When did "Keep your finger off the Bang Switch" become a thing?

[Rockrivr1]

I've been watching some war movies that covered a few conflicts and all of them had people walking around with fingers on the bang switch. Got me thinking of a comment someone made here in another thread that back then nobody cared if your finger was on the trigger. So I'm wondering when did it become a thing? Come to think about it I got qualified with a handgun and rifle around 85 and it wasn't much talked about then.

So what's the origin of it? Had to be a bad situation that got people moving in that direction.

 

[FrankNA]

I remember one of the tenets of safe gun handling being “don’t put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot”. This was mid 70’s when I belonged to the rifle club in high school - the instructors (rightfully so) always preached safety.

 

[appraiser]

real documentary movies of battle field footage or some Hollywood BS movie?

 

[GaryO]

I remember one of the tenets of safe gun handling being “don’t put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot”. This was mid 70’s when I belonged to the rifle club in high school - the instructors (rightfully so) always preached safety.

When Dick Malo handed me my first LTC in 1985, he gave me a couple pieces of advice and the first one was "keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target." He gave me a couple of others but it all boiled down to "don't shoot yourself in the foot"

 

[jkelly1229]

Alec baldwin couldve benefitted from this...

 

[Rockrivr1]

real documentary movies of battle field footage or some Hollywood BS movie?

I remember watching a documentary about Iwo Jima and raw film had guys walking around with their fingers on the trigger. That's what got me interested. Has to be a more modern thing that made it verbatim.

 

[jkelly1229]

I remember watching a documentary about Iwo Jima and raw film had guys walking around with their fingers on the trigger. That's what got me interested. Has to be a more modern thing that made it verbatim.

Might have been a little different when someone might pop out of a spider hole ay any second...quarter of a second might literally save your life there...dunno iwo seemed like a less than ideal time for those involved...im cutting them some slack

 

[FrankNA]

Might have been a little different when someone might pop out of a spider hole ay any second...quarter of a second might literally save your life there...dunno iwo seemed like a less than ideal time for those involved...im cutting them some slack

Yeah, I’d probably be a bit jumpy in a “shoot first or get shot” situation as well….

 

[Mesatchornug]

I think there's a difference between "when did we start teaching it as a rule" and "when did we start expecting it from TV and movies?"

 

[jkelly1229]

I think there's a difference between "when did we start teaching it as a rule" and "when did we start expecting it from TV and movies?"

Black hawk down

This is my safety?

 

[Rockrivr1]

I think there's a difference between "when did we start teaching it as a rule" and "when did we start expecting it from TV and movies?"

Pretty much. In 85 it wasn't mentioned in my qualification. So it must have turned into a steadfast rule after that.

 

[sieveboy]

Always a rule but the obsession with the exaggerated pointy finger came out about 1990

 

[appraiser]

If you are in a war zone, and you have nothing but bad guys ahead of you, I can understand why you would do that.

There are people who would, in the process of moving thru a house looking for a bad guy would keep their finger on the trigger.

The problem is when they are startled or trip, or pick another event they would either accidentally or by reaction pull the trigger.

I've always been taught among other things keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot and outside of the trigger guard.

But the U S Military may have different rules when engaging the enemy

 

[paul73]

So I'm wondering when did it become a thing

when i was in the soviet 'boot camp' it was never told so - otherwise really - if you raised a rifle/handgun into high ready - your finger has to be on the trigger all this time.
it was not truly said what to do in low ready, but it was not specifically required to keep it off trigger, i only got that habit here in states, and always considered it to be a civilians thing to enforce - as they are afraid of guns by definition.
to think of it logically, having octogenarians with sporadic convulsions handling guns - their finger better be off trigger always.

looking at modern pics of ukrainians - looks like the finger off thing is standard there now as well, probably makes sense. or just nato instructors set the tone.

 

[Mesatchornug]

Pretty much. In 85 it wasn't mentioned in my qualification. So it must have turned into a steadfast rule after that.

I'd believe that's true.

That said, my understanding is that Cooper was taking about his 4 rules in the 60s. I'm sure it depended who taught you, and when.

 

[71montess]

when i was in the soviet 'boot camp' it was never told so - otherwise really - if you raised a rifle/handgun into high ready - your finger has to be on the trigger all this time.
it was not truly said what to do in low ready, but it was not specifically required to keep it off trigger, i only got that habit here in states, and always considered it to be a civilians thing to enforce - as they are afraid of guns by definition.
to think of it logically, having octogenarians with sporadic convulsions handling guns - their finger better be off trigger always.

looking at modern pics of ukrainians - looks like the finger off thing is standard there now as well, probably makes sense. or just nato instructors set the tone.

It's funny , I can't detect a Russian accent in your handwriting.

 

[paul73]

It's funny , I can't detect a Russian accent in your handwriting.

a properly twisted on a side brain not gonna get untwisted. it is what it is now...

 

[ProGun]

Malloy and Reed always had finger on the trigger!

 

[jkelly1229]

when i was in the soviet 'boot camp' it was never told so - otherwise really - if you raised a rifle/handgun into high ready - your finger has to be on the trigger all this time.
it was not truly said what to do in low ready, but it was not specifically required to keep it off trigger, i only got that habit here in states, and always considered it to be a civilians thing to enforce - as they are afraid of guns by definition.
to think of it logically, having octogenarians with sporadic convulsions handling guns - their finger better be off trigger always.

looking at modern pics of ukrainians - looks like the finger off thing is standard there now as well, probably makes sense. or just nato instructors set the tone.

And the octagenrian favorite the 1911 does have a hair trigger

 

[FrankNA]

And the octagenrian favorite the 1911 does have a hair trigger

Hair Trigger on a 1911???? Not sure I understand.

 

[jkelly1229]

Hair Trigger on a 1911???? Not sure I understand.

I got them down to 2.5 on every one i had

 

[Andy in NH]

That said, my understanding is that Cooper was taking about his 4 rules in the 60s. I'm sure it depended who taught you, and when.

Cooper, Jeff. The Complete Book of Modern Handgunning. 1st ed., PRENTICE-HALL Inc, 1961. p. 224. (bold mine):

The three primary rules for gun safety are these:
(1) Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
(2) Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
(3) Be sure of your target.

Not sure when his four rules were first published, but I'm looking into it.

This guy was practicing the straight trigger finger technique back in the day.


(

 

[s&w3913]

Malloy and Reed always had finger on the trigger!

I think in the 80s it really started in law enforcement, S&W Semi autos especially some of the early 3rd gens had finger serrations on the front of the trigger guard as a reminder to keep your finger off the trigger.

No one really shoots that way anymore. And S&W Removed the serrations in future models. I think what really made it a mega rule is seeing Glocks in Law Enforcement.

Stories of Boston Police Officers and their Glocks randomly going off. In modern days that is in the majority of cases (finger on trigger) since the Sig P320 fix was put into place.

 

[rcwhat]

No mention of a booger hook yet?

 

[TZCHRIS]

You need to remember that back in the day, men were men!

 

[StevieP]

No mention of a booger hook yet?

this. Keep your booger hook off the bang switch.

There are no fingers

 

[Mountain]

Alec baldwin's victim couldve benefitted from this...

FIFY

 

[JRT]

Sometime after Bond movies were first made.

 

[Snora]

I have this 1955 "10 commandments of safety" guide and it seems like it doesn't explicitly call out your finger being off of the trigger.

 

[Arto]

1957

1957 NRA Hunter Safety Handbook Vintage Book pamphlet | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1957 NRA Hunter Safety Handbook Vintage Book pamphlet at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com