniversary Commemorative Ammunition Now Available Nationwide

Winchester’s USA 250th Anniversary Commemorative Ammunition series is now available nationwide, a 15,000-unit limited run of five collectible packages with theme-matched loads.

Longshot Overhauls Its Target Camera App

Longshot Cameras has overhauled its iOS and Android app, rebuilding the interface and upgrading shot-analysis, measurement and streaming tools across every camera model.

YanXiao Gong Sweeps Every Para Title at USA Shooting Pistol Nationals

Paris 2024 Paralympic medalist YanXiao Gong sweeps all three para pistol titles at 2026 USA Shooting Nationals as Hillsdale College debuts new Nimrod Complex.

More Than a Match: The Legacy of Gary ‘Doc’ Welt Lives On at Wyoming Antelope Club

An inside look at the 14th Annual Gary “Doc” Welt Memorial Match at Wyoming Antelope Club and the legacy behind it.

Krieghoff Shooters Clean Up at 2026 Pennsylvania State Shoot

Team Krieghoff collected championship titles at the 2026 Pennsylvania State Shoot, where Clare Schaffer became just the second woman to win the Krieghoff Challenge.

Ruger Mark IV Tactical: The Turnkey Steel Challenge Rimfire Pistol

A look at why the Ruger Mark IV Tactical works as a one-pistol solution for Steel Challenge Rimfire Iron and Open divisions.

Interests



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