View Full Version : Can't pull the trigger, P226
Crow Hunter
03-09-13, 14:44
I don't know if this is the best place for this or not, so please move it if there is a more appropriate place.
After seeing the interesting discussion about Sig handguns the other day, I got out my brother's P226 Blackwater Edition that I am baby sitting out of the safe and I did some dry fire drills with it, just like I do with my G19.
When I went to shoot with my weak hand I was EXTREMELY surprised to discover that I could not successfully pull the trigger. :eek: I can only get it about 3/4 of the way back and that is it, my hand will just start shaking. Just like I am hitting a brick wall. I can pull it all the way back, if I change my grip to get better leverage but I can't see down the sights.
I tried the same thing with a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel. No problem, I can pull straight through while maintaining a good sight picture, slow or fast.
Switch back to the Sig, forget it. I can't do it. (My 110 lb wife can though, talk about embarrassing:()
I have owned a bunch of Sigs in the past, but I honestly don't remember ever trying an offhand shot. (I was really just a collector then)
Anyone else ever had this happen before?
I have been on several months of forced inactivity due to a ruptured disc. Maybe that is it?
I am going to talk to my Physical Therapist about it on Monday, I doubt it has anything to do with my back injury.
It has also made me re-examine some of my thoughts about injured hand shooting. I had no trouble with my G19 with either the standard 5.5 connector and "S" spring or the NY trigger spring with standard 5.5 connector.
I wish I had a NY+ here to try, just to see what it would do.
Does it have a short trigger? How much finger can you get on the trigger? How many rounds through the gun? Could be that your hands/fingers are small or could be a really stiff newer spring
I don't know if this is the best place for this or not, so please move it if there is a more appropriate place.
After seeing the interesting discussion about Sig handguns the other day, I got out my brother's P226 Blackwater Edition that I am baby sitting out of the safe and I did some dry fire drills with it, just like I do with my G19.
When I went to shoot with my weak hand I was EXTREMELY surprised to discover that I could not successfully pull the trigger. :eek: I can only get it about 3/4 of the way back and that is it, my hand will just start shaking. Just like I am hitting a brick wall. I can pull it all the way back, if I change my grip to get better leverage but I can't see down the sights.
I tried the same thing with a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel. No problem, I can pull straight through while maintaining a good sight picture, slow or fast.
Switch back to the Sig, forget it. I can't do it. (My 110 lb wife can though, talk about embarrassing:()
I have owned a bunch of Sigs in the past, but I honestly don't remember ever trying an offhand shot. (I was really just a collector then)
Anyone else ever had this happen before?
I have been on several months of forced inactivity due to a ruptured disc. Maybe that is it?
I am going to talk to my Physical Therapist about it on Monday, I doubt it has anything to do with my back injury.
It has also made me re-examine some of my thoughts about injured hand shooting. I had no trouble with my G19 with either the standard 5.5 connector and "S" spring or the NY trigger spring with standard 5.5 connector.
I wish I had a NY+ here to try, just to see what it would do.
What type of grips does it have?
S. Galbraith
03-09-13, 14:59
It is likely either your back injury, or an injury to your weak hand/wrist. The difficulty in doing even the most simple tasks can be exacerbated with injury or high levels of stress. You might need to get some Power Putty, or some other hand strengthener to improve muscle conditioning of your hands.
Crow Hunter
03-09-13, 15:15
Does it have a short trigger? How much finger can you get on the trigger? How many rounds through the gun? Could be that your hands/fingers are small or could be a really stiff newer spring
I believe it has the short trigger on it. I am not 100% sure about the total number of rounds through it, as it is my brother's gun but I would estimate a couple thousand or so.
What type of grips does it have?
Blackwater stamped grips. They extend about a 1/4 below the frame to create a funnel. I am not sure about the type though.
It is likely either your back injury, or an injury to your weak hand/wrist. The difficulty in doing even the most simple tasks can be exacerbated with injury or high levels of stress. You might need to get some Power Putty, or some other hand strengthener to improve muscle conditioning of your hands.
I don't haven't noticed any other issues with using my left hand trigger finger. I type with it, I play Xbox with it, and I pull the my Glock trigger and S&W revolver triggers, and I don't really notice any weakness with it.
I am definitely going to talk to my Physical Therapist about it.
I'm not familiar with Blackwater grips, could it be they are causing the problem? I bought my P226 with Pachmyer grips, they caused problems for me due to their size.
Sounds like a hands strength issue. Do you have any of the spring hand grippers? Or a rubber/tennis ball that you try squeezing for exercise?
Do you notice a strength difference during any other exercises?
I'm not familiar with Blackwater grips, could it be they are causing the problem? I bought my P226 with Pachmyer grips, they caused problems for me due to their size.
If they are the grips that I am thinking of, they aren't any wider, they just flare down below the mag well to create a sort of/kind of/almost/but not really competition type mag well in the back, but not in the front.
I have also seen them cause actual problems, when combined with the extended baseplate magazines, by preventing the slide stop from being engaged.
Crow Hunter
03-09-13, 15:40
I'm not familiar with Blackwater grips, could it be they are causing the problem? I bought my P226 with Pachmyer grips, they caused problems for me due to their size.
That is a possibility. They feel kind of thin though rather than oversize.
Sounds like a hands strength issue. Do you have any of the spring hand grippers? Or a rubber/tennis ball that you try squeezing for exercise?
Do you notice a strength difference during any other exercises?
It could be a strength issue. I haven't been able to lift weights or anything since before Christmas. I will talk to my PT on Monday and see what they recommend. I definitely have plenty of time to do hand exercises.
I just found it odd that I could pull the trigger fine on a 686 but flat couldn't do it on the P226.
If they are the grips that I am thinking of, they aren't any wider, they just flare down below the mag well to create a sort of/kind of/almost/but not really competition type mag well in the back, but not in the front.
I have also seen them cause actual problems, when combined with the extended baseplate magazines, by preventing the slide stop from being engaged.
The Pachmyer grips I had caused a dead trigger. Not sure why it did, but as soon as I put the stock grips back on the problem went away.
Five_Point_Five_Six
03-09-13, 16:54
I had and carried a Sig for about a year and while I didn't experience the same thing as the OP, pulling that 10lb double action trigger pull weak hand only was much more difficult. It got much much easier as I committed to start my dry fire practice off by doing weak hand only first every time.
I would guess it is something to do with your injury and the position the grip on the 226 places your wrist/hand into. That would be the best explanation why you would be able to manipulate a gun of one design but not another.
Hand strength exercises, especially those with your wrist at a similar angle, will help correct.
Coal Dragger
03-10-13, 19:12
I don't know if this is the best place for this or not, so please move it if there is a more appropriate place.
After seeing the interesting discussion about Sig handguns the other day, I got out my brother's P226 Blackwater Edition that I am baby sitting out of the safe and I did some dry fire drills with it, just like I do with my G19.
When I went to shoot with my weak hand I was EXTREMELY surprised to discover that I could not successfully pull the trigger. :eek: I can only get it about 3/4 of the way back and that is it, my hand will just start shaking. Just like I am hitting a brick wall. I can pull it all the way back, if I change my grip to get better leverage but I can't see down the sights.
I tried the same thing with a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel. No problem, I can pull straight through while maintaining a good sight picture, slow or fast.
Switch back to the Sig, forget it. I can't do it. (My 110 lb wife can though, talk about embarrassing:()
I have owned a bunch of Sigs in the past, but I honestly don't remember ever trying an offhand shot. (I was really just a collector then)
Anyone else ever had this happen before?
I have been on several months of forced inactivity due to a ruptured disc. Maybe that is it?
I am going to talk to my Physical Therapist about it on Monday, I doubt it has anything to do with my back injury.
It has also made me re-examine some of my thoughts about injured hand shooting. I had no trouble with my G19 with either the standard 5.5 connector and "S" spring or the NY trigger spring with standard 5.5 connector.
I wish I had a NY+ here to try, just to see what it would do.
Depends on the disc. If it is a lumbar disc then no way in hell you should have reduced motor control in one of your hands. A thoracic disc or cervical disc on the other hand and you might have some nerve impingement and loss of strength on that side.
Could also be carpal tunnel.
Something about the P226 makes it difficult for me to fire DA as well, not sure what it is. I have no problem with DA revolvers or a Beretta 92
Buy a reduced power mainspring from Wolff. The 20 pound mainspring should drop the DA pull under 10 pounds. Anything lower than 20 pounds you run the risk of light primer strikes. Some have had success with the 19 or even 18 pound spring, others have had issues. 20 pounds is a nice compromise.
Having the factory short trigger helps tremendously as well if the gun doesn't already have one.
I use the first distal joint on DA and DA/SA guns. A slimmer grip may help but its probably a matter of muscle memory and repetition to build strength.
I try and due dry fire almost daily on my revolvers doing 100 pulls one handed both strong and weak handed. I alternate this with my sig p6 which has something like a 14lbs double action pull
Jump up and down on a mini trampoline till testes drop. Using a shake-weight at the same time will probably help.
NeoNeanderthal
03-10-13, 22:23
Jump up and down on a mini trampoline till testes drop. Using a shake-weight at the same time will probably help.
Classic.
Crow Hunter
03-10-13, 23:52
Jump up and down on a mini trampoline till testes drop. Using a shake-weight at the same time will probably help.
:D
If they haven't dropped in 39 years, I don't think they are going to get there with a trampoline.
I figure it is just from forced inactivity. I just found it odd that I had no problem with a 686 Powerport with a 6" bbl (much heavier gun with what I thought was a heavier trigger) but couldn't pull the trigger at all on a Sig P226.
ETA: This is only with my left hand. Strong (right) hand it is not problem at all. I am beginning to wonder if it is the "way" I am pulling the trigger. I am beginning to think it is a body mechanics problem. I don't feel any "straining" when I am pulling the trigger, like it was just a muscle power issue. It is literally like I am hitting a stop and I can't pull past it. I think I am literally running out of finger motion for some reason. I will do some more experimenting tomorrow. I wonder what the PT would do if I showed up with the P226 to give a demonstration of what I am seeing? :D
Crow Hunter
03-11-13, 11:46
Back from the PT. (Who is a shooter)
Definitely not my finger strength. He tested it out, while not as strong as my dominant hand, it isn't too weak to pull the trigger.
So I came home and did some experimentation.
I looked at the differences between the trigger geometry/location between the P226 and the 686 revolver.
I was able to "choke up" on the trigger too much on the P226. I was shooting it the way I do a Glock, as much finger on the trigger as possible. Glock is really the only handgun that I have ever shot with my weak hand with any regularity and that is what my muscle memory defaults to.
I was flat running out of finger motion. The trigger location/grips on the 686 precluded me from getting that much finger on the trigger. The first distal joint was as "deep" as I could get onto the trigger. When I backed off on my grip on the P226 so that I was using only the tip/first distal joint of my index finger, I could pull right through with no issues. I could recreate the issue if I tried to pull the trigger with my 2nd distal joint (which is how I run a Glock).
If this were my gun, I think I would look at getting some larger more hand filling grips just to make sure that I couldn't do that.
Interesting finding and something to keep in mind personally in the future.
Maineshooter
03-11-13, 22:05
For what it's worth I had issues with my left hand strength and coordination after rupturing a disk at the c6/c7. Less finger strength in my left hand and coordination was tougher. It took a good amount of time for everything to go back to normal. I had hand tremors also in my left hand. My weak hand shooting went to hell and the tremors were enough to make long shots tough with a two handed grip. Lots of water, grip exercises and ibuprofen where the only things that helped. It still flares up from time to time but you learn to live with it. It started up just before a two week pistol instructor school I attended. I took ibuprofen 800 mg at at time with tons of water and that calmed the tremors down and seemed to increase the grip strength. I think it actually benefited me to a certain extent because my focus was just like a laser to make every aspect of the grip correct to overcome the injury. I ended up shooting better than I normally do.
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