Fast Friday?

Posted Fri Feb 9, 2007 in

It’s Friday already and I’m having trouble getting my head around that fact. The week passed so incredibly fast. I’ve accomplished some things and others remain untouched. For example, I spent time working with my graduate students and a research sponsor and moved work forward. I also completed (I think) a drainage study I was working on and it should be ready for submittal next week. A few things were accomplished here at the house as well, but not nearly enough to gain much traction on the upcoming move.

I just finished revising a bit of work I put together for one of my research projects. I’m working on a problem to estimate the impact of interaction between streams where they come together. There is the possibility that stream discharges may be correlated and so standard hydrologic analysis may result in discharge estimates (and designs) that are greater than need be. So, I’ve been working on some analysis to try and quantify the limits of the problem. That material went out early this morning.

I managed a couple of short trips to the range this week. The time spent there, in focus, is good for this old man. I still have much to learn about the shooting sports.

Trigger control is probably 90-percent of good shooting. The objective is to press the trigger in such a way that the sights are not displaced from the target. That sounds so simple.

In concept, trigger control is trivial. In practice, it is not simple.

For my shooting skill to advance, I must learn to reset the trigger after the shot breaks to the point where I’m ready to depress the trigger again as soon as the front sight comes back to the target from recoil. I know what to do.

I can’t seem to do it.

The other evening I was practicing with my Glock 17. The weapon is not completely tricked out. I’ve installed a decent set of sights, the 3.5-pound connector, and extended magazine release and an extended slide release. I find the sights adequately visible and the ergonomics of the weapon are all right1. I actually like my Glocks. They are light and very simple. But, I’ve strayed from my story2.

I tried holding the trigger at the stop with a few shots. Each time I did this, the weapon would double-fire before I could return from recoil. I think I’m releasing just enough pressure for the trigger return spring to reset the trigger while keeping enough pressure on the trigger that the weapon discharges when it returns to battery.

I’m not sure exactly how to overcome this problem. I could return to a heavier connector and see if that works until I can learn a new skill. I tried working with my Ruger Mark III .22LR rimfire and I can reset that trigger every time. In fact, I can fire that weapon quite fast, mostly because it returns from recoil nearly instantaneously.

But, the Ruger’s trigger is totally different from the Glock’s. So, for the moment, I’m stymied. I need more range time to work on the problem, but I need to leave for Nevada tomorrow and get back to work there.

Anyway, it’s now 0-dark-early and I’m awake. I think I’ll make another cup of tea and see if I can sleep for another hour or so.

1 In comparing my IDPA qualifier scores, I shot CDP (custom defensive pistol — basically 1911A1-style .45 ACP semi-automatics) about 10–12 seconds faster than I did the SSP (standard service pistol — usually stock Glocks in 9mm Luger). That was quite surprising to one of the rangemasters at the local range. He thinks I may actually be a 1911-shooter and not a Glock-guy. There’s food for thought.

2 Wife and I did a little shopping yesterday. We drove by Sharpshooter’s just to see if they had any 1911A1-style pistols in a 9mm Luger chambering. (Yes, Wife is one of the few women I know who’ll actually go to the gun store with their husbands and she really seems to enjoy herself. After more than 30 years, I still think she’s a keeper! That’s despite the fact I accuse her of flirting with the young men who work at the gun stores way too much! :) They had one Para Ordnance P18 in stainless steel. That weapon has a wonderful trigger. The trigger broke cleanly with little over-travel (the over-travel stop works) and reset smoothly with about 1mm of return movement. It’s a double-stack magazine, so the grip is a little thick, but the straight backstrap really diminishes perception of the circumference, especially when compared with the curved backstrap of the Glocks. Yes, I’ve been thinking about giving up my Glocks, at least for action competition shooting.

  1. Springfield Armory XD45 4” or 5”

    You will never look back.

    — Anonymous    17 February 2007, 23:47    #