[agent orange]

I have arthritis. Just fired my new Elsie for the first time and had difficulty keeping the gun steady (on target) while trying to pull the trigger! My Colt Mustang Pocketlite is a dream to fire. Six easily fired shells within a three inch group (on the bulls eye) at twenty five yards! Is there a fix for an easier pull that a gunsmith could do?

 

[RICHGCOOP]

There is no fix for the trigger, But there is a fix for your finger.
It's called dry firing. It builds up your finger.

RICHGCOOP

 

[framedcraig1]

RICHGCOOP. dude.... I love that idea ;D +1

 

[just516in]

good find!

 

[Fred Bear]

mmmmmm I like it

 

[Ubaldo99]

The primary safety on the LCP is the long-pull double-action trigger. You really dont want to mess with that "safety" feature. 8)

 

[toytraindoc]

To help you out with your finger is to dry fire Else. This will help you to build the strength in your finger.

 

[SkipD]

Rich's trick with the rubber hose definitely allows you to repeatedly pull the trigger and dry fire the LCP without needing to cycle the slide more than once. However, Rich's trick causes a shorter-than-normal stroke of the trigger because it leaves the hammer a bit further "cocked" than normal.

There are three benefits, though, to doing the dry firing without Rich's trick. One benefit is the wearing in of the rough spots in the slide's contact points by fully cycling the slide. The second benefit is that you'll get a FULL STROKE on the trigger each time and thus you teach your "muscle memory" how to properly handle the trigger through its entire cycle. The third benefit is wearing in the trigger system contact surfaces over the full stroke.

I strongly suggest that when you do dry fire the LCP, you do it with the very same RAPID STROKE of the trigger that you should be using in a fire fight. DO NOT play around with trying to do a slow two-stage trigger pull for maximum accuracy. This and staring at the sights could get you killed in a fire fight because of the significant wasted time.

 

[RICHGCOOP]

SkipD, Your right about it shorting the stroke. It is .150" shorter.

With out .878"
With tube .728"
-------------------
.150" So you get 83% of the travel. I don't think you will notice the deference if SHTF.

You should Rack & Dry Fire about 200 to 300 times before you even try to shoot a new gun. My $.02

RICHGCOOP

 

[SkipD]

Rich, you can be assured that I'm not trying to get folks to ignore your idea for blocking the hammer back. I just wanted to point out the advantages of full-stroking the slide each time the trigger is pulled. However, I doubt that if someone fully strokes the slide and dry fires 200 to 300 times with a new pistol that they will want to dry fire it much after that. ;D

 

[RICHGCOOP]

The dry firing is good to do to hone in on point & shoot. With the price of ammo ever little bit helps.
Some times I dry fire in my basement with A lases in the gun.

P.S. I don't use A laser on my selfdefence guns !

 

[alduane]

Rich's trick with the rubber hose definitely allows you to repeatedly pull the trigger and dry fire the LCP without needing to cycle the slide more than once. However, Rich's trick causes a shorter-than-normal stroke of the trigger because it leaves the hammer a bit further "cocked" than normal.

I agree, i tried the trick and although I found that it worked, it changed the length of travel and the feel of the trigger. It only takes a second to pull the slide the fraction of an inch that it takes to cycle it for a normal stroke.

 

[agent orange]

Started the dry firing today. Got about 30 in, and like SkipD rcommended with a rapid stroke, no pussyfootin around with a soft pull. Feelin better already!

 

[bigdogdaddy]

SkipD, Your right about it shorting the stroke. It is .150" shorter.

With out .878"
With tube .728"
-------------------
.150" So you get 83% of the travel. I don't think you will notice the deference if SHTF.

You should Rack & Dry Fire about 200 to 300 times before you even try to shoot a new gun. My $.02

RICHGCOOP

I agree with Rich on most things, including this dry fire drill. But unless I am broke, I prefer to pull the trigger with ammo inside as much as possible. I don't think I am capable of dry firing 200 to 300 times before I start hearing the bang and smelling the powder on a new gun.

 

[Sarge]

Well, your Mustang Pocketlite has a single action trigger...so there's no comparison whatever you do. I dry fired my LCP 200 times using Skips method. I've since put about 530 rounds through my LCP. My trigger is much smoother now than when I first got the pistol...but it will never be as smooth and light as a single action trigger and I don't expect it to be. Don't worry man, it will smooth out with time...and in a SD situation, you won't even notice the pull.

Sarge

 

[Sbaker33]

Does anyone use snapcaps for dry firing without damage? I am thinking about picking some up but was curious about others opinions.

One thing to work on is "pre-staging" the trigger. I do this on my SIG P250 which is also double action only. I have learned, through practice, where the trigger breaks (actually shoots). I pull the trigger quickly to that position while sighting and then give an easy squeeze for the remaining travel. I am probably not explaining it very well but I heard about this technique from some Glock guys and thought it was worth a try. This technique increases my accuracy and speed. It helped my wife as well. Hope it helps you too.

God bless

-sbaker33

 

[Mstenz87]

Sbaker33, I think that technique is a good one to use at the range.. but I'm not sure how trusting I would be to use that in a high pressure, self-defense situation.

 

[Bgoff689]

Whenever I get a new gun, I turn on the TV and watch a movie or something. As I'm sitting there I dry fire the weapon and check out the action to see how it's doing. Not only does it help in strengthening the trigger finger and grip it also smooths out the weapon.

It drives the cats nuts but they get over it.

 

[SkipD]

Does anyone use snapcaps for dry firing without damage? I am thinking about picking some up but was curious about others opinions.

Those are totally un-necessary for dry-firing the LCP.

One thing to work on is "pre-staging" the trigger. I do this on my SIG P250 which is also double action only. I have learned, through practice, where the trigger breaks (actually shoots). I pull the trigger quickly to that position while sighting and then give an easy squeeze for the remaining travel. I am probably not explaining it very well but I heard about this technique from some Glock guys and thought it was worth a try. This technique increases my accuracy and speed. It helped my wife as well. Hope it helps you too.

The LCP is designed to be a close-in point-n-shoot self-defense weapon. This means that you have absolutely no spare time. The best technique for shooting the LCP (to emulate actual self-defense shooting) is the simplest. That is point-shooting without using the sights and pulling the trigger through its whole range very rapidly while keeping the pistol "on target".

In my opinion, for the point-n-shoot technique to work well, a fighting pistol MUST properly fit the shooter's hand. If it does not, then another pistol should be used. To test whether or not a particular pistol fits your hand:

• Unload the pistol and move the ammunition to a remote place.
• Grasp the pistol with your eyes closed.
• Raise the pistol to a shooting position, still with your eyes closed.
• Open your eyes and look across the sights. The sights should be very closely aligned.
• Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 above several times. The sight alignment should be good every time.

If a pistol fits your hand well enough to pass the test above, it will point as naturally as your index finger.

When in a combat situation (or practicing for combat shooting), you should focus on the target and NOT the sights. Bring the pistol into alignment with the target. Without even focusing on the pistol, you should see the top of the slide roughly aligned with your intended impact point. While holding the pistol in this alignment, rapidly fire at least two rounds (a "double-tap").

The above technique is a method that I've used (without defining it) and, later, read about in one of Massad Ayoob's very good books on combat pistol shooting. It works well IF the pistol fits your hand.

 

[Sbaker33]

Mstenz87/SkipD:
I don't have a law enforcement or military background. I have had a gun pulled on me once and had to deal with "potential" armed robberies twice. I learned two things from those encounters; I didn't like being the guy who didn't have a gun (2 of the 3) and that there is very little time for conscious thought. It is all reflex and reaction. So, I will be training a lot and will add some force on force training after I get my CHL.

I see two possible scenarios when I may have to use the LCP. The most probable is the "up close and personal" situation where the Bad Guy is almost within arms reach. In this situation it will definitely be a point and shoot but training with good trigger control shouldn't have a negative impact on this scenario even though the key survival skill will be speed in drawing the weapon and bringing it to bear. There will not be time for a "proper" two handed grip or sight picture, just pull point, shoot and pray.

The second scenario would involve a little more distance and having the LCP in hand is better than nothing but I could very well (probably) be at a disadvantage in the "arms race." At that point proper trigger control and accuracy is my best friend so I will practice this as much as I can for this scenario as well. This scenario opens the potential for using cover, moving while firing and reloading. All skills I plan to work up to as well both with the SIG and LCP.

I have read as much as possible over the years on the tactics involved since those three incidents even though I was not in a position to carry. Am I over thinking this? Or am I missing things?

SkipD: I have not owned/used many guns so I am not as knowledgeable as I should be. Why do some guns require snapcaps and others not? and how do I tell?

-sbaker